Tracy Press

The downtown Tracy Wine & Cheese stroll is back for an encore after a successful spring debut in 2007.

Tracy Wine Cellar owner Bill Carey will pour Kono Baru’s Malbec at this year’s Wine & Cheese Stroll in downtown Friday evening. There will be 39 other wines to try during the event. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

An array of cheeses will be paired with the wines — varieties of brie, jack and bleu, just to name a few.

Tracy’s Wine Stroll, originally held only in the fall, started in 1988 and draws about 5,000 strollers to downtown each year. The event’s success pushed the Downtown Tracy Business Improvement Area to start the spring Wine & Cheese Stroll one year ago.

"We see nothing but good things from it," said Bill Carey, owner of the downtown-located Tracy Wine Cellar.

The wine stroll and three local wineries — La Bonne Vie Cellars, Windmill Ridge Winery and Ramon Rios Winery — have put Tracy on the map as a wine destination, he said.

"Local people are learning a lot more about wine and appreciating it more," said Carey, who will pour Kono Baru’s Malbec, a heavily extracted wine with blueberry and wild blackberry aromas.

But this stroll is about more than great wine.

Music has always played a supporting role in local wine strolls. While people sip, they will be serenaded with the sounds of jazz, blues, jazz fusion, Latin and classic rock. The musical lineup for Friday includes Red House, Rumors, The Larry Stewart Band, Bill Sharp Band Juvenal Quintana, Blue A Fuse and Midnight Breeze.

"We’re really excited about the wine stroll," said Diana Koron, director of the downtown association. "We’re hoping it will be a success this year again."

Glasses are on sale this week at most downtown businesses.

WHAT: Tracy Wine & Cheese Stroll

WHEN: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Downtown Tracy

INFO: DTBIA, 831-4170

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written by LISA , May 14, 2008

THIS FRIDAY THE 16TH?

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written by hmmph , May 14, 2008

its hillarious to see all the desperate housewives and mid-life crisis parents sip wine and get tipsy downtown

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written by Woo Woo , May 15, 2008

Yeah, Friday the 16th Lisa.

**** Way to go TP. How about a printed date with the WHEN: ***

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written by Dog , May 15, 2008

Click on "Calendar of Events". It is listed there.

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written by Here ya go , May 15, 2008

WHAT: Tracy Wine & Cheese Stroll

WHEN: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Downtown Tracy

INFO: DTBIA, 831-4170

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written by Bingo , May 15, 2008

bottle of wine, fruit of the vine, let me go home and get sooooober. GIMMIE SOME OF THAT THUNDERBIRD , RIPPLE OR BETTER YET 'MAD DOG 2020' Arooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!

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written by Danny , May 16, 2008

Dear "hmmph"

I'll be attending to enjoy the fruits of our area, and hang out on a Friday night.

But don't worry, there's a Sunny Delight stroll next weekend, and there's a discount for panzies.

Have fun at home with your xbox.

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written by aj1998 , May 16, 2008

What a joke! My husband and I, and friends, have attended the last several years but avoided it tonight partly because of the heat. But really the fact of the matter is that if you are actually interested in wine, you'll be disappointed. The "pourers" have no idea what they're pouring and don't care. They're only interesed in selling their stuff to the drunks. I wish the merchants would be a little more vested in the event but my experience has been that they just aren't. If you're actually interested in wine, don't bother unless you just want to get drunk. Visit Tracy Wine Cellar or one of the local wineries if you really want to learn about wine.

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written by Granny Garamender , May 16, 2008

I've seen better, but I want to give Tracy a chance. So I will refrain from knocking this one down. I have noticed nicer looking downtown in the last year. Hopefully the DTBIA and others can continue to help "spruce it up" and also continue to make even larger scale improvements. Incrementally, of course. These things take time.