It’s almost time…
for an extra day!
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Since we first celebrated this quadrennial holiday back in 1984 its been a part of our history and our lore — in fact 2020’s Burning Frog celebration was the stuff of legend — so much so that we’ve decided (as we often do) to change it up.
In 2024 we will not be gathering 800 of our closest friends at the winery for a raucous and debauched party — but we will be around from noon to 4pm in the Vineyard House if you are able to drop in and share a glass of wine, a photo or a pond fond memory.
And no matter where you find yourself on this special, extra day we hope you will consider pulling a cork on your favorite Frog’s Leap bottle (may we suggest a Leap Year vintage?) and joining us in spirit as we raise a glass in celebration of an extra day on this wild, wonderful planet we call home.
Since 46 BC the western world has pondered WHAT TO DO with an extra day?
Fear not, dear friends — we’ve saved you from an existential crisis
IF you believe that the highest and best use of your TIME
is spending it with PEOPLE YOU LOVE
AND that ENJOYING A FINE MEAL with those people
only further enhances the experience
AND that there is no more sublime way to enhance a fine meal than by
sharing A BOTTLE OF FROG’S LEAP (or several) with said friends…
THEN you can logically see why
We proclaim LEAP YEAR DAY to be a DAY of REVELRY!
(well, at least anywhere RIBBIT corks are being pulled)
Because if JULIUS CAESAR can force the entire Roman Empire to change their CALENDAR*
All we’re asking is that YOU, dear friends, take a LEAP OF FAITH and adopt our traditions at least ONE little day every FOUR years!
* According to careful research ( Wikipedia) the origins of our Leap Year begin in 46 B.C. when Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar, based on a 12 month year of 365 days. While Caesar had the power to force the Roman Empire to adopt a new system he could not control the sun. The actual solar year value of approximately 365.2422 days — meant the Julian calendar needed to be amended to account for a gain of 3.1 days every 400 years. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII made some further calculations and declared an extra day every fourth year at the end of February. (You can watch Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explain it here.)
In the spirit of the day (February 29), the year (Leap Year) and of course, Frog’s Leap, we invite you to celebrate this quadrennial day YOUR way — and then be sure and share it!
#frogsleapyear
A Brief History of Frog’s Leap Leap Year Celebrations:
I – 1984 — dinner at Mustard’s to celebrate still being in business three years after launch
II — 1988 – A Leap Year dinner at Tra Vigne, the newest restaurant in Napa
III — 1992 – “Bacchanal” at Native Son’s Hall featuring whole roasted pigs
IV — 1996 – “Revival” theme in the newly renovated Red Barn
V — 2000 – “Chautauqua” theme at the CIA
VI — 2004 – Leap Year Eve “Green Tie Optional” in the Barrel Chai
VII — 2008 – Cal Marching Band in the Barrel Chai
VIII — 2012 – “Shipwrecked” with a waterfall in the Barrel Chai
IX — 2016 – “Last Days of Pompeii” with a volcano in the Barrel Chai
X — 2020 – “Burning Frog” in the Barrel Chai (worldwide pandemic ensues, unrelated)
