In 2003, the Festival del Sole was born in Cortona in Tuscany, and incorporated a vast array of events including  concerts, fine art exhibitions, culinary events, wine tastings, and literary events.  In 2006,  Barrett Wissman brought the Festival del Sole to Napa Valley, which has now become Festival Napa Valley.

The 2024 Festival featured performances from Olga Kern, Nina Kotova, Viktoria Mullova, Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Calleja and screening of the filmed performance of Sibylle Szaggars Redford’s multidisciplinary work featuring a narration by Robert Redford. In addition to the Festival’s performances, were a range of wine and culinary experiences curated by Vinous.

Barrett Wissman has decided to bring back the style, artistic level, tradition and excitement of the Festival del Sole back to the wine country of Northern California in 2024, in partnership with the stunning acoustic and architectural gem, the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and its Executive Director Jacob Yarrow.