Paradise Ridge Winery. (Photo Courtesy of Paradise Ridge Winery)
The annual USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards are currently being announced, and two Sonoma County wineries were voted among the top 10 in the category of “Best Tasting Room.” Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa (with tasting room in Kenwood) took home the 5th spot, followed by Dry Creek Vineyards in Healdsburg on 6th.
The two Sonoma County wineries competed against a pool of 20 nominees, chosen by a panel of wine experts. The top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
At number 5, Paradise Ridge Winery was the number one California tasting room among the top 10, followed by Dry Creek Vineyard in Healdsburg, LXV Wine in Paso Robles, Municipal Winemakers in Santa Barbara and Bluxome Street Winery in San Francisco.
Dry Creek Vineyard tasting room in Healdsburg. (Photo Courtesy of Dry Creek Vineyard)
Combining “great wines” with a “great space,” Paradise Ridge Winery and Dry Creek Vineyard received the following descriptions from USA Today:
“The tasting room at Paradise Ridge Winery’s Russian River Valley Estate enjoys sweeping views of the Russian River Valley, as well as space to sip al fresco on an expansive outside deck. It’s particularly stunning at sunset, glass of wine in hand.”
“Dry Creek Vineyard was the first new winery built in the Dry Creek Valley following the end of Prohibition, and today, the Healdsburg tasting room pours some of the best Fumé Blancs and Zinfandels from California. Guests can also purchase wine from the tasting room to enjoy on the winery’s lovely picnic grounds.”
The top 10 winners in the category Best Tasting Room:
Fall is right around the corner, but backyard entertaining is still in full swing. Whether you’re hosting a mid-morning brunch or an early evening cocktail hour, it’s time to update the outdoor décor to make it festive for the season.
Here are some of our favorite ways to make this happen…
Let Your Porch Welcome Guests
When guests are coming over, your front porch will set the mood for the festivities to follow. This porch, decorated with autumn flowers and pumpkins, will welcome your visitors with a cozy fall feeling. (Image via countryliving.com)
If you’re lucky enough to have a sizable porch, some throw pillows in an autumn hue will accentuate the colors of your flower arrangements. (Image via heinspiredroom.net)
Wreaths have a history dating as far back as ancient Greece, and have been used to announce the changing seasons, holidays, and harvest times. This hand-made Indian corn wreath helps usher in fall and looks great both inside and outside. (Image via hgtv.com)
Another example of a harvest wreath, created with wheat husks and local foliage. It makes a lovely centerpiece for any outdoor table and takes less than 30 minutes to create. (Image via lynchcreekwreaths.com)
Create this look: Village Art Supply, 715 Hahman Dr, Santa Rosa, villageartsupply.com.
Go Out of Your Gourd
You don’t necessarily need to plant pumpkins or gourds – simply arrange a colorful selection in your garden to create a seasonal tableau. (Image via designerlandscapesllc.com)
Gourds can also serve as table decoration when hosting an outdoor picnic or meal. (Image via photos.hgtv.com)
Get these gourds: Calabash – A Festival of Gourds, Art, and the Garden (Sunday, October 2, 2016), 6550 Railroad Avenue, Forestville, fftfoodbank.org.
Show That Fall is For The Birds
Fall is the time for cleaning and restocking your bird feeders. Many species begin to flock and head toward warmer climates at this time of year – keeping your feeders filled will ensure that your backyard becomes a popular pitstop. (Image via birdfeeders.com)
You don’t need to invest a lot of time or money into a bird feeder. Simply hollow out half of a pumpkin, fill it with birdseed, and hang it from your favorite tree. Side note: this would only feed the birds for one day, and you can expect squirrels to help themselves to a few snacks – so remember to refill the feeder the next day. (Image via audubon.org)
Learn what to feed the birds: Wild Birds Unlimited, 71 Brookwood Avenue, Santa Rosa, santarosa.wbu.com.
Let Your Lights Shine
Autumn means that the days are getting shorter. Some well-placed lights in backyard trees will brighten up the night and create a twinkling, magical space for an outdoor cocktail party or romantic dinner. (Image via waplag.net)
These woven, wooden globes have strings of lights entwined throughout, creating a visually interesting addition to the yard. (Image via highwayswest.com)
Hay bales are a sure sign of the impending winter; when the weather puts an end to grazing days and the hay is plentiful. Here in Sonoma County, hay bales are a welcome winter sight, and can add a rustic touch to your outdoor decorations. (Image via digsdigs.com)
While you don’t need to display the whole crop to show that fall is here, these hay bales help create a cheery platform for this ‘gourd-geous’ collection. (Image via homefinder.com)
Taste of Sonoma, the centerpiece of the three-day Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, welcomed food and wine lovers Saturday to the bucolic MacMurray Ranch Estate Vineyards in Healdsburg for the 12th year under near-perfect weather conditions.
The buzz this year is that changes are afoot for Sonoma County’s largest charitable event, produced by the Sonoma County Vintners and the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance. Last year, the organizers gave away $3.5 million to charities from a gross of $5.5 million from the weekend.
Jean Arnold Sessions, executive director of the Sonoma County Vintners, hinted that the event’s date and location will be different next year but kept those details under wraps until an announcement Sunday.
“Labor Day has been tough for a lot of people coming, because they are on family holidays,” Sessions said. “And MacMurray Ranch has done it for so many years. It’s a chance to move around Sonoma County.”
As usual, there were plenty of refreshing bites and sips, such as the spicy watermelon gazpacho served up by Chef Darren McReynolds of the Pullman Kitchen in Santa Rosa, paired with a Dutton Estate Sauvignon Blanc.
MacMurray Ranch (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
One of the benefits of attending is you can try food and wine from the entire county, without having to drive around in your car.
“What’s not to like?” asked John Carr of San Francisco, returning for his fifth year at the event. “The food and the wine is wonderful, the crowds are not overwhelming, and the scenery is great. You can stop at the Jimtown Store and Rodney Strong in one day.”
While there were a few babies in tow, Christine Rios of Napa and San Francisco was the only one who carried her dog, Princess Snowflake, in a shoulder bag while tasting through the appellation tents.
“This is super high class, the most un-country Wine Country event,” she said. “There’s a lot of attention to detail — the signage, the lay out, the people. It feels very open and casual, but the preparation was not casual at all.”
The event sold out Friday, with an estimated 2,500 tickets purchased and a crew of 400 volunteers, who worked all week to get ready for the chefs, the winemakers and the guests to arrive.
Ticket holders started streaming through the gate at 11 a.m., but many of the 200 wineries and 85 chefs participating in the event had arrived at the ranch much earlier.
Peter Janiak, executive chef of Seghesio Family Vineyards, started smoking 140 racks of St. Louis-style pork ribs at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. He served them up with the Seghesio Cortina Zinfandel and a side of wipes for greasy fingers.
Most folks started the day in the Bubble Lounge, where Gloria Ferrer sparklers were served alongside fresh oysters and other tasty bites. The lines snaked out the gate early in the day but eventually eased up.
“This is one of the premier wine and food events in the world,” said Gary Kozak of Santa Rosa, as he snagged the very last oyster in the Bubble Lounge and slurped it up. “Sorry folks. This is it. C’est la vie.”
Experienced tasters, like Krista Wilcox of Davis, arrived early with friends and had her itinerary already sketched out.
“We start in the Bubble Lounge, then we do beer,” she said. “Then we go through the tents, left to right, and meet back at the bubble lounge to rehydrate.”
This year, in addition to the four appellation tents devoted to the Alexander, Dry Creek, Sonoma and Russian River Valleys, there was a fifth tent for wineries sourcing from the Sonoma Coast.
Claire Ramey, daughter of well-known winemaker David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars, was pouring a syrah and a chardonnay, both sourced from the Sonoma Coast. But like many, she was sipping a refreshing rosé from Sidecar, to keep the heat at bay.
Although the temperatures only peaked in the low ‘80s, it was warm enough to send others to the Marketplace to line up for a cold brew.
“We’re just mixing it up,” said Ally Collombini of Santa Rosa, while standing in line for a Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Co. “We’re keeping it real and fresh. And hydrated.”
In the Alexander Valley tent, Tim Vallery, chef at Peloton Catering of Healdsburg, was also sipping a Pliny while serving up bites of compressed watermelon with shrimp ceviche, panna cotta and crispy prosciutto to pair with the Trione Sauvignon Blanc.
“This dish is great on its own,” he said. “But when you pair it with the wine, it really highlights the wine.”
Over in the Dry Creek Valley tent, Executive Chef Scotti Romano of the Dry Creek Kitchen crafted some handmade cavatelli pasta that was smothered in a duck and guanciale Bolognese sauce, to pair with a Mauritson Zinfandel.
“Acid and tomato and fat goes so well with the zin,” said Clay Mauritson, owner and winemaker of Mauritson Wines. “I don’t think there’s anything more classic than zin and duck,”
Like other winemakers, Mauritson attended the Taste despite being knee-deep in harvest, with a fifth of his crop already in. Compared to last year’s challenging harvest, when many varietals ripened at once, this year’s harvest looks to be more spread out, due to the weather.
“Leading up to harvest, we have had one of the best six to eight weeks ever,” he said. “The potential for the quality is unbelievable. We can measure the phenolics — the tannins and color — and right now they are off the chart.”
Kate MacMurray, a spokesperson for MacMurray Estate Vineyards, spent the day pouring wine in the Russian River tent and waxing poetic about the ranch where her famous father, actor Fred MacMurray, used to fly fish in the Russian River.
“It’s the last celebration before harvest,” she said of the signature event. “It’s a transition from summer to fall…. One door is closing, and one is opening, but we’re all connected.”
Hosting a Labor Day barbecue for carnivores, vegans and everyone in-between? Tip: Be politically correct by including a few vegan wines in your line-up. (See below.) Vegan wines are produced without any animal products.
The wines listed range in price from $15 to $60, and you’ll win points from your vegan friends with the first three.
Alexander Valley Vineyards, 2014 Sonoma County Merlot, 14%, $20. Vegan. This is a smart buy for the budget-minded. It has notes of cherry, plum, herbs and spice. A seamless merlot that will pair well with meat and veggie burgers.
Alban Vineyard Patrina, 2013 Alban Estate Syrah, 15.5%, $43. Vegan. A meaty syrah that stands up to the rich flavors in a meat or a Portobello burger . Notes of white pepper and bacon. Lovely.
Thumbprint Cellars, 2013 Bacigalupi Vineyard Pinot Noir, 15.2%, $60. Vegan. This pinot has tasty red fruit – wild strawberry and cherry – bright acid and a hint of toffee. Firm tannins. Nice length. It’s a good vegan option because it marries well with a veggie or Portobello burger.
Siduri, 2013 Sierra Mar Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, 14.4%, $51. This rich pinot is weighted to red fruit and it has a streak of racy black pepper spice. This sassy pinot makes for great Labor Day fun, whether solo or paired with grilled meats.
Trentadue Old Patch Red Sonoma County Red Blend, 13%, $15. This is a juicy blend that has bright red fruit, crisp acidity and snappy spice. This will show well with either a burger or a vegetarian option. It’s a steal for the price.
Sonoma County fall vineyard. (Photo by Kent Porter)
Say goodbye to stuffy ballrooms, powerpoint presentations and rubber chicken lunches, there’s a new kind of conference in town.
Fall vineyards in Sonoma County. (Photo by Kent Porter)
Harvest Summit, a one day invitation-only “innovation field trip,” is set to launch in Sonoma County on November 4th. Serving up a blend of farm-to-table bites, artisanal drinks and avant-garde conversations in a countryside setting, the Sonoma County summit aims to ignite interaction and ideas that will have a social impact.
“We recognize a great need for leaders to get out of their silos and learn from each other,” said Jessica Kilcullen, co-founder of Harvest Summit. “We also believe in the psychological benefits associated with being outside – fresh air leads to fresh perspectives.”
The inaugural Harvest Summit will take place at a private farm estate in Knight’s Valley, just outside of Healdsburg, and will be host to an eclectic mix of participants: from media, tech and entertainment entrepreneurs to environmental leaders; from makers, writers and artists to award-winning chefs and winemakers.
Harvest Summit participants will begin the day with guided meditation, followed by a breakfast provided in partnership with Alvarado Street Bakery (Petaluma) and Taylor Maid Farms Coffee (Sebastopol). After a “Big Barn” kickoff, the agenda features a combination of interactive small group discussions and presentations on a variety of topics, including “innovation acceleration,” “mindfulness,”“the future of food,” and “virtual reality.” The summit will also include an “innovation discovery zone,” to showcase new products and inventions.
The summit speaker list features notable names such as Steven Aldrich (CPO, Go Daddy), Dale Dougherty (CEO, Maker Media), Nancy Duarte (CEO, best-selling author), Douglas Keane (Chef célèbre), Mike McGuire (CA State Senator), Daniel Meyer (COO Global Good Fund), Bill Price (CEO, Head High Wines, former co-founder TPG), Joy Anne Sterling (Partner/CEO, Iron Horse), Dustin Valette (Chef/Proprietor, Valette) and Jon Sebastiani (Founder/CEO, Sonoma Brands).
“Innovation has become a giant buzzword,” said Bill O’Connor, Innovation Strategist at Autodesk and speaker at Harvest Summit, “but the goal here is to go beyond the warm and fuzzy anecdotes and vague generalities that dominate the current innovation dialogue… Engaging with leaders from divergent fields can expose my blind spots and help me see things differently. I think that has the potential to be transformative.”
For more information and to request an invite, visit harvestsummit.com
Sonoma Magazine is a media partner of Harvest Summit.
You may see their backs bent among the vines, moving at an urgent pace as they gather a crop too temperamental and too valuable to wait.
But you never see their faces. The harvesters have their features concealed beneath the brims of caps and hoodies, their expressions impossible to read.
Collectively, they drive the engine at the front end of winemaking. Their days of picking can begin at 2 a.m. and end in the beating rays at noon. Their workplace is not the quietly bucolic scene of rolling vineyards found on Wine Country postcards. It is filled with the thrum of generators, the smoke of exhaust, the growl of tractors.
What if they were to be coaxed to a camera, focused just on their faces? Who would we see?
Catalina Martinez, 38, Veracruz, Mexico. 9/23/2015, A. Rafanelli Winery vineyard, Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)
Photographer Erik Castro set out to capture the many faces of Sonoma’s grape harvest. He showed up at a dozen vineyards — Balletto, Quivira and Jack London Ranch among them — toward the end of shifts as long as 10 hours. Then Castro persuaded 70 harvesters — 67 men and three women — to sit down before a stranger. Hot and exhausted, they looked into his lens and revealed something of themselves.
Rafael Amador, 21, Hidalgo, Mexico. 9/24/2015, Rancho Lazaro vineyard, Sonoma. (Photo by Erik Castro)
They were as young as 21, as old as 73. They were all Mexican, from Oaxaca, Michoacán, Guanajato, Tlaxcala. One vineyard manager said that in 42 years he had only one American picker, and that was for a single day’s work.
“I don’t want you to look at the vineyards. I don’t want you to look at the hills,” Castro says. “All I want you to look at is the person. I’ve always thought when you look in somebody’s eyes, it removes the labels you might have on them. They don’t become an immigrant or a laborer. They become simply a human being.”
HARVESTER, a Photo Series by Erik Castro, is on display at Christie Marks Fine Art through September 17.
A selection of photographs from the Harvester photo series by Erik Castro:
Juan Manuel Ojeda Flores, 30, Guanajuato, Mexico. 9/18/2015, Jack London Ranch vineyard, Glen Ellen. (Photo by Erik Castro)Raymundo Gutierrez, 42, Oaxaca, Mexico. 9/23/2015, A. Rafanelli Winery vineyard, Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)Sylvia Elizza, 32, Oaxaca, Mexico. 9/19/2015, Ted Williams Vineyard, Santa Rosa. (Photo by Erik Castro)Juan Pablo, 24, Aguascalientes, Mexico. 9/23/2015, A. Rafanelli Winery vineyard, Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)Jorge Chavez, 54, Michoacán, Mexico. 9/8/2015, Quivira Vineyards, Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)Eduardo Cardana, 22, Michoacán, Mexico. 9/5/2015, River Road Ranch Vineyard, Windsor. (Photo by Erik Castro)Miguel Santiago, 38, Guerrero, Mexico. 9/18/2015, Jack London Ranch vineyard, Glen Ellen. (Photo by Erik Castro)Nacio Lopez Garcia, 39, Michoacán, Mexico. 9/5/2015, River Road Ranch Vineyard, Windsor. (Photo by Erik Castro)Julian llamas, 55, Jalisco, Mexico. 10/9/2015, Linked Vineyards, Santa Rosa. (Photo by Erik Castro)Jose Ordaz, 58, Palo Alto, Michoacán, Mexico. 9/18/2015, Jack London Ranch vineyard, Glen Ellen. (Photo by Erik Castro)Lorenzo Carrasco, 40, Oaxaca, Mexico. 9/23/2015, A. Rafanelli Winery vineyard, Healdsburg. (Photo by Erik Castro)
Halloween Cover Show attendees were treated to a night of sinfully sweet takes on some of their favorite tracks at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, Saturday, October 29. Browse the gallery below for highlights…
Photography by Estefany Gonzalez.
Foo Fighters cover band, Food Eaters.
U2 cover band, Rattle & Hum.
AC/DC cover band, Back in Bloom.
Foo Fighters cover band, Food Eaters.
Timmy Lohdi of AC/DC cover band, Back in Bloom.
Gabe Katz of Foo Fighters cover band, Food Eaters.
Cody Sullivan of Nirvana cover band, Negative Creeps.
Rick Tigner, organizer of Tour de Fox Wine Country, and Wendy Tigner, enjoy the
Cyclists at the start of Tour de Fox Wine Country. (Photo Courtesy: The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
650 cyclists took to Sonoma Country backroads last Saturday for the final Wine Country stretch of the Tour de Fox, a charity ride in support of Parkinson’s research.
Riding on roads flanked by vineyards, via Guerneville, Dry Creek Valley and Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, local tour participants and donors raised $580,000 (and counting) to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to GOALS Foundation, which supports special needs children and adults through soccer.
Left to right, Rick Tigner, CEO of Jackson Family Wines, Wendy Tigner and Sam Fox with the Michael J. Fox Foundation at the after party for the Tour de Fox Wine Country Edition at the Kendall-Jackson Winery in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)
The Tour de Fox was launched in the summer of 2015 by Sam Fox, an extreme athlete (no relation to Michael J. Fox), in honor of his mother who has lived with Parkinson’s for 15 years.
The inaugural tour covered a 14,000 mile route from Maine to Vancouver (8,000 miles were biked by Sam Fox), passed through all 48 contiguous states, and ascended their highest peaks. The tour raised $2.5 million in support of Parkinson’s research, and included a Wine Country chapter organized by Rick Tigner, president of Santa Rosa-based Jackson Family Wines. Mr. Tigner’s wife, Wendy, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2006.
Julia Chow, left, and Noel Namba braid the hair of Madison Kiss at the after party for the Tour de Fox Wine Country Edition at the Kendall-Jackson Winery in Santa Rosa. (Photo by John Burgess)
After the success of last year’s race, Mr. Tigner brought the event back to Sonoma County in 2016. This year’s 73-mile Wine Country race (also available in shorter 51, 31.5 and 10-mile options) ended with a Finish Line Festival at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens. Mr. Tigner was the top fundraiser, raising $98,645. Team “Chowdogs,” led by energy executive Richard Chow, raised $31,135. A 2017 tour is in the works, with another Sonoma County event tentatively planned.
Rick Tigner, organizer of Tour de Fox Wine Country, and Wendy Tigner, enjoy the Finish Line Festival at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens. (Photo Courtesy: The Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Mirrors are multitaskers. Not only do they make sure that you look good, but they can also make your rooms look bigger, brighter – and better. Here are a few ideas on how to use mirrors to transform any room in your house:
Create A Window
If you have a small room without windows, use a mirror that’s cut and framed to mimic a window. This will open the space and prevent a sense of claustrophobia. The window-mirror will also serve as a focal point in the room. (Image via HGTVHome.com)
As this artistically cut mirror demonstrates, the mirror doesn’t need to be framed in order to create the impression of a window. (Image via potterybarn.com)
Mirrors in the kitchen? Yes, indeed! A well-placed mirror can create a sense of space in what is usually one of the smallest rooms in the house, while turning the chore of cooking dinner into a delight. That being said, if my kitchen looked like this one I’d never complain about cooking again. (Image via drawhome.com)
A mirror in the kitchen can help a cook keep a look out for what’s happening in the dining area behind them. It can also create the illusion of a window that opens onto the room beyond. (Image via themakerista.com)
A tall mirror draws the eye upward, instantly making the room feel more spacious.
There’s a multitude of neat optical illusions that can be created with tall, slender mirrors. This mirror has been strategically placed in a small alcove. By reflecting the stone work across from it, the mirror creates the illusion of a doorway leading to another room.
Get this look: Sonoma Country Antiques, 23999 Arnold Drive (Hwy 121), Sonoma. sonomaantiques.com
Highlight The Hallway
The hallway tends to be the narrowest, dimmest part of any house. This artistic collection of hexagonal mirrors effectively transforms what could otherwise have been a dull and plain part of the house. (Image via Levi Hobbs)
This hallway mirror welcomes visitors by the entry, making it a useful addition as well as an aesthetic one.
If mirrors happen to be your favorite collectible, display them together to add character to a room and to reflect light in different directions. (Image via Flikr)
This collection of round mirrors plays off the round bed as well as the dots on the blanket, making the room into a work of art – no need for pictures or paintings.
Get this look: Favorite Things, 1500 4th St, Santa Rosa. (707) 541-7380
Illuminate Your Dining Space
A mirror in the dining room works especially well together with a chandelier; the mirror will reflect the light and make the room feel larger and more formal. (Image via fuernte.com)
A large mirror in a small dining area can create the illusion that the room is twice its actual size. (Image via HGTV)
The oversized mirror is the favorite “weapon” of many interior designers. As can be seen in this space, the large mirror complements the décor, while seamlessly making the room appear much larger. (Image via wayfair.com)
Larger mirrors don’t necessarily mean more work when it comes to hanging them up; they work just as well being leaned against a wall or placed in a corner.
Get this look: Macy’s, Coddingtown Mall, 555 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa. macys.com
Do you squeeze a vacation into a 24-hour sprint? If so, you’re in good company. It turns out that day-trippers are the largest segment of tourists in Napa Valley — 66.2 percent. And, naturally, they fancy wine tasting – with an average of 3.1 tasting room visits on their itinerary, according to the latest study by Destination Analysts.
Here’s my itinerary for a perfect one day wine-cation through Napa Valley:
Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery in Yountville. (Photo Courtesy thomaskeller.com)
Begin with breakfast at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville and be sure to order an authentic Parisian croissant, followed by a macaron for dessert. Dessert for breakfast? You bet, when the macarons are this irresistible.
Bouchon Bakery, 6528 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944-2253, www.bouchonbakery.com.
After you’ve filled yourself up with Parisian treats, you’re off for a day of wine tasting. Here are my 3.1 (plus) Napa Valley tasting rooms to visit right now:
The Hess Collection courtyard in Napa Valley. (Photo Courtesy The Hess Collection)
The Hess Collection: This Napa Valley winery is best known for its Mount Veeder Cabernet, but give other varietals a try in its highbrow Hess Small Block Series. The winery houses a significant portion of founder Donald Hess’s contemporary art collection and hosts a series of “exclusive experiences,” including a vine to table tour and luncheon prepared by Executive Chef Chad Hendrickson.
The grounds at St. Supéry in Rutherford. (Photo Courtesy St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery)
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery: This is the largest family owned, sustainably farmed and estate produced winery in Napa Valley. The winery hosts a “Vineyard to Glass” tour as well as a series of educational “Interactive Wine Experiences,” including a tour of the estate gardens. Certified Napa Green, St. Supéry makes knockout Sauvignon Blancs – make sure to taste its best effort yet: the Dollarhide Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
8440 S St Helena Hwy, Rutherford, 707-963-4507, www.stsupery.com
The oak terrace at Mumm Napa. (Photo Courtesy Mumm Napa)
Mumm Napa: The roots of this sparkling wine maker can be traced back to leading international French champagne brand GH Mumm. Established in California in the late 1970s, Mumm Napa follows traditional French wine making techniques in creating hand-crafted sparkling wines – the Blanc de Blancs is a tasty bottling not to be missed. It’s vibrant with notes of apple, almond and mineral.
Domaine Chandon in Napa. (Photo Courtesy Domaine Chandon)
Domaine Chandon: This Napa Valley winery, founded in 1973 by Moet & Chandon, is located within minutes from the quaint town of Yountville and serves a variety of sparkling wines. The Chandon Sparkling Red is a winery exclusive – it has the body of a still wine, with the refreshing character of a sparkling wine.
Oakville Grocery Co in Napa Valley. (Courtesy thelongweekender.com)
At some point during your day of tasting, stop in at gourmet food store Oakville Grocery Napa Valleyfor picnic provisions. A house special is the Chicken Gruyere sandwich — sophisticated comfort food at its best.
During your picnic, be sure to pull out your tasting notes so you can talk “taste,” the favorite conversation in Wine Country. No doubt, your palate will have plenty to say.
