It was 0800. The day was ripe with sunshine, and wind crisply bit my prickly goosebumped skin in the November air. I was on a mission. Seeking a hearty bite to thwart the turbulence in the prior night’s prosecco filled effervesent resplendence.
A quick hike down the block and I saw it. It came so quickly, it was almost as if destiny was dropped straight into my lap. (The spills and watermarks on my white tank top were a sweet reminder of libations actually dropped on my lap.)
And now this: Two hefty, open, wood fire grills with poultry vapors streaming their way to the heavens. A solitary gentleman with a school boy smile and a large garden shovel summons me. “They’re ready”, he reveals. I swipe my card. A whole, seasoned spatchcock chicken in a plastic bag with two large tubs of housemade tomato salsa accompany me back to the airbnb.
Crispy skin – that stayed that way after a 20 min walk in a plastic bag. Spicy, fragrant tomatoes, and bubbly mimosas. This is what breakfast is made of at ELBrinquito in Sonoma, CA. And it will be one of the hardest things not to live with until my triumphant return to the valley.
Look for the colorful building and lead with your nose. They don’t have a website.
Ok. Now that you have some sustenance, your ready to embark. Get yourself an Uber. Meet me at Lake Sonoma Winery.
Here you will find Jack. A snarky, sharp witted, whipper snapper who pours wine like the summer is long. Jack’s tastings happen outside around a glassy fire pit. It’s there that he schools you in proverbial memory tasks (getting 9 different wines [at various paces] down the 6 pour list – which {as you can imagine} gets quite difficult after a few generous glugs). He is also, I’m sure, a big fan of parenthesis.
Get the ‘Boars Blood’ red blend. In fact, if he let’s you, get two. He won’t, but you’ll find him all the more charming. Jack is 91. Doesn’t look a day over 70. And knows his wine.
Next stop.
Listen. I know you just had some delicious, bold Boars Blood and other strong willed reds with prominent back bones. And now your like, “um…bubbles?” Yea, I know. You’re not wrong. You could have started here. But this time, by George, we didn’t. And like that kazoo that sings to it’s own musical euphony, I didn’t even mind.
Lots of choices here, and not one we made was wrong. Maybe it’s the wine. The bubbles were friendly and fizzy. They also have a cheese plate and truffles that are not to be missed.
Now, go directly to Adastra Wines.
Or actually, get some food, then go.
Or whatever.
At Adastra, you will find yourself in a cozy, modern rustic, vine influenced tasting room. The loveliest Laurie you have ever met will begin to serve you. You will learn a bit later in the night that Laurie doesn’t actually work there. But nevertheless, she poured you some laudable pino noir. She topped it with indescribable merlot. You don’t usually drink either of those. But do you know how good of a non-employee this gal is? She got you to sign up for the wine club and order a bunch of each. WHAT??? It’s that frickin’ spectacular.
You will also meet Chris – Dr. Chris. The retired cardiologist who left his service in patient care to make wine. A real dreamers disease I might suppose.
Should you question the doctor? Absolutely not. Through striving, to the stars, I can’t wait to drink more of his wine.
Thank you for your service, Doc. And thank you for your harvest.
Go to bed.
Day 2.
Arise and kindly find your spatchcock man (see above).
Get your crew in the car and give those with tendencies for motion sickness the front seat. This is a windy, vineyard lined drive about 45 minutes northeast to St. Helena.
Arrive at Reverie II Vineyard and Winery.
Ben is your wine chauffeur for the day. He is also the DD, and is understandably unimpressed when a glass is not full. Big, vibrant Bordeaux blends are what these guys are known for. And they are mighty thankful too. What do I mean? The vineyard nearly burnt to smithereens in the fires of 2020. In fact, it smoldered bushes out front and the entire hillside behind the (rentable) tasting ‘home’ (see the middle pic above). But the buildings were left standing…and the grapes…they clung to life, just for you and me.
We cozied around the giant campfire in comfortable, custom, stave, French Oak cask chairs. Complete with a stemmed wine glass insert. This was followed by a tour of the facility, including breaking ground on the new tasting room.
You know I’m partial to the name…But the vino spoke for itself.
Do the tasting. Join the club. Order the chairs.
I can see you’re daydreaming. Feeling so light you could fly. Ready to embark on more of what Northern California is best known for. But first….
Let’s get some food.
This is Gott’s Roadside. They do food fast, well. Really well. Think: burgers, shakes, and yep, even ahi tacos. It’s a perfect mid-day, pre-next wine tasting pick me up.
Here’s what I would recommend:
The burgers. And the tacos. You can order wine and beer here too.
Feel satisfied? Onto Caymus Vineyards. It’s just a hop, skip and 10 min drive down the road to Rutherford.
Caymus is (how shall I say?) — one of the big dogs. Ya know?
Fab Cab. I mean. (pause). Fabulous Cabulous. Seriously.
They also make popular (less $$$) names like Conundrum and Mer Soleil. Not sure I need to say much more…
I’m also a big fan of the gorgeous entry. Find it in stores all over.
Next.
Jessup Cellars. I consider it like my childhood home. The first wine club I joined back in 2009 and the wine is every bit as good today.
Tasting there is always an experience that brings all dining crusades to their knees.
Jessup is an art gallery/transitional boozy wonderland. Everything they make is approachable and just sublimely delicious. They even do a zinfandel spun port, and for those of you with a sweet stained tooth – do not miss it.
Let’s get ready for dinner. Our last stop this trip is back in the Sonoma Square – The Girl and the Fig.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have very little self restraint when I see fried mortadella on a menu, much less after filling my tank with splash after splash of the good stuff. So, here you go. Tangy pickled veggies top the giant emulsified pork patty and creamy dijonnaise rounds out the balance perfectly.
Looking for something a little lighter? Go for the wild flounder or the classic quiche lorraine.
Well friends, it’s time to journey home. Hopefully you packed a large wine roller tote with you. See you next time in this glorious valley. Cheers!
Now that your home, I suppose you might need some recipes to cook with all that Californian elixir. Here you go:
- Pino Gris – Clam and Langostino Chowder
- Chard – Humboldt Fog and Pear Risotto with Chardonnay Chicken
- Big, Bright, Red Zin – Bison Bolognese
- Sangio – Sangio Sloppy Joes
- Cab – Eggplant Parmesan with Tarragon, Black Garlic and Cabernet
