As I mentioned in my post about wine tasting in Napa, there are so many amazing wineries in Northern California, I could easily do a series of wine tasting itineraries. So here we are, round two! This time we’re headed west of Napa for wine tasting in Sonoma County. I think of Sonoma County as the less famous sister of Napa Valley. If Napa Valley is Beyoncé, Sonoma County is Solange. Not as well known, yet equally amazing with its own unique charms. With Spring just around the corner, here’s what a day of wine tasting in Sonoma County has to offer.
Emeritus Vineyards
We’ll start our day at Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol. On weekends, the first tasting of the day is at 10:30am and while they don’t require a reservation for groups smaller than 6, we made a reservation for our visit on a Saturday in Spring.
Emeritus had an area reserved for us in the tasting room with a personalized tasting menu. We were one of the first groups of the day and the space was pretty quiet. If you’re a fan of Pinot Noir, Emeritus is the place for you.
While we enjoyed our time in the tasting room, there is also a nice patio area that looked like a great place to enjoy an afternoon. After enjoying our tasting of five of their Pinot Noir selections, we said goodbye to Emeritus and set off for our next stop, also in Sebastopol- Dutton Estate Winery.
Perfect Pairings
We reserved the seated wine and food pairing at Dutton Estate Winery. When we arrived, they had a beautiful table set in a small dining room overlooking the vineyard. There were tasting menus prepared, highlighting small bites paired with a variety of Dutton wine selections.
It’s always fun to talk with chefs who are passionate and excited about their food. The chef at Dutton was no exception. She came out with each course to share a little bit about the ingredients and how the bites were prepared. The wine pairings were spot on, perfectly complimenting the food selections. Be advised, these are actual small bites- just tastes, not lunch. TK and I were both envisioning (and hoping for) plates of food. Just keep your expectations in check and you’ll enjoy the flavors, presentation and conversation with the chef.
Another nice touch, if you like to cook- Dutton shares recipes! We left our tasting with recipe cards and they’re also available on their website, giving you the chance to live out your Food Network star moment. Or you can just read the recipes, get hungry and plan a trip to Dutton for your own tasting.
Welcome to Windsor
Continuing north, our next stop is Eric Kent Wine Cellars in Windsor. The weekend we visited, there was a promotion available for a complimentary tasting and facility tour. It’s generally $20 (and the fee can be applied to a purchase if you decide to buy a bottle). The owner and winemaker, Kent was around the day of our tour. He spent a lot of time with us, first on a walk through the facility and then in the tasting room, chatting about the various wines and their unique bottle designs.
I absolutely loved the original artwork showcased on Eric Kent Wines; highlighting the artist’s work prominently and adding character to their bottles. And the art- varying from stunning photography to quirky drawings, was a great example of what’s possible when creatives collaborate in unexpected ways. I doubt you’ll want to toss these wine bottles after they’re empty! Kent was generous with both his time and the wine, and we spent well over an hour tasting more than ten wines and learning all about the inspiration for each. With a good selection of both white and red wines, there will surely be something for everyone in your group- we all had different favorites. I took home a really nice bottle of Syrah.
Exploring Windsor Town Green
After a few stops and more than a few tastes of wine, you will probably be looking for lunch (or an early dinner). Once we finished our tasting at Eric Kent, we went in search of food. Windsor is one of those small towns, seemingly from another time. Quiet, quaint and walkable- you can grab a bite to eat and explore the surrounding shops.
We stumbled across KIN in the heart of Windsor’s Town Green. Their roasted beet salad was amazing. I don’t usually write about salads, but this one was pretty perfect. I got the half salad, along with my burger but wished I had gotten the larger one. With a warm space, fresh ingredients and good service- KIN lives up to their name, making you feel right at home.
Tasting Room on the Green
After you eat, if you haven’t had your fill of wine yet check out Tasting Room on the Green. Just a short two block walk from KIN, Tasting Room on the Green houses two wineries, Deux Amis and Mutt Lynch Winery. Both wineries feature women winemakers!
The Tasting Room had an offer through the Sonoma Passport, so our tasting was complimentary. The Deux Amis Zinfandel was my favorite of the several selections we tried.
Sweet Surprises
If the dessert wine at Tasting Room on the Green doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, make at quick stop at Powell’s Sweet Shoppe on your way out of Windsor. With truffles, gelato and other sweet treats, you’ll have no shortage of dessert options!
Don’t Sleep on Sonoma County
In many ways, I’ve come to actually prefer Sonoma County when I’m looking for an afternoon of wine tasting. Wineries tend to be less crowded, less rushed and yes, less expensive. Where you may have to squeeze to find a place at the bar in a Napa tasting room, you may be treated to a leisurely tasting with the winemaker in Sonoma. You might spend $60 for a bottle of wine in Napa, you can get a great bottle in Sonoma for $25. Tastings in Napa can run from $25-50 (sometimes more); while it’s not uncommon in Sonoma to have tastings range from free to $10, or have tasting fees waived with the purchase of one bottle. Of course it’s not a competition, there’s room for all types of experiences. Just nice to have options to get off the beaten path and find great wine in the process!
If you missed my earlier post and wine tasting tips, be sure to check them out before your next afternoon in wine country. Hopefully it will be soon- for both of us… writing this has me thinking I need to celebrate the beginning of Spring with another trip up North.
If you’ve been to Sonoma County, what has been your favorite wine tasting experience?