Fun, craziness and plenty of wine drinking in Sonoma(2)
Sonoma CA - Holiday Open House, Ty Caton + Muscardini Cellars tasting room, Enkidu next door
Collier Falls: Collier Falls’ tasting room is conveniently located in the Family Wineries tasting room in Kenwood, so you get the bonus of tasting wines from 6 other wineries in a single stop. I had the fortune to meet Barry Collier at a tasting event in San Francisco earlier this year, so I knew I wanted to find him and taste more than the 2 wines he was pouring at that earlier event. Absolutely try his Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Primitivo.
Santa Rosa, CA - Holiday Open House, Flamingo Resort, Hot Tub.
After a very full day of wine tasting on Friday, we checked into our suite at The Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa, the perfect location for wine tasting in Sonoma. A gallon of water and visit to the hot tub later, we were ready to head out for dinner. Downtown Santa Rosa is full of boutique and artisan restaurants. Be sure to check out historic Railroad Square, which offers many dining options.
After hours of wine tasting, we chose to visit Russian River Brew Co, grab a few of their famous beers and try the pizza. They offer a wide beer selection to please every palate, from Belgian ales to porter. They are famous for their Pliny the Elder double IPA. The beer was easy to drink and pizza was delicious and hit the spot!
For advice and tasting notes on all the wineries visited, follow along on Twitter and Facebook. Complete weekend photos can be found on Facebook. Additional wineries visited: Benziger Family Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Enkidu, Kaz Vineyard & Winery, Kunde Family Estate, Macrae Family Wines, David Noyes, and Simon Levi Cellars.
For a complete list of the wineries that participated in the Holiday Open House event, check out the Heart of Sonoma website.
Download the weekend program and map here. And start planning for next year. Even though the event is over, many of the wineries are still offering discounts on wine purchases. Check out the winery websites for details.
Santa Rosa, CA - Flamingo Resort - Taking a much needed nap after 2 days of wine tasting
Insider-tips:
Be sure to have a designated driver or hire transportation.
Drink plenty of H-2-O.
Try to stick to 5 or fewer wineries per day. Visiting more won’t allow you to truly experiencing the wineries and the wine.
Stay overnight at one of the many Sonoma hotels, inns and resorts.
Grab dinner at one of Sonoma’s super yummy restaurants. Estate restaurant in Sonoma has a not-to-be-missed brunch on the weekends and daily homemade pastas. They were just written up in the Chronicle for their Grappa selection. A great finish to a fabulous meal.
Sonoma, CA - Estate Restaurant, dessert + Grappa
More on the history of Sonoma Valley.
Swirl into Sonoma – for winery recommendations and advice.
For part 1 of the Sonoma tasting event, be sure to read Begin a new Thanksgiving tradition in Sonoma.
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