View As PDF - Wine Country This Week

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SoNoMA CouNTY | WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEKST. FRANCIS WINERY & VINEYARDSOpen daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.100 Pythian Road at Highway 12 in Santa Rosa1-888-675-WINE | www.stfranciswinery.com56St. Francis Winery & Vineyards12th AnnualBlessing of the AnimalsSunday, October 7, from 2 to 5 p.m.Free admission; dogs, birds,fish and, yes, camels are welcome.Proceeds benefit the Humane Society.Zinfandel Sale & Harvest BarbecueSaturday, October 20, from 3 to 6 p.m.$35, reservations requiredST. FRANCiSWiNERY & viNEYARdSIt’s almost enough to drink in the viewBY JAMES KNIGHTSt. Francis easily occupies the most dramatic setting in the Sonoma Valley. Likesome monastery in the Italian Alps, the winery’s signature bell tower points to thepeaks of Hood Mountain, looming 2,000 feet above the valley floor, bookended byancient volcanic cinder cones. It sets a high bar indeed for a wine tasting experienceto match, and St. Francis has met the challenge admirably.Founded in the 1970s, St. Francis first gained fame for a varietal that was thennew to Sonoma. As if on cue, a fellow taster at the bar says, “First thing you thinkwhen you hear St. Francis – you think St. Francis Merlot!”Dubbed the “Master of Merlot,” emeritus winemaker Tom Mackey recently passedthe torch to two young women winemakers. Katie Madigan makes the widelyavailable Sonoma County wines, while Heather Munden is tasked with crafting theArtisan Series, which is sold only at the winery. Most of the grapes are hand-pickedand grown on estate vineyards throughout Sonoma County. Today, St. Francis’ oldvines Zinfandel is one of the winery’s top sellers.In the spacious tasting room, veteran staff may start you off with a crisp 2011Sauvignon Blanc ($22), as lean as lime, with sweet pineapple notes, before movingon to the 2010 Wild Oak Chardonnay ($25), grown just outside the door, with atouch of caramel on the lingering finish. The velvety, licorice-scented Rhône-style2007 Côte du Sonoma ($35) just might win over some Merlot fans. Not only are thewines highly rated, but St. Francis has also been voted among the best places towork by the North Bay Business Journal. That means knowledgeable, longstandingwww.WineCountryThisWeek.com
WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | SoNoMA CouNTYA TASTING ROOM BY DAY…Consistently rated 91 plus point Single VineyardChardonnay, Pinot Noirs, and Syrah.Bring in this ad for a complimentary tasting for 2.OPEN FRIDAYTHROUGHSUNDAY 10AM TO 4PM707.623.9621 | www.lostcanyonwinery.comA VIBRANT WINE BAR BY NIGHT• Wines by the glass and by the bottle• All labels either owned or importedby Fritz Cellars.• Unique food and wine pairings onthe weekends.OPEN TUESDAYTHROUGH SATURDAY4PM TO 10PM707.623.9619www.station1870.comin Historic Railroad Square ~ 123 4th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401employees give you the best experience possibleIf you have time to linger and enjoy the view, step up tocharcuterie on the patio ($25), and enjoy a plate of cured meats,house-made rillettes, and the best local cheeses from Sonomaand Marin.The ultimate experience is a wine and food pairing ($38)designed by Executive Chef Dave Bush. Held two or three timesdaily (except Tuesdays and Wednesdays), the five-courseseasonal menus are meant to both satiate and challenge thesenses. Seatings are limited to 16 places set around a donutshapedtable in the newly renovated grand dining room, wherethe host – in the donut hole – acts not as know-it-all sommelierbut provocateur, encouraging guests to try different wines tofind what they like best. Red with fish? The chef encouragesexperimentation with his locally-sourced ingredients – often aslocal as the two-acre market garden in front of the winery. Arecent menu included white corn vichyssoise with citrusmarinated rock shrimp, roasted mushroom salad and housemadelamb chorizo. These are no itty-bitty “amuse-bouche.” Asfive-course platings plus wine pairings go,St. Francis offers a great value – and one of the best views inSonoma Valley.Follow us on Twitter @WineCountryTW 57
Page 4:
TABLE OF CONTENTS | WINE COUNTRY TH
Page 8 and 9: NORTHERN CALIFORNIATOEUREKATOREDDIN
Page 10 and 11: I N T E L L I G E N C E F O R T H E
Page 12 and 13: CALENdAR oF EvENTS | WiNE CouNTRY T
Page 20 and 21: WiNE CouNTRY NEWS | WiNE CouNTRY TH
Page 22 and 23: WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKCLINE CELLARS
Page 24 and 25: WiNE CouNTRY NEWS | WiNE CouNTRY TH
Page 26: WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKCALIFORNIA WI
Page 29 and 30: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEKContinuedVine
Page 31 and 32: Multi-Platinum selling artists Alan
Page 33 and 34: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | WiNE CouNT
Page 35 and 36: Mount Veeder AppellationTasting, Se
Page 37 and 38: VIP Private Flights• Limo pick up
Page 39 and 40: JEFFERSON STFlavor! Napa Valley Foo
Page 41 and 42: WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKwww.WineCount
Page 43 and 44: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | NAPA vALLE
Page 45 and 46: AVES OLANOREDWOOD ROADVALLEJOX Wine
Page 47 and 48: Valley of the Moon Winery128BURNSID
Page 49 and 50: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | SoNoMA Cou
Page 51 and 52: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | SoNoMA Cou
Page 53 and 54: WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEK2012 Sonoma V
Page 55: WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKVineyard Tour
Page 59 and 60: What’s New at this Year’sSonoma
Page 61 and 62: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | SoNoMA vAL
Page 63 and 64: Wine Tasting on historicSONOMA PLAZ
Page 65 and 66: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | SoNoMA vAL
Page 67 and 68: The 16th annual Steele Wines Harves
Page 69 and 70: SAN FRANCISCOROAD CLOSEDAVENUE DAVE
Page 71 and 72: A Taste of MontereyThird AnnualPino
Page 73 and 74: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEK | WiNERY LiS
Page 85 and 86: fine diningBRUNCHLUNCHDINNERBREAKFA
Page 87 and 88: WiNE CouNTRY THiS WEEKFollow us on
show all

View As PDF - Wine Country This Week

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?