Tasting at most wineries is like listening to a violin solo. You go to the
winery, you swirl and sip, but you have no idea if the wine will harmonize
with the orchestra of food flavors waiting in the wings.
Segregated in the wineglass, most wines are desperate for some
accompaniment, even if it’s just a few nuts and a bite of cheese, to help
create layers of flavor that build on each other like a lush musical chord.
Several Wine Country tasting rooms have recognized the natural affinity
between wine and food and stepped up to the plate by offering savory bites of
food with flights of their vintages.
Depending on the quality of wines served, the pairings will set you back
$12 to $35 – more than most wine tastings alone, but a lot less than a
full-fledged tasting menu at a Wine Country bistro. Most require reservations.
This mini fine-dining experience is orchestrated by the winery chefs, who
carefully tune the food to the wine, using pistachios to bring out the
nuttiness of a toasty Chardonnay, for example, or a creamy salmon mousse to
balance the acidity of a crisp one.
Along the way, wineries are able to educate consumers about how wine and
food pairing works – why mushrooms blend well with an earthy Pinot Noir, for
example, or how a refreshing sparkling wine can offset the richness of fried
calamari.
“We really believe that it’s better to show people than to just talk about
them,” said Kevin Burton, visitor center manager of J Vineyards and Winery in
Healdsburg. “You see the light bulb come on a lot more.”
J Vineyards and Winery
J Winery pioneered the food-and-wine pairing trend in 1999 when it opened
its new visitor center. Now, everyone coming through the tasting room door at
J Winery tries at least four wines, and each is paired with two hors
d’oeuvres.
In addition to the regular tasting room, visitors can also sit down in the
winery’s new, more exclusive Bubble Room and taste a special flight of four
sparkling wines, say, or four Russian River Pinot Noirs, all matched with
appetizers.
The food, which is presented on sushi trays, is prepared by J Winery chef
Mark Caldwell, who has also worked in the kitchen of Chateau Souverain.
Caldwell’s bites for the Bubble Room are particularly enticing, with dishes
like lobster bisque in a dainty eggshell, seared foie gras with dried apricot
chutney relish and sevruga and a smoked salmon mille-feuille showcasing the
special sparklers.
With its sleek tables, padded chairs and elongated sofa, the Bubble Room
encourages guests to linger and chat with each other. There are cookbooks to
leaf through and games to test one’s food-and-wine IQ. The only thing missing
is a remote control.
“It’s an upscale living room,” says Burton. “With no TV.”
St. Francis Winery
In 2001, St. Francis Winery in Kenwood began offering flights of four
reserve wines in its private reserve tasting room. The program has grown so
popular that the flights are now offered on an hourly basis every day.
The reserve room, with a stunning view of Mount Hood, the Mayacamas range
and the winery’s newly planted Syrah vines, is a perfect place to linger and
savor a few tasty appetizers with the legendary “big reds” made by St. Francis
winemaker Tom Mackey.
It’s a unique Wine Country experience that is leisurely and luxurious –
part wine seminar, part cocktail party, and all about interaction.
“All of a sudden it opens your eyes to a whole new world that you never
knew existed,” says winery chef Todd Muir. “Just the fact that you’re asked to
think about what you’re tasting, and you talk about what happens with the food
and wine … it makes the whole experience more pleasant.”
As a bonus, Muir provides recipes for all of the appetizers and desserts he
serves, including his signature dish, a Chocolate Beet Cake layered with
Chocolate Mousse and Almond Praline, served with the St. Francis 2002 Port.
Mayo Family Winery
In April, Mayo Family Winery launched an ambitious food-and-wine tasting
program at its Kenwood reserve tasting room, which showcases winemaker Henri
Berthoud’s 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines.
The roadside tasting room, located in winery founder Henry Mayo’s former
real estate office, feels like a small restaurant, with five tables and a bar
along the front wall where tasters can enjoy a stunning view of both Sugarloaf
and Mount Hood. Along with the natural panorama, the winery serves up seven
reserve wines paired with seven appetizers, from Sauvignon Blanc with goat
cheese roulades to Zinfandel port with Stilton Blue Cheese and a chocolate
truffle.
Mayo Family Winery President Jeffrey Mayo, Henry’s son, pours the wines
while winery chef William Oliver prepares the intricate tasting menu.
“I try the wines, then I go back to them,” says Oliver, who has worked at
Clos Pegase and Folie a Deux wineries in Calistoga. “Then I design a menu
around them. It shows what makes the wines unique.”
What makes the Mayo Family Winery tasting experience unique is its sheer
breadth – with seven tastes, served in two flights, the consumer is introduced
to an unusually wide range of wines and pairings.
“It’s like getting seven different appetizers,” says Oliver, who changes
the tasting menu every few months to suit the season. In the fall, he’ll be
using the heirloom tomatoes from Kenwood Farms.
“It’s almost a crime not to.”
