February 2, 2017

Sonoma Weekend Getaway

Let me just start off by admitting that I know very little about wine. This was actually the first time I’d ever gone wine tasting. Don’t get me wrong, I love drinking wine but my response to questions about my knowledge of wine is usually along the lines of “…wine guzzler”. One of my 2017 goals is to explore Wine Country and along with it, its wineries, vineyards, and of course, wines! We were also long overdue for a girls’ getaway. We were blessed with amazing weather for the weekend though it had been raining for weeks before.

Our first stop of the trip was at MacRostie which ended up being my favorite experience! Their tasting room opened in February 2016, and it is absolutely gorgeous. I love the homey feel of the space and the outdoor patio overlooking the vineyard looked like it came straight out off the cover of Sunset Magazine.

We partook in the Elevated Experience which featured six different wines (three Chardonnays and three Pinot Noirs) with food pairings. The pairings we experienced were:

  • 2014 Wildcat Mountain Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast paired with caramelized onion, ham, and gruyere cheese quiche
  • 2014 Goldrock Ridge Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, paired with bellini with creme fraiche and Steelhead Trout Roe
  • 2014 Kent Ritchie Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, paired with Wagon Wheel organic cow’s milk cheese, Cowgirl Creamery with quince
  • 2011 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, paired with Humboldt Fog aged goat cheese
  • 2013 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, paired with pork rillettes on crostini with dried cherry garnish
  • 2014 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast paired with chocolate truffles

My two favorites were the 2014 Kent Ritchie Chardonnay and the 2011 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir. When I tasted the 2011 Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir after having had a bite of the goat cheese, it was almost like I was drinking a completely different wine – they complemented each other so well. In addition to the wine tastings, I loved learning about the history behind MacRostie and its wines.

Shout out to our host Brittani for being the best host we could have asked for!

 

After MacRostie, we went to Ledson for our second tasting of the day. We were all so amazed by how grandeur Ledson was. My favorite Ledson wine was the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and the Russian Valley Pinot Noir which makes sense since Sonoma is known for Pinots and Chards.

After frolicking around at Ledson, we decided it was time for some food… and beer at Russian River Brewing Company. I’m still not quite convinced that switching to beer and eating heavy foods was a good call because I was so full afterwards but the pizza and Jasper bites (pizza dough, cheese, and oregano) were definitely worth it. Thankfully we got there early because by the time we left Russian River Brewing the line was ridiculously long! I got Pliny the Elder which is a must-have when you’re there.

The next day we did brunch at The Girl and the Fig and then headed to a tasting at Gundlach Bundschu, which is the second oldest winery in California.The drive up to the winery from the main gates was breathtaking and when we got to the top, the view was even better. The GunBun experience was unique since it was an intimate underground tasting with charcuterie accompaniments. We tasted five different wines,  which included:

  • 2013 Merlot
  • 2014 Estate Cabernet Franc
  • 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2012 Vintage Reserve
  • 2013 Vintage Reserve

The 2012 Vintage Reserve (it comes at a pretty penny of $125 per bottle) was my favorite followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.


Thank you to MacRostie, Ledson, and GunBun for hosting us!