Cliff Lede Vineyards
In the heart of Yountville — a town named
after George Calvert Yount, who established
the first Napa Valley winery — Cliff Lede
Vineyards’ Estate Tasting takes guests on
a guided tour of the high-tech vineyard,
with its state-of-the-art gravity-flow and
berry-by-berry sorting system featuring
conical tanks based on a design borrowed
from Château Latour. The tasting pairs the
winery’s sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon with chef Lynn Vita’s seasonal canapés
such as mushroom tartare with shaved
asiago on toasted brioches and crab cake with
endive, grapefruit, avocado and lemon aioli.
Tuesday–Saturday by appointment only;
707.944.8642 or cliffledevineyards.com. M
Vineyard 29
At St. Helena’s Vineyard 29, the Library
Tasting starts on the winery terrace, where
the host describes the vineyard’s history
and wine-making philosophy as guests take
in the views 750 feet below. But what sets
the experience apart is the trek through
13,000-square-foot caves for a seated event
in the Library Tasting room. Four pourings
of Vineyard 29’s small-production wines are
served with seasonal bites like duck confit
with cherry compote or Kobe New York
strip steak with roasted garlic potato puree.
Chef Austin Gallion discusses flavor pro-
files and components of wine and food and
why they go well together. By reservation;
707.963.9292 or vineyard29.com.
Clockwise from opposite left:
Small bites and wine at Seghesio;
an estate tour at Jordan; small
bites and wine at Pine Ridge; food
preperation at St. Francis; bite-size
treats at Vineyard 29.
More Perfect
Pairings
• J VINE YARDS The Bubble Room Wine and Food
Pairing is already an indulgent experience, with
each of the multiple courses paired with a different J Vineyards wine, but don’t miss the luxury
add-on: For an extra $50 you’ll taste a 2004
J Vintage Brut served with Osetra caviar and
smoked salmon tartare. jwine.com
• LYNMAR ESTATE Estate chef David Frakes’
wine country picnic pairings can be savored in the
tasting room’s courtyard overlooking the gardens
and vineyards. Edibles change with the season; a
recent alfresco offering included organic popcorn
sprinkled with amaranth za’atar, a lavash wrap of
Willie Bird smoked turkey, home-baked cookies and
more. Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., $45 per
person, lynmarwinery.com
• RAM’S GATE WINERY Sonoma’s Ram’s Gate
Winery features an epicurean picnic by the pond.
Executive chef Taylr Behnam pairs an assortment of
house-made pickles, a seasonal salad, charcuterie
and cheese, candied almonds, marinated olives and
a bottle of wine (naturally), all tucked in a wicker
basket and complete with a picnic blanket. $75 for
two, ramsgatewinery.com
• SEGHESIO FAMILY VINEYARDS The private
Family Table tasting experience teams Seghesio
wines with seasonal tastes from family recipes and
executive chef Peter Janiak. The tour starts with a
visit to the historic cellar, which dates to the 1890s,
and features nibbles like king salmon crudo with
quinoa and garden cucumber salad paired with
pinot grigio or mascarpone polenta paired with an
old vine zinfandel. $60 per person, seghesio.com
