Destinations / GO
ON YOUR NEXT winery visit, bring an appetite. For vintners looking to stand out in a sea of homog- enized visitor perks, food has become as much of a lure as a
library or cult-status vertical tasting. Forget
cubed cheese and day-old baguettes; for the
wineries that do serve food, from chef-paired
tasting nibbles to elaborate private garden-sourced dinners, the properly paired edibles
can actually elevate the wine and provide a
reason for those not imbibing (think designated driver) to join the fun. Here are five
premium local food-and-wine pairings.
Jordan Vineyard and Winery
Todd Knoll, who has been at Healdsburg’s
Jordan Vineyard and Winery for a decade,
is farm-to-table through and through.
The Hawaii-raised, Ritz-Carlton–trained
chef grows heirloom produce at Jordan,
leads the winery’s stone-fruit tree grafting
experiments and creates his own sea salt by
collecting water during travels to Hawaii,
Mexico, Greece, France and places along
the California coast. Although Jordan has
offered food-and-wine pairing for years, this
fall under Knoll’s direction it’s using the
1,200-acre estate’s on-site ranch to produce
eggs, beef and honey and even grow a cutting
garden, all featured in the new Jordan Estate
Tour and Tasting. In the guided tour, 12 guests
can enjoy three hours of wine, food and nature
exploration by car and on foot, with tastings
mint and harissa croutons accompanied a
Russian River Valley pinot gris. Not offered
Tuesday and Wednesday; reservations recom-
mended; stfranciswinery.com.
Pine Ridge Vineyards
This Napa Valley Stags Leap District winery’s 5X5 Tasting is set in a wine cave in a
candlelit oak-barrel-furnished space called
Cellar 47. Pairings feature five gourmet
small bites and wines from each of Pine
Ridge’s five estate-owned vineyards in
appellations including Howell Mountain,
Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District
and Carneros. $95 per person; daily at
11 a.m.; reserve at least 48 hours ahead;
800.575.9777 or pineridgevineyards.com.
of current chardonnay and cabernet releases,
special selections, estate extra-virgin olive oil
and paired eats. By appointment Thursday–
Monday through mid-November and again
starting mid-April; $120 per person; reserva-
tions at jordanwinery.com/visit.
St. Francis
In Sonoma, St. Francis Winery and Vineyards
has a food-and-wine tasting that’s less expensive than most wine country lunches. The
Seated Wine and Food Pairing offers a five- to
six-course spread for just $45. Featuring fresh
ingredients from chef David Bush’s two-acre
on-site organic garden, the menu changes with
the seasons. A recent heirloom tomato salad
with pickled compressed peaches, burrata,
