Schulz Museum and Kendall-Jackson are a must in Sonoma

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2016 (3504 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I had the wine journey of a lifetime — well, in my lifetime thus far — this past summer when I spent two full weeks in the heart of wine country, Sonoma (and briefly Napa), California.

My husband Ken, who had been there with friends in October of 2015, was happy to take me back when we were offered a gorgeous condo free of charge. And I was more than delighted to go.

Last week, I recounted our wild, gridlocked, three-hour drive on Highway 101 from San Francisco to Windsor, where the condo was located, and the lovely wine reward I got at the end of that journey thanks to St. Francis Vineyards & Winery. The St. Francis Sauv Blanc and Zinfandel were very good.

That same night, a Friday, we went to Johnny Garlic’s for supper in Santa Rosa. I ordered a duck flatbread and was served duck tacos by mistake, but they were very tasty. I began the meal with a glass of Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, which boasts plenty of tropical fruit topped off with citrus, vanilla and toasted oak. It sells at our Liquor Marts here for $20.76 a bottle and is a fine example of California Chardonnay. I moved on to another local Pinot Noir with the duck — there are so many fabulous local wines to choose from, it’s difficult to get anything that isn’t terrific. My husband had the bison meatloaf which was extraordinarily good, especially paired with a local Cabernet Sauvignon.

We then had the great pleasure of going to Safeway where I went wild buying wine. Eight bottles selected — there was a major discount for buying six bottles or more at a time as I paid US$14 for the J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet that sells for $26.56 here at home — and it was time to go through the checkout. I was ecstatic at the bargains I got, and believe me, a ton of wine was consumed both at wineries and back at our condo over that two-week period.

Saturday was a day of setting up appointments with wineries and touring the fabulous Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. The famed and beloved cartoonist moved to Santa Rosa in 1969 and remained there until his death in 2000. The museum was a revelation for me — I had always been a “Peanuts” fan but I didn’t realize how influential and full of politics and social commentary the comic strips were. It was a delight to tour this treasure trove of Schulz’s creations and discover the motivation behind many of his drawings.

Just in case there’s any confusion, there are numerous towns along the 101 that are all part of Sonoma and each no more than 10 minutes or so apart. Windsor, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, and Geyserville are just a few of the locations where there are wineries aplenty.

Supper that night was at Lupe’s Mexican Diner back in Windsor, where we enjoyed delicious Mexican fare on the outdoor patio and more Sonoma wine.

The next day, the winery tours started in earnest. We had lunch at Patterson’s Pub patio in Windsor — I had a patty melt and a glass of Bruce Patch Wines’ Zinfandel, a self-described “bold, brash blend of Zinfandel, Carignana, Alicante Bouchet, and Petite Sirah aged 24 months in French and American oak.” This blend went well with my beef, and while I wanted a second glass, I already knew I had to pace myself.

Next up, Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards for a tasting — we tried the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc (tropical fruit, peach, floral notes, a hint of lime and a flintiness I found particularly appealing), the 2014 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay (creamy nougat, a bit citrusy, with green apple, pear, spices, pear, and a wet stone minerality I really enjoyed), and a real treat — the 2014 Winemaker Release Owsley Pinot Noir (blackberry and black cherry, an earthy and dark chocolate quality finished with spice and tobacco). The latter wine sells for $50 a bottle at the winery and was delicious.

Next we headed to Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens for a food and wine pairing that certainly could have been lunch — and, when we returned for the same pairing a week later, that’s exactly what we made it. There were six courses and six wines, and while they were small plates, there was plenty of food. And oh, those who create the pairings so know what they’re doing! This is a gastronomical outing not to be missed — it was filling and fulfilling at the same time.

We began with the 2014 Grand Reserve White Meritage paired with Dungeness crab, fava beans, pomelo grapefruit and ramps (a type of onion). Next was the 2013 Jackson Estate Camelot Chardonnay with bean, grain and Chardonnay-seed bread and baby vegetables, followed by the 2014 Jackson Estate Seco Highlands Pinot Noir served with smoked liberty duck, wood ear mushrooms and pickled radishes and strawberries.

The 2014 Jackson Estate Alisos Hills Syrah came with a pork belly slider with red wine barbecue sauce, while the 2013 Jackson Estate Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with a lamb and beef kefta, toasted faro, and green garlic puree. Delicious!

Dessert was the 2013 Grand Reserve Late Harvest Riesling with buttermilk panna cotta. It was truly a feast and again, I highly recommend it.

And the gardens are gorgeous — well worth a wander through. Sample vines for numerous varietals are also there to explore — it really is a lovely setting. And you can purchase a glass of wine to wander around with, which of course we did. The Chardonnay was chilled, the weather was warm, and the gardens lush and inviting. It was a perfect way to work off a few of the calories consumed during the pairing.