Tasting Room Series

You are currently browsing the archive for the Tasting Room Series category.

Wine of the Week: Banshee Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

December 17, 2014 in Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Somewhere between our Savor Healdsburg food tour and tasting at Cartograph, we had a few extra minutes to wander around Healdsburg and decided to pop into the Banshee tasting room. We’d heard great things about their wines, and the tasting room had a good energy to it, little seating areas filled with small groups tasting and chatting.

The Banshee tasting room has comfy couches, a cool vibe, with wines by the glass or bottle, along with tasting flights. It seemed like the perfect place to hang out, and overall we loved the concept of taking your time with a tasting and being comfortable while doing it. There were a couple of downsides worth noting though. They had one spit bucket for about 30 people, so we felt forced to drink the pours we were given, something we tend to not want to do when tasting all day. And the person pouring for us actually badmouthed other wineries in an attempt to sell theirs. . .We would have felt a lot better about the experience if that hadn’t happened, but we tried to brush it off because we liked the space and the wines, which were really memorable and delicious and worth stopping for.

One of the wines we brought home is this week’s wine of the week. We love Sonoma Coast Chardonnays and have been inspired by visits to places like Flowers to drink more wine from the far reaches of Sonoma County. The 2012 Banshee Sonoma Coast Chardonnay comes from a cool climate and thus ripens later in the season. Due to a blending of styles, which includes both oak and stainless, the wine is super balanced, with notes of vanilla bean, tart apple, and citrus. It’s far more delicate than some other California Chardonnays, and it is very easy to drink as well as to pair with food.

If you’re in Healdsburg, I would definitely recommend a stop into Banshee tasting room for a little relaxation. If it’s not too crowded and you can grab a dump bucket, you might just love it.

Tags: chardonnay, Healdsburg, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, wine, wine of week, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday: Longboard Vineyards

November 19, 2014 in Tasting Room Series by traveleatlove | 2 comments

As we prepare for Ireland travel adventures and seriously discuss a VERY exciting winter trip, I guess it’s time to wrap up my writing about our last Sonoma County trip. Sure, there will be Wine of the Week posts featuring Sonoma wines we brought back, but I am just about out of photos and stories to share. It must be time to go back.

Our last day in Healdsburg was a sad one, as it always is. We checked out of our rental house and then wandered around trying to decide what to do until our red eye flight from Oakland. Wine tasting was on the cards, of course.

We passed by Longboard Vineyards several times throughout this trip and past Healdsburg visits but never made it inside. A leisurely last day in wine country seemed like the perfect time, and we were glad we stopped in this bright, fun tasting room.

Owner and winemaker Oded Shakked traveled and surfed around the world after surfing from a young age in his native Israel, and the tasting room decor, which includes vintage surfboards all over, reflects that passion.

Shakked brings his surfing passion together with wine in Longboard Vineyards, and while the vibe is laid back, the wine is seriously good stuff.

wine tasting in Healdsburg

We arrived at the tasting room’s opening since we wanted to make the most of our last day. As a result we had the tasting room to ourselves and had a fun time tasting with our lovely hostess.

We decided to share a tasting (always a great option), and went through the list. Favorites included their 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, which made the trip home with us. Tart, fresh, with nice acid, notes of pineapple and grapefruit, and ever-present minerality, this wine is summery and refreshing, perfect with a grilled seafood feast.

We also loved the Mavericks Red Blend (killer label) for its deep, dark fruit flavors and luxurious weight. This wine is a big one, but it still worked on the warm day that we were tasting on.

Longboard’s Rochioli Chardonnay is also a memorable wine, with baked apple and honey notes and a light hint of vanilla, an easy Chardonnay that has enough depth to keep it interesting. Lovely.

We loved all of the wines we tasted at Longboard, and we felt so welcome. It’s a wine club we are definitely considering joining once we figure out what our next year looks like. And there you have it, our magical Sonoma and Napa trip is wrapped up. It’s one I will never forget; our travels were full of good food, wine, people, and time outdoors, great weather, and relaxation. As I sit here finishing this post, I am longing to be canoeing on Russian River again in the August heat, that’s for sure!

Tags: Healdsburg, Sonoma, Sonoma County, Travel, wine, wine country, wine tasting, wine travel, wineries

Wine Wednesday: Lambert Bridge Winery

October 29, 2014 in Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | 1 comment

Sonoma’s hidden gem was a little bit hard to find, but as we wound our way through the Dry Creek Valley, we had not a care in the world. Lambert Bridge was a recommendation from Erica, and it was an awesome one. I love getting winery recommendations from wine-loving friends; it’s the best way to plan your trip!

For some of my wine country experiences, please do visit my Travel Blog Posts page!

We visited Lambert Bridge on Labor Day, and it was the perfect start to a day of wine tasting. We left our little wine country home and headed to Dry Creek Valley, one of my favorite wine regions I have visited.

California was in a drought when we visited, so everything was dry. Aside from the water emergency, the landscape looked cool in its sun-baked state, with green grape vines taking up huge swaths of landscape. The earth and the vines and the harvest process, crush, all of that, filled the air and smelled so good.

Dry Creek Valley

It took us a while to find Lambert Bridge as our GPS lost signal and we went the wrong way. We opened an old fashioned map and luckily didn’t give up. The journey was well worth it.

Lambert Bridge has a gorgeous winery tasting room, with lots of dark wood and stone. The tasting room reflects their wines, big, high quality, with a lot of attention to detail.

The tasting room staff was great; they were very informative about the wines, letting us know how winemaker Jennifer Higgins is incredibly hands on, spending lots of time with the grapes and on the land and doing a ton of the winemaking prep process by hand. Lambert Bridge makes small lots of wine that involves lots of hand-picking and sorting grapes berry-by-berry. There’s clearly a lot of love in the wines, and while that is also reflected in the cost, a few bottles for a special occasion are just the souvenir.

We tasted a bit of this and that from each of the tasting options, starting off with the most refreshing 2013 Bevill Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, THE perfect wine for the hot dry Sonoma County day. With citrus and clover notes, this wine tasted like Northern California in a glass. Crisp acidity made it really enjoyable.

Zinfandel and Cab Franc were center stage in the tasting for us. Despite the heat, these reds were perfection.

2011 Sonoma County Cabernet Franc was a treat, with that characteristic Cab Franc spice, funk, and berry notes. Cab Franc is like a an autumn walk in the forest, smelling crunchy leaves and smoke from fireplaces, mixed with super ripe berries. It’s such an amazing grape, and I love tasting Cab Franc from coast to coast.

2011 Forchini Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel was another favorite, big and bursting with jammy raspberry and blueberry notes, along with vanilla and spice, balanced, with a long and lovely finish. I love Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, and this one is definitely top of the list.

Lambert Bridge has a lovely property, ideal for a wander or a seat outside with a taste of wine. It is really a top-of-the-list winery, and if you will be in Northern Sonoma County, I recommend a visit.