SPRING is Springing!

With Spring comes Easter, Bud break, blossoms and wines that are perfect for warm weather. Generally these wines are made the harvest before and bottled at the beginning of the new year. It's wonderful to have newly bottled wines to share, 2025 sauvignon Blanc and Muscat Blanc, and enjoy. Always exploring new recipes and taste testing the perfect pairing!

Spring Wine Club wines have shipped. We barely beat the heat and had to maneuver dates to accommodate a record heat wave here. Temps in the 90's.

The new 2025 Muscat Blanc verses the 1st vintage from 2023....

                                             

2025 Muscat Blanc is now available in the Tasting Room.

For all the lovers of our 1st Muscat Blanc,  bottling from 2023 vintage, verses the new 2025 version.

Different vintage, different vineyard, slightly different flavors for the discerning palate. Both pair great with spicy foods, fish, salads, cheeses, cured meats....the list goes on and on!

2023 Vintage 

The vineyard is owned by Gil Tournour is located in the heart of Capella in Mendocino county. The Muscat Blanc was planted 65 to 70 years ago in white Pinole clay loam soils, head pruned with 8x8 spacing. The vineyard is farmed organically and is part of the original Vincenzo Graziano Vineyard established in 1918.

Tasting notes - Floral notes, orange blossom and jasmine with a delicate viscosity

2025 Vintage

The Dennison Ranch vineyard located in Anderson valley is owned by Castello di Amorosa, the Muscat was planted in 2020. The vineyard is characterized by well-drained, rocky, and alluvial soils, typical of the region's hillside and terrace locations. These soils often feature a mixture of loam, gravel, and clay, which supports high-quality wine production by limiting vine vigor and concentrating flavors

Tasting notes - Pear, unripe pineapple, lychee nut with gentle viscosity.

                                                                                   ~

Our 2nd Sauvignon Blanc from the same location with a different name. History of Floodgate Vineyard goes back to the 1970's, although we have only purchased this fruit twice. It was called Floodgate Vineyard when it sold multiple times over the years, the name changed to Starscape. The name Floodgate has cache and when the name became available once again, Starscape returned to it's original name - Floodgate.

Very similar to the 2023 version, 2025 was a cool 

New Pinot's as well which won't release in the Tasting Room for awhile.

2024 Russian River Valley Pinot and our only 2023 Wild Hog Vineyard. The WH Vineyard was formerly called Sonoma Coast although it was not 100%. Light Pinot with beautiful coastal characters, pomegranate, strawberry and rhubarb. This is a perfect Spring and Summer Pinot!

2023 vintage was a cool growing season. We started with some warm days in May / June and then cooled off for a cool summer and later harvest

2024 vintage classic Russian River vintage, warmer than previous few years leading to an earlier harvest. Not flashy but showing great balance, very terroir driven and consistent quality across the board. Lots of rain in the winter and no sustained heat spikes made for a low stress growing season with wines showing balance over power.

             

Also this Spring - we have our 1st cooking demo by Mat April 11th. This took place in our dining room with limited seating. 

Three course demonstration from Charles Phan street food cook book, all of which we serve at wine club events often.

shrimp and pork spring rolls, Beef Jerky and mama's meatballs.

The guests had the opportunity to get involved and have a try at rolling the spring roll.

       

                                  

                                        

Cooking demo was enjoyed by all! Happy to have a great group of members that engaged the chef, enjoyed the food and assisted with making this another great event!

Next up our Spring Wine Club party May 2nd and 

our 2nd offering to join us in a vineyard for a discussion of all things viticulture + food bites an wine pairings.

A little Karaoke FUN happens once a quarter in the Tasting Room. Look for the notice via email.

Cheers to Spring !

~

 FUN February

My motto for 2026!

Goodbye Dry January - Hello FUN February

Mushroom Foray '26

Since 2008 we have hosted a Mushroom Foray.

This year for the 1st time we offered an additional special opportunity, 'Stay & Foray'. 

Our mushroom foray has always been a one day event and this year the 'Stay & Foray' included 2 night stay at the Inn with a Friday evening Winemaker Dinner. What an opportunity!

We also offered the individual day event.

Mat preps a 4 course Dinner and Barb does a dessert to all be paired with very limited PMV wines from our cellar.  

Friday evening Inn the small group of guests got to enjoy the fireplace and a more intimate dinner with Winemaker, Mycologist and Winemakers wife. :)

First course Kale and white bean soup. Our favorite Salad from Restaurant Hazel 'little gem Caesar' for the 2nd. Third course Mat's riff on 'Mosaic Mushroom Toast'. A beautifully rich and wonderful dish that pairs incredible with Pinot. Nightengale sourdough batard toast with a layer of tripe cream Brie topped with sauteed mushrooms with madera cream, shallots.

Main course, filet au poivre with pocini mashed potatoes.

          

Magnums - 2015 Bohemian for the Mosaic Mushroom dish.

2015 Ruxton Pinot & 2015 Syrah for the Filet au poivre with mushrooms and porcini mash potatoes.

Dessert with are one and only shiner of late harvest Viognier.

            

It was great to have guests staying right there, no rush for the dinner services as we all enjoyed the dishes. We sat down about 6:30 and final course at 9pm. It was so perfect!

Saturday morning we get the fire and coffee going while mulling about until 11am when the troops arrive for the day Foray.

22 ready and willing participants raring to go. Water and bags in hand. And off they go while we stay back to prepare the lunch.

We give the group a window to return and within 30 minutes somebody comes back. This year we had a large array of mushrooms, mostly hedgehogs and black trumpets foraged.

David talks about all things mushroom while reviewing the display found.

Hedgehogs

                              David our local mycology specialist and guide.

A large Hedgehog

Lunch is served, beet salad, duck stew, cookies and 2 double magnums.

2013 TNT Pinot Noir and 2013 Horseshoe Bend Pinot

             

We had not hosted our foray since 2019 or 2020 due to reasons that were out of our control. We were a little out of practice and might have lost some momentum. But the 6 guests that joined for the 'stay' raved about the experience. As well the one day foray joiners stayed till the bitter end, soaking up the happiness and camaraderie. Such a joy to hear the laughs, see the hugs, the new friendships created and all around FUN!

My cup was filled! Thank you. Same time next year!

                                              

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2026

Us celebrating the New Year is getting through the Holiday Season and the 1st weekend until we close for our Annual break. YAY!

A week in flip flops is a great way to start the new year. Sunshine, seafood and sleep!

And back to the grind which I know is much better for us than many!

We always are open for the 1st long weekend of the year when many Bay area and beyond people visit Sonoma. Crab season currently starts after the 1st of the year. Everyone anticipates the announcement. This year crazy storms delayed the forecasted start for a few additional days.

We do our 1st event the weekend after Martin Luther King weekend.

The annual Crab Dinner, a Nothern Cal tradition.

We've done this event for at least 12 years and this being our 14th January in Graton, it could be our 14th?? We've got this dialed in and our wine family knows it. Reservations fill up quickly and the wait list does also.

Four courses of Crab!

Three wines for crab pairing picked from experience. Muscat is absolutely amazing with cold crab or in this case crab salad with Meyer lemon.

Crab cakes served with a roasted red sauce. My pick was Rose' to pair but I remember that the group chose all three wines evenly. Muscat, Rose' and Sonoma Coast Pinot. Pinot won by maybe one point and muscat one less but that's always subjective. I think I saw hands go up for more than one vote. :)

With food and wine pairings, you have to consider the sauce. Sauce and preparation style change everything for what wine will go best with. Add more lemon and the wine will change. Add hot sauce and bingo, the wine will change.

Mat's long standing favorite prep for crab is roasted and flavor packed. The crab tossed in an olive oil base loaded with garlic, chili flakes, fennel and thyme. And, Oh So Good! With Nightengale baguette

to soak up the crab bits and sauce.

Always a big hit!

You can do this at home, recipe on the web site under recipe tab.

We start with fresh live crab, steep it so it will not be over cooked and dry when roasted.

Pinot perfection for this dish.

We picked our most delicate Pinot from Sonoma Coast 2023 vintage. This wine is going out in our Spring Wine Club, this group got a sneak peak and were not dissapointed!

And to complete a dinner loaded with flavor and richness, just a little sweet treat. Full bellies, big smiles and ready for sleep.

We have had glorious weather to close January and begin FUN February. Coastal hike with crystal clear skies and 70 degree with no chill in the air. Makes winter easy.

And February is a jam packed month of FUN....

Mushroom Foray

Super Bowl

Valentines Day

 Closing 2025 and opening 2026

How we roll through December and open the New Year, starting with a sold out celebration dinner of Lobster. And then....

Lobster Dinner 2025

Our Celebration Dinner tradition began in 2007 as a winemaker dinner in December at Mosaic Restaurant in Forestville ( no longer open) . After they closed we moved to Zazu Restaurant on Willowside Road. After they closed we did one year at Big Bottom Market ( no longer in business ) to eventually find a permanent home at our Tasting Room after opening November 2012.

A night of celebration, library wines, large format, special menu, and great friends gathering to toast the Holiday Season and the end of the year.

For many years we did a 40 seat, 6 course dinner. After our 10th Anniversary of the Tasting Room Celebration Dinner, we chose to simplify to our Dining Room that seats 16 guests.

This year we offered three wines ( 2024 Rose' of Pinot, 2013 Chardonnay magnum, 2014 Bohemian Pinot Noir ) and five courses, starting with Lobster Rockefeller. A twist to a classic dish that Mat created. Rich and wonderful served with greens. 

Everyone wants to know when Mat will produce another Chard, not likely unfortunately due to the quality fruit we had produced and then lost the perfect for us vineyard source ( sold ). 

2013 Chardonnay magnum was the winning wine pairing.

   

Lobster Bisque was a favorite course for many, guests were asking for a gallon 'to go'. Not an easy dish to prepare but well worth the work. Bisque with chunks of fresh poached Lobster meat. This dish pairs so well with wine!!

Each wine was loved by the group but the Pinot won the best pairing!

When Mat discovered the best frozen french fries and started testing poutine recipes when friends came to visit, this was the start of a terribly good fetish!

Perfecting the gravy, adding locally sourced cheese curds and combining the components make for 

A LOT of food porn enjoyment! 

Pairing great with wine as well!

For the dinner, the lobster gravy was made with Asian five spice to be rich and delicious. 

The wine pairings were equally perfect. Some preferred the Rose' while others liked the Chardonnay or Pinot. There wasn't a bad combo to be had!

This dish should be on a menu at a local seafood specialty restaurant, it is soooooo good!

Trying to get in the spirit with some lighting and decorating.

I am a believer of Chardonnay & Lobster. I do not drink Chardonnay just because.

It has to be a great Chardonnay and a great pairing. 

This was the night for one of a very few magnums of 2013 Chardonnay left in our cellar.

Not only did it wow the attendees it was perfect with the Lobster dishes.

This is when Chardonnay shines!

Main course surf and turf, butter poached lobster and grilled filet mignon, asparagus with Bernaise sauce. No photo due to hot plates, plus service to ensure heat remained.

We switched the wine focus after the 1st three courses. Beef demands no white.

2012 Horseshoe Bend Pinot Noir Magnum, oh yes and oh my!

As the focus moved to main course, the winemaker chef finally has a chance to come into the Dining Room to chat.

Not be missed, our special decoration gifted from a wine club family member + the Lobster cookie 

( does not have lobster in it ).

2nd week of December, Sip'n Shop in Oakland, Taste West County Holiday Passport and a private event for a special wine club members Birthday. We did it. Three event's in 2 days!

Now it is time to sail through the Holidays, which we did in style. Lots of mushroom foraging, baking, special wines, toasting with friends and enjoying a low key Holiday season.

Puzzle tradition....need a puzzle? Come by, I always have some to pass along.

Our Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day due to power outage. Seared Duck Breast, Chanterelle Mushrooms paired with one of Mat's 1st Pinot's from 2002. The label was in rough shape but the cork was perfect and the wine was amazing. We have a magnum and a 750 mL remaining.

            

                                 Color, flavor, cork....all in great shape. Mat was thrilled to taste this!

My tradition of baking was in the form of nut and seed brittle this year, nick named brittle crack. 4 batches and a few different iterations.

The MOST prolific mushroom season since way long, it just keeps giving. Every time Mat goes out, we have 2 pounds to clean and eat. Black trumpets abound + chanterelles, hedgehogs large and small.

                                           Let's call it a year! Next up 2026, here we come! CHEERS