Wine country jaunts are off limits during California’s coronavirus-driven shutdown, but the sipping, swirling and winemaker discussions can continue at wineries that have begun hosting virtual wine tasting sessions. Here’s just a sampling:
At Home with Kendall-Jackson: This free series of short virtual wine-tasting videos with winemaker Randy Ullom or a member of his team airs at 4 p.m. Sundays on the winery’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kjwines) and Instagram feed (www.instagram.com/kjwines). The April 12 tasting, for example, focuses on pinot noir — paired with s’mores — while the April 19 broadcast offers a deep dive into the winery’s chardonnay styles.
Big Basin Vineyards: Members of the Saratoga winemaking team head up the In Your Home tasting series of six library wines — two pinot noirs, three syrahs and a GSM blend — with tastings every Friday at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. until May 1 through Zoom or Facebook Live. The winemakers will share their insights into these wines and the vineyards they come from, and give you a chance to ask questions. www.bigbasinvineyards.com/events
Burgess Cellars, Live from the Mountainside: Steve Burgess and winemaker Kelly Woods are hosting virtual tastings on Facebook Live every Thursday at 5.30 p.m. Order the Napa Valley wines the week before, with $1 shipping, then join the fun. It’s an open forum for people to ask questions and listen to the behind-the-scenes vineyard stories. https://www.facebook.com/BurgessCellars
Bouchaine Vineyards: Order a Bouchaine Winemaker Tasting Kit delivered to your home, then book a virtual wine tasting appointment online. Each kit provides tasting notes and vintage summaries, so you’ll be all set for your private tasting with a host — seated before the panoramic view of Napa’s Bouchaine Vineyards — who will lead you and your guests through a discussion of the wines. www.bouchaine.com
Cakebread Cellars’ Porchefest Virtual Wine Tasting: 4-5 p.m. April 9. Celebrate the kickoff of rosé season from the comfort of your own quarters, as Dennis Cakebread and Chef Brian Streeter invite you to grab a glass and join the Vin de Porche video celebration. Tune into Facebook for the special event. www.facebook.com/cakebreadcellars/live
Clos de Val’s Tasting at your Table: Purchase four bottles ($55 and up) of wine and make an appointment for a live virtual tasting tailored around your choices of wine. www.closduval.com/Visit-Us
Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards: Saratoga’s Doris Cooper, who pens all the winery’s tasting notes, will lead virtual tastings at 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays through April on Facebook Live and Instagram Live, each time opening one wine and recommending a simple recipe to pair with it. On April 14, for example, it’s cabernet sauvignon and caramelized onion and blue cheese bruschetta. Recipes are available on the website. www.cgv.com/upcoming-events
Frog’s Leap: Producers John and Rory Williams share stories, methods and intentions behind each Rutherford wine during an Interactive Tasting Series every Saturday at 3 p.m. via Zoom and Instagram Live. Wines for each tasting are available for sale on the winery’s web site, which is offering $5 shipping (use code FLATRATE5) on all orders. Order by Wednesdays at 10 a.m. via 2-day service to receive it in time for the Saturday tasting experiences. www.frogsleap.com
Inman Family Wines: Choose one of four three-packs ($84 and up) of Sonoma pinot noirs, chardonnay, rosés, and sparklers, then join a scheduled “Meet the Maker” happy hour tasting with winemaker Kathleen Inman via Facebook Video Chat, where you can enjoy the wines with fellow wine lovers. www.inmanfamilywines.com/Visit-Us/Events
Integrity Wines: Watsonville winemaker Mark Hoover will host his “More Than Virtual/In-Home Tastings Series” at 1 p.m. every Sunday until the tasting room reopens. To participate, order an in-home wine tasting kit ($30 for one, $45 for couples) for pick-up or delivery, then join Hoover via Zoom as he explains each varietal and answers all your questions. www.integrity.wine
Kenefick Ranch Facebook Live: Every Friday at 3 p.m., Chris Kenefick and his guest will cover two to three wines from the Calistoga winery’s portfolio. They’ll taste through each, explaining the process behind the winemaking, the climate, tasting notes, pairing suggestions and more. www.facebook.com/kenefickranchwines/
The Lineage Collection: Sixth generation Livermore winemaker Steven Mirassou hosts virtual tastings via Facebook, sharing stories about his childhood working on the bottling lines and warehouses of the family winery in San Jose, while tasting and talking about the wines he makes for his Steven Kent Winery. Join the Facebook group at https://bayareane.ws/Lineage.
Memento Mori: Napa Valley’s Memento Mori is doing virtual tastings of its signature cabernet via Zoom. Email info@mmwine.com for details and pricing on how to order the wine ahead of time and schedule a tasting.
Newsome Harlow Wines, Sierra Foothills: Join the virtual tastings with winemaker Scott Klann at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays on Facebook, Vimeo and Livestream. Order the wines ahead of time and taste along from home, with food pairings inspired by Melanie’s Kitchen on Facebook Live. www.nhvino.com
Nottingham Cellars: Enjoy live virtual tastings hosted by the Livermore Valley winemaking and hospitality teams through Zoom and Instagram every Sunday at 3:30 p.m. The week leading up to the tasting, Nottingham Cellars is making a special pack available with instructions on how to join the tasting. www.instagram.com/nottingham_cellars/
Page Mill Winery: Livermore winemaker Dane Stark will be holding Virtual Twilight Tastings on Facebook every Thursday at 6 p.m. for the foreseeable future. Each week, the tasting will benefit a different charity. www.pagemillwinery.com/twilight-tastings
Parallel Napa Valley: Schedule a guided tasting ($95) on FaceTime, Skype or Zoom with the winery’s general manager Adrienne Capps. www.parallelwines.com/Tastings
PlumpJack Virtual Wine Tastings: Hosted on Facebook Live, these virtual tastings showcase different estates and winemakers, including Odette’s Jeff Owens, CADE’s Danielle Cyrot and PlumpJack’s Aaron Miller. www.facebook.com/plumpjackwinery
Priority Wine Pass Virtual Wine Tasting: Order curated wine selections, then schedule online video-tastings with winemakers from Bridgette/Courtesan, Boeschen Vineyards, Prime Solum and more. The virtual tasting experiences include a “Learn How to Wine Taste” experience with sommelier Victor Orozco. https://prioritywinepass.com
Quintessa Estate: Join general manager Rodrigo Soto and winemaker Rebekah Wineburg for an interactive vineyard and winery experience at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays — starting April 8 — via Quintessa’s Instagram page. Just tap the profile picture to view the live video. www.instagram.com/quintessawinery/
Schweiger Vineyards Virtual Tasting Series: Virtual wine-tastings and webinars cover a variety of topics, including winery history, wine education and tastings of new-release wines. Order the wines online, then join the tastings, or simply view now and order later. www.schweigervineyards.com
Sosie Wines: Enjoy a virtual tasting session with Sosie Wines staff — the proprietor or a member of the winemaking team — of wines delivered through the winery’s own “blue glove” delivery in the San Francisco Bay area (and reduced shipping rates to the rest of the country). Email tastings@sosiewine.com for details and pricing.
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery: Join a virtual tasting that showcases a different wine each week. The tastings are at 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoons through April 23 with a member of the winemaking team. www.stsupery.com
Virtual Sonoma Valley: From Belden Barns and Benziger to Gloria Ferrer and Landmark, 14 Sonoma Valley wineries are offering virtual wine tastings and wine experiences. Take a look at the offerings and pre-order wines at https://sonomavalleywine.com/sonoma-valley-virtual-tastings/
Wente Vineyards: Meet up with Aly and Niki Wente on Instagram to talk about wine and walk through some fun Livermore Valley pairings. Each Wednesday evening will feature a new topic and occasionally special guests, including Wente family members and other Wente team members. www.instagram.com/wente/
Published on 2020-04-08 11:51:19
