Paired Wine and Food Tastings Not to Be Missed

If you’re planning a trip to California, a winery visit is a must. Head north from San Francisco to Sonoma County, where a handful of area wineries have expanded their tasting menus to include not more wine, but food as well. Some offer a casual take on pairings with artisan pizzas and picnic baskets, while others have taken the gourmet route, with multi-course offerings to please both foodies and wine aficionados. Wine Enthusiast magazine lists Jordan Winery, in the northern half of the county, as one of the best Sonoma wineries with food. So does American Airlines’ Celebrated Living magazine.

Winery Architecture and Acreage

Jordan Winery founders drew inspiration from French wine estates to create a chateau-style building, complete with ivy-covered walls and red tile roof. It houses the winemaking facility and cellars, as well as a kitchen, dining room and wine-tasting library. It sits amid 1,200 acres of gently spreading hills, just 10 percent of which is the vineyard. Another 33 acres include olive trees, cattle pasture and a single acre on which to grow fruits and vegetables; that acre also houses a greenhouse, apiary and chicken coop. As you might have guessed, Jordan Winery is a farm-to-table operation. The rest of the land is left to enjoy in its natural splendor, which includes towering oak trees.

Wine Tours and Tastings

The winery boasts multiple wine awards and is consistently ranked one of the best Sonoma wineries with food by tourists and critics alike. This Healdsburg estate offers four tour and tasting options, all available by appointment and all paired with food.

Library Tasting

A seated tasting in the chateau’s private library, featuring three wines and hors d’oeuvre pairing, estate olive oil and artisan cheeses. It lasts about 60 minutes and is $35. This event is available daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Closed on Sundays from December to March.

Winery Tour & Library Tasting

If you have another 30 minutes to spare, pair the library tasting with a walking tour of the beautiful chateau. In total, it takes 90 minutes and costs $45, and culminates in a hidden cellar room like the library tasting above. The winery tour also includes an additional hors d’oeuvre.

Estate Tour & Tasting

Ride in style in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to take in the idyllic Healdsburg wine estate views. Four stops are made to enjoy the garden and vineyards, sample olive oil, nosh on hors d’oeuvres and sample wine in a beautiful outdoor setting, weather permitting. This three-hour event is offered Thursday through Monday at 9:45 a.m., May through October. The cost is $125.

Holiday Tour & Tasting

Toast your friends with champagne and caviar at the winery chateau before a tour of the barrel room, then enjoy a seated wine tasting against a holiday backdrop. Sample Jordan’s cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay and nibble on hors d’oeuvres, homemade cookies and hot cocoa with ganache. This event is about 90 minutes and is $70.

Jordan Estate tours are offered May through October; the holiday event is offered for a few weeks in November and December. For reservations, book online or call 707-431-5250.

Award-winning wines, gourmet foods, and beautiful scenery make food and wine tastings in Northern California events that are not to be missed. Taste the best that Sonoma has to offer on your next visit. Learn more about Sonoma wines, where to stay and more from the Sonoma County website.