Jason F.
Yelp
There are a number of wineries that dot the Sonoma Valley along the long stretch of road that is known as the Sonoma Highway that stretches from Santa Rosa to Sonoma, but perhaps the one winery that has the loveliest wine tasting facility, along with some of the most amazing views of the Hood Mountain Range, and of course the most sumptuous wines in the region is that of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. For over five decades, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has defined Sonoma County for their winemaking perfection thanks to an impressive wine portfolio that has been crafted by a generation of winemakers thanks to being family owned and operated since their inception. The first time I came to St. Francis was earlier in the summertime when the weather was warm and the staff was extremely inviting as my friend was a longtime club member and wanted me to try some wines from their Artisan Flight. As our tasting associate Sharon led us through five of their signature wines, each one would taste more lustrous than the next, as we sipped on their patio overlooking their grassy open space area and vineyards. Among the highlights for me was their 2021 Rose sourced from Sonoma County and was a combination of Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Viognier, which made for quite the refreshing splash to start our tasting. Their 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Moon Mountain District was also a lovely vintage of wine thanks to its complexity and silky tannins.
So wonderful was this initial experience at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards that my friend insisted that I return with her for their wine and food pairings, which are offered five days a week, and at a discount of 100 dollars for wine club members and a rather reasonable 125 dollars for their guests. When paired with the exquisitely plated food created by their Executive Chef Peter Janiak, the award winning wines at St. Francis Winery tastes that much better. Sitting in their private dining area, we were hosted by wine educators Kevin and Tony, who first greeted us with a lovely glass of their 2019 Chardonnay upon entry, as here at St. Francis Winery, they wisely use the all of the wines that they have on property to use for their food and wine pairing entrées. Our meal began with their 2021 Estate Cuvée Blanc paired with their Parsnip Soup which was topped with Vadouvan shrimp, ginger and shiso. The light acidity of the wine, which was sourced right here in their Wild Oak Vineyard, was brought out by the rich creaminess of the soup, as Kevin and Tony recommended the bite and sip method to our food pairing in order to see how each taste of the wine changes with each morsel of food. Another wine sourced from their Wild Oak Vineyard was their 2017 Syrah and this was paired with their Celeriac and Three Cheese Cannelloni served with pancetta, on a bed of fennel soubise and topped with chervil. It was a rich and delightfully cheesy entrée that was accentuated by every sip of their elegantly smooth Syrah.
For our third wine pairing, we were treated to their 2018 Merlot whose grapes are sourced from the Behler Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, which was paired with my favorite dish of our five courses, their Liberty Duck Breast, which was served with melted cauliflower, trumpet mushrooms, brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, and dollops of apple and beet butter. When paired with any wine let alone their velvety Merlot, this duck entrée tasted glorious with every bite. Just as we finished one protein, we were enjoying a second entrée that had protein as the star, and their New York Steak and Truffled Demi was served with brown butter yams, chorizo, dino kale, aleppo and mojo verde and paired with their 2017 Zinfandel which was sourced from the Dry Creek Valley which gave notes of a long finish thanks to the savoriness of every bite of steak, which we later learned from Chef Janiak was seared before being finished in their oven. Our meal concluded with a Apple and Frangipane Tart served with salted caramel, marcona almond crumble and topped with candied oranges and this dessert was paired with their 2017 Port, which we learned that St. Francis Winery was grandfathered into growing its Port, as it is only allowed to be made in Portugal. Our meal was one of the most exquisite wine and food pairings that I have ever had the opportunity to take part in, and it was all thanks to my friend being a longtime member, a member for so long that she is thing close to getting a vine named after her, which just goes to show the graciousness they served their members and visitors alike. As their bell chimes from their tower at the top of every hour, at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards we are all treated like family, and after their food and wine pairing experience, which anyone can take part in, family definitely comes first.