Holidays in Sonoma – Local Cheese in Sonoma

January 14, 2015 by 11 Comments

Besides local beer, I am always looking for local cheeses as well when I travel. When you are in Sonoma, there are several to choose from- in fact, there is a whole Cheese Trail if you are so inclined. With our Thanksgiving weekend visit the timeline was too short to fit such a trip in, but it’s an interesting activity to consider for a future visit for me.

Besides, you will inevitably want some bread, crackers, and cheese as a absorbant snack while you are out on the wine tasting room visits, right? And, while here you want to choose to support artisans here by getting the local cheese in Sonoma right?
Our Sonoma wine tasting picnic with cheese, bread, grapes, hummus, and various spreads

The most convenient cheese stop is right in Sonoma Plaza, in fact it’s even right by a free parking lot! That stop is The Sonoma Cheese Factory. Inside you will find a whole two cases worth of various cheese they produce, as well as a large deli that offers other products for a Sonoma picnic, microbrews and local wine for you to take home as well- even BBQ! They offer some tasty sounding sandwiches or you can build your own selecting from among 16 different proteins, half a dozen types of bread, almost a dozen cheeses, and more than 20 extras varying from brown sugar pecan mustard to three types of aioli or bacon, jalapenos, roasted red peppers, even sauerkraut. You can make your sandwich a lunchbox to take with you if you’d like.

In the cheese cases I was mentioning, they have several that you can sample, and when I saw they had a buy 2 get 1 wedge of Sonoma Cheese Factory Cheese (nicknamed SCF) I couldn’t resist over-purchasing even though there were just four of us.

Most of the cheeses at SCF are Jack type cheeses, and vary from the traditional to some of our favorite flavorings that we picked out of Garlic Jack, Habanero Jack, Pesto jack and Mediterranean Jack Cheeses. They also had some aged Cheddars. The three we ended up getting that you see are the square aged cheddar, the white is the Garlic Jack, and the one with all those flecks is the Mediterranean Jack.

The three we ended up getting that you see from Sonoma Cheese Factory are the square aged cheddar, the white is the Garlic Jack, and the one with all those flecks is the Mediterranean Jack. The three we ended up getting that you see from Sonoma Cheese Factory are the square aged cheddar, the white is the Garlic Jack, and the one with all those flecks is the Mediterranean Jack.

While you are here in Sonoma Plaza, I might suggest you grab some bread at nearby (literally a block away) Basque Boulangerie, which has some great sourdough and French breads. If it’s late and Basque is closed, you might also consider visiting the local grocery store Sonoma Market where I also appreciated they had lots of local bread.

Also nearby to Sonoma Plaza is Vella Cheese, Besides Jack cheeses and Cheddar, they also have some Italian style cheeses. And, they only use vegetarian rennet.

Another option is the Epicurean Connection Cafe, Beer and Wine Bar, where you can stock up on goods and also get some tasty versions of cheesy sandwiches (including more than half a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches), tartines, crepes, salads and cheese plates. Some of the spreads you saw in my first photo of the post are from Epicurean, including a triple cream Les Trois Fromage made from cow, goat, and and sheep milk.

My favorite cheese visit though was much more out of the way. This visit the cheese maker Matos Cheese Factory. The name says Factory, but you are going right to the Farm. Matos Cheese Factory only makes one type of cheese, St Jorge Cheese. This cheese’s heritage comes from Sao Jorge, Portugal, the original homeland of the founders Joe and Mary Matos.

It involved driving up towards Sebastopol as we were heading towards Iron Horse Vineyard anyway, and was only a little 10 minute drive from California Route 116 anyway that you would be taking. Be prepared to be driving a bit longer than you might think on an all dirt driveway up to the farm buildings. And, you are literally parking in the space amid their barns, there is no parking lot. As you are driving up to the farm you will even pass by the cows who produced the milk for the cheeses. You can see they are so impressed by your visit and getting this far.
Cows that produce the milk for St Jorge Cheese at Matos Cheese Factory Cows that produce the milk for St Jorge Cheese at Matos Cheese Factory

As you walk in you might encounter one of the farm cats like we did, or the farm dog as well. The little shop has a little bell that rings as you open the door so that wherever they may be working they then know you are there. The little shop is really more of a counter that only fits a handful of people, though it also offers a glimpse into the much larger aging room.
Visiting Matos Cheese Factory, makers of St Jorge Cheese St Jorge Cheese in the aging room of Matos Cheese Factory in Sonoma St Jorge Cheese in the aging room of Matos Cheese Factory in Sonoma
They are happy to let you taste two version of their St George, also known as St Jorge Cheese – a younger version and an older version, so you can contrast the more buttery younger version that is like a cross between Havarti and Manchego, and also we tried a more aged one that turns crumbly and is a bit more like Parmesan.
Visiting Matos Cheese Factory, makers of St Jorge Cheese Visiting Matos Cheese Factory, sampling their one cheese that they make, St Jorge Cheese Visiting Matos Cheese Factory, sampling their one cheese that they make, St Jorge Cheese
Your whole visit will likely only last 15 minutes or so, but I left with really delicious cheese and the happy feeling of buying directly from the farmers themselves – in fact in my case, directly from the granddaughter of founder Joe Matos himself. They only accept cash or check.
St Jorge Cheese in the aging room of Matos Cheese Factory in Sonoma My purchase of cheese from Matos Cheese Factory, makers of St Jorge Cheese in Sonoma Cows that produce the milk for St Jorge at Matos Cheese Factory

I didn’t have time for this last two cheese locations, but in Petaluma there are also the options of Marin Cheese, which produces a softer cheese in a French style like brie and camembert, and the Petaluma Creamery that offers tries of their Spring  Hill Jersey Cheese, and Petaluma Creamery  cheeses as well as pizza and ice cream.

Have you had cheeses in Sonoma?

This post is part of my series on my trip to Sonoma where I list various recommendations.

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Holidays in Sonoma – Iron Horse Vineyards

January 2, 2015 by 2 Comments

I’ve been a fan of Iron Horse Vineyards since I discovered them back in 2009 – I selected their Wedding Cuvee for my wedding. And, they were the winery I was most excited about visiting when we came to Sonoma. They are very small in size, but have a great big heart.

To visit Iron Horse, you need to make an appointment, which you can do online if you’d like – they want to manage the number of tasters to make sure you have a good experience and are not lost in a crowd. When you arrive, be prepared to drive up a slender one way dirt road (which was muddy for us!) until you see a little roundabout and clustering of wooden barns. The road is a little longer than you might expect. I sort of liked that feeling of confusion and whether we were lost as it is probably reminiscent of the founders, who when they discovered this property also thought they were lost until they came up the knoll to the view of the hills you are about to see. The parking area is on the dirt and gravel on the right side, where you get your first view of the rolling hills of vines.

View of rollings hills of vines at Iron Horse Vineyards View of rollings hills of vines at Iron Horse Vineyards View of rollings hills of vines at Iron Horse Vineyards View of rollings hills of vines at Iron Horse Vineyards

Later the sun came up, yielding the pictures up there that don’t include me – that first one was taken when we first arrived and it was still misty at 11 AM, much like the foggy day the founders came upon this property and bought it 2 weeks later, feeling like these grounds were like Camelot! That is only part of the reason for the horse on their bottles: a horse that looks like that was also found on a weathervane they uncovered as they were breaking ground. It really seems like fate no?

When you walk up to the tasting room, you discover it is just a simple outdoor wooden bar that you stand at. They have heaters if the weather gets chilly, and there are some benches you can sit at a bit back from the tasting bar overlooking the vineyards but otherwise no standing. There are no dogs allowed on the property.

You can choose from a sparkling flight. Or they also offer pinot noir and chardonnay. Of everything I tasted, I liked it all. And we tried to be thorough…
The delicious wines of Iron Horse Vineyards The delicious wines of Iron Horse Vineyards 2012 Iron Horse Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2010 Iron Horse Vineyards Native Yeast Chardonnay 2010 Iron Horse Vineyards Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs. Iron Horse gives $4 a bottle to National Geographic's Ocean Initiative, establishing marine protected areas and supporting sustainable fishing practices around the globe. Iron Horse 2010 Wedding Cuvee 2011 Fairytale Celebration Cuvee Iron Horse 2010 Classic Vintage Brut 2010 Iron Horse Russian Cuvee Iron Horse 2010 Winters Cuvee "2007

It was so good that my friend and I joined the wine club. Just as I have wonderful memories tied to the Wedding Cuvee, it turns out she has the same story with their Fairytale Celebration Cuvee. That’s the kind of wines they have – ones that are perfect for every and any special occasion and whose flavor is so distinctive versus most sparklings that are poured that you end up etching a strong happy memory with their unique flavors.

I love how their wine club is so flexible that you can specify whether you want all whites, all reds, all sparklings, all stills, all sparkling + red, or all sparkling + white. Every wine is a vintage wine that is aged at least 3 years, if not more. And really, there are never too many bubbles in one’s life. Eac one really has its own character – and sometimes its own story.

The Russian Cuvee was made for the historic Reagan-Gorbachev summit meetings which ended the Cold War.. Iron Horse Vineyards sparkling is still now has been served in the White House to presidents and their guests since 1985.

Meanwhile for the limited edition Ocean Reserve (which has citrusy lime tones), Iron Horse gives $4 a bottle to National Geographic’s Ocean Initiative, establishing marine protected areas and supporting sustainable fishing practices around the globe. They have a Rainbow Cuvee in support of marriage equality as well.

The Winter’s Cuvee has a touch of estate made pinot noir brandy. The Classic Brut has a bit of tartness to it reminiscent of apples, while the Brut X has a great dryness that makes it so sharp and crisp.

I guess I’ll have to stop gushing about Iron Horse now and just highly recommend that you visit them when you visit Sonoma. It is definitely a casual rustic feel, which is such testament to the down to earth winery that creates the classy sparklings good enough for the Pope and heads of state and maybe, you too will like them?

If you haven’t guessed, this was my favorite winery I visited during my Sonoma trip! And, I totally had an Iron Horse sparkling to celebrate New Year’s 2015 too.

Have you been to Iron Horse, or had Iron Horse sparklings before? Or do you have a certain specific memory tie to a certain producer of sparkling wines?

This post is the fifth in my series about visiting Sonoma.

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Holidays in Sonoma – Highway 12 Wineries

December 26, 2014 by 7 Comments

So in a previous post I highlighted Ledson Winery, famous for their beautiful Castle tasting room. Ledson is more on the north end of Highway 12, so now let’s continue to proceed south visiting Highway 12 Wineries shall we? Highway 12 is a winding road that many wineries are on, so you could easily spend a whole day just visiting wineries just on this one road. Overall, from Ledson to our last stop listed in this post, it covers only 10 miles and with wineries the whole way. You can pack a picnic to go with you on your day trip, though some wineries also have a little market to get some picnic supplies.

Literally right down the street from Ledson, just a mile down, is St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. They have a wine tasting room which has a back patio with incredible views that showcase the wineries and mountains. The other highlight with St Francis is that they offer Culinary Wine Adventures. By that, I mean wine and food tasting experiences which you can enjoy to understand how to pair their wine with food. The experiences vary from cheese and charcuterie to a 5 course food pairing to a private estate 9 course dinner that kicks off with a wine reception.

On the day I visited, wine country was lucky enough to be getting some much needed rain, so the mountain views included lots of misty clouds as the rain was beginning to roll in.
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

A little less then 2 miles south as we continue on Highway 12 is Chateau St Jean. The grounds even now that it was winter was full of color from the vines and from lots of beautiful pots of dwarf Satsuma Mandarin Orange trees brimming with the fruit. The Chateau architecture takes is cue from an Italian villa style. You should also note that they have 2 tasting room areas- the Main Tasting room and also if you are interested in their reserve and more limited edition wines and willing to pay more for the upscale tasting, another tasting room with separate tasting fee in the Vineyard Room.
Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Chateau St Jean in Sonoma Chateau St Jean in Sonoma

Another mile and a half down the road is an opportunity to visit a wine cave on a tour for free on the Kunde Family Estate.  When they open the doors to the wine cave (it is also a nicely informative tour) looking into the cave, it looks like such an endless hallway of barrels which is quite an effect. They are one of the oldest family owned wineries in Sonoma, having been founded in 1904 and is now in its fifth generation. You can if you’d like do a mountaintop tasting which they offer from 11:30-2:30 PM. If you’re looking for a little exercise and have 4 hours to use, you can also choose to to inquire about reserving a spot on their Hiking tour – and they have a version that is a Dog Hike. If you do bring your dog here, the dog must remain leashed – though your furry friend can go on the cave tour with us as long as he’s quiet and well behaved.

If you love wines with volcanic soil, you will also like the wines at Kunde – my favorite personally was the Kunde 1904 Dessert Cuvee. Also if you stop, look out for the hedge dressed up as a wine bottle!

The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top The The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top Wine tasting caves at Kunde Family Estate Wine tasting caves at Kunde Family Estate Wine tasting caves at Kunde Family Estate Wine tasting caves at Kunde Family Estate Tasting the Kunde 1904 Dessert Cuvee with a chocolate The beautiful views of Kunde Family Estate with their wine cave and mountain top Visiting the wine caves and tasting wines at Kunde Famnily Estate  Cute shrubbery dressed up as a Kunde Family Estate wine bottle

If you are looking for some out of this world cabernet sauvignon, you might also consider checking out Arrowood Vineyards and Winery, 5 miles south on Highway 12 from Kunde. We have now transitioned from Kenwood to Glen Ellyn.

Of the list of wineries I’ve shared, this is a more smaller, intimate tasting room though the prices were also significantly higher. Really great Cabernet though!
Visiting Arrowood Winery, which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons Visiting Arrowood Winery Visiting Arrowood Winery which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons Visiting Arrowood Winery which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons Visiting Arrowood Winery which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons Visiting Arrowood Winery which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons Visiting Arrowood Winery which offers outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons

Clearly, I’m also smitten with visiting vineyards in the winter for the lovely colors of the leaves!

The last winery I am going to highlight is Imagery Estate Winery and Art Gallery, which is at the same initial driveway as Arrowood off Highway 12 – you just have to turn left at the fork instead of right.

While most winery stops were 30 minutes to an hour, we spent our longest winery stop here and the other couple we were traveling with signed up to be wine club members (and I admit I also bought several wines to take home).

They have a huge variety of different varietals to try. They create original art for their bottles, some of the art which is displayed in a little gallery in the back, and F and I spent time looking through their prints and magnets of that art as well. Sadly I was so busy drinking I didn’t get many photos except for these.

Imagery wines are only sold here, so this would be your only chance to get them. Each artwork for each bottle must include the Parthenon in done way which makes it a bit of a hunt to find it on some, or interesting to see how it got incorporated in others. And there’s hundreds of these labels to peruse. They also have a little garden on their property which helps supply local restaurant The Girl and The Fig!

Visiting Imagery Estate Winery Visiting Imagery Estate Winery Visiting Imagery Estate Winery Visiting Imagery Estate Winery Visiting Imagery Estate Winery

What is your favorite time of year to visit vineyards- spring, summer, or fall/winter?

This post is the third in my series about visiting Sonoma. For 2014 I have one more Sonoma post where I will recap the holiday (Thanksgiving) meal at The Girl and The Fig, and after the New Year, the series will continue with more wineries, and also looking at beer by visiting breweries in the area.

 

 

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Holidays in Sonoma – Ledson Winery

December 24, 2014 by 6 Comments

Today, I wanted to share the beautiful grounds of Ledson Winery & Vineyards.”The Castle” as it is also known is an impressive looking building that is a massive tasting room. I unfortunately was a little wined out on tastings by the time we got this far up on the road, and it was also pretty crowded as this same weekend of my visit was also the Heart of Sonoma Valley Open House event. I only took photos on the outside, where it was quieter than the bustle inside the tasting rooms. The next time I’m in Sonoma, I definitely will need to plan better – and if you go to Sonoma, you should definitely plan to stop by at least for a look see like I ended up doing.

Ledson also has a small deli and marketplace so if you haven’t already packed your picnic, you can purchase food here to picnic on the grounds (no outside food allowed). They have quite a variety of wines that I saw – more than a dozen varietals and a good mix of white and red wines.

As you can see, they had their seasonal soldiers guarding their massive front doors with a gorgeous view of some of their vines, and a foyer totally decked out for the holidays.

Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards Ledson Winery & Vineyards The seasonal soldiers guarding the front doors to the tasting room of Ledson  The cheerful foyer decked out for the holidays at Ledson Tasting Room in Kenwood The cheerful foyer decked out for the holidays at Ledson Tasting Room in Kenwood The cheerful foyer decked out for the holidays at Ledson Tasting Room in Kenwood The cheerful foyer decked out for the holidays at Ledson Tasting Room in Kenwood

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you are having a holiday month that is full of cheer and good memories and delicious food. Happy holidays to you!

This post is the second in my series about visiting Sonoma

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