Unfiltered, Unfined

Last week I detailed the first half of my wine tasting adventure in Northern California (see Napa Wines in Napa). This time it’s Sonoma’s turn. Sonoma is quite a bit larger and much less tamed than its cousin to the east. Therefore I invited my friend Steve along, gaining the benefit of his palate while sharing driving, navigational, photographic and food-spotting duties.

For wine lovers living in the U.S., northern California is by far the easiest region to tour and taste. Partly this is because Napa and Sonoma counties and, to a lesser extent, Lake County, the Sierra Foothills and other north-Cali wine locales, have embraced wine tourism with gusto. There is a plethora of wineries. Lodgings are available at all price levels. Scores of top-notch restaurants (as well as fashionably down-and-out dive bars) tempt even the most jaded palate.

The holidays are indeed upon us, and I’ve already received a lot of questions just like yours, asking advice on sparkling wine where food is an integral part of the query. Perhaps this is because we tend to most associate the season with traditional smells and tastes. That’s certainly true this year as well, but the currently shaky economy has also led us to seek value over luxury, even in celebration.