After a day of Napa wine touring, our second day took us over to Sonoma for something a little different.

A Morning in Sonoma

We drove over to Sonoma and enjoyed a morning in the center of town before our main event of the day.

The Wine and Food Pairing Lunch at St. Francis Winery

Our main event was at St. Francis Winery for a wine and food lunch pairing, reserved far in advance. We were seated with a few other couples at horseshoe-shaped tasting tables, arranged so the sommelier could stand in the center and walk us through each wine alongside its paired dish.

An Approach Built Backward

The approach here was different from most pairing lunches we’ve done. It’s common to build the menu first, then find the right wine to match it. Here, they flip that: they select the peak wines — not limited to their own vineyards, but pulled from many — and then build the food pairings around each wine’s characteristics, using local, seasonal ingredients. The result was astounding.

The Menu

This is the menu we were served.

• Maine Lobster Chow Mein

• Pan Seared California White Sea Bass

• Duck Confit Trotter

• Akaushi Cazuela

• Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

Our Take

There aren’t enough words to describe the wine and the meal. If you find yourself anywhere near Sonoma, add this to your plans.