A fork in the wine road

Wineries across Napa and Sonoma are elevating the average tasting experience by pairing wines with chef-driven, multi-course menus served in spectacular settings. We’ve picked out 10 of the best to try

- KATIE KELLY BELL

Not long ago the cheese and charcuterie board was considered the gold standard for a high-end wine tasting experience. Today, wineries in California’s Napa and Sonoma Counties are bringing wine and food pairings to a new level, offering multi-course tasting menus in private settings embellished with fine linens, stemware and bespoke service to showcase premium cuvée wines at their best.

All 10 experiences recommended here feature food and wine but no two are the same, differing in everything from the style to the setting. What they do have in common (aside from being a marvellous way to enjoy wine country) is an emphasis on the wine, first and foremost, and using carefully prepared food to enhance it.

‘You can get cheese and charcuterie anywhere in wine country,’ says Hamel Family Wines executive chef Clinton Huntsman. ‘It’s not special any more. It is much more meaningful to show guests our wines with an experience that has a true dinner-party feel.’

Hamel Family Wines

RESERVE EXPERIENCE

15401 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476