If you’ve visited the Napa/Sonoma wine country lately, you’ve probably noticed that most of the wineries are now charging (sometimes hefty) tasting fees to try their wines, often standing elbow to elbow with a bus load of tourists, all jockeying for position.
In scenic Healdsburg, the Mayo Family Winery has opened a second Sonoma County “Reserve Room,�? where guests can actually sit in a comfortable bistro-like atmosphere, surrounded by wine-inspired art, unique wine country views and a little mood music, and savor seven reserve wines with a seven-course tasting menu for only $20. Chef Jeff Mall (of ZIN Restaurant) foods pairings might include Dungeness crab, avocado and mango with the 2004 Chardonnay, Laurel Hill Vineyard, Sonoma Valley; and homemade fennel sausage pizza with a 2004 Zinfandel, Ricci Vineyard, Russian River Valley, “Old Vine.�?
Finding The Reserve Rooms
RESERVE ROOM SONOMA VALLEY
9200 Sonoma Highway – Kenwood – Sonoma Valley
707-833-5504 – Open Thurs to Mon, 10:30am – 6:30pm
CHEF: Billy Oliver
RESERVE ROOM HEALDSBURG
340 Center Street – Healdsburg
707-433-9400 – Open Thurs to Mon, 10:30am – 6:30pm
CHEF: Jeff Mall
Reservations are not required, but recommended during peak season