44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: JORDAN WINERY / CLIF FAMILY / DAVID WAKELEY years ago, and a visit to Buena Vista in Sonoma, California’s first premium winery founded in 1857, brings the past to life. Sample wine directly from the barrel in the historic caves during the winery’s barrel tasting and tour experience while listening to tales of the winery’s colorful founder, the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista” Agoston Haraszthy, who emigrated from Hungary in 1842. Explore more winemaking history at the free 1881 Napa Museum, located on the second floor of a beautifully restored Victorian house adjacent to Oakville Grocery. There you can peruse the exhibits under an enormous Baccarat crystal chandelier while sampling wines from the selfserve stations on the lower level. bodied Howell Mountain and Oak Knoll District reds, and a seasonal aperitivo-style pairing experience (a mocktail flight is also available). The lavish Estate Tour & Tasting at Jordan Winery in Healdsburg, offered May through October, includes a scenic tour of the 1,200-acre estate, alfresco library tastings of the winery’s Russian River Valley chardonnay, Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon and Jordan Cuvée by Champagne AR Lenoble; an estate extra virgin olive oil tasting; and a hilltop lunch prepared using ingredients from the onsite culinary garden. Other standouts include the five-course, farm-totable pairing at KendallJackson in Santa Rosa; the seasonal tasting at Ram’s Gate in Sonoma; and Shifting the Lens, the guest chef series at J Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. For a unique alternative to more formal experiences, try the Comunità wine and Alpine food pairing at the unpretentious Overshine winery in Healdsburg. There, sample rare-tothe-region varietals from the northeastern Italian Alps served with regional cheees melted on a raclette grill and drizzled over Black Forest ham, tater tots and pickled vegetables. STEP BACK IN TIME Winemaking got its start in Napa and Sonoma more than 150
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