Did You Know? Meadowcroft is located inside Cornerstone Gardens, which is currently embroiled in the LeFever Mattson real estate scandal. Though mostly unoccupied, Cornerstone is still available for weddings and private events (the venues are beautiful). The potential grandness of the space is apparent. Here’s hoping a new buyer is found soon to revive this destination. aromas? What about body and texture? We make note of our preliminary formula then, using a beaker and funnel, we carefully prepare a glassful of our first trial custom blend. Nervously, I taste what I’ve made and am pleasantly surprised. It’s not ideal, but it is drinkable. Elaine roams the table, tasting each person’s blend and offering suggestions based on the direction it seems we’re headed. After this input, we create a second blend, sample again, then we choose which one we prefer. Into the bottle The next step is bottling. Using a much larger beaker, we mix our favorite blend, then transfer it to a wine bottle to take home. We take turns corking our bottles on a manual device—videos and pictures galore!—then hand-draw front and back labels. Clever branding choices included Queen Bee Blend, Birthday Blend and How Low Can You Merlot? Our task complete, we enjoy samples of a few Meadowcroft blends. My favorite is The Magi, an Italian red with a sangiovese base (plus montepulciano, dolcetto, barbera and a handful of others). It’s full-bodied and powerful, perfect for a big, hearty meal. My personal red will also be enjoyed over a dinner with friends, who will be regaled with the story of its inception and (hopefully) impressed with my newfound skill. a
Meadowcroft Wines 23574 Arnold Drive Sonoma 707-934-4090 Meadowcroftwines.com Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins welcome; for parties of eight or more, call ahead
your palate. There are no wrong answers.” She talks about acidity and tannins, explaining how they are used to balance each other out. We learn about boldness and mouthfeel, color and balance. We spend time getting to know these wines (and each other), slowly gaining confidence for what comes next. When we’re ready, Elaine asks us to imagine a blend of our component wines: What would be our base? How would we promote preferred flavors or Seated Tastings A flight of four wines, poured tableside by a designated wine expert. Wine selections vary seasonally. $25. A Perfect Blend Learn the art and science of winemaking. Start with a stroll through Cornerstone Gardens to learn about Meadowcroft’s winemaking perspective, along with the history of Sonoma. Then guests will blend wines that have been aged in separate oak barrels to make a classic red Bordeaux-style blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. Guests will label and cork their own 750ml bottle of their blend to take home. Reservations required. $150. Balloon & Blending A sunrise hot air balloon flight followed by A Perfect Blend blending seminar. Reservations required. $405.
Just in time for a houseful of holiday guests, might I suggest Meadowcroft’s blending experience, a surefire way to engage and entertain any wine-loving group. We’re welcomed with a splash of refreshing and crisp blanc de noir bubbles and a short introduction to the brand story. Just outside the tasting room, a patio area is sheltered with a wall of different grapevine varieties. Our host Elaine explains how to use leaf details and berry clusters (color, size and tightness) to identify each type. She takes us on a walk through the large Cornerstone Gardens property, which includes retail shops and restaurants, designer gardens, event spaces and an 18-acre vineyard. We stop at points along the way to smell different leaves and flowers—a primer for our upcoming activity. Into the mix After the tour, our group settles down to the business of making our own custom blended wines. We have four barrel samples in front of us: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite sirah and malbec (this lineup can change). We smell and sip each one and, as a group, discuss their aromas and flavors. Everyone recognizes different aspects, and Elaine is quick to approve and guide us through. “The wines present themselves differently to us each day,” she says. “Likewise, our palates may pick up new scents and smells each day based on our own experiences. The best part of tasting and trying wine? What you taste is unique to you and
October 2025
NorthBaybiz 49
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