Penultimate Pairing of the Year

By any measure it has been an extraordinary year for wine here at Barndiva. We hosted three sold-out collaborative wine Fêtes with the most exciting winemakers in Sonoma and Mendocino. Won our fourth inclusion in the Best of Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator. Chosen by Wine & Spirits Magazine for SF50, a recognition for having one of the most exciting wine lists in the Bay Area offering an exceptional and - this is crucial for us - accessible wine experience to our diners. It’s clear Chappy Cottrell, our Wine Director/Sommelier has accomplished a great deal since taking the reins from Alexis Iaconis last year. Shortlisted as one of most talented Wine Directors and Somms in the country by Wine Enthusiast, this young man has been instrumental in framing our passion for wines that tell a compelling story of terroir, family, history, and sustainability. He has taken Sommtable Healdsburg to the next level, indulged my passion for TraceBox, and in a year of great upheaval in Healdsburg has been a joy to work with, calm and even tempered, which is exceedingly rare in this hothouse industry. I’m handing him the blog this week to shed some insight on his wine pairings for our penultimate meal of the year. Don’t expect florid overheated pros from this guy. He is droll, focused, and committed to opening the door to a pretentious-free, entrancing wine experience for Barndiva diners.

1st Course: DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD
Oyster Leaf, Crème Fraîche, Salmon Roe

2013 Nyetimber Tillington Brut Reserve Sussex

Chalk, apple blossom, red delicious apple, lemon shortbread, and stone play on the subtle nose, and a touch of flint suggests a hint of smokiness. Nyetimber is one of the original English sparkling estates, growing and producing sparkling Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier in West Sussex, England for over 30 years.

Why This Pairing: Sparkling is a bright, light foil for crab, and the most festive way to kick off a delicious, last meal of the decade. We choose English bubbles because they are 1) superb and 2) because of our changing climate, on the rise!

3rd Course: BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER TAIL Orange Beurre Blanc, Cauliflower Haché

2012 Littorai May’s Canyon Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Pineapple, lime, quince, yellow apple, pear, and gravel are lifted by notes of orange and lavender. Littorai is produced by Ted Lemon west of Sebastopol where the coastal fog, cooler temperatures, and longer growing season give bright acidity with intense aromatics.

Why This Pairing: Lobster and Chardonnay are a classic pairing - but instead of going with an overly buttery and oaky chard, the Littorai has just the right amount of of age to lend a natural richness from the fruit.

5th Course: ROASTED PHEASANT
Port Wine Jus, Brussels Sprouts, Braised Chestnuts, Bacon Jam

2008 Rinaldi Brunate Barolo

Plums, black cherries, leather, tar and licorice meld together, supported by firm yet beautifully integrated tannins. Made from 100% Nebbiolo, Rinaldi is based in the town of Barolo since the 1870’s. Brunate is one of the top vineyards that grow Barolo wine.

Why This Pairing: Game birds, bacon, and fall greens scream to be paired with an elegant, rustic, mineral driven, tannin provoking wine that creates harmony on the palate. Barolo is the perfect match, with Rinaldi being one of the top producers, and Le Brunate a top vineyard.

7th course: CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY BAVAROIS Passion Fruit Gelée

2017 Domaine la Dentelle Bugey-Cerdon Sparkling Rosé

Strawberries, raspberries, bramble, black rocks, wild lavender & sage. 80% Gamay, 20% Plousard. In a tiny appellation — fewer than 500 acres planted in vines — between Jura and Savoie. Methode Ancestrale is the original form of sparkling wine production where primary fermentation finishes in the bottle to capture the natural carbon dioxide.

Why This Pairing: Chocolate and red fruit are one of life’s greatest pleasures! And as we will be dancing shortly after this course, Port would weigh us down - can’t have that! The effervescent & lovely fruit in Bugey-Cerdon is an elegant way to stay light, yet satisfied, with this dessert.

2nd Course: TRUFFLE MUSHROOM SOUP
Puff Pastry Dome

2016 Joseph Swan Catie’s Corner Grenache Blanc Russian River Valley

Orange zest, Asian pear, mandarin orange marmalade, bees wax, peach pits, pomelo zest. Joseph Swan is a classic, small production producer of Burgundian and Rhone varietals based in Forestville utilizing minimal new oak and native fermentations.

Why This Pairing: Most would immediately lean towards a red wine for truffle soup, however the bees wax, orchard fruit, and baking spice of the Grenache Blanc brightens the viscosity of the soup.

4th Course: BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI
Sage Brown Butter, Toasted Pepitas

2010 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast en magnum

Dark red cherries, spices, game, licorice, savory herbs, tobacco. The Hirsch Vineyards, out on the chilly far reaches of the Sonoma Coast, has been providing fruit to some of the biggest names in California Pinot for the last 30 years, including Littorai and Williams Selyem. The San Andreas Fault Pinot is the Hirsch family's flagship Pinot Noir, and it perfectly captures the essence of the fruit grown on this estate. 2010 was particularly cold.

Why This Pairing: Butternut Squash has a lovely earthy decadence to it, while pasta is the ultimate comfort food. This contrasting pairing is lively with rocky, tart fruit.

6th Course: BRAISED SHORT RIBS
Robuchon Pomme Purée, Baby Carrots, Braised Cippolini, Jus

2009 Opus One Oakville

Black raspberry, crystallized blackberry, smoke, leather, licorice, bitter chocolate and cedar, lifted by violet and spices. Smooth, mouthfilling and decidedly dry, with a lightly dusty character to its flavors of dark fruits, minerals and game. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec. The winery was founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi to create a single Bordeaux style blend based upon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Why This Pairing: Short Ribs are rich: demand an unctuous wine that can hold it’s own, elevate the succulence of the beef without overwhelming it. As we’re ending a decade, why not drink a wine that is world renowned and will be aging perfectly for decades to come? Honor the past, look forward to the future! Opus One is the bond of America’s potential in wine and France’s history.

there are only a few spaces left for NYE at the Barn so i if you plan to join us, Whether or not you choose to pair your NYE dinner with these remarkable vintages, give us a call to book asap: 707 431 0100.

Rest assured our awarding winning wine list, with over 94 champagnes and sparkling wines, will also be available. Wherever you decide to spend the last night of the decade, we offer our best wishes for a healthy, satisfying new year!

Two Standout Sundays.

The Pink Party is our favorite fête because of the two communities it brings together: winemakers from Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and a Bay Area tout va bien crowd that comes dressed to celebrate spring, drink superlative wine, and hug it out. Sound frivolous? Yes and no. Yes, as in we could all use a bit of frivolity right about now, and no, as in these are serious wine drinkers eager to meet iconic and rising star winemakers. We time the party just as the wisteria is blooming and the urge to see the end of winter is palpable. Tickets go swiftly, a testament to the fact that almost half the crowd that attends has been before, some since it’s very first year. The usual number of wineries pouring, when phenom somm Alexis Iaconis ran it was 30+. Behold, our extraordinary wine director Chappy Cottrell, who has blown that number up to 41. (see the complete list, below.)

We’ve added some bells and whistles this year, which we are keeping secret until the 14th. They will surprise and delight along with delectable Rosé friendly fare from the kitchens, great music from DJ Jeremy, and a raffle to benefit the important work Healdsburg Corazón is doing- every winery is graciously contributing. We appreciate the importance of strong community in times like these. And the value of throwing a great garden party where you can dress up and laugh among friends, old and new. Who says we can’t multi-task?

As for celebrating springtime with the family..….

Join us for Easter brunch!

Think Pink

The Pink Party rides again!

Yes, it's not yet May and Healdsburg can already feel as crowded as Summer while round-about construction and lack of downtown parking (still) sucks, but damn. For bonhomie and style, not to mention a refreshingly up close and personal interaction with a merry and talented band of winemakers and vintners, the Pink Party rocks it. What makes our Northern California wine shed truly great isn't how many grapes we grow, but the personal stories and passions behind the wines we produce. It's something you just can't read off a label. And it was on full display this past Sunday. 

This is why we love the Pink Party: with the first hint of Spring, along with wildflowers and roses comes bud-break and a fresh desire to make wine tasting relevant to a 'local' crowd. The loose knit group who come together here in our gardens re-affirms that to love wine is to celebrate where and how it's grown. 

We have two more collaborative Wine Events in the same spirit as The Pink Party, both before harvest: Fête Blanc and Fête Rouge. Secure tickets before they too sell out! Barndiva also has two upcoming Sommtable spotlight series dinners early Summer, with Flowers Vineyards & Winery and Peay Vineyards. And, starting in May, every Wednesday we will host a different 'local' vintner we admire in the Gallery Gardens. How do we define local? Susie Selby is down the block from Barndiva. Alison Story and Eric Smith are down the road from Barndiva Farm. Barndiva is stretching its wine wings in new ways to connect our lives with what we continue to love about this community. For information on all upcoming wine related events check out barndiva.com/wine or sign up for Eat the View, our blog.

 Apologies to anyone we missed in this Pink Party 'who poured' album, and mea culpa to the two vintners left out of the group shot!  No worries identifying who is who if you didn't meet them: A complete list of vintners and wineries is listed below. 

A great big shout out to all our chefs - especially Andrew, Thomas, Deron and the gang in the Gallery kitchen. There was killer food and plenty of it (ok you had to be quick when those platters hit the orchard table). To DJ Jeremy and the beautiful Janine, and to Daniel Carlson for the incredible blooms - all from Barndiva Farm, we love you! And a special tip of the chapeau to our awesome wine director Alexis Iaconis who, along with Chef Ryan, Lukka, dear Natalie and Cathryn, pulled off another great annual Spring party. To all the beautiful ladies and gents who dressed in pink, thank you! 

Our raffle tickets this year were sold in support of Farm to Pantry. Heartfelt thanks to our friend Chris Paul from Copain, who kindly helped Alexis organize and sell the lots- three full cases of Rosé from generous wineries who attended the event. We were able to raise $1,800 for this very worthy organization. A community, like a country, is only as strong as it's weakest links.