In this post, an afternoon of wine tasting at our favorite Sonoma winery, plus a recipe for a summertime wine spritzer!
Hello and whew! I just returned from a few days in Spokane WA with my younger daughter and it was hot in the PNC! We were there to get her moved into her new house (with no AC) before the University fall semester starts. Although we narrowly avoided heat-stroke, I loved being able to spend time with her and I’m glad she put up with me! Above are some views of the Spokane River from our evening stroll near her campus- once it was cool enough to go outside.
We returned home to the Bay Area to a broken air conditioner which added insult to injury. Thankfully the heatwave here seems to be subsiding, and we should have the AC situation resolved soon. If you live without AC in the summer, my condolences!
Wine Tasting at Gundlach Bundschu
Our wedding anniversary also happens to be this weekend, so my husband suggested a quick trip up to Sonoma to visit our favorite winery, Gundlach Bundschu. It’s one of the oldest wineries in California and their tasting courtyard is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. With our Bacchus Club membership we get a free tasting four times a year, and we love a good charcuterie plate – who doesn’t? Since we’re only in Nor Cal part-time now we have to plan ahead to take advantage of all the membership perks! Wine tastings in Napa and Sonoma are getting more and more expensive, so if it’s something you enjoy doing it can be worth it to get a membership at your favorite winery (or wineries!)
The weather cooperated and it was a lovely 85 degrees – much more civilized than the 100+ degrees we had been experiencing over the last few days. We were treated to some great wines and a delicious charcuterie spread, plus we had a chance to catch up with one of the owners, a friend from our college days.
The Grounds
The courtyard outside of the tasting room is shaded by old olive trees and overlooks a large pond and the vineyards and mountains across the valley. It’s a really pretty spot.
The grounds of this winery are expansive, but we didn’t have time to wander around too much. I did snap a few pics of the patio area and the tasting room/gift shop. I also took a pic of the cheese fridge in the gift shop so I could remember the names of the cheeses we ate. I wish cheese was a health food. Sigh.
The Tasting Room
The tasting room and gift shop is full of interesting (and useful) Gundlach Bundschu merch. The winery is also super dog-friendly so there are treats and goods for fur babies as well.
There’s also a cool (literally and figuratively!) “secret” lounge behind the tasting room where they host lo-fi evenings and other fun events throughout the year. I love all of the Gundlach Bundschu family photos and artifacts displayed in the tasting room and this one. You really get a sense of the history of the winery.
A Summertime Spritzer Recipe
We picked up a few bottles from our latest shipment to enjoy later at home. We particularly enjoy their Rhinefarm Rose and like to have bottles of it on-hand during the warmer months. I also came across a summer spritz recipe for their Dry Gewurtztraminer that I’m sharing below. This would work well with any dry light white wine, especially during the summer months.
In the past we have attended music festivals and other events at the winery with friends and we always have fun while we’re drinking great wine. Hard not to! In fact, we’re planning on visiting their sister property Abbot’s Passage soon with friends. Like I said, we have to take advantage of being so close to wine country while we’re in town!
