A Wine Country Special

Happy New Year everyone. The rain has finally arrived in Sonoma County and I’m loving it. The dreary weather makes shopping, eating in restaurants, going to a movie more cozy in my mind. With coziness in mind let me tell you about a beautiful little informal wine shop that just happens to be a restaurant or vice versa, Sonoma Wine Shop/La Bodega @ 2295 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol, 707-827-1832, www.sonomawineshop.com The owner’s name is Meek, she is a wonderful bubbly(no pun intended) proprieter and has an extensive knowledge of wines and how to pair them with her food.

Yes, Sonoma Wine Shop is a member wine club where for a fee you can have wine sent to you every month, bi-monthly etc. But you can also just drop into the restaurant, and intimate cozy place with seats for less than 15,  see what’s on the small changing menu, mostly pastas stuffed with locally grown vegetables from Green String Farm, braised chicken, rib eye steak with horseradish bourdelaise.

If you’re interested in becoming a wine club member then you fill-out a palette calibration chart which, with Meek’s help, will drill down to the exact flavor profiles you’re looking for in your whites and reds. You could very well taste five different wines before you are served your meal. 

Our group of nine had a great time figuring out our favorite wine flavor profile before our beautiful lunch was served. The lasagna with carmelized artichoke hearts, spinach and three cheese bechamel sauce was out of this world. But again, you don’t have to be a wine member to enjoy a meal at the restaurant, La Bodega. And if you want to be educated on the area wines, West Sonoma County, then this is the place to go.