Wine and
food pairings are a great way to expand your wine (and food!) knowledge. One of
my favorite places to do this is in the Bubble
Room at J Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg. J makes a variety of wines – sparkling,
pinot gris, chardonnay, pinot noir and viognier. The Bubble Room is a separate
room at the winery where they have seated wine and food tastings. The setting
is beautiful and the staff is very informative and attentive. I went with five friends and we spent a
wonderful two hours (you can do the tasting more quickly, but this is not
something that can be done in an hour) leisurely tasting our way through the
wonderful J wines and food. Here is a recap of what we had:  |
| On left: Chilled zucchini & sorrel soup with almond, creme fraiche and bee pollen. On right: Heirloom tomatoes, popped quinoa, a goat milk cheese/foam concoction and black garlic. Wine pairing was the 2012 J Vineyards, Cooper Vineyard Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley for the soup and 2011 J Vineyards STRATA, Chardonnay Russian River Valley with the tomatoes. |
 |
| Spaetzle with prosciutto, swiss chard and mustard sauce. Wine pairing was the 2010 J Vineyards Nicole's Pinot Noir, Russian River |
 |
| Pan roasted duck with Dry Creek peaches, chanterelle mushrooms and lavender biscotti. Wine pairing was 2010 J Vineyards Freestone, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. |
 |
| On left: Savory Point Reyes Blue cheesecake with thyme and walnut crumb and cherries. On right: Plum upside down cake with cardamom cream. Wine pairing were two sparking wines - J Cuvee 20 Magnum, NV, Russian River Valley with the cheesecake and J Brut, 2006, Russian River Valley with the cake |
If you go, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Make a reservation.
Plan on being there for about an hour
and a half, at least.
Consider appointing a designated
driver or hiring a limo as the tasting offers quite a bit of wine and it’s all
wonderful.
This is not a cheap experience but I think you get a lot of value for your money. Cheers!
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