Sip and swirl with winemakers at 14 California wineries via virtual wine tastings.
California wineries line up virtual tastings
Most of us have consumed more wine in the past two weeks than we typically do in a month.
This trend isn’t going to stop anytime soon, and with California winery tasting rooms closed for the foreseeable future, you’ll not only continue to crave wine, but you’ll long for connection with your favorite producers, from Napa to Livermore and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Help support them by purchasing your bottles directly from individual wineries — at this point, they’re all offering some kind of discount, either on shipping or bulk purchases — then hop online for a virtual tasting via Zoom, Facebook Live or Instagram Live.
Virtual tastings typically involve one or more winemakers leading you through the sensory experience, while sharing a story about the vineyard source or grape. Some of these are in a series format requiring that you buy three or six bottles, while others are one-timers.
Winemaker Mark Hoover of Watsonville’s Integrity Wines, known for powerhouse pinot noirs, hosted his first virtual tasting on March 22. He had 27 people from different states on the Zoom call and spent two hours discussing seven wines with everyone, as they shared their impressions and the foods they were pairing with the wines.
“People were lit up from the sharing,” Hoover says. “This was actually more intimate than if I had 27 people in the tasting room. I will certainly keep this model for people who can’t visit the tasting room.”
Here are 14 virtual tastings to get you started. Find the one that works for you, then uncork, swirl and sip as you socialize.
BOUCHAINE VINEYARDS, NAPA >> Order a Bouchaine Winemaker Tasting Kit delivered to your home, then book a virtual wine tasting appointment online. Each kit provides tasting notes and vintage summaries, so you’ll be all set for your private tasting with a host — seated before the panoramic view of Bouchaine Vineyards — who will lead you through a discussion of the wines. www.bouchaine.com
ST. SUPÉRY ESTATE VINEYARDS AND WINERY, RUTHERFORD >> Six weeks of interactive virtual wine tastings every Thursday afternoon hosted by St. Supery winemakers on Zoom and Facebook Live. Go online and buy the six-pack home tasting kit that contains the wines to be discussed — promotional pricing and shipping included — along with suggested recipes to pair with each wine, then tune in. www.stsupery.com
COOPER-G AR ROD ESTATE VINEYARDS, SARATOGA >> Doris Cooper, who pens all the winery’s tasting notes, will lead virtual tastings at 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays through April on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. She’ll open one wine and recommend a simple recipe to pair with it. Example: March 31’s viognier is paired with spiced nuts; April 3’s syrah with bacon jam. Recipes are available on the website. www.cgv.com/upcoming-events
KENDALL-JACKSON WINE ESTATE, SANTA ROSA >> Free virtual tastings at 4 p.m. Sundays with K-J winemaster Randy Ullom. Topics and wines include “get to know K-J mountain-grown cabernets” and “pairing wines with your favorite pantry recipes.” Pick up wines ahead of time (get 20% off via www.kj.com when you use promo code KJ20) or via delivery services like Instacart and Drizly. www.facebook.com/ kjwines
WENTE VINEYARDS, LIVERMORE >> Aly and Niki Wente will connect with the community via Instagram to talk about wine and walk through some fun pairings. Each Wednesday evening will feature a new topic and occasionally special guests, including Wente family members and other Wente team members. To join, open the Instagram App on your phone, search for “Wente,” then select the gold and black icon.
Click on the Wente logo in the upper left hand corner when you see the LIVE icon. www. instagram.com/p/b-i5o6rhkkq
INTEGRITY WINES >> Winemaker Mark Hoover will host his More Than Virtual/in-home Tastings Series at 1 p.m. every Sunday until the tasting room reopens. To participate, order an inhome wine tasting kit ($30 for single; $45 for couples) for pickup or delivery, then join Hoover via Zoom as he explains each varietal and answers all your questions. Link will be sent after guests register. www.integrity.wine
FROG’S LEAP, RUTHERFORD >> Sustainable producers John and Rory Williams share stories, methods and intentions behind each wine during an Interactive Tasting Series at 3 p.m. every Saturday via Zoom and Instagram Live. Wines for each tasting are available for sale on the winery’s website, which is offering $5 shipping (use code FLATRATE5) on all orders. Order by 10 a.m. Wednesdays via two-day service to receive it in time for the Saturday tasting experiences. www.frogsleap.com
THE LINEAGE COLLECTION, LIVERMORE >> Sixthgeneration winemaker Steven Mirassou hosts virtual tastings via Facebook, sharing stories about his childhood working on the bottling lines and warehouses of the family winery in San Jose, while tasting and talking about the wines he makes for his Steven Kent Winery. Learn about older and current vintages, farming practices and winemaking challenges. Upcoming tastings will concentrate on the Bordeaux varieties, single-vineyard cabernets and verticals of Lineage. Join the Facebook group at bayareane.ws/lineage.
IN MAN FAMILY WINES, SANTA ROSA >> Wine maker Kathleen Inman is hosting daily virtual wine tastings based on four wine packages, each comprised of three bottles of Inman’s vineyard driven pinot noirs, chardonnay, rosés and sparkling wines. Purchase one of the three-packs and you’ll be invited to join a series of scheduled online “Meet the Maker” happy hour tastings via Facebook Video Chat. Five percent of the proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels. www. inmanfamilywines.com/meals-on-wheels
NOTTINGHAM CELLARS, LIVERMORE >> Enjoy live virtual tastings hosted by the winemaking and hospitality teams through Zoom at 3:30 p.m. every Sunday. The week leading up to the tasting, Nottingham Cellars is making a special pack available with instructions on how to join the tasting. Here’s an example: www.instagram. com/p/b-cvhfnneo0. nottinghamcellars.com
BIG BASIN VINEYARDS, SARATOGA >> Members of the winemaking team head up the In Your Home tasting series of six library wines — two pinot noirs, three syrahs and a GSM blend — with tastings at 3 and 5:30 p.m. every Friday until May 1 through Zoom or Facebook Live. The wines will be available in a bundle that would normally cost $400 including shipping, but the price is $240 for wine club members and $290 for non-club customers, shipping included. The winemakers will share their insights into these wines and the vineyards they come from, and give you a chance to ask questions. www.bigbasinvineyards.com/ events
PRIORITY WINE PASS VIRTUAL WINE TASTING >> Order curated wine selections for delivery, then schedule online video tastings with winemakers from Bridgette/courtesan, Boeschen Vineyards, Prime Solum and more. The virtual tasting experiences include a “Learn How to Wine Taste” experience with sommelier Victor Orozco. prioritywinepass.com
SCHWEIGER VINEYARDS, ST. HELENA >> The winery’s Virtual Wine Education and Tasting Series covers a variety of topics, including winery history, wine education and tastings of new-release wines. Order the wines online then join the tastings, or simply view now and order later. www.schweigervineyards.com
PAGE MILL WINERY, LIVERMORE >> Winemaker Dane Stark will be holding Virtual Twilight Tastings on Facebook at 6 p.m. every Thursday for the foreseeable future. Each week, the tasting will benefit a different charity, with 10% of gross sales from the start of the virtual tasting to close of business on Friday going to that week’s organization. www.pagemillwinery.com/twilight-tastings