The Sonoma Plaza has become a fashionable destination to those visiting the region for wine tasting.
There are multiple wine tasting rooms, mixed in with restaurants and other retail businesses. If you are visiting the Plaza for wine tasting, the best hope is to find something different than you do at most wineries.
That’s exactly what you get at Pangloss Cellars.
There are hundreds of wineries in the region where you can taste wine so it’s all about finding the experience that offers more – something to make your time spent that much more special.
The Wine Flights and Food Complements are sensational and make Pangloss a great place to visit in the Sonoma Plaza.
On the day we visited there four different options and since there were four of us, it was an easy decision – get one of each. It allowed us to sample all the offerings, as well as compare notes.
I opted for the Red and Charcuterie pairing. The wines were a 2015 Zinfandel (Monte Rosso Vineyard), 2016 Syrah (Sonoma County), and a 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County).
The Food Complements were incredible and consisted of Chorizo, Finocchiona and Prosciutto wrapped breadstick, Mustard, Red Onion Confit, Cornichon, and Model Bakery Walnut Bread. Each item was a perfect complement to its wine pairing.
My wife opted for the Burgundy and Cheese featuring a 2017 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley), 2016 Pinot Noir (Charles Vineyard), and a 2016 True North Pinot Noir.
The cheeses were: Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and Moonside Creamery Lunetta, Dried Apricots, Local Walnuts, Castelvetrano Olives, Membrillo, and Model Bakery Walnut Bread.
My son went with the White and Caviar as he wanted to be able to say he tried Caviar! The wines were a 2017 Chenin Blanc, a 2017 Appreciaton (a Rhone blend), and a 2016 Chardonnay.
These were accompanied by Tsar Nicoulai White Sturgeon Caviar, Whipped Cowgirl Creamery Crème Fraiche, Capers, and Rustic Bakery Crackers and Lemon.
Finally, our daughter-in-law went with the Seasons In Sonoma. The wines were a 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2016 Pinot Noir (Charles Vineyard), and a 2016 Tenacity (Rhone blend).
The food paired excellently with Fried Ciligiene Caprese of Fresh Mozzarella, Toybox Tomato, Golden Balsamic and Garden Basil, Summer Melon Brulee with aged parmesan, Sabra and Rosemary, Corn Risotto Cakes with Crispy Smoked Ham and Chive Aioli.
You can’t really say tasting room when it comes to Pangloss as the building offers over 4,000 square feet of space. That allows for three different types of tasting experiences.
There’s a bar tasting which offers your traditional tasting for $25. Surrounding the bar is the lounge which is where the food accompanies the wine which is served by flights or by the glass.
Finally, there is the Cellar, which offers a 90-minute, private and more immersive seated tasting where each guest is served a local cheese and charcuterie plate.
Pangloss is open until 6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, allowing for a great way to end the day.
Our groups prevailing thought was that Pangloss is a perfect date night destination offering comfortable seating to talk and visit with wine and perfect food complements.
For more information please go to the web site at www.panglosscellars.com.
By Dennis Miller