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Family of Friends Newsletter

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Romantic Wineries in Sonoma for Lovers

By Elizabeth Kate | January 31, 2023

Thanks to the ample rains from the heavens, Sonoma Valley vineyards are teeming with life. What could be better than a romantic wine tasting getaway in Sonoma? It’s time to get creative with your amorous planning.

But with a wealth of wonderful Sonoma wineries and hillside screaming out with abundant greenery, it may be challenging to pick and choose the most romantic wine tasting rooms.

Not to worry!

No need to blindly search for a ‘romantic winery near me’…

Wine Tasting Masterclass in Burgundy France with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

2023 Wine Festival Calendar

By Scott Butterfield | January 18, 2023

We scoured the web to put together this 2023 Wine Festival Calendar. It features 16 California Wine Festivals (including the big event in Santa Barbara), Nantucket, Oregon, and Colorado wine festivals, plus a wine festival reopening in France. All the festivals serve food, but these are true wine festivals, organized to appeal to aspiring wine enthusiasts and serious wine collectors. 

Now a lot has changed, but one thing remains the same. We still enjoy gathering together to share our passion about wine with others.…

Sonoma Wineries to Visit in 2024

By Averi Melcher | January 3, 2023

If you’re searching for the best wineries to book a Sonoma County wine tasting at, here’s our list of top Sonoma wineries, from the Russian River Valley to the Sonoma Coast, Healdsburg to Alexander Valley, and Sebastopol to Dry Creek.

Sonoma County, California – a 60-minute drive from San Francisco – is home to many of the top boutique wineries in the US.

All in all, there are 632 licensed Sonoma wineries, according to the most recent Sonoma Wine Tasting Report.…

best wine for mediterranean food from Victoria Taylor

Best Wine for Mediterranean Food from Sommelier Victoria Taylor

By Scott Butterfield | December 2, 2022

Pairing the best wine with Mediterranean food is notoriously difficult. There’s a menagerie of spices and herbs that don’t mesh easily with white and red wine varietals. 

One of the best wines to pair with Mediterranean dishes is the Halleck Vineyard Hillside Cuvee Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, according to Boulud Sud Head Sommelier Victoria Taylor, who pours the varietal at her Lincoln Center eatery.

Boulud Sud is owned by two-Michelin star celebrity chef Daniel Boulud,…

Sommelier Michael Dolinski with Chef Alfred Portale

Pinot Noir Food Pairing Tips from Michael Dolinski

By Joanna Hughes | November 30, 2022

Ready for some Pinot Noir food pairing tips from a true master? Sommelier Michael Dolinski at New York’s Michelin-star Portale restaurant recommends the Halleck Vineyard Three Sons Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Here’s a closer look at why this California Pinot Noir is Dolinski’s favorite for showcasing many menu items at Portale, along with Pinot Noir food pairing tips for what dishes to prepare with this award-winning, boutique California Pinot Noir.  …

Best Crab Cakes Recipe

Best Wine with Crab Cakes: Dry White Zinfandel

By Lenzil Hoaglund | November 21, 2022

If you’re searching for the best wine with crab cakes, you’ve come to the right place. This Dry White Zinfandel crab cake wine pairing (actually a Rosé) is complex, sophisticated, and refined. And it is the perfect wine for crab.

It’s rare to find a food and wine pairing this good. The crab cake recipe is simple, yet elegant. This pairing will undoubtedly earn you the respect of the most seasoned sommelier. 

This “Best-Ever Crab Cake”…

Best Wine with Salmon

Best Wine with Salmon at Mourad in San Francisco

By Scott Butterfield | November 14, 2022

Among the best wine with salmon pairings can be found at Mourad, a San Francisco Michelin-star restaurant that fuses the rich and vibrant style of Moroccan fine dining with the local, artisan ingredients of northern California.

Currently, on the menu is smoked salmon in a tart tomatillo sauce, which pairs perfectly with the 2021 Halleck Vineyard Little Sister Sauvignon Blanc. Inspired and surprising, this is a pairing you won’t be able to recreate at home.…

Best Wine with Duck Confit: Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

By Eric Schwartzman | November 7, 2022

The best wine with duck confit and other duck dishes, according to wine aficionado Jennifer LaRue, is a little-known small-production Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Halleck Vineyard, which is not available in stores.

When LaRue hosted an intimate wine dinner at her Colorado Springs home earlier this year, she set out to find the best duck wine pairing to serve with  Duck Confit, Pear, and Fennel Bites, a recipe from Food52 that incorporates confit duck breast baked in crispy phyllo dough. …

Sonoma Wineries Help Sebastopol Charity Nourish Community

By Scott Butterfield | November 4, 2022

Donors, Sonoma wineries, local businesses, and community members rallied to help Sebastopol charity Ceres Community Project raise over $300,000 at this year’s Harvest of the Heart fundraiser on Sept. 18, 2022, at Gambonini Family Ranch in Petaluma. The money will be used to nourish community members and empower its youth.

Nearly 300 people attended what is the Ceres Community Project’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Partnering with celebrated chefs and local wineries,…

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