Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Provisions Tasting at Soter Vineyards, Willamette Valley

Written by Allison Levine on August 17, 2019

Lifestyle Food Wine

Today, a visit to a winery can offer so much more than a wine tasting. There are vineyard tours, reserve tastings, meeting the winemaker, food pairings and barrel tastings. Each of these experiences enhance the wine tasting experience, leaving a lasting memory. On my visit to Soter Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, my friend and I sat down for the Provisions Tasting, which offers a sampling of the current release wines paired with small plates crafted from the produce and meat grown on their biodynamic farm. From the moment we pulled up to Soter Vineyard until the moment we drove away, the Provisions Tasting at Soter Vineyards was extraordinary and that is why it is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Mineral Springs Ranch is a 240-acre oak savanna in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Soter Vineyards is the 32 acre estate vineyard and the entire property is a biodynamic estate owned by Tony and Michelle Soter.

We drove up the long driveway to the top of Mineral Springs Ranch.

At the top of the hill is the Soter Vineyards Tasting Room. The rectangular wood barn looks rustic from the outside but is anything but rustic on the inside. Read More +

Sustainable Napa Valley – Visit Long Meadow Ranch

Written by Allison Levine on December 11, 2018

Lifestyle Food Wine

Until all wineries are sustainable, it is important to share the stories of those that are. My recent story for California Winery Advisor is about Long Meadow Ranch in Napa Valley. The Hall family is focused on sustainability and health. They care about their community and are doing good, offering wine, wine tasting experiences, dining experiences and more. Can you read more in the re-post of my story below.

Driving along Main Street in St. Helena, Long Meadow Ranch provides a one-stop shop. There is a coffee stand serving breakfast and lunch, a restaurant serving lunch and dinner, a tasting room, a general store, a farmer’s market, and an event space. And, there is more than the eye can see. There are vineyards, heirloom vegetables, olive trees, and highland cattle. Read More +

A Wine and Food Pairing Experience at Jardin d’Hiver at Domaine Carneros

Written by Allison Levine on November 1, 2018

Wine

A visit to Napa or Sonoma is not complete without a stop at Domaine Carneros. Located in the Carneros AVA, between Napa and Sonoma counties, the eye-catching Domaine Carneros sits on a hill in its grandiosity. Owned by the Tattinger family, the magnificent château was inspired by the 18^thcentury Château de la Marquetterie, the Taittinger family residence in the Champagne region.

To get to the château, you walk up a large set of stairs. At the top, you will be greeted and seated at a table along the outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a flight of wine or a glass of wine. It is a relaxing, elegant wine tasting experience. But, Domaine Carneros has now taken it to the next level with the Jardin d’Hiver, a garden conservatory.