{"id":9482,"date":"2016-02-17T23:01:21","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T23:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/?p=9482"},"modified":"2016-02-17T23:01:21","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T23:01:21","slug":"wine-and-food-pairing-at-st-francis-winery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/wine-and-food-pairing-at-st-francis-winery\/","title":{"rendered":"Wine and Food pairing at St. Francis Winery"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Sonoma Valley, Great Wine and Food at St. Francis<\/h2>\n
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St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in the Sonoma Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trendy thing in tasting rooms these days is a wine and food pairing. We decided to try out the wine and food pairing at St. Francis Winery in the Sonoma Valley. \u00a0St. Francis Winery and Vineyards is at the northern end of the Sonoma Valley, just off Highway 12. The setting is absolutely stunning, with the two mountain peaks of Sugarloaf and Hood Mountain making a dramatic backdrop for the St. Francis Winery and its lovely vineyards. Visitors to the center can enjoy a regular wine tasting, take a walking tour of the vineyards, or participate in the wine and food pairing. \u00a0The chef is Byran Jones. Besides the wine and food pairing event,\u00a0St. Francis offers private dinners and other food events<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Chef Byran Jones answers questions about his small plate concoctions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Right from the start, one thing impressed me. \u00a0Most often chefs prepare their meal and go off to find a wine or wines that match with the food. At St. Francis it is done just the opposite, and I think a much smarter strategy when attempting to match food and wine. The staff at St. Francis\u00a0chooses one of their wines to showcase and then the chef decides to prepare a dish that matches perfectly with that particular wine. I like doing this at home when I have special bottle of wine that I want to drink. I choose the wine and then prepare a feast that will bring out the best in the wine.<\/p>\n

We had five small plates paired with different wines. View the slide show below to see the dishes and the wine pairings. \u00a0We were instructed to “sip, munch, sip.” This tactic shows how wine can change in character when matched correctly with a certain food. \u00a0The effects were quite impressive for all but one of the pairings. \u00a0I did not think the Zinfandel, delicious\u00a0on its own, matched well with the Mocha Pot de Cr\u00e9me. \u00a0I would have preferred a Port wine with this particular dish. Every thing else, the wine and the food, was divine!<\/p>\n