Often left in the shadows behind its brasher, more famous Californian wine country cousin of Napa Valley, the wines of Sonoma County at the top level are 'World Class' according to wine writer Zeren Wilson. When the winemaker and owner of one of the greatest white wine Domaines on the planet, Domaine Leflaive, professes her admiration for Californian Chardonnay, it's time to sit up and take notice.
Zeren (www.bittenandwritten.com) will be opening bottles from some of his favourite wineries in the region at the Rotary Room on Old Street on Wednesday 22 May. A regular contributor of food and wine matches to industry publication Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Zeren worked in the wine trade for ten years, most recently as a supplier to many of London's top restaurants.
Top Chardonnays from Hafner and Schug, will be shown with other varietals from boutique wineries Woodenhead, Joseph Swan and Petroni. These are seven of the finest wines of Sonoma, usually retailing at £25-45. More to the point, these wines are also often fiendishly hard to find outside California. Find out more at www.discovercaliforniawines.com - the Wine Institue of California in London are assisting with the evening.
Tickets for the event on 22 May from 7-9pm are £45 at Eventbrite which includes plates of charcuterie to nibble while you try the wine. There are just 40 places available so book quickly!
