Are you looking for a winery in Sonoma County that is truly committed to providing guests with an unforgettable experience?
Look no further, you have clicked on the right article.
From the moment of arrival guests are immersed in curated style and luxury. An intimate tasting.
The Food & Wine Pairing Experience at Chalk Hill Estate & Winery is an over the top fabulous journey involving all of your senses in a tasting, tour and 4 course food pairing featuring food picked that morning directly from the estate garden you just walked through…
… after the vineyard drive, you arrive at the architecturally stunning carriage house and arena… with a lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc handed to you to sip along the way!! Doing it right.
A true gastronomic experience.
Also a perfect serving with each course. Well played Chef… including serious attention to detail with each plating and fine touches like Le Creuset’s beautiful stoneware pot for our soup.
Watch the videos posted here tomorrow for your own virtual tasting experience. We recorded each step along the way and the videos launch in the morning to accompany this article.
What better way to enjoy a wine tour than to be chauffeured in one of the wineries luxury buses?
Chalk Hill Estate Winery & Vineyards showcases their renowned vineyards with a private guided tour, wine tasting and food pairing. All of the vineyard photos in this article were taken from their luxury bus, through the window and with my wine glass in hand might I add, which takes skills!
The experience includes a variety of beautiful estate vineyards on the tour, a walk through the garden and a lesson in the unique history of the property with sweeping views of the valley ending in an intimate seated tasting in the most beautiful dining room!! The goal is to showcase the magical spices from across the globe and also use locally sourced products from the estate and surrounding farms in each and every dish.
It is a small group with each booking to help guests still have that personalized, intimate tasting that the estate is looking to provide, even for such a large property. On this tour you can experience some of the magic of Sonoma County Wine Country for yourself.
You are told the story of the family history, vineyards and winery itself, why the grapes were selected, where specifically the grapes grow on the property (as you drive past them to the tasting room) You are taught more about the future of their winemaking and future bottlings, what a treat!
With over 1,400 acres, as you are driven up the hillside through the vineyards & gardens to the carriage house, the anticipation and excitement start to take root.
The terrain at Chalk Hill is intricate and varied. Located at the convergence of a number of naturally defined winegrowing regions, the estate features a range of microclimates, soils and exposures that require well-reasoned, site-specific farming protocols.
It makes for beautiful views as you drive through the rolling hillsides and past Chardonnay, Cabernet and more…
I recently toured & tasted here with a lovely group of ladies on the Chalk Hill Culinary Tour & Tasting. The vineyard and garden drive/ garden walking tour brings you to the top of the hill and the Pavillion.
An elegant hillside Chateau spanning 2,480 square feet, it is nestled among oak groves surrounded by acres of Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines, and flanked by 2,184 square feet of terraces overlooking the vineyards with views extending across the Russian River valley towards the Sonoma Coast.
Inside this Pavilion, a handcrafted 21-foot tall French Louis XIII-style limestone fireplace creates a dramatic anchor to polished hardwood floors and European furniture, with seating at walnut hardwood tables set with fine linen, china and silver.
Yet perhaps some of the most exciting statements are to be found outdoors. From the Pavilion the wall of picture windows open up to an Olympic-sized dressage riding arena, exquisitely crafted of Alaskan golden cedar.
Just below the terraces, they have created a remarkable tribute to the earth.
Chalk Hill boasts a long history of agricultural pioneering. For more than a century, the land has grown gourmet produce, meats, poultry and of course … wine. They have an extensive organic garden today that provides the Chef with a bounty of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables including many heritage varieties – that are used in the specially-created dishes designed to showcase their wines during the pairing experience.
Let’s not forget about all the fabulous wine here!! My favorite overall from our tasting was the Syrah… talk about a treat. it turns out that the Syrah from Chalk Hill Estate is ALSO the winemaker’s fave as well.
A dark, bold wine with dark fruit vibrancy. Boysenberry, moke and blackberries with a little cigar box on the finish and a little spice too. This one should age quite beautifully, it is still young now. Lush tannins that will calm down with aging.
The vineyard location in the warm end of the cool Russian River Valley is perfect for bringing out all the unique characteristics of this fabulous variety.
Chalk Hill Syrah is planted on a steep southwest-facing hillside, made up of rocks and volcanic soil. As winemaker Steve Nelson would say… “It’s as close to the Rhone Valley as the estate can get!”
Visitors to this estate surely keep this enchanting place close to their hearts. Wine, architectural and gastronomical delights abound. Especially for those with a discriminating palate or an appetite for finer dining.
Once the day of wine and food adventure is done, you can then sit down in one of Chalk Hill’s many tasting room viewing spots.
Celebrating a birthday, couples getaway weekend, or just need a day with your girlfriends? This would be a fabulous way to spend your time. Just sayin’.
Available by appointment Tuesday through Saturday at 11 am
It is also with exclusive access that guests can book this customized tour. Please call a few weeks in advance for reservations. Thanks go to Kelly & Liz, Chef & the whole team.
My glass is raised to you… ? Thanks also go to Emily Martin for the invite to a fun girls weekend filled with tastings like this one.
They offer a variety of ways to experience Chalk Hill Estate and look forward to having you as a guest. They also offer arrangements for four tasting experiences at Chalk Hill and their Foley sister properties along Chalk Hill Road.
The true essence of Chalk Hill is its estate, a unique corner of California wine country. Here, proprietor Bill Foley both preserves the nature of the land and honors it by producing wines reflecting its exceptional qualities.
Chalk Hill
10300 Chalk Hill Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 657-4837
Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery is located at the eastern edge of the Russian River Valley — south of downtown Healdsburg in Sonoma County, California. The winery is approximately 70 miles north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge (a 1.5-hour drive) and 40 miles from the city of Sonoma (a 1-hour drive).
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