My brother hosted a BBQ to share the spoils of his recent hunting adventure.  He cooked up quite the feast including venison and quail as well as store-bought skirt steak for those less-adventurous.  I made a version of my favorite salad (arugula, nectarines, goat cheese, and tomatoes) and we had grilled veggies and potatoes on the side.  It was one of those perfect Napa Valley nights, warm enough to linger outside long after the sun went down.

There was lots of wine to go with of course, but a favorite of mine was this 2013 Chardonnay from Walt Wines.  With grapes sourced from Green Valley in the Russian River appellation, the wine was bigger than I would have expected.  With a nose of tropical fruit, pineapple, and lemon, the palette was creamy and luscious, with nice acidity and minerality to balance out the fruit, just they way I like it!

The Walt tasting room is located right on the square in downtown Sonoma.  When friends ask me for advice on where to go tasting in the Napa region, I tend to default to Napa and Up-Valley (St. Helena etc) as I am not as familiar with the Sonoma area.  I will definitely be adding Walt to my list of Sonoma recommendations and can’t wait to check out the tasting room next time I’m home!