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Category - General
Posted - 05/05/2021 10:49am
Sosie tasting room opens in downtown Sonoma

The Sonoma-based boutique winery, Sosie, has opened its first tasting room downtown on the Plaza. The winery was founded in 2015 by owners Regina Bustamante and Scott MacFiggen.

Bustamante and MacFiggen specialize in organically and sustainably farmed wines, guided by a low-to-no intervention principle ‒ meaning their wines are made as naturally as possible, just as the grapes were grown. The back of every bottle of Sosie specifies how the wine was made and what went into it, and most labels state "No Amendments," which equates to native fermentations, and the avoidance of additions such as acid, enzymes, tannin or anything else besides a little sulfur.

Sosie (pronounced soh-ZEE), means "look alike" in French. This doppelganger reference describes the winery’s affinity for French varieties and Old World winemaking.

"We love being part of the historic Sonoma square, and Vine Alley has the charm of feeling like the quaint alleyways of France where we initially discovered our passion for wine,“ MacFiggen told the Index-Tribune. ”We are excited to bring Sosie to Sonoma by creating an inviting space where guests can relax in the California sun and enjoy our wines made, as we say, with French soul,“ added Bustamante.

Sosie is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with plans to expand hours in the summer months. Guests can choose from outdoor or inside seating.

The tasting room will be managed by Jeremy Phillips, formerly of Elizabeth Spencer and Foley Family Wines.



Category - General
Posted - 05/05/2021 10:42am
Sonoma Court Shops Welcomes Sosie Wines
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SONOMA, Calif., May 4th, 2021 – Sosie Wines, the award winning boutique Sonoma based winery, is pleased to announce the grand opening of its first ever tasting room off the historic downtown Sonoma Plaza. Specializing in organically and sustainably farmed wines inspired by old-world winemaking, guests can choose from outdoor or inside seating for a local luxury tasting. Operating hours are Thursday through Monday from 11:00am – 6:00pm, with plans to expand hours in the summer months. Sosie Wine’s tasting room is located on Vine Alley, a walking alley off the Sonoma Plaza square at 25 East Napa Street, Suite C, Sonoma, CA, 95476. Reservations may be made through tasting@sosiewines.com or at https://www.sosiewines.com/contact, and walk-ins are welcome. Guests are asked to comply with local Covid protocols.

The new tasting room is a cheerful welcome after  a challenging year for Sosie, which lost its entire 2020 vintage to the fires that devastated the region. Rising from the ashes and looking toward brighter days ahead, the new tasting room is a testament to the resilience of owners Regina Bustamante and Scott MacFiggen and their dedication to Sosie.  

Sosie’s commitment to maintaining transparency and honesty can be seen on the back of every bottle of Sosie which informs the consumer on how the wine was made and what went into it.   Bustamante and MacFiggen are guided by a low-to-no intervention principle, meaning their wines are made as natural as possible, just as the grapes were grown. Sosie’s emphasis on place starts with its careful sourcing of grapes from sought after vineyards and is reflected in the prime location of its tasting room in the heart of the bustling Sonoma Plaza. It is a year of renewal for many in 2021, and Sosie Wines is excited to welcome guests and toast to new beginnings.  

About Sosie Wines

Founded by Scott MacFiggen and Regina Bustamante in 2015, Sosie Wines is an award winning boutique winery based in Sonoma, CA. Sosie Wines is a low to no intervention winery, meaning that they strive for natural acidity as well as measured ripeness and a focus on letting the fruit speak for itself. In order to achieve this they source from vineyards with pronounced cooling influences. The informative back label of most of their wines reads “No Amendments,” reflecting Sosie’s promise that the wine was made as it was grown. This equates to native fermentations, and the avoidance of additions such as  acid, enzymes, tannin or anything else besides a little sulfur. They are also thoughtful about the cooperages they partner with, ensuring that the new French oak barrels complement the wine and will not overpower them. Sosie (pronounced soh-ZEE), means  “look alike” in French. This doppelganger reference aptly describes the winery’s affinity for French varieties and old world wine making. 

https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2021/05/04/sosie-wines-announces-new-sonoma-plaza-tasting-room





Category - General
Posted - 10/20/2020 06:59pm
A Stroll Down Vine Alley

A cozy warren of shops, offices, and wine tasting rooms, Vine Alley presents an inviting detour on the south side of the historic Sonoma Plaza. Also called Sonoma Court Shops, the alleyway evokes a European feel with its fountain, pastel pink stucco walls, and tiled walkway.

Look for the tasting room signs and the little Bacchus statue at 27 E. Napa St., then pass under the greenery-fringed archways and begin exploring. You can make it a round trip by following the narrow passageways that lead back to the street.

If you've enjoyed wandering this way before, check back in, as there is much that is new lately in this seemingly sleepy little courtyard.

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Passaggio Tasting Room
Good news for white wine drinkers at our first stop: Passaggio offers not only Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but Pinot Grigio, Roussanne, Riesling, and Chenin Blanc, too. Ask about Trousseau Gris, a rare grape grown in the Russian River Valley. 

Fulcrum Wines
One of the more recent additions, stylish Fulcrum plays to the Pinot Noir set. At the bar or at café tables, explore plushly fruited Pinot from top Sonoma County vineyards like Gap's Crown.

Galatea Effect
This limited-production winery crafts 'Uber Cuvées' from ultra-premium California vineyards, with a focus on Syrah, Pinot Noir, and assorted Rhone varietals.

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Chappellet Grower Collection
For five decades, the Chappellet family has been crafting world-class wines from fruit cultivated on the steep, rocky slopes of Napa Valley's renowned Pritchard Hill. They recently acquired the Sonoma-Loeb brand, which includes a Vine Alley tasting room near the fountain. Taste cool climate Sonoma County wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Westwood Estate Wines
This is a tasting room with a sense of place, indeed: the wines are sourced from their own Annadel Gap vineyard, situated at the north end of Sonoma Valley. Instead of a walk-up bar, expect an informative, guided tasting with table or sofa seating. Syrah, Pinot Noir, and rare Counoise.

Adastra Wines
New to Sonoma but a longtime gem in Carneros, this small family winery grows certified organic grapes. Try Carneros Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah while perusing the art gallery. 

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Other possibilities
Vine Alley is just one of many options. To get an overview of the wine tasting possibilities in and around the town of Sonoma, visit our Guide to Wine Tasting in Sonoma.




Category - About Us,Vine Alley
Posted - 12/05/2016 02:39pm
A Stroll Down Vine Alley in Sonoma
Published: Nov. 4th, 2016
See James Knight's Profile Page

A cozy warren of shops, offices and wine tasting rooms, a stroll down Vine Alley presents an inviting detour on the south side of the historic Sonoma Plaza.

Also called Sonoma Court Shops, the alleyway evokes a European feel with its fountain, pastel pink stucco walls and tiled walkway. Look for the tasting room signs and the little Bacchus statue on East Napa Street, pass under greenery-fringed archways and begin exploring—you can even make a round trip if you can wend your way down one of the narrow passageways that lead back to the street!

If you’ve enjoyed wandering this way before, check back in, as much is new lately even in this seemingly sleepy little courtyard.

Good news for white wine drinkers at our first stop: Passaggio offers not only Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but Pinot Grigio, Roussanne, Riesling and Chenin Blanc, too. Ask about Trousseau Gris, a rare grape grown in the Russian River Valley.

Fulcrum

One of the most recent additions, opened in June 2016, stylish Fulcrum plays to the Pinot Noir set. At the bar or at café tables, explore plushly fruited Pinot from top Sonoma County vineyards like Gap’s Crown.

Bryter

Cabernet Sauvignon shares the bar with Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at this rustically styled spot.

Sigh Sonoma

The “sigh” refers to the sound that a properly uncorked champagne bottle makes. But they’ll happily demonstrate the way to crack it open with élan: with a saber! Billed as Sonoma’s only “bubble bar,” Sigh Sonoma’s cushy window nook seating and slate of both Sonoma County sparkling wines and the fizzy product of the Champagne region of France make it a pleasant place to rest your feet awhile.

Sonoma-Loeb

This spot, which some visitors may recall was the Envolve tasting room, is centrally located at the end of the main alley, by a courtyard and fountain. With a focus on Russian River Valley Pinot and Chardonnay—Viognier is sublime, as well—Sonoma-Loeb has been in business for more than 25 years, but this is their first tasting room. Wines continue to be made Napa Valley’s acclaimed Chappellet Winery, which recently acquired the brand.

MacLaren

Tucked into an alcove around the corner, intrepid visitors will find cool-climate Syrah made by a Scotsman with a love for the wines of the northern Rhone. Steve Law takes a democratic vote of his wine club members to finalize his “Drouthy Neebors,”  or “thirsty neighbors,” blend.

Westwood

Double back and find the sign plate, a few doors to the south, on East Napa Street, if you get lost in the twists and turns at the end of Vine Alley. But Westwood is a tasting room with a sense of place, indeed: the wines are sourced from their own Annadel Gap vineyard, situated at the north end of Sonoma Valley. Instead of a walk-up bar, expect an informative, guided tasting with table or sofa seating. Syrah, Pinot Noir and rare Counoise.

Enkidu

Named after the original “wild man” from the epic of Gilgamesh, this bright and airy tasting room can be found on Broadway, as well as accessed by a door in Vine Alley. Favorites include Humbaba Rhone-style blend and Zinfandel from the historic Bedrock vineyard.

Adastra

New to Sonoma, but a longtime gem in Carneros, this small family winery grows certified organic grapes. Try Carneros Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah while perusing the art gallery.

Did we leave anything out? If so, it’s yours to discover…

Vine Alley: 27 E Napa Street, Sonoma

Read the full text of the article here

http://www.sonomacounty.com/blog/stroll-down-vine-alley-sonoma







Category - Westwood
Posted - 05/20/2016 12:26pm
Westwood triumphs at Wine Challenge
Westwood triumphs at Wine Challenge

Last Sunday, the world got to taste what several wine experts deemed to be the best 188 wines in the North Coast of California in the Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge.

Tiny Westwood Winery of Sonoma won the Best of the Best award and gold medal, rating a whopping 99 points for its Annadel Gap Clone 37 Estate Pinot Noir, of which there were only four barrels produced.

Westwood also garnered Best of Sonoma County and Best of Show. What a triumph!

Guests at the tasting at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park got to taste loads of wines and nibbles created by Sonoma County chefs.

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Among the other Sonoma Valley gold medal winners were Benziger Family 2013 Sonoma County Merlot (90 points), Three Sticks Wines’ 2013 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Landmark Vineyards’ 2014 Sonoma Coast Grand Detour Pinot Noir, Benziger Family Winery’s 2013 Sonoma Coast de Coelo Terra Neuma Pinot Noir Buena Vista Winery’s 2013 Sonoma County Private Reserve Pinot Noir, Westwood’s Estate 2014 Sonoma Valley Estate Pinot Noir and 2014 Sonoma Valley Pommard Clone Estate Pinot Noir, Three Sticks’ 2014 Sonoma Coast Durell Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, and Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards 2012 Carneros Pinot Noir.

In the red blends category, winners include Imagery Estate Winery 2013 Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak Tusca Brava. Benziger Family Winery’s 2013 Sonoma Valley Estate Biodynamic Tribute, Ledson’s 2012 Sonoma Valley Estate Caudalies, Highway 12 2014 Sonoma Valley Red Blend, Imagery Estate’s 2013 Sonoma Valley Pallas Estate Red, and Anaba Wines’ 2013 Sonoma Valley Turbine Red.

Among syrahs, Ashton Vineyards, St. Anne’s Crossing, Anaba and Hughes Family Vineyards all won golds. Only St. Anne’s Crossing in Kenwood got two golds among zinfandels for its Shumahi Primitive and Rockpile Reserve Zinfandel. Ledson, Westwood and Imagery all garnered gold in “Other Red Wines,” while Three Sticks, Carneros Highway and Roche got golds for their chardonnays.

Imagery ranked gold in “Other White Wines” as well as for “White Blends.” Gloria Ferrer won three gold medals in the Sparkling Wines, while Sharon Cohn’s Breathless and Domaine Carneros by Taittinger each won one.




Category - General
Posted - 04/22/2015 03:46pm
Vintage Point Expands Portfolio With Three New Brands
April 22, 2015
Shanken News Daily

Sonoma-based Vintage Point has added three new wine brands, as well as a new Layer Cake extension, to its portfolio. Joining the marketer’s stable is Higher Ground Monterey County Pinot Noir, an on-premise-only offering priced at around $10-$12 a glass; Concrete 2012 Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel, a partially concrete tank-fermented blend of 85% Zinfandel, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon retailing at $20 a bottle; and JAQK Cellars’ High Roller brand, which makes its debut with a 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($20) and 2013 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($20).

Concurrently, Vintage Point is introducing a new Layer Cake extension, a 2014 California Sauvignon Blanc sourced from the Alexander Valley, Lake County and Lodi regions and priced at $11.99. The Sauvignon Blanc joins Layer Cake’s existing Shiraz, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Garnacha entries. Vintage Point has annual volume of more than 700,000 cases across its portfolio.

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