It’s hard to believe that there are more than 6,000 wineries in the US now. Of those, more than 50% are small family wineries crafting hand-made wines, contributing to our economy, and providing lovely vineyard landscapes to beautify America. Larson Family Winery, located in the Carneros and Sonoma Valley AVAs of Sonoma County, is one of these precious small family wineries.
Founded in the 1800’s, the winery only sells direct to consumers via their tasting room, wine club, and online wine shop (http://www.larsonfamilywinery.com/). They poured 5 wines for a sold-out crowd of more than 40 millennials at this week’s SSU WineSense Club tasting on campus.
The top favorites of the evening were the 2006 Larson Family Cabernet Sauvignon ($40) which flavor of black cherry, clove, and a hint of brown sugar. The second favorite was the 2008 Larson Family Late Harvest Gewürztraminer ($35), which is only made in special years and delights with sweet flavors of honey, spiced apricot and aromas of rose petals. The Cabernet was estate grown from property in Sonoma Valley, whereas the Gewürztraminer was from their Carneros vines. Though the wines were quite different in style, they reflect Millennials preference for both reds and sweet whites.
Chef Giana was especially creative with her wine pairings for the evening. She crafted Killer Macaroni N Cheese to go with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Beef with a Peppercorn Cream Sauce to highlight the Cabernet Sauvignon, and Thai Peanut Shanghai Noodles as a unique accent to the Gewürztraminer.