It's still the merrymaking season. Clink beer mugs and wine glasses at these glittering new breweries and tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma
Raise a glass of cider on the patio at Sonoma Cider Taproom. (photo courtesy Sonoma Cider)
Sonoma Cider Taproom & Restaurant
This much anticipated, industrial-chic tasting room is well worth the wait: Sonoma Cider's spacious taproom and eatery showcases housemade ciders and French-American bites with a pub twist—think onion soup spiked with limited edition apple brandy. Proprietors David Cordtz, a former Ace Cider brewmaster, and his son Robert Cordtz are pouring deliciousness from 23 taps that include a 100 percent Gravenstein cider as well as a single-orchard Golden Delicious cider from De La Montanya Vineyard. You'll love the game room, too. Best sip: The Anvil; fermented apples and alcohol-free bourbon mean crispness, warmth and smoke. Savor with an Apple Jax grilled cheese sammie on buttery sourdough. // 44 Mill St. (Healdsburg), sonomacider.com
Crooked Goat Brewing
Get thee to The Barlow for a family- and dog-friendly tasting of 14 beers on tap—four IPAs, two double IPAs, three wheat brews, three stouts, and a lager. There's no kitchen here, but Crooked Goat offers some bites from neighboring restaurants, including fresh pretzels from Full Circle Baking Company and flavored popcorn from Comet Corn, and drinkers are welcome to BYO grub. Best sip: Grapefruit Ibex, an IPA infused with grapefruit and grapefruit zest. // 120 Morris St. (Sebastopol), crookedgoatbrewing.com
(Courtesy of Fieldwork)
Fieldwork Brewing Company
Oxbow Public Market, meet Berkeley. The Napa culinary center is now home to East Bay–based Fieldwork Brewing Company's first satellite taproom, offering a changing list of 10 more fresh releases on tap and available by flight, by the glass, and to go in growlers and Crowler cans. Also look for Fieldwork's latest taproom in midtown Sacramento, as well as Monterey and San Mateo locations coming this spring. Best sip: Sushi Beer Citra Rice Lager, a dry hopped rice brew with lavish notes of orange zest, tangerine juice, mango, and a "slight ganja" nuance, brewed to accompany Japanese cuisine. // 610 1st St. (Napa), fieldworkbrewing.com
Adobe Road Winery Tasting Room
A hobbyist auto racer, Adobe Road Winery proprietor Kevin Buckler set his first speakeasy behind his TRG-Aston Martin Racing headquarters and shop in downtown Petaluma. Now, he's opened an official (yet temporary) tasting room in the Great Petaluma Mill, and is underway on a permanent location on First and C Streets nearby. Guests can grab a spot at the wood bar and admire the Mill, a historic brick structure built in 1854. Best sip: 2013 Grenache Kemp Vineyard Dry Creek Valley (sweet cherry fruit, plum, anise). // 6 Petaluma Blvd. N., Suite A1 (Petaluma), adoberoadwines.com
(Courtesy of Flight Deck)
The Flight Deck
An aptly named go-to for wine flights in Healdsburg, Windsor Vineyards' cozy tasting room with a fireplace overlooks the Plaza. Flights are curated by varietal and appellation or can be customized for personal preferences. There are also small bites, wines by the glass, and seasonal pairings such sparkling wine with flavored popcorn. Best sip: 2013 Meritage Sonoma County, Platinum Series (cherry, green herbs, tobacco, and spice). // 308 B Center St. (Healdsburg), theflightdeck.com.
