WHILE AN OENOPHILE... is simultaneously taking in several different bits of information while enjoying a glass of wine, from the hue of the liquid to the chewiness or lack thereof to the opacity of the drink to the makers of the wine to the terroir, the year, and a number of other factors, one dominant consideration can reign: Where is the wine tasting going down? If it is a bar in a tasting room, the sipper will be surrounded by the lively hubbub of others also trying chards and pinot noirs. If the tasting is at home, the organizer of the tasting might be washing dishes or cuddling a pet. And if it is on the brand-new outdoor deck at a gorgeous Carneros winery, with vineyard-amazing views, shady olive trees, and peeks at San Pablo Bay? Well, the wine tasting may have met its sublime setting match. And such a sublime setting now exists, as of the start of July 2017, at...
LIANA ESTATES: It's "the modern and experience-focused winery from sisters Lisa and Ariana Peju," and the just-debuted outdoor deck not only arrives with Carneros Valley views, but a newly launched Garden Graze wine tasting experience. It's a Saturday-summery kind of thing, encapsulating "the ultimate summer lounge experience," and for a tenner you can nab a single wine pairing, with prices going up from there. As for the vinos you might try? Think Vintner's Pink, a dry Orange Muscat, or Viognier. As for the "graze" part of the equation? Barbecue-tasty small plates, with sliders and vegetable kabobs, may be some of the eats you encounter. And if relaxing on that view-big deck has you wanting to move a bit, after an hour or three, you won't need to stroll too far: The Liana Estates Bocce Garden is nearby. Or saunter into the Tasting Room, which remains as an interior complement to the new deck, if sipping fine wines inside, and not in the soft Napa Valley sunshine, is more your pleasure.
