HOW LONG... does a glass of wine last? That depends upon a number of factors, but we can often time it to what's going on around us. How long does a sudden rain shower last, or a sunset, or a heartfelt, deep-of-issue conversation, if you want to think of it in more gauzy or greeting-card-ish terms? If you don't feel like counting the experience in seconds and minutes, looking to external timing devices, the ones immediately surrounding us, can tell us how much we're savoring that sauvignon blanc, all while not wanting a particular moment to end. Time has a way of changing in a lovely tasting room at a lovely winery in a lovely setting, and the new Wine Salon at Gary Farrell Winery in the Russian River Valley is such a room. It just made its debut earlier in July of 2017, and visitors to the property can now settle into one of its sofas (made for two) to try out one of the winery's signature tasting sessions, like the Elevation Tasting, which spotlights both pinot noirs and chardonnays from the surrounding "cool-climate" region "and beyond."
IS THERE A TERRACE, should you want to do that whole soulful gazing-upon-the-hills-of-wine-country thing as you sip? There is, near the Salon's rooms, so if you desire an alfresco spot in which to quaff a rosé of pinot noir or another regional selection. A "semi-private space," The Meadow View Room, can seat eight guests, or fewer, if you and your party are looking your own space while you sip, but a number of banquettes are set up just for two. Wooden beams above, large windows, glass artworks, tapestries, and paintings up the sumptuousness of the Sonoma County winery. Need an afternoon where the clock stops its tick-tockery for a bit and you can just enjoy a vista, a friend, and a fine pinot noir? Check out the new Wine Salon at the Healdsburg home to delish pinot noirs and chards.
