Description: On a sunny day in April while visiting my friend in San Francisco, Jennifer and I drove up to wine country. We had a few wineries on our list but we were open for anything that beckoned us to stop. As we were driving through the rolling hills of Sonoma Valley, an orchard of olive trees caught our eye. Then as we got closer we saw the most beautiful building we had yet seen. As we drove up the drive, you begin to really feel as if you are in Italy. The tall, skinny trees against the green lawn reminded me of a painting I had once seen of Tuscany. We had stopped at Viansa Winery and were pleased we had.
Viansa Winery is open daily for tours and will offer a glimpse of Old World Italy through its wine, food, vineyards and courtyard. The winery is a small, family run business with a wine cellar dating from the 1930's when the grandfather began this beautiful oasis. After you wonder around the grounds, you need to visit the visitor's center. There you will find the Italian Marketplace. It has a large assortment of gourmet food items and recipes that are available for tasting prior to purchase. The smoked mozzarella cheese spread is wonderful as is the fig infused balsamic vinegar. Spend some time browsing the tables of cheese, meats, crackers, jellies, and so much more. In the visitor's center you will also find the tasting area. For $5 you can taste 4 different wines from the "wall of wine" or for $10 you may choose to try 4 of the reserve wines. I am not a wine fanatic but the wines I tried were very good.
A special aspect of Viansa Winery is their food service. They offer pastas, sandwiches, soups and pizza. You can take your lunch and a glass of wine and sit on the open courtyard overlooking the Sonoma Valley. It was a quiet spot to just sit and chat while soaking up some beautiful California sun. We already had lunch plans so just sat and stared at the view for a while wishing we could stay there forever. Don't forget to rub the boar's nose for good luck while you are in the courtyard.
The winery also hosts a number of weddings and celebrations because of its natural beauty. There are great photos on their website www.viansa.com or use the website to purchase your favorite wine or food.
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