Lunch at El Molino and Wine Tasting at Three Sticks at The Adobe

Let me give you a mini itinerary for a fabulous day in Sonoma. Yes, Sonoma! I don’t get out here often for two reasons. First, there is so much to explore in our own back yard of Napa - I feel I have barely scratched the surface! Second, in my imagination Sonoma is so much further than it actually is! In fact, if you map it out, its exactly the same 25-30 minute drive to the cute Sonoma Plaza as it is to the adorable Main Street of St. Helena! So now that we have cleared that up…let’s proceed!

11:30 Lunch at El Molino Central

This is the cutest little spot and I wanted to try everything! Carol had the pozole and it looked amazing and hearty. Kim and I shared the quesabirria and fish tacos. I have been wanting to try quesabirria for some time now, and so I was really excited that it was one of the specials of the day. Its basically a fried, brisket-stuffed taco. Rather indulgent, so I am very glad to have shared. The fish tacos were good but after trying fish tacos over and over in many places, I have finally come to the sad realization that they just are not my favorite thing. We also ordered a large chips (homemade and thick!) and guacamole to share, and it was a very generous portion of guacamole - we couldn’t even finish it.

Hot tip:Grab some chips and guacamole, tamales and enchiladas to bring home for an easy dinner.

12:30 Coffee break at Sunflower Caffé

Our tasting at Three Sticks was set for 1:30 so we had time to get a quick coffee on the Sonoma Plaza and poked our head into a really adorable boutique (Summervine).

1:30 PM Three Sticks

We had the good fortune to open a bottle of Three Sticks pinot in February for a Gallentines Day gathering, and we all fell in love with it. So rich and complex. On the spot we vowed to visit Three Sticks as soon as possible to get more! We knew nothing about Three Sticks - just that we needed more of this pinot. Unfortunately we did not take note of which pinot - turns out they have many to choose from! That’s ok, research is fun too. I actually don’t go to tasting rooms very often, as I prefer the full winery experience, but this particular tasting room is exceptional!

The Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe -est. 1842!

While we were seated in the lovely garden for our experience, under normal circumstances we would be in the tasting room inside The Adobe. Built in 1842, we learned it is one of the “longest continually inhabited homes in Sonoma” until Eva and Bill Price III purchased it for Three Sticks in 2012. Small aside: See the “III” after his name? He was nicknamed “Billy Three Sticks” as a kid, thus the name of the label!

The Adobe was carefully restored and then decorated by the renowned designer, Ken Fulk. You can definitely see Fulk’s aesthetic in the small details of the design (zoom in on the photo and check out the metal work on the curtains). The stand outs for me are the corner booth made of embossed leather used for cowboy boots and the gorgeous bathroom!

Outside in what was previously an English garden, a long and careful excavation, overseen by historians and archeologists, unearthed a “refuse” sight from 1860-80, with items now on display in the adobe, including many a whisky bottle! In a nod to this, the shape of the whisky bottle is the inspiration for the bottle of their red blend, Casteñada.

Outstanding wines in the garden of the Adobe…

While we thought we came for the pinot, we really had no idea what a treat we were in for. The pinot repertoire is extensive, but we also tasted two wonderful chardonnays (one with fruit from the iconic Gap’s Crown Vineyard) and a unique red blend, named the Casteñada (fermenting red AND white fruit together).

With the guidance of our knowledgable hostess Natalie (@locayogi), and the tasting cards provided, it was easy (well, easier) to keep track of the different wines offered. We still are not sure which pinot we tried that day in February but we loved all of the ones we tried at our tasting! It was hard to decide…one of each?

I am not going to geek out on points of viticulture and tasting notes (mainly because that is really going out of my lane), but suffice to say that winemaker Ryan Prichard (2020 Rising Star: Winemaker of the Year by San Francisco Magazine) has crafted some excellent wines with the fruit of some very special estate vineyards.

We were so relaxed and enjoying our time in the garden, whiling away the afternoon, that we ended up with little time to spare - otherwise I might have been tempted to wander the Plaza a bit more. Perhaps for the better, as I had tamales and wine to get home and store at the right temperature!