California wineries are world famous for producing fine wines and educating the public about them. At Kendall-Jackson's wine center in Santa Rosa, gardeners have planted two gardens—one representing white-wine varietals and the other representing for red-wine varietals. The gardens are designed to help tasters discern flavors of the vineyard's wines by using organic herbs, fruits and vegetables.
In the white-wine garden, you'll discover foods that represent the flavors and aromas associated with these varietals. The Chardonnay section features light citrus and oak tastes and scents. You'll also find apple, pear and peach planted here. Visitors can sample the aromas then taste the wine to help distinguish the flavors.
Wine + Food
Kendall-Jackson's aromatic gardens can also help tasters discover which foods pair nicely with different wines. The white-wine garden's featured foods include herbs, yellow bell peppers, corn, pumpkin and yellow squash. The red-wine garden features darker-colored herbs and vegetables, such as red peppers, red tomatoes, fennel and zucchini. These foods offer more robust flavor qualities and pair well with red wine.
One to Try at Home
If a trip to Santa Rosa, Calif., isn't in your near future, don't despair! You can have a taste test at home. Try basil—a flavorful herb with a lot of taste—with chardonnay (white wine, best when served chilled) and cabernet (red wine, best when served room temperature). Against the chardonnay, the basil is overpowering. The wine does nothing for it. Switch to the cabernet, which generally has a lot of flavor, and you'll taste a huge difference.
Guests Jeff Dawson
Garden Director of Kendall-Jackson
Wine Center
5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA 95439
Phone: 707-571-8100
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