Wine Lab Sundays monthly series – new 2023 dates!
Join us for a series of fun and informative monthly wine gatherings where we explore wines of Firestone Vineyard and the Foley Food & Wine Society. We will feature three partner wineries from across California and beyond, taking a deep dive into the wines and common themes among them. Led by Sommelier Billie Rolla, Wine Lab Sundays include hands-on experiments, small group conversation, some friendly competition, and of course wine! Wine Lab Sundays include TWO (2) seats at the table, so bring a friend or loved one and meet other fun wine enthusiasts. Absolutely no previous wine knowledge is necessary!
Sunday, February 26:
Chocolate & Wine: Perfect Match or Bitter Relationship?
On Sunday, February 26th, Sommelier Billie Rolla will lead a group of wine enthusiasts in “Chocolate & Wine: Perfect Match or a Bitter Relationship?” that includes hands-on experiments, small group conversation, and of course a Chocolate and Wine pairing!
Pairing wines with dessert is one of the greatest food and wine pairing challenges. Too much unbalanced sugar can make a wine taste bitter and sour. On top of it all, it can be difficult to tell if a wine is sweet or just fruity. But don’t give up on this relationship yet! In this lab, you will learn to confidently read the sweetness of a wine and impress your loved ones with your perfectly sweet pairing.
This experience includes one bottle each of the following wines for guests to take home:
2018 Foley Sonoma Winemakers Series Brut, Russian River Valley
2022 Firestone Riesling, Santa Ynez Valley
2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Sonoma County
Also, a box of Jessica Foster’s Confections Truffles to recreate the experience at home.
Duration: 1:30 hour experience
Reservation is for parties of 2.
Firestone Cellar Club and FFW Members: $156 per 2 guests
General Public – $195 per 2 guests
Sunday, March 19:
Merlot Madness: Debunking the Sideways Effect
This event is SOLD OUT! Please contact us to join the waiting list, or for more information about upcoming Wine Lab Sundays, tastingroom@firestonewine.com.
On Sunday, March 19th, Sommelier Billie Rolla will lead a group of wine enthusiasts in “Merlot Madness: Debunking the Sideways Effect” that includes blind tasting, small group conversation, and perhaps a new appreciation of this ill-treated noble grape.
In March we’re celebrating Merlot Madness. One of the most rare and expensive wines in the world is Merlot, and it resides on the list of Noble Grapes with good reason. Learn the real history behind Merlot. Discuss the damage the movie Sideways played on its reputation—we will explore the other grapes of Sideways as well. Explore what Merlot brings to the table with a small blending lab and experiment with some fun pairings, all while discovering some amazing examples of this great varietal.
This experience includes one bottle each of the following wines for guests to take home:
2017 Chateau St. Jean Merlot, Dry Creek Valley
2019 Firestone The Chairman Series Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley
2019 Silverado Mt. George Vineyard Merlot, Napa
Duration: 1:30 hour experience
Reservation is for parties of 2.
Firestone Cellar Club and FFW Members: $156 per 2 guests
General Public – $195 per 2 guests
Sunday, April 30:
Aroma Hunt: Learn to Blind Taste
This event is SOLD OUT! Please contact us to join the waiting list, or for more information about upcoming Wine Lab Sundays, tastingroom@firestonewine.com.
On Sunday, April 30th, Sommelier Billie Rolla will lead a group of wine enthusiasts in “Aroma Hunt: Learn to Blind Taste” that includes blind tasting, small group conversation, and of course, wine!
Skipping the Easter egg hunt? Join us instead for an aroma hunt in your wine glass as we journey into the world of blind tasting in this month’s Wine Lab. More than just a fun party trick, blind tasting teaches us how to really get to know and describe a wine. Blind tasting may seem intimidating, but there are some great insider tricks that will have you tasting and talking like a pro! No matter what your level, this Wine Lab will give you the tools to start to confidently blind taste. There will be a chance for you to flex your new skills at the end with a prize for the guest with the highest score!
This experience includes one bottle each of the following wines for guests to take home:
2021 Firestone The Chairman Series Fumé Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley
2020 Sebastiani Pinot Noir, Carneros
2017 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
Duration: 1:30 hour experience
Reservation is for parties of 2.
Firestone Cellar Club and FFW Members: $156 per 2 guests
General Public – $195 per 2 guests
Sunday, May 28:
To Age or Not to Age: Start and Curate your own Wine Library
On Sunday, May 28th, Sommelier Billie Rolla will lead a group of wine enthusiasts in “To Age or Not to Age: Start and Curate your own Wine Library” that includes blind tasting, small group conversation, and of course, wine!
For a fun Father’s Day inspired event, we explore our May Wine Lab: To Age or Not to Age? One of the most frequently asked questions is “how long should I age this wine?” The answer may be surprising. In fact, probably only 2% of wine needs to be aged. In this Wine Lab, we will discuss why we age wine, what happens to a wine as it ages, and how to predict a wine’s ageability. We will taste a vertical of Syrah from our Wine Library, as well as a specially aged selection from deep in the cellar. Each experience includes one bottle each of the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Syrah, the prefect varietal for Father’s Day barbecues.
This experience includes one bottle each of the following wines for guests to take home:
2016 Firestone Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley
2017 Firestone Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley
2018 Firestone Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley
2019 Firestone Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley
Duration: 1:30 hour experience
Reservation is for parties of 2.
Firestone Cellar Club and FFW Members: $156 per 2 guests
General Public – $195 per 2 guests