Zina Lounge launches at Ledson Hotel
The Ledson Hotel’s Centre du Vin closed suddenly in January and we watched the French bistro-style restaurant undergo renovations (and the tragic removal of outdoor seating) to become the Zina Lounge, a tasting room for Steve Ledson’s three wine labels: Ledson, Zina Hyde Cunningham and Mountain Terrace. The new lounge retains the Ledson Hotel’s architectural details and features turn of the century style furnishings and a new enomatic system for wine dispensing.
Earlier this month we reported that the Ledson had hired a new Executive Chef, Yoshiharu Sogi, who brings an esteemed and diverse food-world resume with him to Sonoma. Trained in Japanese and French styles, he’s worked at the legendary Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Lyon, France, and comes to the Ledson from Hawaii, where he worked at the historic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
The Zina Lounge is now offering six-course wine and food pairings featuring creations by Chef Yoshi. His food pairings debuted in March, during the Sonoma International Film Festival, where he served food pairings to festival attendees, including actor David Arquette. Chef Yoshi’s menu utilizes farm to table concepts and locally grown produced, raised meats and sustainable products. His tasting menus are Japanese-French fusion and include Chardonnay paired with his award winning “wasabi accented clam chowder,” and Zinfandel paired with roasted pork loin with raisin chutney, mustard miso mousse, asparagus puree and red bell pepper coulis.
Reservations are available in three daily seatings and according to Kathleen Hill, who has experienced the pairing, it costs $150 a pop. Make reservations online or by calling 996-9779. You don’t have to have reservations for a wine tasting, so just walk in. 480 1st St E., Sonoma, zinawinery.com.
