Best of Sonoma Valley 2015: Food & wine pairing

It’s a tie – one newbie and one with a new chef!

Corner 103 (103 W. Napa St., Sonoma | 931-6141 | corner103.com) upped the food and wine pairing game in Sonoma Valley by offering an “experience” in their beautiful, classy tasting room in historic downtown Sonoma.

Start your tasting with a glass of bubbles and then pair 6 additional wines with 12 food pairing experiences. The attention to detail, quality of the wines, and sensory experience is educational for wine geeks and newbies alike. At $30 it’s a great value.

Towards the end of the year, Mayo Family Winery (9200 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood | 833-5504 | mayofamilywinery.com) welcomed Chef Sam Frumpkin to their Reserve Room. Frumpkin pairs 7 reserve wines with 7  seasonal dishes, all prepared to order at the tasting room’s onsite kitchen. .

Frumpkin’s offerings range from pierogi paired with Chardonnay to Iberico ham paired with Mayo’s game changing Malbec. There’s plenty of food to keep you sated for the $40 price tag.