One of my favorite creative exercises is finding beauty in unconventional places. When it comes to gardens, wintertime doesn’t exactly scream “beautiful.” But I found nothing but beauty when visiting two impressive wine country gardens this weekend.
Many wineries have gardens. They keep the soil rich, the bug population busy and regulated, and they look pretty too! But these two take it the extra mile, utilizing their gardens for dinners and to aid with biodynamic farming.
Lynmar Winery, Russian River
Lynmar Winery is a beautiful place to go tasting. They have a large, open, patio, spatious indoor tasting area, and of course lovely gardens! They have a kitchen onsite from which they prepare seasonal, fresh meals utilizing what the garden provides.
Hospitality Manager, Michael Cima, walked me around and gave me a sense of the Lynmar culture and the events they put on. One that struck me was Pinot and Pizza, which happens over the summer. Pinot grapes are used in the tomato sauce and Chardonnay yeast in the crust. What a perfect way to tie in everything the winery has to offer!
Wineries are typically seasonal in terms of staff, but Lynmar has 3 full time hirees specifically for tending to the gardens, which is indicative of how much they care for what they grow.
If you are interested in going to Lynmar and seeing their beautiful setting for yourself, they offer tastings daily, with appointments required for groups of 7 or more.
Quivira Winery, Dry Creek Valley
Quivira Winery is a certified biodynamic winery which means it’s essentially a self sustaining farm. The garden componet is essential for biodynamics to work and Quivira’s garden is truly impressive. They also have wildlife including cows and chickens!
Biodynamics is a very strict type of farming, also requiring a year round team. The gardens are essential to the biodiversity of the farm and help regulate bug populations. Widely considered to be a farming style that focuses on having the least invasive or destructive effect on the land, it’s becoming more and more popular for wineries.
Quivira is open for tastings daily, with reservations required for groups of 10 or more.
Do you have any favorite wine country gardens you’ve visited?
Eat Well, Travel Well ~ Samantha