Beer, Wine & Spirits in Petaluma

Since its humble beginnings in 1980, Cosentino Winery has evolved into a fruitful producer of plump Napa Valley grapes, complex vintages, and Meritage-style wines. Within the sprawling, vine-cloaked winery, a host of red blends, merlots, and chardonnays await to be sampled in the tasting room during drop-in sessions, private candlelight sessions, or special events. Knowledgeable staffers also helm exclusive barrel tastings to allow guests to savor the beverages straight from the cask in a more refined way than Benjamin Franklin's keg-stand method.

Mike Bee and Jim Peterson first teamed up in the early 90s, working side by side to resolve legal cases at their firm in Charleston, West Virginia. At the end of the workday, the two would often uncork a bottle of wine, discussing the characteristics of their favorite bottles in between sips. While attending a law convention in 1994, they toured the wineries of Napa Valley, and the experience proved inspirational. They enlisted the help of veteran winemaker Ray Coursen, and Falcor Winery was born.

In order to achieve an exceptionally balanced taste, the Falcor team selects grapes harvested at peak ripeness, well before the expiration dates spelled out by their vines. This fastidiousness has paid off. Their 2005 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon earned a spot on Wine & Spirits’ Year’s Best Cabernet & Blends list in 2010. This wine and others can be enjoyed in the winery's tasting salon, where award-winning chef Chay Woerz prepares menus and tastings that incorporate smoked meats and cheeses and wine-infused chocolate.

Located in Napa Valley, Honig Vineyard & Winery produces flavorsome sauvignon blancs and cabernet sauvignons that can be found on restaurant wine lists across the country. Visitors to the winery’s fancy tasting room have the chance to sample five of Honig’s delicious wines. Sommeliers and thirsty Langoliers can sniff, taste, and carefully dissect the potable properties of the Rutherford sauvignon blanc, a 2008 vintage that starts fruity and ends with a crisp, minerally finish, as well as the 2006 Honig cabernet sauvignon, which features blackberry, cherry, and plum flavors developed over 18 months in an American oak barrel, just like old-timey cowboy hobos. The remaining three samples include the 2008 Honig Late Harvest sauvignon blanc—a refreshing dessert wine aged in new French oak barrels with lemony and grapefruity hints—Honig’s single vineyard cab, and a library selection.

Kaz Winery has reflected the independent spirit of Richard Kasmier since 1994, when the advertising photographer gave up his career for the love of the organically grown grapes. Kasmier had dabbled in winemaking for eight years at that point, winning awards for the fruits of his labor on the 2-acre former walnut grove. According to treehugger.com, he cultivated his first batch with organic practices in 1986 and has only improved on his method.

Twenty-eight solar panels harvest enough rays from atop the tasting room to completely power the winery's day-to-day operations, as well as the adjacent Kasmier family home and large hadron collider. In the fields, clusters grow heavy through two trellising methods, and stay pesticide-free with the help of strawberries and zucchini planted among the vines to attract helpful bugs. When it's time for fermentation, the winemakers use wild yeast when possible and add little to no sulfates. Current production sits at about 1,000 barrels a year and includes complex reds, ports, and rare varietals such as lenoir and aglianico.

The Kasmiers refer to the tasting room as the Barn, though in 2005 a Wall Street Journal reporter categorized it as "more party than tasting room." The place reveals Richard's sense of humor through wry, pun-filled posters. Richard is never far away, pouring vintages at the Barn several times a week, broadcasting thoughts on viticulture via his radio show, and appearing vicariously in old photos, which guests can use to label wines they have blended themselves.

Since 1995, Spencer and Daniels Premium Wine Outlet has been wetting the tongues of oenophiles with quality libations from every corner of the globe. Hundreds of vintages rest on racks under bright murals depicting rolling vineyards and mountains, and throughout the years, patrons of the boutique have opened more than 3 million wine bottles, almost half the amount needed to build a 500-foot-tall statue of Bacchus entirely from used corks.

Though one could also call it a store, The Wine Club’s name speaks to its staff members’ passion for fine wines. Their passion and commitment to quality spirits at fair prices fostered the growth of the first singular club in 1985 into a trio of neighborhood wine and spirits stores by 1996. Shelves and display cases at each store are crowded by varietals from all over the world. During Friday happy hours and informal Saturday afternoon tastings, guests gather to discuss flavor profiles with fellow tasters, certified sommeliers, or vacationing extraterrestrials. The store also curates a variety of wine clubs for customers hoping to expand their palates.