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Home » Travel

Wine and Food Pairing at Kendall-Jackson

Modified: Dec 28, 2022 · Published: Aug 28, 2019 by Jenna Urben · This post may contain affiliate links.

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If you're planning a trip to Sonoma County, be sure to stop by Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens. Start off with their wine and food pairing, then end your visit with a stroll through their gardens.

Huge thanks to Kendall-Jackson for hosting our recent visit. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I was born in Santa Rosa, California but moved away when I was a child. Growing up, we spent summers in Northern California. I remember always driving past a large beautiful winery, but it wasn't until last month that I got to finally got to experience all that Kendall-Jackson has to offer.

Wine Tasting Kendall Jackson

For an unforgettable tasting experience, the Wine and Food Pairing at Kendall-Jackson is not to be missed! Learn about their history, the wine, sustainability programs, and what they're growing.

The Wine and Food Pairing is a unique experience that focuses on a selection of their small-production, limited-release wines.

Wine Tasting at Kendall Jackson

Wine Tasting at Kendall-Jackson

You have plenty of options to choose from when planning a tasting at Kendall-Jackson! They offer Signature Tastings, Estate Tastings, Garden Tours & Tastings, Wine & Food Pairings, Wine & Chocolate Pairings, Wine & Cheese Pairings, and Private Experiences.

Wine and Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Glasses

Last month, my husband and I enjoyed the wine and food pairing, as well as the garden tour and tasting. It was such a fun experience because we were walked through each course and then able to see the gardens where our food came from.

Be sure to check out their back patio, demonstration vineyards out front, and find the bocce courts for a game or two!

Kendall Jackson Garden Tour Vines

Wine & Food Pairing at Kendall-Jackson

We scheduled our tasting around lunch time and it was a beautiful time of day to dine al fresco. When making your reservation, be sure to make note of any food allergies or intolerances.

Food and Wine Tasting Kendall Jackson

Everybody was so friendly, welcoming, and accommodating! The menu changes with the season and you may notice subtle differences based on what's available in the garden.

Trust me when I say that our dietary restrictions did not restrict us from tasting delicious dishes! Everything we tasted was spectacular. The chefs are truly talented and I highly recommend this experience for everyone.

Wine & Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Winery

For the wine and food pairing, we were encouraged to have a sip of wine, introduce the food, then take another sip. With each new dish, Chef Matthew Lowe or a staff member would explain our dish and the wine pairing. Everything below was prepared dairy-free and egg-free!

Our Menu

Dish: Farmer T's Lettuces, Plums, Beets, Radish, Fennel, Ume Vinaigrette
Wine Pairing: 2018 Jackson Estate Panorama Vineyard Rosé (Monterey County)

This salad was the perfect start to our tasting. The vinaigrette was amazing and brought all the flavors together. We were greeted with the rosé and able to enjoy it throughout this first course.

Wine and Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Salad

Dish: Wild King Salmon, Horseradish, Potato Salad, Summer Squash, Trout Caviar
Wine Pairing: 2017 Jackson Estate Fulton Ranch Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, Sonoma County)

I have been eating more seafood lately, so I was very excited to see salmon on the menu. Of course, everything on the dish was great but there was one standout ingredient... The edible succulent iceplant was a surprising and refreshing treat!

Wine and Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Salad Salmon

Dish: Snake River Farms Coulotte Steak, Carrot and Pumpkin Purée, Tokyo Turnip, Tatsoi
Wine Pairing: 2015 Jackson Estate Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley, Sonoma County)

I typically don't eat a ton of meat, but When In Rome... or California!! I decided that if I'm going to branch out, this would be the opportune time – prepared by a chef/culinary & garden educator and sommelier!

I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the steak. It was unreal! Absolutely delicious alongside the purée and turnip.

Wine and Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Salad Beef

Dish: Vegan Cheesecake with Plum-Verjus Sorbet, Candied Almonds, and Pinot Noir Jelly
Wine Pairing: 2016 Vintner's Reserve Muscat Canelli (California)

Each dish was incredible but this one was outstanding! Each ingredient perfectly complimented the next. I'm still dreaming about this luscious decadent dessert.

Towards the end of our trip, we were kicking ourselves for not purchasing their Muscat Canelli! Hopefully we can grab a bottle when we're back in town for Thanksgiving.

Wine and Food Pairing Kendall Jackson Dessert

Kendall-Jackson Garden Tour & Tasting

We finished our pairing with a box of caramel corn and were greeted by our tour guide, Matthew Zurich to start the Garden Tour & Tasting. The tour is an hour long experience offered twice daily and limited to a maximum of 15 guests.

We learned that the Kendall-Jackson Estate Gardens are set on approximately four acres and offer seven distinct garden spaces with seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more.

Kendall Jackson Garden Tour Wine

Our host was extremely educational and fun! Being able to learn more about the history of the area plus family history, all while sipping on refreshing wine, made for an unforgettable day.

It was really incredible to walk through the sensory gardens while learning about the history of Kendall-Jackson and finding out what they are currently doing to plan for the future. We also got to see where our food came from, which was a great full-circle moment!

Kendall Jackson Garden
Kendall Jackson Garden Bocce Court
Kendall Jackson Garden Vegetables
Kendall Jackson Garden Herbs

Check out this video with Tucker Taylor, the Lead Culinary Gardener at Kendall-Jackson! He talks all about the gardens, produce, their farm to table experience, how the sensory garden helps guests taste wine, and more.

If you haven't checked out Kendall-Jackson yet, definitely add it to your list of places to see! It's such a beautiful winery with great wine, sprawling vineyards, and so much to do.

Kendall Jackson Season Cookbook
Kendall Jackson Garden Tour Flowers

Have you experienced the Wine and Food Pairing at Kendall-Jackson or the Garden Tour and Tasting? Let me know what you favorite part was!

Kendall Jackson Wine and Food Pairing

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About Jenna Urben

Jenna Urben is the recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller behind The Urben Life. She has over 10 years experience adapting family favorite meals to fit allergy-friendly diets. Join Jenna as she shares delicious dairy-free recipes that are easy to follow with plenty of tips and alternatives.

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  1. Sarah says

    September 06, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    Looks like an amazing experience!
    My husband and I love our wine trips and are always looking for new places to check out, while always going to a couple of our favorites. I'll have to add this one to list for our next trip. The pairings look delicious and love a sweet and salty kettle corn with a glass of Chardonnay, especially in the summer and fall!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      September 09, 2019 at 11:02 am

      It was great! I hope you get a chance to experience it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jordy says

    September 01, 2019 at 10:34 am

    Oh yummy! That food looks amazing and I really enjoying a wine tasting

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      September 01, 2019 at 10:42 am

      Me too 🙂 Everything was truly incredible!

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    August 31, 2019 at 9:47 am

    Oh my gosh! This looks like a totally awesome place to visit! I would LOVE to visit Kendall Jackson!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 31, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      It was absolutely amazing 🙂 I hope you get to visit soon!!

      Reply
  4. Rachel says

    August 30, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    I really like going to wineries with my friends. It is even better when they have good food too.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 30, 2019 at 4:42 pm

      Absolutely 🙂 Thanks for leaving a comment!

      Reply
  5. jalisa harris says

    August 29, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    This place looks gorgeous. My goal by the end of the year is to go to a vineyard

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 30, 2019 at 9:05 am

      Let me know if you need any recommendations 🙂

      Reply
  6. April says

    August 29, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    I’ve always wanted to go to Napa Valley in California. And this post is giving me even more reason to do so!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 29, 2019 at 5:49 pm

      For sure 🙂 Northern California holds a special place in my heart

      Reply
  7. Nicole Kauffman says

    August 29, 2019 at 7:27 am

    Wow! This looks beautiful and so amazing! I've never done a wine tasting but this makes me want to!!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 29, 2019 at 11:01 am

      I hope you get a chance to 🙂 Wine tasting is always so much fun!

      Reply
  8. Ayanna says

    August 29, 2019 at 6:35 am

    This place looks well worth the visit. My sister-in-law is from Santa Rosa and I love visiting her family there.

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 29, 2019 at 11:03 am

      Absolutely!! Would make a fun sister trip 🙂

      Reply
  9. Alaine Handa says

    August 29, 2019 at 3:57 am

    I studied wine and went to a lot of wine tastings and wineries a couple years ago. It looks like you had a blast on your wine tour and tasting!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 29, 2019 at 11:44 am

      That's amazing!!

      Reply
  10. Sarah says

    August 28, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    Everything looks amazing! Thank you for sharing I would love to plan a trip there!

    Reply
    • Jenna | The Urben Life says

      August 28, 2019 at 3:49 pm

      I hope you get a chance to 🙂

      Reply

Hi, I'm Jenna!

Welcome to The Urben Life! Here you’ll find hundreds of simple recipes that are dairy-free and egg-free. I believe that allergy-friendly food can be easy to make and flavorful. Let’s make something delicious together!

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