4 Coastal Getaways We're Dreaming Of
The best things in life are experiences and travel is something that truly nourishes the soul. Add a little bit of wine and you have the kind of experience that inspires and uplifts...especially from an ocean view hotel along the California Coast.
At Sea Bird Wines we are dedicated to helping preserve our marine habitats, because we believe you can’t have great wine without a health ocean influence. We source our fruit from Sonoma and Napa counties where the coastal influence from the Bay Area provide cool misty mornings. As a result, the bright acidity and playful fruit that comes as a result is what we love about our region.
The profits from each bottle of Sea Bird Wines gets donated to non-profit organizations like 4ocean and International Bird Rescue. These agencies are dedicated to preserving coastal marine life habitats so the ocean stays healthy…which means we can continue making great wine.
When we’re dreaming of a getaway, you can bet we’re grabbing a bottle and heading along the California coast. Here are a few of our favorite places to grab a beach blanket (and perhaps a sweater for that Pacific breeze) and sip on a bottle of Sea Bird as the waves roll in.
Nick’s Cove in Tomales Bay
Unplug and head to the coast in Tomales Bay, located over an hour outside of San Francisco. You’ll make your way past wine country (and perhaps drive right past the Sangicomo Family Vineyards if you drive through Petaluma!) to the most peaceful boutique on the water, NIck’s Cove.
We fell in love with these remodeled waterfront bungalows that will allow you to truly feel removed from the world, if only for a weekend.
Bring some cheese, crackers and charcuterie along with a bottle (or two) of Sangiocomo Robert’s Road Vineyard Pinot Noir to sip on your patio dock. Better yet, order up some room service oyster plucked straight from the bay.
Cavallo Point in Sausalito
At the foot of the Golden Gate bridge, we love the ethos of Cavallo Point. Dedicated to both a luxurious stay as well as a green and socially responsible lodging thanks to their Certified LEED Gold Status. Bonus points for being both close to the city, as well as just a short drive up to Napa & Sonoma Wine Country.
Bring along a bottle of Broken Rock Cabernet Sauvignon as the fog settles in along the Sausalito waterfront and the lights from the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate twinkle in the mist.
Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel By The Sea
Catch us at the Vineyard Oak Suite with outdoor tub and all; we love the sustainability practices at Carmel Valley Ranch.
A special nod to their acres of lavender used to create their own aromatherapy bath amenities. When you’re sitting on the deck sipping on a chilled glass of Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Vineyard Chardonnay you can almost smell a waft come over you. You can even experience the Bee Life on the Carmel Valley Ranch Organic Farm. A little fresh honeycomb sounds like the perfect addition to our cheese board.
Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego
The most iconic hotel in SoCal deserves to meet our signature Cabernet Sauvignon named for the King of the Sea; enjoy the historic seaside charm while you sip and swirl Poseidon G3 Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon on the Pacific edge of Coronado Island. The Hotel Del’s legendary past of over 130 years hosting celebrities, royalty and families alike is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine with a nod of history.
Wherever your wanderlust takes you….we hope you have a corkscrew and a bottle of Sea Bird Wines with you to enjoy Great Vines To Great Times to whatever ocean view hotel you find along the way.
Create The Perfect Fall Cheese Board
As summer fades and sweater weather arrives, we're bringing our fun indoors for some cozier Fall fun. As we roll into "entertaining season" it's always a good idea to keep a few essentials on hand to whip up a snack board when #wineoclock rolls around.
Here are a few tips that we live by for creating a simple but delicious cheese board to welcome guests with a glass of wine to stay awhile for a great time.
Popcorn For Grownups
Fresh warm popcorn is a perfect addition to a Fall cheese board as a base layer with a ton of ways to dress it up. Add toppings like truffle salt, a drizzle of fresh herbs and butter, or spice it up with paprika and garlic salt for a little kick.
Say Cheese
We love mild and creamier cheeses like a sheep's milk cheese that is a great middle ground for everyone to enjoy. It can be tempting to leave the whole hunk with a knife to cut, but cutting up some slices for your guests to grab easily is the way to go.
Add Charcuterie
A variety pack of charcuterie offers a perfect range of paring. Salami with peppercorns pairs with a little spice to a glass of Sangicomo Vineyard Pinot Noir. A slice of creamy prosciutto will balance out the lively acidity from a glass of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Get a little flair for presentation by rolling slices and arranging them on your board for extra visual appeal (and easy snacking!).
Toast The Bread
It's an extra step that really elevates your board...and so worth it. Grab a fresh baguette or sourdough loaf from the store, smear it with butter and toast the slices for the perfect delivery of a cheese and meat combo.
Garnish with Greens
We eat with our eyes, and a little greenery is always a welcome sight on a platter. We love using microgreens easily found at your local grocery store to fill in any gaps on your platter.
Here are our top wine pairing suggestions to go along with your perfect Fall cheese board. Don't forget to stock up, because every bottle you enjoy, we donate our proceeds to support marine life habitat conservations to non-profits like 4ocean and International Bird Rescue. Sounds like a reason for another glass to us!
Enjoying some cheese with your wine? Tag us in your photos on Instagram #seabirdwines and enjoy Great Vines To Great Times with us all Fall long.
"Back To ____" Mac & Cheese Recipe w/ Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay Always Pairs With Good Ol' Mac & Cheese
Whether it’s back to school, back to work, or just regular back to reality now that we’re winding down from summer, we’re welcoming the time (and cooler weather) to enjoy getting “back to” the kitchen.
Our favorite dinners are easy ones…the kind that are easy to make, unfussy, and of course easy to sip a glass of wine while you’re making it!
Enjoy one of the greatest comfort foods to welcome you in to the Fall season and enjoy an extra glass or two…it’s time to Get Back To It!
Here’s our favorite recipe to a creamy, delicious serving of Mac & Cheese paired with our crisp and refreshing Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.
- One package of your favorite tube-shaped pasta
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a large baking dish, or two setting sized cast iron serving dishes.
Combine all cheese - except parmesan- in a large bowl and set aside.
In a pot of salted water, cook pasta just before done and drain. Add 1 tbsp butter to pasta and toss to coat.
Melt the rest of the butter butter in a saucepan and whisk flour over medium heat until bubbly and started to turn golden.
Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth and free of clumps. Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.
Add two cups of shredded cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Continue adding cheese gradually until the sauce thickens.
Stir cooled pasta into cheese mixture to combine.
Pour half of the pasta and sauce into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Top with chopped chives and serve with a cool glass of 2014 Sangiocomo Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.
A Very Sea Bird Summer Beach Guide
You can’t make great wine without a little ocean influence. It’s a motto we live by, and it shows in every bottle of Sea Bird Wines. This summer, make the most of your beach time with these top tips for enjoying Sea Bird wines at the beach!
Grab A GoVino
Single use plastic cups are out, reusable wine glasses are IN! These reusable wine glasses are perfect (and lightweight) and make the perfect companion to your beach cooler. Pour it up and kick it back to relax- minus the trash.
Beach, Please.
You can catch us at these Sonoma Coast beaches on the West Coast with our toes in the sand and some wine in our hands. The Sonoma Coast AVA itself encompasses about 2,000 acres of vineyards and includes the lands that we source the fruit from for our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The region itself is best known for these Burgundian varietals thanks to the cool morning coast fog that covers that vines over the growing season.
Watch Us Sip On Chardonnay(nay)
Our Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Chardonnay is the perfect beach beverage. With notes of tropical fruit and a bright and lively acidity grab a bottle (or two) to throw in your cooler. Even better if you can pair it with some fresh oysters off at Bodega Bay, or pack up a picnic with some of these easy beach-inspired pairings:
Lemon Herb Asparagus Potato Salad
Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwiches
Creamy Avocado Dip + chips!
Mango Basil Summer Spring Rolls
Don’t Forget Sea-Safe Sunscreen
If you’re heading to the ocean, make sure you’re not bringing anything unwanted into the water. Ocean research has shown that common sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate are the main culprits in reef damage, along with cosmetic preservatives like methyl paraben and butyl paraben. Keep your skin safe along with the ocean reef by choosing a reef-friendly sunscreen.
Cheers to sun, sand, and the perfect summer day from us at Sea Bird Wines!
Need to stock up? Here’s our top pics for Summer Sipping:
What To Drink Now: A Vintage Report Update
Our winemaker, Patrick Durbin, fondly notes, “I love watching my wines grow up.” And for good reason. At Sea Bird Wines, we believe in relaxed wines to enjoy with friends and loved ones. That kind of wines that are as interesting as they are easy-drinking. Vintage after vintage report, we stay dedicated to taking Great Vines To Great Times with ever bottle. To make choosing your next bottle even easier, here’s a peek into our cellar with a vintage report update to see if you should hold or drink your favorite Sea Bird Wines bottles with our easy guide.
2013
This was an ideal growing season all across California. Ideal growing conditions offered moderate temperatures all throughout the growing season without rain or extreme temperatures.
What you need to know: Napa
• Dry conditions and a long sunny summer resulted in Cabernet Sauvignon that steals that show over all varietals.
• Patient growers were able to moderate soaring sugar levels to cultivate a Cabernet Sauvignon with balance, bright fruit and robust tannins that lend to long aging potential for years to come. Or, if you’re a tannin fiend, a tight, grippy wine ready to impress with structure.
Hold it: 2013 Broken Rock Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley
Located on the east side of Napa near Soda Canyon and Atlas Peak, this vineyard produces bright fruit with a balanced acidity thanks to the volcanic mountainside soils. The structure of this Bordeaux inspired blend representative of the best of Napa Valley results in black cherry and cola notes, nuanced vanilla and a touch of white pepper that will continue to evolve in your cellar. These last five years have just started to soften the edges of the fine tannin structure, but can easily go about 3-5 more for a luxurious expression of this iconic vintage to come.
What you need to know: Sonoma
• The growing season was off to an early start in Sonoma with abundant sunshine and moderate temperatures similar to neighboring Napa.
• Quality AND quality abound! Pinot Noir in particular grew large crops offering a volume of premium wine.
Drink it: 2013 Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir - Sonoma
The Sonoma Stage vineyard is nestled between the Petaluma Gap and Los Carneros as the south end of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Cool morning fog and warm winds cultivate a Pinot Noir with classic red fruits, dark cherries and touches of cocoa and leather for a balanced Pinot ready to drink now. Enjoy a glass now as the delicious tertiary flavors have developed beautifully.
2014
Drought in the winemaking world is a delicate balance. However, it struck the perfect cord in 2014 offering lower yields, but higher quality. Sprinkling with a few well-timed rains over the growing season offered a sunny summer and a ripe fall.
What you need to know: Napa
• The perfect blend of 2012 and 2013 was the best way to describe 2014.
• Bright red fruits, balanced acidity and lower yields delivered a dreamlike vintage, especially for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
• An early harvest still delivered deep color, intense aromatics and lively acidity across the board.
Hold It: 2014 Poseidon Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley
This was the perfect vintage to showcase our show-stopping Poseidon Cabernet Sauvignon. Aptly named after the kind of the sea, it is comprised of the “king of grapes,” Cabernet Sauvignon from a premiere Napa Valley vineyard. The G3 vineyard is home to some of the most prestigious fruit in the Valley in the Rutherford AVA. Polished tannin, wild berries, and a hint of Rutherford Dust this wine can easily rest its trident for years to come in your cellar.
What you need to know: Sonoma
• Early season come in slow and steady with
• The drought season was still going strong. For now, it allowed for high quality and reduced yield…perfect for premium vineyards.
• The warm weather paired with little rains resulted in higher alcohol wines that overall had a welcoming ripe aroma and flavors, and softer acidity…perfect for wines that are drinking well sooner than later!
Drink it: 2014 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Pinot Noir - Sonoma
This family-owned vineyard is the ideal Sonoma Pinot Noir site. Long slow growing seasons thanks to the coastal Sonoma influence offer fog until mid-day and warm sunshine for even ripening. The bright red fruits of this vineyard shine in this Pinot Noir with a bottle ready to pop now!
Enjoy summertime drinking with our current release wines, all available to purchase online. And stay tuned in the Fall for our upcoming vintage report update and releases coming soon!
Memorial Day Weekend Fun with Sea Bird Wines
It’s the best long-weekend of the year as Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. It’s the perfect time to kick back, pop open some bottles, and enjoy time with friends and family.
Need some inspiration to curate a backyard BBQ that will really kick off the best summer yet? Here’s our top tips for a Memorial Day party filled with fun and, of course, great wine.
Ditch The Plastic
Opt for simple clean-up that’s easy on both you, and the environment with alternative green disposables like these bamboo cutlery sets and eco-friendly compostable plates.
Red or White?
Trick question. It’s both! Keep both options available to guests for easy drinking and pairing with everything on the menu.
A smooth white wine with bright acidity like Sea Bird Wines 2015 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Chardonnay is a great option for a bright warm day. Keep it at cellar temperature (that’s a cool 52 degrees!) and sip all day long.
For red drinkers, opt for a wine with lighter tannins and a fresh vibrant red fruit profile like Sea Bird Wines 2014 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Pinot Noir.
The best part of bringing out a few bottles of Sea Bird Wines is not only showing your guests a boutique, small-production wine they might not have heard of (yet!) but also knowing that the proceeds of our wines go back to supporting marine habitats. It's an easy excuse to open another bottle...or two!
Mix Up Your Grill Options
We’re not saying cut it out entirely…but it’s hard to argue with the facts. The dramatic effects of reducing red meat consumption even one day a week could save as much as 900 gallons of water, and the energy equivalent of 5 weeks worth of driving fuel. Take the opportunity on Memorial Day Monday to sub in extra veggies with fun recipes like this Mixed Grilled Vegetables with Fontina Fonduta.
Even better? Take advantage of your outside grill to serve up a sustainable fish in place of red meat! Use a reliable source like Seafood Watch – funded by the Monterey Bay Aquarium –
to consciously shop for a low-impact seafood source to fire up on the grill.
Graze Away
Keep the hangry at bay, with the summer fun and guests arriving at different times it can be hard to pin down everyone for a sit-down meal. Instead, keep a grazing board stacked with a variety of fruit, cheeses, crackers and charcuterie to make sure that everyone has something to keep them fueled through all the fun.
Trade Screen Time For Green Time
Whether it’s a grown-up party or we’re bringing all ages out, a sunny summer day is the perfect time to leave the screens inside and get out on the grass to play.
There are two times when “bigger is better”: when it’s a magnum bottle of Sea Bird Wine, and when it’s a life-size version of yard games! Super-size your lawn game fun with Jumbo Jenga, Giant Wood Rolling Dice, or even this Collossal Size Checkers Rug to bring out everyone’s competitive side.
Raise a glass and a toast to spending time with friends and loved ones…and the start to the best summer yet.
Having fun with us out in the world? Don’t forget to tag your glass with #seabirdwines and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips and summer fun all season long!
Spotlight Wine: 2015 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Chardonnay
As one of the most widely planted grapes in the state of California, Chardonnay is one of the most popular wines enjoyed by Americans, according to the Wine Institute. So it was a natural fit when we began sourcing fruit for Sea Bird Wines that we would include this noble grape as part of our family.
Sourced from the Sonoma Coast, our Sangiacomo Robert’s Road vineyard develops into every Chardonnay-lover’s dream. The cool coastal zone of this region maintains a developed acidity and structure that plays gracefully with a kiss of new French oak that we age it in year after year. No other white gape matches Chardonnay’s total acreage in Sonoma County, and with every sip, we understand why this is the ideal region for this wine.
The Sangiacomo Vineyards were first planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 1999 when the Sangiacomo Family acquired the property. At the time, it was unclear as to whether the region would be suitable for grape-growing, as the cool coastal climate was thought to prevent even ripening. Now, the Sonoma Coast region is renowned for producing some of the highest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the US. The perfect counterpart to our Chardonnay is our Sangicomo Robert’s Road Pinot Noir.
Our 2015 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Chardonnay highlights the best of the vintage. The 2015 growing season in Sonoma brought about a warm, dry spring and an early harvest, according to to the Wine Spectator Vintage Report. The yield was lower than past years, though the quality maintained an elegant and refined style.
You don't have to just take our word for it, however. The 2015 Sangiacomo Robert's Road Chardonnay has won Double Gold medals at the SF Chronicle International Wine Competition, and well as Double Gold & Best of Class in the International Women’s Wine Competition.
With 14 months in new and used French oak barrels, the Robert’s Road Chardonnay is exceptionally balanced with fruit and acidity. Pears, tropical fruits and nectarines are balanced by a dollop of vanilla and honey on the finish for a bright, playful Chardonnay true to the region.
Sea Bird Wines was founded on the belief that coastal influence makes truly great wine. The Sangicomo Vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region exemplifies this belief year over year as we craft true-to-region Chardonnay with bright fruit, lively acidity, and the kind of bottle you can’t wait to enjoy while lounging around with friends on a warm Spring day.
A Recipe For #GreatVinesToGreatTimes
As warmer weather approaches it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy a fresh meal. This easy crab cake recipe from Pinch and Swirl focuses on a recipe with more crab meat instead of a bread-crumb overload. The fresh seafood influence will parry and play beautifully with the fruit and acidity of our 2015 Sangiacomo Robert’s Road Chardonnay for a light, weeknight meal to enjoy out on the patio with the promise of Spring nipping at our heels!
Ready to sip on some of the most quaffable Chardonnay of the season? Head over to the Sea Bird Wines Shop to snag the last bottles, and if you're lucky, even a magnum. We'll meet you on the patio for a glass, or two.
Spotlight Wine: 2014 Sangiacomo Pinot Noir
Farmed by the Sangiocomo Family, we sourced our 2014 Sangiocomo Pinot Noir from this prestigious Sonoma vineyard just at the base of the Sonoma Mountain.
A long, slow growing season with well-draining, silty soil makes this the ideal place to grow Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay. The vineyard welcomes in a cool morning fog from the far northern edge of the Petaluma Gap, and long, warmer days over the course of the growing season. The result is balanced, healthy vines planted to over 130 acres.
The 2014 vintage was another year for the books in California winemaking, and the Sangiocomo Pinot Noir vineyard was no exception. This vintage brought and early spring, and as a result, an early finish in the fall. Perfectly warm days and cool nights in Sonoma cultivated the best expression of balance in Pinot Noir with elegant tannins, bright fruit and lively acidity.
Sea Bird’s 2014 Sangiacomo Road Pinot Noir brings the fruit from this well-respected vineyard to life. Aromas of raspberries, violets and leather rise from the glass. This wine spent 14 months in New and Used French Oak barrels, lending a medium weight to the wine with minimal oak influence that allows the polished tannins to shine through.
A recipe for #GreatTimes
With its bright acidity and lush mouthfeel, our Pinot Noir goes to great lengths and plays beautifully with a light and fresh meal.
This Baked Salmon with Herbs & Lemon is a perfect weeknight meal with minimal prep, lush flavor, and captures the savory notes of the wine in an elegant finish. Whether you’re kicking your feet up on a Tuesday or inviting close friends for dinner, enjoy an easy meal with a bottle of wine that will take you from Great Vines to Great Times, one sip at a time.
Sea Bird Wines Takes Double Gold in San Francisco International Wine Competition
Since its inception in 1980, the San Francisco International Wine Competition sets a standard for integrity and impartiality. One of the world’s longest running wine competitions, this year marked the 38th year of blind-tasting, wine-judging, and king-making.
Speaking of kings…we are proud to announce that Sea Bird Wines 2014 Poseidon Cabernet Sauvignon took home a Double Gold this year with a 97 Point score. Appropriately named after the King of Seas, Poseidon is Sea Bird Wine’s signature Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the prestigious Rutherford Napa Valley AVA.
What’s Double Gold, you ask? It’s like a double win for us! Double Gold is the designation awarded to a select few entries that receive unanimous high ratings from amongst the judges. We are proud to count ourselves in a club that considers this ranking the “finest in the world.”
2014 Poseidon is the wine you want to bring out with your favorite friends around. A quintessential expression of the vintage, aromas of wild berries, caramel and cocoa powder draw you in. Layers of mocha, dark cherries and butterscotch round out a full-bodied palate with polished tannins and enough acidity to keep things interesting.
Head over to our shop to secure your allocation…and if you’re lucky we might still have a few magnums available to really spice things up.
Want to check out more Sea Bird accolades? Read about our 2018 Harvest Challenge win here.