The Wines of Sonoma
June 25, 2026 - Deep Springs Trout Club
“Someone else was supposed to bring the Chardonnay.”
— Anonymous Member, Fraternité du Vin Cleveland
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
His Excellency Aaron Weisenberg, Founder, President & Chief Decanting Officer, convened the membership of the Fraternité du Vin Cleveland at the Deep Springs Trout Club for an evening dedicated to the wines of Sonoma County.
At his side was Brendan Rea, Founder, Vice President & Maker of Pour Decisions, whose responsibilities once again included ensuring that no member’s glass remained tragically underfilled.
Your humble narrator, Zachary Glazer, Founder, Secretary & Minister of Propaganda, assumed his customary responsibility of documenting the proceedings with complete historical accuracy, except where a better story presented itself.
Mother Nature, apparently offended by our decision to celebrate Sonoma rather than Bordeaux or Burgundy, attempted a last-minute intervention with an absurdly localized hailstorm.
The weather briefly delayed the departures of Aaron, John Schaefer, and our newest member, Andy Simms, but by the time the first cork was pulled the skies had cleared and the evening proceeded without incident.
Joining the festivities were Matt Dreyfuss, Regin Schlacket, Rick Fien, Alex Ogan, Jeffrey Glazer, and your Secretary, completing a distinguished minyan of ten.
While no formal blessings were offered, there was unanimous agreement that opening nine bottles of Sonoma red was sufficiently spiritual.
WINES OF SONOMA
The evening’s theme was intentionally uncomplicated: Wines of Sonoma.
For decades, conversations about the world’s great wine regions have been dominated by Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône, Piedmont, and Tuscany. Sonoma has never demanded inclusion in that company, preferring instead to let the wines argue on its behalf.
This evening made a compelling case that perhaps we should all listen more carefully.
Every bottle came from a member’s personal cellar, proving once again that the Fraternité’s collective storage capacity exceeds what any reasonable financial advisor would recommend.
An unexpected subplot emerged early in the evening when it became apparent that every member had independently concluded someone else was bringing the Chardonnay.
They were mistaken.
Fortunately, Sonoma’s red wines required no apology, and the oversight was quietly reclassified as intentional.
RECEPTION
The reception began with house-made trout pâté presented three ways: atop sweet peppers, hot peppers, and the noblest of all delivery systems, the humble saltine cracker.
Smoked Trout on Sweet Peppers
Smoked Trout on Hot Peppers
Smoked Trout on Saltine Crackers
The sweet peppers offered freshness.
The hot peppers brought just enough heat to keep things interesting.
Both were excellent.
The saltine won.
Sometimes tradition survives because no one has managed to improve upon it.
As a traditionalist, I found the cracker possessed the rare confidence to contribute absolutely nothing except structural integrity.
It provided just enough salt and texture while refusing to distract from the trout itself. The peppers added personality. The cracker simply let the trout speak.
Also making an appearance were beautifully prepared calamari, grilled kielbasa, smoked sausage, and Swiss cheese.
Smoked Sausage, Kielbasa, Swiss Cheese
The calamari deserves special recognition. Rather than pursuing unnecessary crispness, it was cooked perfectly, remaining tender beneath a soft, savory breading that served as a warm delivery vehicle for flavor rather than crunch.
Comfort food disguised as seafood is still comfort food, and there wasn’t much left on the platter by the time everyone migrated toward the first flight.
Calamari
FIRST FLIGHT: PINOT NOIR
• Occidental Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir —2013
• Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir — 2014
• Rochioli Estate Pinot Noir — 2016
Three exceptional interpretations of Pinot Noir demonstrated just how many personalities Sonoma can produce from a single grape.
Elegant. Restrained. Powerful. Expressive.
While every bottle found its champions around the table, the Kosta Browne ultimately emerged as the consensus favorite of the flight, combining richness with balance in a manner that appealed to nearly everyone present.
SECOND FLIGHT: CABERNET SAUVIGNON & BORDEAUX BLEND
• Peter Michael Les Pavots — 2016
• Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon — 1991
• Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — 1993
Jeffrey Glazer reached deep into his cellar, contributing both the Silver Oak and Laurel Glen.
The Silver Oak still stood tall, displaying the grace and dignity of a wine that had entered its final act. While no longer at its peak, it remained a worthy reminder of why so many collectors laid it down in the first place.
The Laurel Glen, however, was something altogether different.
More than three decades after harvest, it possessed remarkable freshness while displaying the complexity that only patience can create. Cedar, graphite, tobacco, dried currants, earth, and subtle remaining fruit unfolded with each glass.
If there was a consensus candidate for Wine of the Evening, the 1991 Laurel Glen would have been difficult to surpass. It reminded everyone that truly great Cabernet does not merely survive three decades.
It evolves.
THIRD FLIGHT: SONOMA BEYOND CABERNET
• Dehlinger Goldridge Syrah — 2015
• Ridge Lytton Springs — 2017
• Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso “Gnarly Vine” Zinfandel — 2014
If the Pinot Noir flight showcased elegance, these wines reminded everyone that Sonoma has never been afraid of generosity. Richness, spice, structure, and personality arrived in equal measure, providing a fitting conclusion to an evening devoted entirely to one remarkable wine region.
DINNER & DESSERT
Walleye
BBQ Pork Ribs
Grilled Asparagus
Home Fried Potato
Bread Pudding, Creme Anglaise, Vanilla Ice Cream
Dinner followed with pan-fried walleye, barbecue ribs, grilled asparagus, and home fries.
The Parmesan-crusted walleye paired beautifully with the remaining Pinot Noir.
The ribs seemed almost contractually obligated to accompany the Syrah and Zinfandel.
The asparagus provided welcome balance.
The home fries quietly disappeared with remarkable efficiency.
Warm bread pudding accompanied by crème anglaise and vanilla ice cream provided a classic conclusion.
There were no molecular foams. No edible smoke. No ingredients requiring a glossary.
Just a timeless dessert executed well enough that nobody wished it had been anything else.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
Looking around the table, it occurred to me that evenings like this are precisely why the Fraternité exists.
Great bottles are opened not because they have appreciated sufficiently, but because the people sitting around the table are worth opening them for.
By the conclusion of the evening, the storm had long since disappeared, replaced by one of those brilliant “red sky at night” sunsets that seemed almost scripted.
It was a fitting conclusion to an evening that had threatened to disappoint before ultimately exceeding expectations.
The bottles emptied.
The stories became marginally better with each retelling.
Those members who were unable to attend were missed.
They also missed a great one.