Petaluma has certainly become a gathering place for all things wine tasting, with brand new wine tasting rooms to brand new winery estates, the wine growing region known as the Petaluma Gap has had a number of new wineries open up to the public in the past few years and this burgeoning renaissance has been exemplified by the opening of Brooks Note Winery. Located on Petaluma Boulevard North in what was once a garage that once was a manufacturer of Formula One automobiles, Brooks Note Winery is a small family owned winery that focuses on balanced wines sourced from regions that even the most ardent wine lovers may not be as familiar with. Although owners Garry and Joanne Brooks chose to focus on Pinot Noir wines, they also produce wines as varied as Chardonnays, Roses and Cabernet Sauvignons. What brought me here on a weekend afternoon was a friend who not only lives in the area, but has also tried Brooks Note Winery a couple times in the past year that they have opened and highly recommended Brooks Note Winery after her past experiences. So one day that we had some availability, I was game for a visit to sample their current release tasting which cost 30 dollars a person. Although we didn't have reservations, the staff graciously accommodated us by placing us at the end of a long table that was reserved for a future wine tasting party.
Upon entry to Brooks Note Winery new tasting room, visitors will instantly notice the beautiful interior remodel job that their team has managed to perform. With natural light coming from their front door one can take in their roaring fir or sit in a welcoming seating area complete with plush chairs. The team at Brooks Note Winery, as led by tasting room manager Sean alongside his associates Bernie and Carly treated us as if we were V.I.P.s, as they poured us wines beyond their current release tasting menu. Our journey began with their 2022 Pinot Blanc which was sourced from Mendocino County and had a nice scent of grapefruit on the nose. With a bold taste on the palate this wine would have paired perfectly with a nicely cooked trout, but luckily we got to sample it with a wide variety of bites thanks to a generously plated charcuterie plate that they presented us with, which included three types of cheese, salami, rustic crackers, almonds, dried fruit, and berries. For our second pour, we enjoyed a special pour not listed on their current tasting menu, their 2020 Pinot Noir North Coast, which was sourced from four wineries across Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. With a scent of maraschino cherries on the nose, this super light red wine inherited the title of a Tuesday Night pizza wine, which is right up my alley as it paired nicely with the wedge of Cowgirl Creamery cheese that they provided for us.
For our third pour, we received their 2020 Pinot Noir from Weir Vineyards in Mendocino County. With a unique perfume in the nose, this wine had more floral notes that one would be used to with Pinots and paired nicely with the deli meats on our charcuterie plate. And for our fourth pour, we enjoyed their 2021 Pinot Noir, which was sourced from a vineyard in the nearby Petaluma Gap in Novato that we learned that benefits from the winds coming in from two different directions. This was the darkest of the Pinots we had all afternoon, with scents of Earl Grey tea and blackberries, and was one of their wines they serve on tap here at Brooks Note Winery. A wine that is richer and drier than most of their other wines, this would pair nicely with a hearty steak. For our fifth and sixth pours, we enjoyed two wines sourced from San Benito County, which is not necessarily a huge producer of wine; their 2020 GSM, which was a combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and their 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. Their GSM was highlighted by the Grenache as it was not as heavy as would have been expected, and would have paired perfectly with scallops. Their Sauvignon didn't have too many tannins in it, which was nice and could easily be drunk on its own without any food, but not on a warm day.
Just as we were all wined out for the afternoon, Sean poured us their 2020 Syrah from Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, from a bottle which they normally don't have open, and it was light and less tannic than their other wines, and it too would have been a nice wine to be savored on its own. We tasted so many wines and paired them with so many lovely bites, this was a wine tasting experience to savor. After ten years of making wine, Brooks Note Winery now has a beautiful home to showcase their winemaking abilities. With this lovely tasting room that visitors have been coming to from both near and far for the past few months, Petaluma is lucky to have this new tasting room in its respective portfolio, and we are lucky that they even exist to produce and pour wine to anyone who loves them. read more