Engaging Your Senses: Wine and Art Along the Wine Road

Engaging your senses is the spark in our love affair with wine. Sipping wine engages your senses of smell and taste, plus you experience what it feels like on your palate and enjoy looking at your glass of wine. Even last sense — hearing — comes into play as you talk about the wine, or enjoy a conversation while you sip away.

 

The Merging of Wine and Art

What if you were to enhance your visual pleasure, like viewing art while enjoying wine? It’s possible as you meander along the Wine Road. Let’s explore a few places where you can find these visual opportunities.

 

Small Art

Last year I discovered Woodenhead Vintners offers space to several local artists to display their wares. Upon visiting, I was stuck by the many choices of visual beauty to behold, including the stunning view from the tasting room deck. The artworks paired with the delicious Woodenhead wines make this a must-stop-by location along the Wine Road. Plus, the art is available for sale, along with the wine. But, the priceless view is available for free.

 

 

Moshin Vineyards has rotating local art shows in their tasting room. For every new show, the winery hosts a reception where guests can enjoy three complimentary tastes of wine while they view the art and meet the artist. Mylette Welch’s whimsical and colorful paintings are on display until July 26^th. The next artist’s reception will be held on Sunday, July 28^th, from 12 – 3. Come by and meet Brandon Bouldin, and enjoy his witty and creative paintings.

 

 

To see a full listing with images of the 2024 art exhibits at Moshin Vineyards, visit their events page.

 

Large Art

Along with supporting local artists on a rotating basis, Moshin also has a permanent large metal sculpture created by local artist Patrick Amiot. The Moshin family commissioned Amiot to create this piece when the tasting room first opened in 2005.

Since a hummingbird is part of the Moshin logo, having a large metal hummingbird greet visitors seemed like a natural fit. Amber Moshin shared that “some of the reclaimed items in this work include golf clubs for the flower stamen and altered screen doors for the wings. The body needed to be weather-resistant yet lightweight since it is held up entirely by the beak, so the “feathers” are made from reclaimed pool liner material.”

 

 

If you love the look of Rufus at Moshin, you can view more of Patrick Amiot’s sculptures while driving down Florence Avenue in Sebastopol. Many of his other works are scattered throughout western Sonoma County.

Starlite Vineyards has a stunning sculpture by local artist Peter Crompton. You can see Crompton’s sculptures throughout Sonoma County, including the Cloverdale Sculpture Trail. Grab a sip of some Starlite wine, and then find the Adirondack chairs positioned for the best view of the art and vineyards.

 

 

And Now for Something Really Big

Sister wineries, Wilson of Dry Creek and Soda Rock, have more in common than the same owners, Diane and Ken Wilson. They also have two of the largest sculptures in Sonoma County, both by Bryan Tedrick.

Wilson of Dry Creek’s front lawn is home to a gigantic howling coyote. My guess is the coyote is howling to go inside for a taste of the renowned multi-award-winning Zinfandels. Once you’ve taken in the glory of this behemoth, be sure to save some time to sit on the Wilson’s back deck to savor their wine and the expansive views of Dry Creek Valley.

 

 

Soda Rock’s Lord Snort by Tedrick is no less impressive. This massive wild boar greets visitors upon arrival. Due to the tasting room being relocated on the property after a wildfire destroyed the original tasting room and events center, Lord Snort is now a bit further from the action. But be sure to take the time to get an up-close and personal look at this colossus before you check out the adorable, rustic tasting venue. Beside enjoying the wines, savor the charm of the old barn and the views of the vineyards directly behind it.

 

 

More Options

If you want to spend even more time immersed in the Sonoma County art world, be sure to mark your calendar for Art at the Source (June 1-2 and 8-9, 2024) and Art Trails (October 19-20 and 26-27, 2024). These two annual events give you direct access to so many amazing artists’ studios. It’s a delightful way to wend your way through the backroads, viewing art and stopping by a winery to two as well.

If you visit Sonoma County and just want to gallery hop, Sonoma County Tourism has a comprehensive list of options. You may be surprised by the large number of choices.

This blog isn’t a comprehensive list of the wine and art options available in Sonoma County, but it certainly will keep you busy on your next outing along the Wine Road.

 

Happy Sipping!