SONOMA UNBOUND | January 13 & 16
Sonoma County, just northwest of San Francisco, is one of the most celebrated and important wine regions in the world. Stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the west, to the Mayacamas Mountains on the east, to the Russian River Valley and San Pablo Bay to the south, its sprawling landscape creates a beautiful mosaic of place.
The region’s talented winemakers express the varying terroir — rugged coastal mountains, fog-cooled river valleys, rolling forested hills and fertile benchlands — through their choice of grapes and style. The result is an extraordinary range of wines, from elegant, cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to spicy Zinfandel to gripping Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals.
You’re invited to join the Holly Hill Wine Guild this month for SONOMA UNBOUND, to taste and discuss six of these delicious, evocative wines. The dates are Tuesday, January 13 and Friday, December 19 at historic Fasig-Tipton in Lexington.
As for the wines, we’ll be tasting one white and five reds, each representing Sonoma’s distinct microclimates.
•An elegant Chardonnay from historic Sonoma Valley, the birthplace of California’s wine industry, produced by the pioneering winery that planted the first commercial Chardonnay in the state;
•A sensuous Pinot Noir from the windswept Sonoma Coast and the epic 2023 vintage, made by one of California’s greatest winemakers;
•A classic Pinot Noir from the acclaimed Russian River Valley, the region that put Sonoma on the international wine map;
•An interesting Bordeaux blend from Alexander Valley, a region known for bold, dark-fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon;
•A Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel with big scores to match its jammy, peppery flavor profile, produced by a family that arrived in Sonoma in 1868;
•A terrific red blend representing Sonoma’s long history with mixed-black vineyards made by the county’s leading Zinfandel producer
As always, we’ll share insight into each selection and what sets it apart, in this case, the notable climate, soil and traditions of Sonoma County.
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Our Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at historic Fasig-Tipton, home to North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company. Tastings begin at 7 pm and last one hour. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers. When registering, please select the date you want to attend and indicate your status as a HHWG member or non-member.
We also offer an optional $27 dinner buffet served at 6:15 pm.
2026 schedule of Monthly tastings
Holly Hill Wine Guild tastings take place in the Pavilion Bar at Fasig-Tipton. Each month we have two seatings, usually one on a Tuesday and the other on Friday. They begin at 7 pm and last an hour. We also offer optional buffets that start at 6:15 pm. Here is the 2026 program schedule.
Sonoma Unbound | January 13 & 16
From windswept West Sonoma Coast to aptly named Rockpile, from Sonoma Valley’s old vine Zinfandel to Pinot Noir from foggy Russian River vineyards, the winemakers of Sonoma don’t play second fiddle to their celebrated Napa neighbors. We’ll explore their work from Sonoma’s diverse patchwork of valleys, mountains, riverbeds and benchlands.
Piedmont: Not Just Barolo | February 17 & 20
Barolo has earned its top billing among Piedmont’s delicious wines. Yet, the region’s talented winemakers produce other terrific sips made from Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Arneis and other varietals. We’ll cast the spotlight on those worthy alternatives to Barolo, exploring fruit-forward reds, aromatic whites and expressive, ageworthy Barbaresco.
Sultry Southern France | March 10 & 13
The French Mediterranean – the sunny arc from Provence to the Pyrenes – is home to world-famous resorts and delicious red wine. It’s where long, warm, dry growing seasons produce luscious flavors. We’ll taste how Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and other grapes translate to wines of special-occasion quality at everyday-drinking prices.
Reimagining Rioja | April 14 & 17
Lengthy oak aging of Tempranillo, often in American barrels, is the traditional practice in Rioja. Wines there are classified – Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva – based on that factor alone. But as consumer tastes evolve, Rioja’s producers are instead beginning to emphasize fruit and terroir. We’ll look at the changing identity of an iconic wine region.
Austria’s Grü-V Wines | May
We know the hills are alive in Austria. So are the nation’s acclaimed vineyards. Nestled in the Danube’s historic terraces and those fertile Alpine foothills, Austrian producers craft riveting wines of both power and elegance. We’ll see how purity is their prime aspiration, especially with mouthwatering Grüner Veltliner, one of the world’s great white grapes.
Pink Revolution | June
Ah, rosé. Versatile. Broad appeal. Fast-growing segment of the wine industry. Graduated from trendy to trusted. Provence sets the global standard, but serious, evocative rosé is made across the world. We’ll investigate how different grape varieties, winemaking methods and climate produce compelling wines in beautiful shades of pink.
Peak Performance | July
As Argentina’s wine producers plant vineyards farther up the Andes, not only have altitudes hit greater heights, so has the quality of their wine. It turns out, sun intensity and day-night temperature swings produce grapes of concentrated flavor and zesty acidity. We’ll experience these stunning wines from the world’s fifth-most winemaking nation.
White Wines You Need to Know and Probably Don’t | August
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin, Pinot Grigio – you know the lineup of usual suspects. Beyond those is a world of less familiar but thrilling white wines from tiny corners of the world. They are shaped by centuries of viticulture, each reflecting a long-lived – and delicious – partnership of grape and origin. We’ll sample six, so you’ll know.
Pinot and Place | September
Oregon and New Zealand share similar cool climates, the kind recognized as nurturing the world’s best Pinot Noir. Each of these places showcases the grape’s signature bright red fruit, lip-smacking acidity and sensual texture. Still, as we’ll discover, misty Willamette Valley and temperate Central Otago do bear out that subtle differences in terroir matter.
South of Tuscany| October
The ancient Greeks didn’t underestimate southern Italy; neither will we. They named the area Oenotria, the land of wine, for its great number of new and fascinating grape varieties. 3,000 years later, the sun-drenched vineyards of Campania, Umbria and Puglia still produce bold, vibrant wines, from crisp, aromatic whites to lush, structured reds.
Napa Valley Visionaries | November
The story of Napa Valley wine is part American Dream, part American Eden. Taking advantage of an agricultural paradise, Napa visionaries transformed Prohibition’s basement beverage to global benchmark. From those early trailblazing days to the cutting-edge present, Napa’s producers have pushed boundaries with tasty success.
Grand Finale | December
We’ll conclude our 2026 program with a tasting of the year’s top wines.
The Holly Hill Wine Guild was founded in 2008 and is directed by Steve Mancuso.
The Holly Hill Inn wine list features owner Chris Michel’s thoughtfully chosen selections and has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2002. Chris is dedicated to finding the best and most interesting wines possible to pair with our seasonal cuisine, and our wine list features stalwarts and upstarts from the Old World and New!