Wine For Misfits

I discovered Passalacqua Winery thanks to some friends who are part of their wine club.

I’m going to be honest with you, I’ve looked up how to spell “Passalacqua” at least six or seven times while writing this post. And that doesn’t include the additional four times I looked it up while editing.

EASY WINE COUNTRY DRIVE TO PASSALACQUA

If you want a full-blown bougie weekend in Healdsburg, Passalacqua is only a 10-minute drive from the Healdsburg square (also known as the high school from the original Scream movie).

If you want a more humble weekend balanced with breweries and pub food, Passalacqua is only a 25-minute drive from downtown Santa Rosa.

Fun fact: Santa Rosa was declared the “Drunkest City” in California! Come for the booze, stay for the culture.

GREAT VIEWS

If you expect scenic-vineyard views and the tranquil humm of a gentle breeze while wine tasting, Passalacqua Winery will deliver on your expectations.

The winery is surrounded by trees which is the perfect excuse to book a tasting if you’re a chronic-neurotic mess: calm the nervous system by spending some quality time with nature while getting fancy drunk.

COZY DECOR

The tasting room is decorated like a rich friend cosplaying as middle-class. It has a cozy-cabin vibe comeplete with a crackling fireplace, worn-in leather couches, and Yeti water glasses.

ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY

A pet peeve of mine is when wineries have framed photos of vineyards while simultaneously having views of vineyards.

Passalacqua (yes I looked up how to spell it again) did not succumb to this redundant industry tradition. Instead, the tasting room features framed photos of their team doing their thang at work.

It’s honestly refreshing. Plus, I’m a sucker for a company that values their employees.

BE PREPARED FOR AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE

As someone who is in the industry, I drink with other wine industry professionals frequently. So, when our host sat down with our group, I was a little confused. Why was he there? Why was he so attentive? I was planning on bullshitting and being mildly inappropriate with friends. Was he going to judge me?

Then I remembered people love this shit!

I’ve been in the industry for so long that I forgot how special the one-on-one attention is. Our host was informative, friendly, and felt out our vibe quickly. It’s exactly what you’ll want from a Healdsburg experience.

ZINFANDELS GALORE

There’s a lot of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County. And for good reason: it grows well in the cooler climate and still gets enough sun to ripen (see, I told you I used to be a copywriter for wineries). So, seeing a menu with Zinfandel options was a pleasant surprise. 

Sometimes Zins can be a little too viscous for my palate. But The Passalacqua versions weren’t overwhelming. They had the quintessential jammy profiles I expect from Zins but with a little more wisdom: 

It’s as if these Zinfandels had partied hard in their young adult years and are now in their “appreciation for the little things in life” phase. Their kids have moved out of the house and they’ve rediscovered their love of watercolor painting at their local community college.

That’s what the Passalacqua Zinfandels are like.

OTHER OPTIONS TOO

Of course there is Chardonnay! What’s a California winery if you don’t have a Chardonnay option? But don’t worry, “it doesn’t taste like Chardonnay” (a phrase I hear about every Chardonnay that, in fact, tastes like Chardonnay).

To be fair, the Passalacqua Chardonnay highlights the best aspects of the variety while showcasing the winemakers unique style. But, at the end of the day, it still tastes like a Chardonnay. Which isn’t a bad thing if you’re into Chardonnays.

They also make some respectable Sonoma Cabernets. As someone who is not a Cabernet Sauvignon fan (because I’m that industry a-hole), “respectable” is a compliment.

PAIRING PICS ON LABELS

If you don’t want to read you’re in luck! The back label offers little pairing graphics so you don’t have to guess what the wine will taste good with.

I’m a sucker for good designs if you couldn’t tell by my photos with cat graphics. And, as someone who has had to copyedit a few back label blurbs about “the sundrenched vines”, the visual pairing is original, user-friendly, and just plain cute.

TL;DR

Passalacqua Winery has gorgeous views, a great selection of Zins, a cozy-cabin vibe, and better-than-average attention from the host. This is a solid option if you’re visiting Healdsburg and want a memorable experience.

KITTY RATING

Passalacqua Winery gets 5/10 Kitties.