Last weekend I visited the newly opened Big 3 Wine Bar at Sonoma Mission Inn. I read in the local press that Big 3 is focused exclusively on Sonoma wines, which sparked my interest. And I am always looking for more opportunities to taste – and pair – wines before purchasing. Big 3 sounded like a great fit for me. It turned out to be more than I expected.
Renee Bourassa, the Sommelier host of Big 3 Wine Bar, warmly greeted me. The menu features 5 themed flights of 3 wines each. Each pour is an ample 2 ounces. Three glasses are set on a heavy paper coaster specifying each wine, including the wineries’ own descriptions. There is also a small menu of wine pairing appetizers at the tasting bar. Or you can adjourn to the casual dining Big 3 Diner side of the house after tasting. We started with the $10 White Flight. It begins with a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from nearby Deerfield Ranch Winery, progresses to Atmosphere Wines’ Sonoma Valley 2008 Marsanne-Roussanne, and finishes with 2007 Carneros “XII” Chardonnay from Highway 12 Winery.
White Flight
The Deerfield Sauvignon Blanc was rich yet crisp, with a white grapefruit taste and edgy-ness I enjoyed. Atmosphere’s single-vineyard Rhone-style white shows spice, oak, and characteristic intense minerality. The Highway 12 Chardonnay was tropical on my palette with a pleasant soft viscosity in the mouth. It was the stories Renee told about the wines that intrigued me. Atmosphere is a small Sonoma winemaker with no tasting room – an example of one of the wines you can taste exclusively at Big 3. Atmosphere’s bottle features an etched design, which — according to Renee — glows in the dark!
Big Strategy
As we continued our discussion I learned that Renee is a Certified Master Sommelier with the Sonoma Mission Inn, and worked previously with Michael Mina. A native of Sonoma, Renee returned here after traveling and working abroad and in San Francisco. The strategy for Big 3 Wine Bar is powerful in its simplicity:
- 100% focus on Sonoma wines, including labels which may have limited or complete unavailability for tasting anywhere else.
- Renee meets with each winemaker to understand their intention for the wine and the winemaking style employed.
- Each wine is selected based on how it rounds out the Big 3 shelf, resulting in a diversity of winemaking styles for each varietal.
- Big 3 provides easy access to new wine experiences by offering well-priced flights and glasses, and bottles at retail pricing.
Talk and Taste with Renee
My discussion with Renee ranged from winemaking styles of France, varietals of Italy, to local practices and my own taste preferences. Next I tasted 2006 Kunde Primitivo from the PT02 Sonoma Valley vineyard and a 2006 Mayo Family Barbera also made with Kunde grapes. Both wines were purplish and seductive. The Primitivo offered a fruity aroma and flavor with an authentically rough finish; clearly employing a winemaking style like the Italian wines we talked about. Until now, the Kunde Primitivo has been available only at the winery. The Mayo Barbera was highly drinkable and built to age – another example of a classic Italian style.
Finally, reviewing the White Flight led to a Chardonnay discussion. How interesting local Chardonnays have become as winemaking moves away from the heavily oaked and buttered style of the previous decade! During this time I came to avoid Chardonnay entirely. Renee poured me a preview taste of 2008 Kopriva Chardonnay. This is a handcrafted wine made with 100% Carneros Cassidy Ranch grapes and fermented entirely in stainless steel with no oak and no ML. Nearly clear white in color, this wine presents a unique expression of crisp and subtly fruity cool Carneros Chardonnay varietal character. I was ready to change my Chardonnay avoidance habit and buy it, but I’ll need to return this week when Big 3 will stock it as a featured wine of the week. (I’m also planning to taste their “Unusual Suspects” Red Flight on my next visit.)
More than I Expected
Big 3 Wine Bar makes Sonoma wines highly accessible to wine novices and aficionados, locals and travelers alike — by offering a diverse selection at value-based pricing. Some labels – like Atmosphere, Kamen, and Kopriva – are not available anywhere else for tasting on a daily basis. I believe that to address today’s market conditions, wine sales and marketing practices must assertively reach out to consumers. Direct experiences of tasting and food pairing in a purchase environment are optimal conditions. Big 3 is leveraging their guest traffic, highly visible location, and Sante Restaurant recognition to the benefit of the local growers and producers — offering unique Sonoma wine experiences to more people every day.
Note:
Big 3 Wine Bar is open 11am-8pm daily (later than the 6:30pm published time), at the corner of Highway 12 and Boyes Boulevard. According to Renee, Big 3 is not an SVVGA tasting bar, but many of the winemakers carried are members of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance.
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