Lunch at Rustic – Francis Ford Coppola Winery

This weekend, Terrence and I took a little jaunt down to Sonoma for a quick rendezvous. We were engaged last year the eve before Valentine’s Day, so we were also celebrating an anniversary of sorts. One thing I love (among many) that I love about my husband is that he really takes holidays seriously! He gives flowers, cards, and gifts, and he really goes out of his way to make them feel special. When one of the discount sites that he follows sent an email for a reduced price stay at an inn in Wine Country complete with wine tasting coupons, he jumped on it. Little did he know that today is National Wine Tasting Day, so we were able to get a jump start on that, too!

We made several stops at wineries on our little getaway , but decided to have lunch at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. I’m sure most folks know Francis Ford Coppola as the brilliant film director, but oh my goodness, what spectacular wine he has! In addition to the selection that’s available year round, the winery also offers a Reserve selection that is produced in smaller batches. We tasted the Coppola Reserve Pinot Noir, and I immediately wanted a steak from the grill. It was full-bodied and rich, but smooth at the same time.

After tasting a few selections, we were ready to eat, so we snagged a couple of stools at the bar at Rustic. The winery was kind of crowded on Sunday afternoon, but nowhere near as crowded as Terrence told me it gets during the summer. Even still, I felt like the staff, both in the tasting room and at Rustic were all very attentive and incredibly pleasant. The menu at Rustic was diverse, and there is absolutely something for everyone to eat there. I saw pizza, so I was set. Terrence is eating a special diet, so we were concerned about finding something for him. Fortunately, there was a Cobb Salad on the menu that was as beautiful as it was tasty. Presentation is very important at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and I have no doubt that beauty is enforced here! My sausage and mushroom pizza was seriously delicious. The crust was magnificent, y’all. I’m telling you, I know good pizza, and that pizza is GOOD pizza!

After we ate, we walked around the property a bit. The vineyards look pretty bare right now without any grapes on the vines, so I didn’t take any photos of that. Since there were lots of people around, I didn’t want to be that annoying blogger that gets in everyone’s way taking photos. Trust me, though, movie buffs will enjoy looking at all of the Francis Ford Coppola film memorabilia, and oenophiles will have plenty of wine tasting and buying to keep them happy. Me, I was just happy to get some sun and spend romantic quality time with my honey! (Who, by the way, I did not get a photo with at Francis Ford Coppola’s. He did take this picture of me in front of the pool there, so, there’s that.)