Wine pairing dinner, here we come! So after checking into the Ledson Hotel, 
we were a bit rushed for time after touring the wineries in Healdsburg, so we quickly showered, and headed down to the lobby of the Hotel for the wine-pairing dinner.
I had been to Ledson Winery over 15 years ago when I was out in San Francisco on business, and was so impressed with the family-type atmosphere of the staff, quality of the wines and ‘Castle’ facility, I vowed to return. Steve ‘Dos’ and I toured there together in 2013 and were fortunate to meet owner Steve Ledson as we strolled by the hotel in Sonoma. We were staying up the street at The Inn at Sonoma, but wanted a nightcap, and he heard us chatting, and invited us to come in to the patio for a taste. Only after we had chatted for quite awhile did he introduce himself as Steve Ledson – one of the most down to earth and nicest persons you want to meet. We chatted for quite awhile, and we actually had three things in common: we were all Steve’s, Steve Ledson is a private pilot while Dos was a commercial pilot, and he was hosting a river wine-themed cruise on AMA Waterways later that year (and we had just returned from our first River Cruise on AMA in Europe that summer). Steve Ledson graciously arranged for us to have a VIP tasting the next day at the vineyard, which was the highlight of our trip.
The Steve’s with Steve Ledson – Sept 2013
He also posed for a photo with us in front of the hotel in 2013. We said we would stay at that hotel on our next trip, and now we finally did – shown here Memorial Day weekend 2015.
The Steve’s at Ledson Hotel – May 2015
So now it’s 6pm, and time for our Sparkling Wine reception in the Ledson Hotel lobby where the seven of us would get acquainted with real quickly!
The Executive Chef, Yoshiharu Sogi and Wine Steward, Brian Davilla took exceptional care of us, as we feasted on the six course menu, each elegantly paired with fine wines, which were served in the proper Riedel glassware for the wine type. 
We have taken Riedel seminars on cruises a couple times, and I must say the correct glass really does enhance the taste, due to the position of the wine on the palette. Before we used Riedel, I thought it was phooey, but we’re hooked now, and use Riedel at home and love it. Here’s a close up of the menu selections:
We also took photos of each dish (shown below) so elegantly prepared by Chef Sogi.
Likewise, the wines were exquisite, and we purchased a couple bottles of the Zina Hyde Cunningham 2011 Zinfandel, and the Stagecoach 2012 Cabernet to take home. Ledson has just started these Food and Wine pairing dinners, and judging from the wonderful time we had, it will be a huge success for them. What better way to experiment with gourmet food and fine wines!
After the meal, we walked around the square a bit with a couple we met at dinner (who had just moved to the west coast from Pennsylvania), and had nightcaps at the nearby Swiss Hotel. 
‘Twas a fun night for all!
SO MUCH FUN.