SONOCAIA WINS MULTIPLE WINE COMPETITION AWARDS IN SAN FRANCISCO, SAN DIEGO, AND LOS ANGELES,  PLUS A PROFESSIONAL JAPANESE SAKE TASTING AND THE SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – CLICK ON THE POST TO SEE IT ALL

Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family Winery win prestigious wine competition awards

Dysfunctional Family Winery 2017 ‘Grand Reserva’ Red Blend

• 97 Points – Los Angeles Invitational Wine Challenge – “notes of black licorice, cocoa bean, with a sensuous mouth feel, a classic.” We’ve held onto some cases of this wine as a library release. Aged two years on oak and five years in bottle. Blend of Cabernet, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Merlot. This older but great annual version of our Red Blend is sourced from special boutique vineyards farmed by our wine industry friends around Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Mountain.To order, click here.

Dysfunctional Family 2021 “Double Bufalo” Red Blend

• 90 Points – Los Angeles Invitational Wine Challenge – This newer 2021 vintage is soft and fruity but carries the body and weight into a long finish. A terrific food-friendly wine, especially great with pizza, burgers, and BBQ. Super silky and so easy to drink. Pinot fans seem to love this wine. A blend of Syrah, Zin, Merlot, and Cabernet. To order, click here.

Sonocaia 2022 estate reserve Sagrantino

Our flagship red wine, and second vintage from 7 year old vines, 100% organic, from our estate Sagrantino vineyard. Transports you directly to Umbria, Italy, the home of Sagrantino. A rare find in California, this varietal is relatively unknown in the new world but is now sparking major curiosity and accolades from both the casual traveller and the serious wine critic.. To order, click here.

• Gold 92 points – San Diego Invitational Wine and Spirits Challenge
• Award – San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Navigate here to see the above award winners and our entire lineup of wines

PROFESSIONAL JAPANESE SAKE TASTING

For our monthly professional wine tasting program, we normally choose a specific category of wine, such as 90’s Sonoma Mountain Cabernets,  For this outing, we selected eight Japanese Sake’s. We found that the sake’s had an amazing range of aromas and flavors, perhaps more even than grape wine. That was a fascinating outcome. Check out the images and notes for a sense of how it went:

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  8 great sakes from Japan

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  Our lead sake somm, Eduardo Dingler

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  Co-organizer Keith Casale with Eduardo

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  Start of the tasting

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  View of the tasting table

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  More info being provided

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  Bottle 1

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  Bottle 2

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  Bottle 3

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  Bottle 4

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  Bottle 5

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  Pair of bottles

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  Sake's

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  Sake's

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  Note system

SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

That’s a wrap! The 2025 Sonoma International Film Festival was a spectacular success. Five days of films across five venues, plus nighttime parties, and the new pop-in sip and bites program at many wonderful plaza restaurants. Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family Winery poured our wines at the sold-out Marcella Hazan “Italian Dinner” Culinary event. And we poured at the KHR McNeely Family Fund party and the SIFF Film Industry Mixer, both at the VIP tent. It was a five-day extravaganza of film, food, and wine. 

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  Interview chair at KSVY 91.3 radio

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  Turn on your flashlights

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  Film Fest Patron tasting Sonocaia

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  Film Fest Patron tasting Sonocaia

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  Film Fest Patron tasting Sonocaia

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  Film Fest Patrons tasting Sonocaia

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  Film Fest Patron tasting Sonocaia

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  Film Fest Patron tasting Sonocaia

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  Michelin Chef from Japan

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  Astronaut Rusty Schweickart comments on Apollo 1 movie

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  Pop-in at the Layla Bar

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  Launching the Sonoma Int'l Film Festival from the stage of the Sebastiani Theater

Final thoughts:

Here’s a fun flashback to some older blog post images…

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  estate Sagrantino vineyard and winery

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  Out of control wien tasting

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  Sonoma vintage festival

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  Now, olive oil and honey

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  Balloons over Sonocaia

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  Harvest 2024

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  Tuesday Farmer's Market on the Sonoma Plaza

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  Sonoma City Hall

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  Food pairing

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  Sonocaia wine tasting

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  night as our guests at Sebastiani Theater wearing their Dysfunctional Family Winery t-shirts

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  July 4th in Sonoma

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  One very large cabbage...

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  Sonocaia chickens

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  Tasting event

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  Tasting

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  Harvested Sagrantino grapes

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  Night event

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  Sonocaia farming

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  Bees and honey

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  Hello chef