By: Virginie Boone

Sonoma County Magnum Awards were given out for the first time last week, a recognition created by the Sonoma County Winegrowers to honor restaurants across the United States and Mexico that go above and beyond to support and promote Sonoma County wines.

In its inaugural kick-off, 76 restaurants were given their due, from Cyrus, Montage, John Ash, Single Thread and many others in Sonoma County to Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Wally’s Wine in Santa Monica, Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, Gramercy Tavern in New York City, Post Oak Hotel in Houston, The Palm in Mexico City and the list goes on.

Restaurants have always been an essential part of creating and maintaining wine culture in America. For many, wine consumption begins in a restaurant setting and may be the only place a consumer is introduced to wines they may not otherwise know or have the chance to try. A meal out is a mini vacation to other places, cuisines and customs of the world. It’s also where wine best claims its rightful place at the table, a drink that for millennia has been enjoyed with food and shared in a communal setting.

Certainly it’s important to have local restaurant support for local wines both for the people who live in Sonoma County and want to drink local, and for people who travel here to take part in Sonoma County’s food and wine scene. For decades, chefs too have specifically chosen Sonoma County because of its bounty.

“It’s the dirt and the land that calls me like a siren,” Chef/founder Doug Keane wrote about first coming to Sonoma County to establish Cyrus in his recent memoir, Culinary Leverage. “The proximity to fresh vegetables and fruits intensifies the ability to cook a great meal. The road less traveled directly translates to better flavor. Moreover, the weather in Sonoma County is perfect for growing and for living… I’ve never before worked in a place where people are happy to give you three hours of their time to cook them a meal. In Wine Country, the people appreciate the dining experience as the entertainment for the night.”

Wine is an essential ingredient of that entertainment, a reminder to slow down. A bottle of Sonoma County wine in a restaurant in New York, Houston, Tampa, Santa Monica or wherever it may be, additionally serves as a reminder of this place’s bucolic beauty and relaxed feel, transporting a diner here no matter where they physically are.

Support restaurants that put thought and care into their wine lists and create inviting environments in which to enjoy wine. Support restaurants that support wine producers big and small. Support restaurants that support Sonoma County. And remember, as beloved late Wine Country Cuisine chef John Ash was known to say, “Wine is food, food is wine.”