The Cook’s Kitchen

Today we welcome Shelly Butcher of the site An Open Cupboard into the Cook’s Kitchen. Let’s make her feel at home, y’all…

I don’t typically buy sodas, not even the “natural” variety. I’m just not a big soda drinker, nor is my husband A. Whether organic or full of chemicals, soda is a member of the candy family to me.

As such, it was unusual for me to linger around the refrigerated drink section at my local gourmet food shop. But half the fun of food shopping is just looking around. That’s how I found Sonoma Soda.The Sonoma Soda label immediately stands out, with wine names like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir printed on a modern, spare background in sans-serif font. Yet the bottle is stopped by the same cap you’d find on a coke. What is this bizarre hybrid?

Continue reading to find out….

Why, Chardonnay soda, of course! Chardonnay grapes grown in Sonoma County are crushed into juice and mixed with carbonated water to produce what may be the first yuppie soft drink. Naturally, I had to try one. Pinot Noir or Chardonnay? I chose the Chardonnay,the most palatable choice, I reasoned, considering that Chardonnay tastes best chilled. To be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes for this drink. Chardonnay soda? Too silly.

Sonoma soda is silly indeed, but damn tasty too. This is no ordinary grape soda. The Chardonnay soda is alive with familiar Chardonnay notes such as citrus and grass. The carbonation is a bubbly foil to the sweetness of the grape juice.

Chardonnay soda is a sweet taste of summer, reminiscent as it is of a cool glass of wine on a breezy summer day.