The News
Lynmar Estate has launched its Spring 2026 Collectors Lunch Pairing Menu at Quail Hill Vineyard in Sebastopol, CA. The four-course menu is paired with the estate’s Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, featuring ingredients from their organically farmed gardens and orchards, including blood oranges, kumquats, and edible flowers. The event is designed by Executive Chef David Frakes, who has worked at top Bay Area kitchens like The Ritz-Carlton and Beringer Vineyards.
The Takeaway
- Seasonal Storytelling: Lynmar Estate is using its own land to craft a menu that reflects the Russian River Valley’s spring harvest, showing how wine producers can deepen their connection with guests through localized, seasonal experiences. The event highlights the estate’s organically farmed produce and its role in shaping the flavor profile of each dish.
- Chef-Centric Innovation: Executive Chef David Frakes is bringing his Bay Area experience to Lynmar, creating a menu that emphasizes the natural brightness of spring ingredients like blood oranges and kumquats. This approach shows how top chefs can elevate estate-grown produce into a narrative that complements the wine’s character.
- Wine as a Culinary Partner: The Spring 2026 Collectors Lunch is designed to let Lynmar's Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs shine, with each course crafted specifically for those wines. This reflects a growing trend in the wine industry where pairing menus are not just about food and wine matching, but about creating an immersive experience that tells a story through both elements.
Original Press Release
Sebastopol, CA — March 24, 2026 — Lynmar Estate is pleased to introduce its Spring 2026 Collectors Lunch Pairing Menu, a vibrant, wine-paired culinary experience shaped by the flavors of spring in the Russian River Valley. Available at Lynmar Estate’s idyllic Quail Hill Vineyard, the experience takes place at a private table where guests can enjoy an elevated four-course menu, individually plated and paired with Lynmar’s acclaimed estate-grown Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Rooted in the rhythms of the estate, the menu draws from Lynmar’s organically farmed gardens and orchards, where citrus, herbs, and early spring produce define a bright, expressive culinary style.
Designed by Executive Chef David Frakes, each wine-paired course was created to allow Lynmar’s acclaimed Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs to shine, while reflecting the breadth and bounty of the estate’s spring harvest. Citrus-driven flavors of freshly picked blood orange, lemon, and kumquat are woven throughout the four-course menu, alongside herbs, edible flowers, and orchard fruit.
For Chef Frakes, who refined his craft in some of the Bay Area’s most respected kitchens, including The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, the Applewood Inn, and Beringer Vineyards, the Spring Collectors Lunch Pairing is one of his favorite menus to create. “Spring is one of the most exciting times in the gardens and orchards. Citrus is at its peak, everything is beautifully in bloom, and the flavors are naturally bright and vibrant. This menu is a celebration of the season through the lens of our estate and our wines.”
With a devoted following of customers who regularly visit Lynmar to experience each new season’s Collectors Lunch Pairing, Chef Frakes takes pride in working with the winery’s in-house gardening team and Winemaker Peter Soergel to create original dishes for each new menu. “It’s so easy to find inspiration here. Over my 16 years at Lynmar Estate, we have never offered the same dish twice. Both literally and figuratively, that keeps our Collectors Lunch fresh and exciting.”
Lynmar Estate Spring 2026 Collectors Lunch Pairing Menu
Adam’s Vineyard Chardonnay, 2023Warm Organic PopcornTarocco Blood Orange & French Tarragon Salt, Estate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Anisya’s Blend Chardonnay, 2023Heirloom Carrot SoupVadouvan Curry Crème Fraîche, Radish Top Chimichurri
Susanna’s Vineyard Chardonnay, 2022House-Made Pasta ‘Cannelloni’Fromage Blanc with Leek, Orchard Olive & Preserved LemonMeiwa Kumquat-Celery Salsa, Petite Salad
Monastery Pinot Noir, 2022Grilled Herbed Tenderloin of LambWhite Bean-Black Garlic Hummus in Socca CrispSpring Vegetables, Argentine Relish
Rosé de Blancs Sparkling, 2021Bliss Strawberry-Ricotta CakeCrimson Rhubarb Purée, Lemon-Poppyseed Wafer, Pink Peppercorn Syrup
Created as an immersive estate experience, the Collectors Lunch Pairing is available at 12:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday throughout spring for groups of up to six guests. During the Collectors Lunch Pairing, Chef Frakes will make a special tableside visit to complete your experience. The experience is offered at $250 per person for non-members, and $200 for members of Lynmar. For reservations, please call (707) 829-3374. To learn more, visit lynmarestate.com.
Source: BevNET