Willamette Wireworks open and ready for new neighbors Scotts Seafood

With the news of Scott's Seafood preparing to finally open its doors in Historic Folsom this coming week, neighboring Willamette Wineworks is ready for a restart when it comes to welcoming more members of the Folsom community and beyond into its new establishment. Located on the second floor of the Folsom Roundhouse, Willamette Wineworks originally opened its doors just prior to the onslaught of the COVID-19 crisis that brought stay at home orders and business closures over the last three months. Willamette reopened its doors recently with social distancing measures and suggested reservations be made for visitors. Willamette's signature blending station has not been in action as well. To meet county guidelines and keep visitors safe, measures that have been in place at Willamette include closure of the tasting bar as all service has been conducted at tableside so far. All tables are six feet apart and parties are limited to six or fewer. They have also been offering no-touch payment options at their tables and all staff have been wearing face masks and regularly cleaning and disinfecting. As Gov. Gavin Newsom releases guidelines on the measures for area bars to further reopen, some restrictions could change in the days ahead as well. Now, as Sacramento County reopens further and their surf and turf neighbor is set to fire up the grill, Folsom's newest wine destination is ready to meet the community at large. Founded by Jim Bernau in 1983, Willamette Valley Vineyards is the leading producer of Pinot Noir and is located in Oregon. Jim's brother, Jerry Bernau, was developing a retail replica of the original Folsom Roundhouse in the Plaza of the Historic District to house Scott's Seafood's new location. In January 2018, Jim Bernau decided to expand to California – specifically, Folsom. Willamette Wineworks, a microwinery and tasting room, offers Willamette Valley Vineyards' wine, as well as wines created underneath their umbrella in southern Oregon. In addition to Willamette Valley Vineyards wine, the local tasting room will also offer its re-trademarked brand of Natoma label. "In the mid-late 1800s, Natoma was originally the largest planting of wine grapes, about 2,200 acres, in the state," Laura Kotowicz, tasting room manager, told the Folsom Telegraph just prior to their original opening date. "It was owned by the Natoma Water and Mining Company, and piece by piece, it was sold and dug up for gold mining. We re-trademarked the brand and hope to remake wines under that label."For the Natoma label, Willamette partnered with Napa winemaker Jason Driscoll. Kotowicz said all the wine in the blending system is also under the Natoma label. At Willamette Wineworks, guests will instantly be greeted with warm and inviting vibes, in the cooler months, a fireplace setting welcomes guests and various options of seating, from dining to lounging. Just outside, a large balcony features patio dining that overlooks the plaza and the amphitheater. The tasting room has wine sold by the bottle, three different flights, as well as nine wines available by the glass. "The Daily Flight is an introductory flight, which has a mix of white, rose and red wine. The Reserve Flight has some higher-end wines and the Oregon Estate Flight will feature specifically Oregon wines that are also on the higher-end," Kotowicz said. "Not all wines are sold by the glass but the offerings will rotate." Until Scott's Seafood is fully operational in the coming days or weeks, Willamette Wineworks is continuing to offer a number of condensed food pairings. Once the full grill is fired up, dining options will expand to pair Willamette featured wines with many of Scott's favorites. Currently, Willamette offers small plates that include items such as Village Bakery Sourdough Bread with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, seasonal cheese boards, unique brusches, mixed greens and caprese salads, panini sandwiches and of course, chocolate pairings. For complete details of their current menu, visit www.willamettewineworks.com.