In the evolving landscape of luxury hospitality, innovation often comes from those willing to reimagine the familiar. Aperture Cellars, the acclaimed Healdsburg estate founded by winemaker Jesse Katz, is doing just that with the launch of its Collage Tasting Experience.
Aperture is positioning the September 27 kickoff event (and ongoing series) as a cultural moment that will combine art, wine and culinary craft. So of course that begs the question: “What are you wearing?”
Elevate Wine-Country Casual
While Sonoma wine country is home to some of the best restaurants and wine in the world, style in the area isn’t formal. Rather, it’s about expressing your personal style with a nod to sustainable design, practicality, and ease.
Healdsburg’s Maison Djouf is a great place to start. Owner Andrea Kenner has recently rebranded and relaunched her boutique, with a fresh assortment of designers including Carolina K, Sea New York, XiRena, and more.
“After 13 years of helping customers dress for wine country events, my go-to advice is elevated yet easy—just like a perfect day in Sonoma,” Kenner says. “Choose comfortable shoes with a block heel instead of stilettos, dressier jeans in a clean wash paired with a beautiful blouse, or an effortless dress with sleeves for a bit of sun coverage.”
Carolina K’s Valerie Kaftan paired with a cardigan are excellent choices, or pair black wide-leg jeans with a billowy blouse.
Check local footwear and accessories designer Freda Salvador for elevated but comfortable options, whether you’re looking for boots, loafers, or sneakers.
Online retailer Curator SF is another Bay Area business with elevated-casual and sustainable options that pair perfectly with a day in Sonoma County.
A Sonoma County Collaboration
For the debut event this weekend, Aperture is partnering with Healdsburg’s three-Michelin-starred SingleThread Farms, spearheaded by Chef Kyle and Farmer Katina Connaughton to celebrate Collage—Aperture’s newest release of boundary-pushing blends—paired with bespoke bento boxes from SingleThread’s farm.
“We’ve looked at over 300 different lots to create these two unique, proprietary wines. There are no boundaries to this project—only the goal of making the best wine possible from a single vintage,” Katz said.
Each (two-tiered—no one will leave hungry) bento box is hand-carved and will marry SingleThread’s Japanese sensibility with hyper-seasonal ingredients sourced directly from the farm, reflecting the artistry and terroir that inspire Collage wines.
“The Collage Tasting Experience reflects Aperture’s most forward-looking vision to date. It is an opportunity to share the ingenuity and creative spirit of our talented winemaking team in an elevated hospitality format that feels both personal and inspiring,” said Lauren Wong, VP of sales and marketing for Aperture.
The Series Going Forward
If you can’t make it this weekend, there will be plenty future opportunities to taste the wine and show off your wine-country style. The Collage experience will evolve into a recurring series at Aperture’s estate, each edition pairing wine with rotating local purveyors, artisans, and performers. By creating a dialogue between wine and culture, Aperture is positioning itself within the broader conversation about the future of luxury hospitality—one that values sustainability, creativity, and authenticity as highly as exclusivity.
Aperture’s Collage Tasting Experience is a reminder that true luxury is multi-sensory, sustainable, and personal. As part of Sonoma’s evolving wine culture, guests are not just attendees, but collaborators in a living canvas or artistry, terroir, and style.
Tickets for the debut event are available on Tock for $300, with time slots at 11am, 1:30pm, and 4pm.