Sonoma wine heavyweight Bob Cabral has quietly slipped a reservation-only tasting room onto the Paradise Ridge property in Santa Rosa. The new Backstage Lounge blends Cabral’s lifelong love of music with small-lot Pinot Noir and Sonoma Coast Chardonnay in an intimate setting that feels more living room than tasting bar. Cabral and his wife, Heather, funnel proceeds after expenses to children’s charities, keeping the emphasis on community and low-key hospitality.
As reported by The Press Democrat, Cabral opened the Backstage Lounge in 2024 on the Paradise Ridge site in Santa Rosa. The paper says tastings are by appointment, with a standard fee of $75 per person, and notes that the opening was intentionally under the radar compared with many of the high-profile rollouts the region is used to seeing.
A Living Room for Wine Lovers and Music Fans
Inside, Cabral has fashioned a room that feels like a musician’s backstage hangout, surrounding guests with signed guitars, concert posters and curated playlists. The Bob Cabral Wines site describes the Backstage Lounge as an intimate, immersive spot where “fine wine meets classic rock,” and notes that guests can sample current releases, library bottles and barrel samples. The site also highlights limited club releases and private tastings that are woven into the lounge experience.
What You’ll Taste and What It Costs
Tastings focus on Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast selections. As reported by The Press Democrat, the paper lists bottle prices including the 2021 Cuvée Troubadour and the 2022 Electric Hippy Pinot Noir at about $125, and a Sonoma Coast “Anne Rose” Chardonnay near $100. The article also notes a mural by artist Breana Field inside the lounge that helps set the room’s vibe, and frames the Backstage Lounge as a new, understated stop for serious wine fans visiting Santa Rosa.
A Long Résumé Behind the Label
Cabral’s new outpost comes with serious credentials. His long tenure at Williams Selyem and Three Sticks helped build his reputation, and Williams Selyem notes he produced the first North American Pinot Noir to earn a perfect 100-point score and was later named Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year. That pedigree helps explain interest in the small runs and library pours offered in the Backstage Lounge. Cabral has been making his own wines since 2015, sourcing fruit from multiple Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast vineyards.
Charity and Community Tie-ins
Giving back is part of the label’s identity. Industry coverage says many releases carry a charitable component aimed at children’s causes and local nonprofits. Wine Industry Advisor notes Cabral’s charitable focus and his new production facility at Paradise Ridge, and event listings for Pigs & Pinot show Backstage Lounge experiences where proceeds benefit the Healdsburg Boys & Girls Club. Those ties, from donations to benefit nights, are a recurring part of how the tasting room positions itself to members and visitors…