If your personal wheel of fortune has landed on “a grand Wine Country estate with soul-soothing views,” Ryan Seacrest may have the answer: his St. Helena property is on the market. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom compound spans 40 acres and is listed for $19.8 million, down from its original $22 million.

Mansion Global first reported that the home, previously listed in 2024, has returned to the market with an adjusted price. The Tuscan-modern style home, built in 2004, underwent a remodel from 2023 to 2024.

Seacrest, host of “American Idol” and “Wheel of Fortune,” told Maison Global he purchased the home for the “absolutely stunning views” — vistas of mountains, vineyards and the verdant valley floor.

A main home, a pool house and a guest cottage make up the compound, which, in total, offers 10,750 square feet of living space. The home’s rustic grandness epitomizes the Napa Valley design ethos.

The main home has chiseled limestone walls, a repeat of substantial, reclaimed-wood beams, and seven fireplaces. A checkerboard floor gives the kitchen — complete with views and a pizza oven — a classic playfulness. Richly toned wood offers handsome warmth in the cabinetry, millwork and on the steeply vaulted ceiling of the living room. Pocketing doors deliver spectacularly in connecting the indoors to the lush setting.

The grounds include an infinity pool and spa, a bocce ball court and — to double-down on the tranquility — an olive grove with 220 trees.

For more information on this listing at 232 N. Fork Crystal Springs Road in St. Helena, contact listing agent Cyd Greer, 707-322-6825. Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, 1200 Main St., St. Helena, cbnapavalley.com/properties/326018600

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Book clubs are typically low-key affairs — conversations over snacks, perhaps a bottle of wine, in someone’s living room. In Sonoma and Napa counties, however, a growing number of restaurants, wineries and lounges are reimagining the format, turning literary gatherings into immersive, food- and wine-centered experiences.

At Songbird Parlour in Glen Ellen, that reinvention comes with an unusual twist: guests are encouraged to bring their own food. The restaurant’s quarterly cookbook club doubles as both a discussion group and a potluck.

“I’m into food, obviously, and I love building community,” said owner Lauren Kershner, who launched the Songbird Parlour Cookbook Club in early March. “So, to pull those two together was just a natural thing for me.”

Each quarter, participants prepare a dish from a selected cookbook and share it with the group. They bring their own plates and utensils, while the restaurant offers a curated list of wines for $10 a glass.

About 25 people attended the inaugural gathering, cooking from “Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking” by Bonnie Frumkin Morales. Many discovered the event through the Sonoma County Foodies Facebook page.

While cooking for self-described “foodies” might sound intimidating, Kershner emphasized that the atmosphere is intentionally relaxed.

“Let’s just get together and have no real agenda,” she said. “You don’t have to overthink it or commit a lot of resources to it. People can just show up and be themselves.”

At Dutcher Crossing Winery in Geyserville, wine is the lead character in the Sips & Stories Book Club.

The quarterly gathering pairs a featured book with themed wines and light bites for purchase. At its February kickoff, about a dozen attendees discussed “The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It,” sipping as they traded impressions. The club is open to both wine club members and the public.

“We’re all about fostering community and creating meaningful connections,” said Lauren Fairlee, the winery’s wine club manager and the club’s founder. “[This] felt like a natural extension of that spirit.”

Ultimately, she added, “It’s about conversation, shared experiences and building relationships in a relaxed, welcoming environment.”

In Napa, Leilani Baugh, known as Chef Leilani, has taken a similar approach at Vin En Noir, her hybrid wine lounge and bookstore, where offerings spotlight people of color and women winemakers.

Her Books and Bottles club meets on the second Saturday of each month.

Baugh, an avid reader who often unwinds with a book and a glass of wine, said the idea came easily as book clubs surged in popularity.

“We already had a wine lounge,” she said. “Creating a book club there felt like the perfect idea.”

Though she gravitates toward thrillers and romantasy — a blend of romance and fantasy — Baugh lets members shape the reading list.

“I like talking with everyone to learn their reading tastes and preferences, so the book selections reflect the group as a whole,” she said. “That means we tend to explore a mix of genres — romance, romantasy, thrillers and other page-turners that spark great conversation.”

The evenings are deliberately informal, with wine and small bites available as guests discuss characters and themes. For Baugh, the aim is less about promoting products than about creating a sense of belonging.

“What started as people gathering to talk about books over a glass of wine quickly grew into something bigger,” she said. “It’s really about creating a place where people can slow down, enjoy a good book, sip a great glass of wine, and connect with others who love being a little bookish.”

Wine Country Book Clubs

Azur Book Club: Monthly meetups at the Napa winery feature wines by the glass and bottle. Azur Winery, 1014 Clinton St., Napa. 707-812-4203, azurwines.com

Books and Bottles: The club meets every second Saturday to discuss the latest book and sip wines by people of color and women winemakers. Vin En Noir, 1001 Caymus St., Napa. 707-637-4088, vinennoir.com

Silent Book Club: Not in the mood to mingle? Each month, members of the Santa Rosa chapter meet at a local bar or restaurant to silently read in each other’s company. silentbook.club

Sips & Stories Book Club: Quarterly gatherings include book-themed wines and snacks for purchase. Dutcher Crossing Winery, 8533 Dry Creek Road, Geyserville. 707-431-2700, dutchercrossingwinery.com

Songbird Parlour Cookbook Club: Members meet quarterly at the restaurant to share dishes from a designated cookbook. Email info@songbirdparlour.com to sign up. Songbird Parlour, 14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 3, Glen Ellen. 707-343-1308, songbirdparlour.com

Sonoma Valley Regional Library Cookbook Club: Each month, members browse a selection of themed cookbooks, then prepare and share their dishes. Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 W. Napa St., Sonoma. 707-996-5217, sonomalibrary.org/events

The post In California Wine Country, Book Clubs Are Getting a Culinary Upgrade appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

An estate with storybook Mediterranean style situated near the iconic Silverado Trail in St. Helena is currently listed for sale. The 40-acre property — which includes a four-bedroom, four-bathroom main home, two guesthouses, a tennis court, two pools and a Cabernet vineyard — is currently listed for $18,500,000.

Built in 2003 and recently renovated, the 8,500-square-foot main home has a striking traditional style with a courtyard, loggias and mature plants climbing the stucco walls, all crowned with a steeply pitched, tile-clad hipped roof.

Interiors are elegant with Venetian plaster walls, walnut hardwood and French limestone floors, but are topped and trimmed with earthy and oversized raw wood beams. Fireplaces, arched doorways and floor-to-ceiling, black steel-frame windows add additional charm. The indoor-outdoor connection is present throughout the home, but the vibe doubles down in the solarium dining room.

The main home’s pool is perched above Lake Hennessey, almost appearing to merge with it from certain angles. A 60-foot lap pool sits by the guest homes. There is a bocce ball court and multiple alfresco dining spots sheltered by impossibly lush vine-wrapped trellises. 

For more information on this property at 40 Long Ranch Road in St. Helena, contact listing agent Ginger Martin, 415-516-3939, 707-200-2488; Sotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage, 1229 Adams St., St. Helena, sothebysrealty.com/winecountry/eng/sales/detail/726-l-86828-lc7vc5/40-long-ranch-road-st-helena-ca-94574

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At Royal We Wines in downtown St. Helena, wines spanning six brands are all crafted by the same duo: winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and viticulturist Matt Hardin. Together, they bring a meticulous, nuanced touch to wines from Caterwaul, Matthew Wallace, Aston Estate, Switchback Ridge, RIV and Maybach Family Vineyards.

The story

Thomas Rivers Brown likes to keep a low profile, yet he’s considered one of Napa Valley’s top winemakers. His wines have earned more than 60 perfect 100-point scores from critics — not bad for a South Carolina native with no formal enology training.

Brown entered the wine world in 1997, taking an entry-level cellar job at Turley Wine Cellars in St. Helena, where he worked with winemaker Ehren Jordan. After several years, he moved into consulting, making wines for cult Cabernet Sauvignon brands like Schrader Cellars and Pulido-Walker. The prolific winemaker now works with 50 clients in addition to helming his own brands.

Matt Hardin represents the farming side of Royal We. As a sixth-generation Napa Valley farmer, he grew up among the vines. After working under his mentor, viticulturist Jim Barbour, for more than a decade, Hardin founded his own vineyard management company in 2021. He is married to fourth-generation vintner Alicia Regusci, co-founder with Hardin of the Matthew Wallace brand and founder of RIV Wines.

After years of collaboration, Brown and Hardin founded Caterwaul Wines in 2014. In the fall of 2025, the friends opened Royal We in St. Helena. Along with their own brands, including Brown’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir project Aston Estate and Hardin’s Matthew Wallace, the tasting room features rotating selections from their clients.

The vibe

Yao Family Wines closed its downtown St. Helena tasting room in 2020, and the space sat empty for four years before Royal We moved in. They revamped the tasting room to tone down the Vegas-style décor and added rich tones of royal blue and orange. There is plenty of seating at the circular bar, flanked by two smaller rooms for seated tastings. The atmosphere is sleek and understated. Stylish, but not stuffy.

Royal We does not serve food but encourages tasters to take a bottle next door to Gott’s Roadside for the world’s most elevated burger pairing. The restaurant’s buzzers work in the tasting room, and corkage at Gott’s is just $5.

On the palate

You may wonder how a winemaker who works with so many brands — and mainly with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — keeps them from tasting the same. The distinctions lie in the vineyards. Brown and Hardin avoid overlapping sites between their brands, and each vineyard has its own variations in clones, soils and row orientations. Made with minimal intervention, the resulting wines lean toward power without going overboard.

The 2024 Matthew Wallace Hardin Ranch Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($40) has a flowery, peachy aroma, with vibrant citrus flavors and subtle grassy notes. At the higher end of the price spectrum, the 2023 Caterwaul Regusci Vineyard Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) is a gorgeous wine with a deep, opaque color and aromas of tobacco spice. It has enough acidity for aging, but it’s already delicious.

Tastings range from quick bar samplings ($25) to more leisurely seated options ($50-$75). If there’s a particular brand or focus you’d like to explore, they’ll gladly create a customized tasting.

Beyond the bottle

Love Italian markets? Check out the newly expanded — and quite spectacular — Mercato del Gusto at V. Sattui Winery. It has everything you could want for a Wine Country picnic, from prepared salads to panini to charcuterie boxes. Oh, and did I mention the house-cured salumi and 200 cheeses from around the world? The market also sells harder-to-find Italian deli meats like mortadella, guanciale and bresaola.

For a simple Italian market, Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Co. is just five minutes away. Hidden on a quiet St. Helena back road, it has been run by the same family since 1931. The space is small, cramped and wonderfully authentic. Along with jugs of housemade extra-virgin olive oil, the market is packed with imported pastas, sauces, cured meats, condiments and candies. Matt Hardin says the place smells like his childhood, but he is wrong about that. It smells like my childhood.

Royal We Wines is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 929 Main St., St. Helena, 707-339-2492, royalwewines.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

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The blushing bubbles of a sparkling rosé are enough to make any bubbly buff swoon. So, what is it about this elegant pink drink that makes it so special?

Believe it or not, the bubbles in sparkling wine were initially considered a nuisance in the Champagne region of northeast France, where the first wines were pale pink with nary a bubble in sight.

Produced primarily from Pinot Noir, the wines often struggled to finish fermentation under cool autumn temperatures unbeknownst to vintners who bottled them anyway. In the spring, the warmer temperatures awakened the dormant yeast, producing carbon dioxide and an effervescence winemakers found infuriating.

Eventually, sparkles were embraced and methods improved, thanks especially to Madame Clicquot Ponsardin. Prior to Clicquot, sparkling rosé was often produced by crushing red grapes (like Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris), then allowing the juice to macerate on the skins until the desired color was achieved. Without modern winemaking techniques, the resulting wines were cloudy, inconsistent, and unstable.

Clicquot saw a better way. Utilizing a riddling rack (a device she pioneered), she was able to produce consistently clear red and white wines, which she blended together with precision — a method still in use by most Champagne producers.

While French Champagne rosé must be produced with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or a combination, California winemakers have the freedom to use any grapes they choose. That means local sparkling rosés vary wildly in flavor. With fruity notes of watermelon, strawberry, and raspberry, and floral aromas like rose petals, they truly offer something for everyone. Whether you’re celebrating the season of love with your partner, your mom, or your best friends, these delicious sparklers will help you do Valentine’s Day right.

Three to Try

Chandon (NV) Brut Rosé, California, $27

This sparkling rosé from Chandon winemaker Pauline Lhote is a blend of 57% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 3% Pinot Meunier. Produced using méthode champenoise — a lengthy process that involves a second fermentation in the bottle — the wine offers notes of strawberries, red cherries, and pomegranate, with raspberry tart on the finish. chandon.com

Breathless (NV) Rosé, Sonoma County, $29

Winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster is the talent behind Breathless’ sparkling wines, winning the Healdsburg-based brand countless gold medals. A blend of 83% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, and 6% Pinot Meunier, this sparkling rosé is buoyant on the palate, with flavors of pear and apple enveloped in a fine creamy mousse. breathlesswines.com

SEPPI (NV) Brut Rosé, California, $32

Founded by Kelsey Phelps, Healdsburg’s SEPPI is named in honor of her celebrated winemaker grandfather, Joseph Phelps, who inspired her passion for wine. Produced in méthode champenoise with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this sparkling rosé offers aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and a touch of citrus blossom, followed by cranberry, strawberry, and a hint of tart crab apple on the juicy finish. drinkseppi.com

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Chardonnay remains Napa Valley’s top-selling white wine, but in recent years, Sauvignon Blanc has stepped out of the shadows to steal the spotlight. While many wineries have added Sauvignon Blanc to their lineups to capitalize on its growing popularity, St. Supéry had a decades-long head start. The Rutherford winery still shows the bandwagoners how it’s done with its complex and juicy wines.

The story

Third-generation French vintner Robert Skalli dreamed of creating a prestigious Napa Valley wine estate, so in 1982, he bought a 1,500-acre cattle ranch in the region’s northeastern mountains and planted a vineyard. He named it Dollarhide Ranch after the previous owner and dedicated the property to growing Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Soon after, Skalli purchased a winery estate in Rutherford and, in 1989, opened St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery. The producer entered a new chapter in 2015, when Skalli sold it to Chanel, Inc. — yes, that Chanel, of fashion house fame — which also owns winery estates in Bordeaux.

Today, the winery farms nearly 600 acres of estate vineyards, including 200 acres of Sauvignon Blanc at Dollarhide Ranch and another 42 acres on a newly acquired Rutherford property. Certified Napa Green for its winery and vineyards, St. Supéry is a gold-level member of the International Wineries for Climate Action.

The vibe

You might expect a winery owned by a legendary Paris fashion house to look like a fancy-pants chateau, but St. Supéry is not ostentatious. The boxy, concrete-hued building is mostly embellishment-free, aside from black-and-white striped awnings and a few bistro tables out front.

Inside, the atmosphere is decidedly more stylish. There’s a tasting bar on the main floor, but most experiences take place on the second level. The modern, sunlit space features various seating options, from a tasting bar to contemporary lounge setups, plus an art gallery with rotating exhibits. Through a large window, visitors can glimpse the winery’s production area below.

On the palate

The consistent quality of St. Supéry’s wines owes much to the longevity of its winemaking team. Vice president of winemaking Michael Scholz joined in 1996, and winemaker Brooke Shenk came on a decade later, in 2006.

Tasting Sauvignon Blanc is a must at St. Supéry, and the winery makes four versions to explore. The 2023 Dollarhide Estate Cold Concrete Fermented Sauvignon Blanc ($42) is bright and citrusy, with juicy pink grapefruit notes that linger. The 2023 Dollarhide Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($42), fermented in stainless steel and French oak, has a creamier texture, with a whiff of toasted marshmallow and fresh grapefruit on the palate.

Red wine fans won’t be disappointed, either. During a recent visit, I gravitated to the 2019 Dollarhide Estate Malbec ($70). With a dark, inky color and black-plum flavors, the wine walks the line between power and elegance.

Along with food-pairing experiences like the four-course Taste of the Estate ($148) and Mustard Season Tasting Flight ($92), the winery hosts two appealing options at $46 each: the Winemaker’s Selection and White Wine Discovery.

Beyond the bottle

Dollarhide Ranch isn’t just home to hundreds of acres of grape vines. It’s also a peach farm, with 70 varieties and 1,200 trees. The fruit is used to make varietally labeled jams — I like to swirl them into plain Greek yogurt — which are available for sale in the tasting room while they last. The ranch also grows apple trees for the winery’s tasting-room-only hard cider.

St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; reservations recommended on weekends. 8440 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford. 707-302-3488, stsupery.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

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Super Bowl LX kicks off at 3:30 p.m. (PST) Sunday, Feb. 8, with the Seattle Seahawks facing the six-time reigning champion New England Patriots. This exciting rematch of 2015’s Super Bowl XLIX will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

If you’re not attending the game in person, plenty of local sports bars let you catch all the action and enjoy a cold mug of Pliny the Younger. Find complete event information at nfl.com/super-bowl/event-info.

Poppy Bank Epicenter and Victory House, Santa Rosa

If your TV at home is not big enough for all the action, Epicenter’s Victory House has “massive true HD laser and HD LED TV screens” on two 40-foot walls, plus multi-zone surround sound. Seating is first come, first served, and the event is free. Additional seating is available in Chuck’s Bowling, with the game shown on screens throughout Poppy Bank Epicenter. 3215 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-757-9041, visitvictoryhouse.com, visitepicenter.com

Ausiello’s 5th Street Bar & Grill, Santa Rosa

With 24 TV screens, cold beer, juicy burgers and one of the best bloody marys in Sonoma County, Ausiello’s is a go-to spot for sports fans. Enjoy $5 pints of Modelo during the game. 609 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-579-9408, ausiellos5thstreetgrill.com

Flagship Taproom, Santa Rosa

This friendly taproom is a great spot to catch the game, with 10 TVs, an all-day Sunday happy hour and a rotating selection of craft beers on tap. Enjoy brunch, sandwiches and tacos while you watch every play. Flagship will also host a Super Bowl trivia night from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 11 to relive all the action. 446 B St., Santa Rosa, 707-541-6716, flagshiptaproom.com

Beyond the Glory, Petaluma

Watch the game on 19 TVs and two massive 100-inch projection screens. Walk-ins are welcome, but this spot fills up fast, so call ahead to reserve your seat. 1371 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite 130, Petaluma, 707-971-8366, btgpetaluma.com

McNear’s Saloon & Dining House, Petaluma

This lively pub next to Petaluma’s Mystic Theatre is pulling out all the stops for Super Bowl Sunday. Catch the game on 13 screens while enjoying chicken wings, burgers and drink specials, including a shot with a beer. The upstairs room will also be open for extra seating. 23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-765-2121, mcnears.com

Graton Resort & Casino, Rohnert Park

Graton Casino will host a lively watch party with a chance to win prizes at its sporty G Bar. The sports bar features over 38 flat-screen TVs, so you won’t miss any of the action. On the day before the game, Graton will host a meet-and-greet and photo ops with football icons Charles Haley, Rod Woodson, Marcus Allen and Bill Romanowski from 2-6 p.m., Feb. 7, on the Drawing Stage. 288 Golf Course Drive W., Rohnert Park, 707-588-7100, gratonresortcasino.com

Gehricke Wines, Sonoma

Gehricke Wines is hosting a Super Bowl viewing party with the game on a giant screen, plus Cubanos and Philly cheesesteaks from Golden, Brown & Delicious food truck. Reservations are encouraged through Tock. Food and wine sold separately. 32 Patten St., Sonoma, 707-732-9590, gehrickewines.com

Murphy’s Irish Pub, Sonoma

This longtime favorite watering hole has 10 high-definition TVs showing the game all day and night. Whether you’re cheering on your team or celebrating with a pint of Guinness and a leg of lamb, Murphy’s is the place to be. 464 First St. E., Sonoma, 707-935-0660, sonomapub.com

Steiner’s Tavern, Sonoma

This Sonoma institution offers 16 TVs, pool tables and a full bar, serving beer, wine and pub fare like tater tots, sandwiches and hot links. 465 First St. W., Suite 100, Sonoma, 707-996-3812, steinerstavern.com

Olde Sonoma Public House, Sonoma

This local favorite is a sports lover’s paradise with large TVs, dartboards, pool tables and 32 beers on tap. Enjoy pinball, table games and pub grub while watching the big game. Happy hour runs from 4-6 p.m. with discounted prices on select craft beers. Reserve your spot for the watch party online. 18615 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-938-7587, oldesonomapub.com

HopMonk Tavern, Sonoma

Watch the game at HopMonk Tavern, where you can catch the action on three TVs by the bar and one big screen in the restaurant. Enjoy snacks like warm pretzels, chicken wings and pickle fries with a cold brew. A perfect spot for food, drinks and game-day fun. 691 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-935-9100, hopmonk.com

Healdsburg Bar & Grill, Healdsburg

This popular Healdsburg restaurant serves classic American fare with classic American sports, a perfect patriotic pairing. Game day specials at HBG include $6 beers, plus pub bites like nachos, wings and chili-cheese fries. 245 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-3333, healdsburgbarandgrill.com

Napa Palisades Saloon, Napa

This Napa brewpub is an ideal spot to watch the Super Bowl with 16 TVs, hundreds of chicken wings served throughout the day and great eats like the Saloon burger and crunchy fish tacos. The bar fills up quickly by 2 p.m., so reserve a table if you’re in a group of six or more. With 150 seats available and only 15 at the bar, it’s best to plan ahead. 1000 Main St., Suite 100, Napa, 707-492-3399, napapalisades.com

FARM at Carneros Resort, Napa

Carneros Resort is ready to host the Big Game experience. Enjoy the game at FARM Pavilion, where you can watch on large-screen HDTVs while sipping local draft beers and craft cocktails. Relax in lounge-style seating and snack on tasty bites for the perfect game day atmosphere. 4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa, 707-299-4880, farmatcarneros.com

Calistoga Depot, Calistoga

Watch the game on TVs around the distillery bar. Enjoy food, drinks and all the excitement on the big screen while cheering on your team in style. 1458 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707-963-6925, calistogadepot.com

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, multiple locations

No matter who wins the Super Bowl, pizza and beer is always a winning combination. Mountain Mike’s will host multiple Super Bowl watch parties with pizza and cold drinks in Sonoma and Napa counties this year. Reserve a spot via Eventbrite for the watch parties at Santa Avenue and Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa, Commerce Boulevard in Rohnert Park and Trancas Street in Napa. mountainmikespizza.com

Eden Collier and Maci Martell contributed to this article.

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From Swedish meatballs to Kansas City-style burnt ends, the North Bay’s culinary range will be on display next month when KQED’s Emmy Award-winning series “Check, Please! Bay Area” spotlights two Wine Country restaurants as the show’s 20th season comes to a close.

Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma and Stateline Road Smokehouse in Napa will be featured in the first installment of the final four episodes of the season, airing at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 on KQED 9.

In announcing the new slate, KQED praised Stockhome’s “casual yet deeply personal take on Swedish street food influenced by Middle Eastern flavors,” reflecting chef Roberth Sundell’s Scandinavian heritage. Stateline Road Smokehouse was noted for chef Darryl Bell Jr.’s Kansas City-inspired barbecue, described as “rooted in Bell’s childhood memories and community traditions.”

Personal heritage, community values and nostalgia have emerged as unifying themes this season. In the fall, the show featured Petaluma’s Brigitte Bistro, spotlighting chef-owner Nick Ronan’s menu of French classics inspired by his upbringing in Southern France.

Though the cuisines at Stockhome and Stateline differ sharply, both reflect chefs who draw from their backgrounds to produce food that honors tradition while remaining distinctly their own.

From meatball to kebab

Chef Roberth Sundell and his wife, Andrea, opened Stockhome in downtown Petaluma in 2018. The restaurant serves traditional and contemporary Swedish dishes alongside Nordic staples and Middle Eastern street food, a blend that reflects modern Stockholm’s culinary landscape.

“It’s basically what you eat when you go to the city of Stockholm,” Sundell said in a recent phone interview, noting Sweden’s long-standing Middle Eastern influences, where you’ll find everything from classic schnitzel to gyros to Turkish kebab. 

“That’s where I created this concept of ‘Stockhome,’ of traditional but also street-food fare” that you can find on the corners of the Swedish capital, he explained.

Before opening Stockhome, Sundell owned Pläj, a Scandinavian restaurant in San Francisco that opened in 2012 and closed in 2021. Pläj was featured on “Check, Please” in 2014.

Sundell was surprised when producers reached out again.

“It was just such an honor. I was over the moon,” he said. “It’s such a big thing to run a restaurant and do your best every day. So I’m just feeling so fortunate and lucky that I got a mention again.”

For the episode, Stockhome showcased several signature dishes, including Swedish meatballs, beet-cured gravlax and falafel plates. Sundell’s personal favorite remains the lamb and beef kebab plate with rice and fries.

“It’s so good, I almost can’t get enough of it,” he said.

The menu also includes shrimp skagen, Swedish pancakes and semla buns, traditionally served in February for Fat Tuesday. Other offerings range from Wiener schnitzel and frankfurters to fried Halloumi and tabbouleh. On the counter, jars of “Saturday candy,” or “lördagsgodis” add a final cultural touch. This sweet Swedish tradition has children wait to eat candy on Saturdays.

220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomepetaluma.com

More than barbecue

After nearly two years of anticipation, chef and co-owner Darryl Bell opened Stateline Road Smokehouse in the summer of 2024 with business partner Jeremy Threat. While the restaurant is grounded in Kansas City-style barbecue, Bell describes it as something broader.

“It’s what I call ‘barbecue plus,'” Bell said. “It goes beyond barbecue …  It goes to a level where it’s chef-driven.”

Bell spent 16 years working in Michelin-starred and fine-dining kitchens and studied pastry in France before turning his focus to barbecue. Growing up in Kansas City, he assumed barbecue culture was ubiquitous.

“Moving out here, it kind of hit me like, ‘oh shoot, it’s not everywhere,'” he said.

The idea for Stateline took shape with encouragement from his wife, who urged him to stop lamenting the absence of Kansas City barbecue in Northern California and create it himself. What first felt like a step backward from fine dining became an opportunity to merge disciplines.

“I realized I don’t have to do it the way it’s been done for a hundred years,” Bell said. “I can do it my style — I can mix what I’ve learned out here with my roots of barbecue, and do both at a high level.”

Alongside staples like burnt ends, pulled pork and baby back ribs, Bell rounds out the menu with lighter fare and an off-menu fish selection, an option he attributes partly to personal preference.

“Ironically, I just don’t eat that much meat,” he said, noting that he does taste every single piece of meat the restaurant cooks. “So I realized I would have to put on nonmeat items. It actually has turned into a pretty cool outlet for the team and me to be creative and have fun.”

Bell hopes “Check, Please!” viewers see the throughline connecting his varied culinary experiences.

“There’s some background here to all of it,” he said. “Whether it’s studying in France for pastries to make these desserts, or studying fine dining to do the fish, or growing up in Kansas City to do the barbecue.”

In addition to barbecue classics, the menu features an American Wagyu tri-tip sandwich, smoked maitake mushroom salad, mac and cheese with aged cheddar Mornay, and desserts such as caramelized banana pudding.

872 Vallejo St., Napa, 707-699-2793, stateline-road.com

The “Check, Please” episode featuring Stockhome and Stateline will air at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 5, on KQED 9.

The post Petaluma, Napa Restaurants To Be Featured on ‘Check, Please! Bay Area’ appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

For fans of California Cabernet Sauvignon, Pritchard Hill is a sacred spot. Perched in the Vaca Mountains on the eastern side of Napa Valley, the rugged site produces wines with a rare combination of power and refinement. While settler Charles Pritchard planted the first vines there in 1882, it was Chappellet Winery that truly established Pritchard Hill as one of Napa’s most revered winegrowing addresses.

The story

Originally the founder of a successful coffee vending machine company, Donn Chappellet spent more than a decade in the corporate grind — so to speak — before setting his sights on an entirely different beverage. Both he and his wife, Molly, were avid wine fans, so they sold their company shares and headed to Napa Valley in search of a hillside vineyard site.

The couple founded Chappellet Winery on the rocky slopes of Pritchard Hill in 1967 and built the winery the following year. The structure’s shape, designed by abstract artist Ed Moses, was inspired by the pyramids of Egypt. The winery released its first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1969.

Molly brought her own creative vision to the endeavor, shaped by her art school education. She transformed Chappellet’s gardens into a living canvas of flowers, trees and greenery to complement the 600-acre property’s natural beauty.

Rising from 800 to 1,800 feet above sea level, Chappellet’s estate vineyard spans 104 planted acres. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, with smaller blocks of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Chenin Blanc included. In 2012, the estate earned organic certification, and the winery expanded its production capacity with a new barrel chai.

Today, Chappellet’s second generation runs the winery.

The vibe

It’s only about a 15-minute drive to the winery from downtown St. Helena, but it feels a world away. It’s a steep drive up from the valley floor, with plenty of tight turns amid the oak woodlands and manzanitas, but the dramatic views are worth the effort. The estate vineyard sits above the fog, peppered with massive boulders.

The winery building, with its pyramid shape and soaring wooden rafters, is like no other. You won’t find a tasting bar or standard lounge areas. Instead, long tables are placed among the barrels to create different private seating areas. Each features its own barrel-mounted artwork, created by Chappellet family members or their personal contacts. Although the space is a working winery — you’ll probably hear some forklifts beeping in the background while you taste — the setting is spacious, warm and beautiful.

On the palate

Chappellet wines expertly balance muscle, elegance and purity in the hands of Phillip Corallo-Titus, who’s been leading the producer’s wine program for three decades, and winemaker Ry Richards.

The 2024 Chenin Blanc ($75) is a charmer that shows off tropical fruit and citrus notes with a nicely rounded texture. Though the grape is trending at the moment, it’s been planted at Chappellet since the 1960s. I especially enjoyed the 2023 Cabernet Franc ($115) for its beautiful aromas of cigar-box spices, silky texture, and a mix of black and red fruit. One of my favorites among the Cabernet-dominant blends, the 2023 Las Piedras ($95) is a balanced and structured wine with a darker, blackberry-and-cassis profile.

Tastings range from $125 for a behind-the-scenes tour and sampling of current releases to $250 for the Pritchard Hill Via 4×4 option, a two-hour jaunt that includes a vineyard excursion and a scenic outdoor tasting paired with California artisan cheeses.

Beyond the bottle

If, like me, you’ve made a resolution to spend less money on soulless, mass-produced things, Carter & Co. in downtown St. Helena is a great place to put that idea into action. Stop in to peruse handmade, kiln-fired ceramics and tableware crafted by local potter, sculptor and artist Richard Carter. If clean lines and functional beauty set your heart aflutter, check out the artist’s minimalist dinnerware in granite and white tones.

Appointments by reservation only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 

Chappellet Winery, 1581 Sage Canyon Road, St. Helena. 707-286-4219, chappellet.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

The post Napa Valley’s Chappellet Winery Is Still King of the Hill appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

What’s a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay specialist doing holed up in an old hunting cabin along Napa Valley’s Silverado Trail? Is it infiltration into enemy territory? An effort to provide visitors with palate cleansers between big Napa Cabs? There’s no need to question Failla’s motivation — just sit back and enjoy their beautifully made, cool-climate wines.

The story

Founder and winemaker Ehren Jordan, a Pittsburgh native, didn’t grow up in a wine-drinking family. His vinous path began unexpectedly during his college years at George Washington University in D.C., where he studied art history and took a job stocking shelves at a wine-and-spirits shop — mainly for the beer discounts. That gig led to a post-graduation role with a Denver wine distributor, and later to Il Poggio restaurant in Aspen. His enthusiasm for wine quickly propelled him to the position of restaurant manager and wine buyer.

A nudge from an Aspen friend steered Jordan toward a summer job as a tour guide at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, where he soon worked his way into the cellar. Looking to deepen his production skills, he then headed to France’s Rhône Valley to work with renowned winemaker Jean-Luc Columbo.

When Jordan returned to California in 1994, his former Phelps boss, Bruce Neyers, tapped him to be the founding winemaker at Neyers Vineyards. Though Jordan worked for free, he received a stake in the business. He also did side work for Helen Turley and bonded with her brother, Larry, who recruited Jordan to lead winemaking at Turley Wine Cellars in 1996. Around the same time, Jordan purchased a Sonoma Coast property near Cazadero and planted it to Syrah, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

In 1998, Jordan and his wife Anne-Marie Failla (pronounced FAY-lah) launched their own label — initially called Failla-Jordan — focused on cool-climate wines. Jordan sold his stake in Neyers in 2003 to build a winery in St. Helena, just a five-minute drive from Turley, where he originally made the Failla wines, and near his home in Calistoga. The tasting room opened in 2010.

The vibe

The Failla tasting room is set inside a cozy cabin built in 1920, previously owned by Napa Valley chef Cindy Pawlcyn, of Mustard’s fame. The place is cozy and homey, with knotted-wood walls and ceilings, and a stone hearth decorated with antlers. Tastings take place in a couple of living room seating areas (if you’d like a pretty view of a Zinfandel vineyard, request a spot near the front window). There’s also casual outdoor seating on the front porch and in Adirondack chairs under some redwoods on the front lawn.

On the palate

Though Jordan tends to stick with a handful of grape varieties, he loves to experiment with different site expressions based on climates and soil types. His winemaking vessels of choice tend to be egg-shaped concrete fermenters and neutral oak, so fruit and place take the lead.

The 2023 Jurassic Park Chenin Blanc from Santa Ynez Valley ($45), fermented in concrete, is a crisp and lovely wine with lively acidity and notes of green apple and citrus. The 2023 Olivia Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($48) has fresh, lemony aromas and tropical fruit flavors. With bright aromas of red fruits — think raspberries — the 2023 Lola Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($48) is a juicy wine with a medium body and pencil shaving notes.

Tastings range from $65 for a seated tasting in the lodge to $90 for a cave tasting to $150 for a library tasting of selections from the winery’s private cellar, with vintages dating back to 1998.

Beyond the bottle

If you haven’t yet made it to the Julia Child exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum of Arts & Culture — also known as “The MAC” — you still have until March 2026 to check it out. The playful, interactive showing even includes faux simmering pots that exude simulated aromas from Julia’s signature recipes when you lift the lids.

Failla Wines is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily by appointment. 3530 Silverado Trail N., St. Helena, 707-963-0530, faillawines.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

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