Chili crisp is more than a condiment, it’s an obsession. A mix of crunchy shallots, garlic, red chiles and oil, this Chinese sauce is good on just about anything.
The point isn’t to burn your face off, but to add a giant plop of sweet, salty, crunchy, zingy umami to everything from ramen and scrambled eggs to ice cream (really).
Over the last few years, it’s gone from an Asian food store specialty to a required addition to the cupboards of chefs and home cooks during the pandemic. To sate the craving, dozens of companies began selling their own versions, including David Chang of Momofuku (Chili Crunch, $13), Sonoma Harvest’s Crunch Onion Kick ($9), Trader Joe’s Chili Crunch ($4.29) and Fly By Jing ($14.99).
The original, however, is Lao Gan Ma, which started the chili crunch trend in the mid-1990s and is considered the gold standard.
Of all the many, many crisps we’ve tried, the most complex, delicious and fun to eat is from Big Spoon Sauce Co. in Occidental. Nathan Bender and Lani Chan own a local media company, Oystercat Productions, and do video, photography and promotional content for wineries. In their off hours, they make a Sichuan chili crisp inspired by their time in China.
Chili crisp from Big Spoon Sauce Co. in Occidental. (Nathan Bender)
“We went through jars ridiculously fast. But we wanted to tailor a product for our own tastes, with an olive-oil base and playing with local stuff,” Bender said.
After making the condiment as a Christmas present for friends and family, testing it with office mates and getting honest feedback, they finally perfected the recipe. It uses roughly 40 ingredients including mushroom powder for umami, peanuts, sugar, cardamom, star anise, fennel seeds and citric acid. All their products are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and MSG-free.
As word got out, demand grew and the couple had more requests than they could handle. Having expanded their business to a commercial kitchen at Altamont General Store in Occidental, they now make enough to sell at the Sebastopol Farmers’ market (and coming soon to the Healdsburg and Occidental markets). They also sell to a few local stores including Psychic Pie in Sebastopol and Altamont General Store.
Watch for their new Magic Beans chili crisp with fermented black soybeans. The couple also plan to make an extra-spicy sauce. Find more details at bigspoonsauceco.com or on Instagram @bigspoonsauceco.
Scribe Winery’s head farmer, Stephen Carter, lived many lives before finding his way into farming. His carefully tended organic gardens are a thing of beauty in the spring. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)
Stephen Carter remembers the moment he first met radicchio like it was yesterday.
He was studying at Petaluma’s renowned farm school, Green String Institute, and he and his classmates were harvesting chicories for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. “The stuff looked old and moldy, and the guy who was teaching us just wiped off this outer layer and, underneath, there were these brightly-colored vegetables—pale-green leaves, almost white, with dots of red and brightgreen at the center.” And so, it began.
Now, looking around the grounds of Scribe Winery, at Carter’s neatly planted rows of radicchio and chard and dandelion greens, ferny-leafed cardoons and sculptural puntarelle, finger-like fava beans and vivid purple cauliflowers, it’s hard to believe that Stephen Carter hasn’t always been growing radicchio and chard and, well, everything else. But in fact, tending the vegetables and fruit trees and chickens at the scenic Sonoma Valley vineyard is just his latest endeavor. As Kelly Mariani, Scribe’s chef and Carter’s former Chez Panisse colleague puts it, “I feel like Stephen’s lived many lives.”
You might say that Carter was raised with cooking in his blood: His mother’s parents were sharecroppers in Arkansas before moving to the East Bay.When Stephen and his sister were growing up, the entire family gathered at the grandparents’ house for big, celebratory Sunday dinners. “We’d shell peas with my grandma in the living room,” Carter recalls. “She would put on ‘Dallas,’ or whatever soap opera she was watching at the time, and me and my sister would snap peas with her, and she would tell us weird stories about Arkansas.” His parents carried on the tradition of cooking and hosting, throwing tea parties for his sister: “They would have all the weird English tea dishes,” he remembers, “like pickles wrapped with ham and mayonnaise.”
Carter didn’t like the mayonnaise (still doesn’t, in fact), but his love of food has endured through many adventures in his adult life. After graduating from Palo Alto High School, Carter attended Utah State University, where he’d climb 10,000-foot peaks on weekends. He worked a summer in Glacier National Park, built bicycles in New York City for a spell, and then traveled extensively through Japan, Korea, and Australia.
Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)Stephen Carter at Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)
Back to the roots
Upon returning to his native California after years of exploration, Carter started spinning closer and closer to the world of food. His first food job was a stint as a ranch hand at Terra Firma Farm in Yolo County; his second was as a busser at Chez Panisse. While there, Carter had a whole new crop of food experiences. From his post in the kitchen, he would see coworkers prepping gorgeous salads — “They would literally take two hands and massage the lettuce,” he says. One day, during staff meal, for dessert, each person received, simply, a slice of pear. “I had it, and it was the best pear I’d ever had.”
Inspired by these revelations—and a fateful visit to Green String on his first day at Chez— Carter enrolled at the school to learn to be a farmer. Every morning, he and his classmates worked in the fields, and every afternoon, they would meet farm founder Bob Cannard for a daily lesson. “We learned an insane amount of information,” Carter remembers. “[Bob] would talk so fast, and everyone was just writing in their notebooks, as fast as we could.” Carter’s time at Green String led him to farming at SHED in Healdsburg and, in fall 2018, to Scribe. As Scribe’s Head Farmer, Carter grows all the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that chef Kelly Mariani and her team need, from radishes and turnips for crudité boards to artichokes and tomatoes for winery dinners.
Carter often tends to the garden and chickens alone, while listening to audiobooks about farming and food. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)At Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)At Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)
The allure of spring
Carter especially loves springtime in the gardens at Scribe: “You still have those really cool mornings, and the heat doesn’t get too high in the peak of the day.” Those conditions make for fresh, delicately-flavored vegetables, vegetables at peak deliciousness. Dreaming of that ultra-fresh produce, Carter starts reeling off some of his favorite things to eat as the weather starts to warm: just-picked radishes, with a little butter and salt. Shaved fennel in a salad. Lightly-blanched snap peas.
Of course, not every day is fresh radishes and crisp snap peas. Like other farmers, Carter faces challenges in the field. “I have two customers, basically,” he explains, “Kelly, and whatever animals come into the garden.” Those animals include quail (which love to nibble on budding brassicas), turkeys (which scratch tender young crops), and deer— who wait until the produce is perfectly harvest-ready, then eat the hearts out of everything. And then, of course, there are the gophers approaching from underground, undeterred by the nets Carter erects to fend off the birds and deer.
And yet, somehow, the farmer persists, day in and day out. How does he still get up and do it, every day? First of all, Carter says, he keeps in mind that, “No matter what’s going on with this crop, there’s always another one coming. That is another challenge, and another opportunity.” For the most part, Carter works solo, and he enjoys the time his work affords him to learn. Recently, he’s listened to such books as “Heavy” and “Parable of the Sower” while tending his crops. And, of course, Carter says, “It doesn’t really get much better than when you have a really successful harvest, and you get to bring it into the kitchen and see it transformed into something right in front of your eyes, then sit down and taste it.”
At Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)An abundance of late winter and early spring veggies: beets, fennel, and turnips. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)At Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)
Over the years, the farmer has seen numerous chefs transform the fruits of his labors, from Mariani to chefs-in-residence such as Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner and barbecue master Matt Horn. Carter remembers one chef’s visit especially fondly: Mashama Bailey of The Grey. “It was pretty awesome,” he says, “having this Black woman that started her own restaurant come out to the garden and talk to me about food, and us getting to talk to each other about what it’s like being Black people in these spaces we’re occupying.”
As part of her residency, Bailey created a special dinner, which Carter’s parents attended. Bailey cooked a greens dish, and Stephen’s mom, an avid gardener and canner, contributed food that she had made herself. It’s moments like those dinners that, for Carter, make the work worthwhile. “You can tell that people get pretty stoked about coming to the property,” he says. “It feels good to see people get really excited, and — when life is pretty hard for a lot of people — to just be able to provide them with food that they can take some comfort in.”
To taste wine and savor meals featuring Carter’s incredible produce, join Scribe’s wine club, the Scribe Viticultural Society. 2100 Denmark Street, Sonoma. 707-939-1858, scribewinery.com
At Scribe Winery in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad from Scribe Winery. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)
Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad
Chef Kelly Mariani, formerly of Chez Panisse, celebrates farmer Stephen Carter’s spring vegetables in this vibrant dish, often served with Scribe’s Rosé of Pinot Noir. Mariani also notes that, while there’s nothing better than homemade ricotta, storebought also works in this dish. She likes to serve this salad with rounds of homemade grilled flatbread.
Serves 4
For the vinaigrette:
1 Meyer lemon
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
For the herb oil:
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup fresh herbs: a mixture of parsley, chervil, dill, chives, and mint
1 teaspoon chopped green garlic, or a half-clove of garlic
Pinch of sea salt
For the salad:
1 ½ cups mixed spring vegetables: fennel, radishes, turnips, carrots, and beets, thinly shaved using a mandoline
1 cup spring salad greens: arugula, mustard, radicchio, and watercress, torn into bite-size pieces
½ cup fresh herbs: chervil, mint, dill, and parsley, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh ricotta
Sea salt
Black pepper
Instructions:
First, make the herb oil. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Next, make the vinaigrette. Cut both ends off the lemon, then slice it in half lengthwise and discard the center core and seeds. Finely dice both the rind and the flesh of the lemon. Place the diced bits into a small bowl, and squeeze the ends of the lemon on top to get the juice. Add the vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and set aside.
Place the vegetables, greens, and herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the vinaigrette over the top and toss generously. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To assemble the finished salad, spread the ricotta onto a platter. Spoon the herb oil over the ricotta and season with flaky salt.
Mound the vegetable mixture on top, and serve with flatbread.
Homemade Ricotta
Makes about 1 cup
3 ¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup whipping cream
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup distilled vinegar
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, and line it with a double layer of cheesecloth and set aside. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over a medium heat until the mixture reads 165 degrees. At this point the mixture should be curdled and the whey, the liquid, will be much clearer. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the solids, then gently pour the remaining liquid through the strainer. Let the mixture drain for just a few minutes for a softer texture, or longer if you like a firmer, more crumbly cheese.
Homemade Flatbread
Makes 4 large or 6 small flatbreads
¾ cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Whisk together all the ingredients and let them rest for 15 minutes.
After it has rested, add the following to the mixture:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Then, to finish the dough mixture, mix in ¼ cup plain yogurt.
Knead the dough for 2 minutes, then let it rest for 10 minutes covered with plastic. Knead it again for another minute and put into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic and allow to rise on a countertop for 2 hours.
Alternatively, if you would like to make the dough in advance, instead of allowing it to rise on the countertop for two hours, put it in the refrigerator overnight. Pull the dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to cook the flatbreads.
Roll out the dough into 4 to 6 balls and dust with flour. Cover again and allow to rise for 1 additional hour until cooking.
Use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch or roll out each ball of dough until each is about ¼ inch thick. Heat a pan on medium high, add a nub of butter, and cook the flatbreads, one at a time, on both sides until golden brown. Alternatively, you can grill the flatbreads on a hot, oiled grill.
Super Chicken Nachos from Juanita Juanita in Sonoma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Sonoma is often seen as the heart of Wine Country, where tourists flock to experience luxe wine tastings and award-winning fine dining. While not known for its cheap eats, there are affordable eateries in the valley, often frequented by locals in the know. Click through the gallery to find where to eat for under $10 in the town of Sonoma.
A selection of small plates from Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Emma K Creative)
April 22 will be the opening day for Little Saint, the hotly anticipated restaurant, bar, cafe, mercantile and creative space collaboration between Single Thread’s Kyle and Katina Connaughton, philanthropist Jeff Ubben, animal activist Laurie Ubben and designer Ken Fulk.
The 10,000-square-foot space (formerly Healdsburg SHED) has been transformed into a plant-based food mecca that will highlight ingredients from the Connaughtons’ Single Thread Farm and the Little Saint Farm. The Connaughtons’ management arm, Vertice Hospitality Management, will operate the food and wine components of the space under General Manager Akeel Shah, most recently of Single Thread.
Chef de Cuisine Bryan Oliver will lead the kitchen, offering the cafe’s casual takeaway food, bento boxes and grain bowls from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Little Saint Restaurant and Bar will sell more upscale fare and will be open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Sample dishes from the restaurant menu include potato and green garlic soup with lovage and caraway oil, mokum carrots and shaved red cabbage with crunchy rice and cauliflower biryani with dried rose petals.
A bar menu from Matthew Seigel will follow the same plant-based idea with both spirits-based and nonalcoholic drinks.
Chef Baruch Ellsworth will head the pastry program, with sweet morning treats and vegan desserts including a chocolate torte with hazelnut praline and miso caramel or carrot cake with walnuts and vanilla.
The wine shop, under director Alexandria Sarovich, will include a selection of wines from sustainable winemakers throughout the world.
Little Provisions mercantile will be open daily for the purchase of fresh farm produce and flowers, snacks, coffee, teas and books.
There will be 72 seats in the downstairs restaurant with 16 seats at the bar. The second-floor lounge, when it opens in June, will have cocktails and a limited menu. A number of tables will be held back throughout the night to encourage walk-ins, and the bar will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We are so excited to be opening Little Saint at long last! Little Saint is here as much for the local residents as it is for the visitors to Sonoma Wine Country,” Chef Kyle Connaughton said.
“We live here, farm here and are part of the community of amazing winemakers, farmers and artisans. We really wanted to reflect that and create exciting offerings for our local community and at the same time share with the visitors how special this place that we call home is.”
Starting April 1, passengers will be able to enjoy afternoon tea every weekend in April and May during a scenic three-hour journey through Wine Country. In addition to fancy finger sandwiches, guests will be invited to splurge on caviar and there will also be wine, of course.
On select dates, including April 24, May 29 and June 26, passengers are encouraged to don their finest attire for the afternoon tea services as part of the Wine Train’s “Dressed to the Nines on the Lines“series.
Click through the above gallery for more details, plus suggestions on where you can enjoy afternoon tea in Sonoma and Napa counties.
The garden at Quivira Vineyards in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Quivira Vineyards)
Native to the Rhone Valley of Southern France, Rhone grapes were introduced to California during the mid-19th century and likely arrived in Sonoma County around the 1880s. Today, these grapes are known as Rhone varieties and the wines produced from them are called Rhone-varietal wines.
There are 22 Rhone varieties in France (or 24, depending on who you ask), with 14 now grown in the United States thanks to the extensive work of wineries like Tablas Creek in Paso Robles. You may be familiar with syrah, grenache and viognier, but there are so many more to explore.
Produced in a kaleidoscope of colors, textures and characters, with verve that can seamlessly surpass other wines, Rhone varietal wines can offer a refreshing change of pace for wine drinkers seeking something new. Check out these recommendations for some of the best places to sample Rhone wines in Sonoma County.
Frick Winery
Perched among the wildflowers on a hillside overlooking Dry Creek Valley, Frick Winery’s tiny tasting room is an intimate gem among its grander neighbors, with just enough space for four guests at a time.
Winemaker and proprietor Bill Frick has been making Rhone varietal wines since 1976. Today, he continues that legacy as a soft-spoken, one-man show, acting as winemaker, vineyard manager, harvester, barrel washer and tasting room host all rolled into one.
A highlight of Frick Winery is its estate-grown, single-varietal expressions of carignane, mourvèdre, viognier and cinsaut — the latter which is produced from 65-year-old vines that live on the 7.7-acre property surrounding the tasting room. Frick’s blends are also outstanding. Tastings are free (it’s true). Open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with the addition of Fridays in late spring; reservations required.
Dry Creek Valley and France’s southern Rhone Valley have similar terroir, and nowhere is that more evident than at Quivira Vineyards & Winery.
Here, in the outskirts of Healdsburg, the warm to hot days and cool nights are highly conducive to growing Rhone varieties like grenache, which Quivira began planting over 20 years ago. With great emphasis on biodiversity, land preservation and renewable energy, the winery produces numerous Rhone varietal wines, including a luscious rousanne viognier blend from its biodynamic, organic vineyards.
A visit here is a true retreat, especially during spring and summer when the vibrant garden is in full bloom. Tastings from $30. Open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday to Monday; reservations required.
4900 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-8333, quivirawine.com
Two Shepherds
“Winemaking is an art, not a science,” said William Allen, winemaker and proprietor of Windsor’s Two Shepherds winery, where he produces small-lot Rhone varietal wines with minimal intervention.
What started as a garagiste hobby in 2010 has bloomed into a 3,200-case endeavor, with a focus on unusual grapes sourced from cool-climate or old-vine vineyards. Native yeast fermentation, neutral oak and minimal sulfur are integral to Allen’s winemaking process, which he performs on about 15 petite lots per year. Needless to say, this makes for an intriguing, educational tasting experience in his small warehouse tasting room.
Don’t miss the newly released 2019 Carignan, which hails from 75-year-old, dry-farmed vines. Tastings from $20, waived with one bottle per person purchase. Open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Think you know GSM? Think again at Jeff Cohn Cellars in Healdsburg Plaza, where the classic southern Rhone trio of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre has been transformed into a Tavel-inspired (a southern Rhone Valley winegrowing region) brut rosé that is buoyant with bubbles.
With a deep passion for the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Jeff Cohn (the former winemaker at Rosenblum Cellars) has been making Rhone varietal wines since 2006, which he sells alongside his “Rhone-centric zinfandel.” Syrahs are a big focus here (there are four available), along with mourvèdre, grenache and other Rhone varieties sourced from rocky, mineral-driven vineyards.
Wine tastings at Jeff Cohn Cellars start with red wines and end with whites, which shines a well-deserved spotlight on Cohn’s single-varietal marsanne, viognier and grenache blanc rousanne blend. Tastings from $30. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday; reservations recommended.
There are few places in California where you can taste wines produced from some of the oldest, most historic vineyards in the state. That’s the intrigue of a visit to Bedrock Wine Company in Sonoma, where winemaker and owner Morgan Twain-Peterson produces character-driven wines from vines that are more than 100 years old.
While he never planned on opening a tasting room, Twain-Peterson changed his mind once General Joseph Hooker’s historic 1852 home came up for rent in Sonoma Plaza. Twain-Peterson owned Hooker’s 150-year-old vineyard, so serving wines from the general’s vineyards under the roof of his former home was kismet.
Today, you can sample Bedrock’s deeply structured carignane, mourvèdre, zinfandel and other varieties from Hooker’s 132-year-old vines, along with syrah, petite sirah and heritage blends from historic vineyards throughout California. Tastings from $30. Open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday; reservations required.
General Joseph Hooker House, 414 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-343-1478, bedrockwineco.com
Pax Wines
Thanks to the mindful hands of winemakers like Pax Mahle, syrah from California finally found its groove.
Evolving past the powerful, commanding style that once gained him notoriety, Mahle now focuses on leaner, more nuanced expressions of the northern Rhone varietal. With fruit sourced from cool-climate vineyards as far north as the Mendocino coast, he makes wine using native yeast fermentation and minimal intervention.
In his laid-back Sebastopol Barlow tasting room, you can sample Mahle’s stellar lineup of syrahs, grenache mourvèdre rosé, chenin blanc and more. Local cheese plates and charcuterie are also available, as well as live music from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Friday. Tastings from $25. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Asakusa Kid, Japanese fried chicken from Second-Shift. (Second-Shift)
Sonoma County isn’t exactly known for its late-night culinary scene, especially when it comes to the affordable, gut-filling food favored by second-shift restaurant and hospitality staff looking for a greasy, spicy nosh after work.
Two Chicago foodies want to change that with a new pop-up project called Second Staff, a roaming kitchen that offers the “the quick, unapologetic, sometimes messy but always tasty meals that cooks would throw together for each other, especially at the end of the night,” according to co-owner Jenny Phan. She and husband Sean work by day in the wine business but have missed the bustling nighttime food scenes from their time living in Chicago and Los Angeles.
“One of our biggest gripes from the first week of living here was getting off work at 1 a.m. and having nowhere to go except fast food,” Sean said. “We were like, ‘We’re just gonna do it ourselves,’” he said.
The Asakusa Kid, Japanese fried chicken from Second Staff. (Second Staff)
The couple has held several deep-undercover pop-ups in the last few months, at Retrograde Roasters in Sebastopol and the Miracle Plum Kitchen in Santa Rosa. Their focus has been Asian-inspired fried chicken, including their Korean Goddess, coated in a tangy gochujang sauce; the Sichuan Warrior, with a numbing, garlicky chile crisp; and the Asakusa Kid, coated in citrusy sansho, shiso and nori. They also sell scorched sugar boba tea and sides of bread and slaw.
Some of the spaces they’ve worked out of in the past had limited cooking equipment, which led to their limited menu, Phan said, to feed tired kitchen staff something filling and delicious.
“It’s like the gritty, behind-the-scenes industry stuff — fried chicken that was breaded with ramen noodles, kimchi bacon fried rice, grilled mushrooms. Our menu is something that is super approachable with the stronger flavors we love,” Phan said.
The next pop-up will be held at Jam’s Joy Bungalow in Sebastopol (150 Weeks Way, near Ramen Gaijin) from 6 p.m. to midnight Tuesday and Wednesday, March 29 and 30. Order ahead at second-staff.com/popup-snax if you want to assure yourself some fried chicken, because when the food is gone, it’s gone. Details at second-staff.com and on Instagram @_secondstaff.
Bagels from Ethel’s Bagels in Petaluma. (Ethel’s Bagels)
After successfully growing their Bay Area bagelry over the last two years, Ethel’s Bagels will be opening a permanent location in Petaluma this summer.
The family-run pandemic pop-up has taken over the former April Pantry space at 1000 Clegg Court and will be selling organic bagels along with a delicatessen menu including Reuben sandwiches, classic lox, breads (including New York rye), braided challah, babka, rugelach and other traditional Jewish sweets.
Bagels from Ethel’s Bagels in Petaluma. (@woolandson/Ethel’s Bagels)
In June 2020, Chef Nicolas Abrams launched the business, in honor of his New York-born grandparents, from his desire for Jewish comfort food and a longtime quest to create the perfect East Coast-meets-West Coast bagel. With extra time on their hands during the pandemic’s shelter-in-place orders, he and his family began baking, offering personal delivery of classic bagels and schmears.
Stay tuned for more details or follow online at ethelsbagels.com.
More and more Sonoma grapegrowers are using cover crops, like this red clover, to build soil health without the use of chemical fertilizers. (Shutterstock)
“We live in a world of buzzwords, and ‘regenerative agriculture’ is the new buzzword for sustainability — but I think it has legs,” says David Gates, the senior vice president of vineyard operations for Healdsburg’s Ridge Vineyards. Gates admits that the term itself can be hard to define in just a word or two. “It’s complex,” he says. “People have to be interested to really dig into it.”
“For wine consumers to understand ‘regenerative’ farming, they will need to understand ‘ degenerative’ farming,” says Will Bucklin of Glen Ellen’s Bucklin Old Hill Ranch. “Ancient soils were rich in organic matter. But with the advent of the plow, we turned the soil, introduced oxygen, which in turn degenerated the organic matter, releasing it back into the atmosphere as CO2,” he explains. “As I see it, regenerative ag is simply trying to get carbon back into the soil as organic matter.”
So, why not just go through the process of certifying a vineyard as organic? “Organics relies on a list of things that you can and can’t use,” says Ames Morison, co-founder of Medlock Ames Winery in Healdsburg. “Regenerative viticulture, on the other hand, takes it a step further by really protecting the soil.”
Organic matter increases the water holding capacity of soil, meaning farmers don’t need to irrigate as much. And it holds and stores vine nutrients, so fewer fertilizers and other additives are needed. “Most importantly, organic matter is the food source for the soil microorganisms, who are the soldiers that protect and feed the plants,” says Old Hill Ranch’s Bucklin.
The best, cheapest, easiest, and least intrusive way to improve the soil is to plant cover crops, such as mustard and clover. “And, when you don’t till the soil, you build up different fungi and different flora,” says Ridge Vineyards’ Gates.
Above the ground, regenerative agriculture also takes a more holistic approach to farming that takes into account the welfare of workers and animals. “Regenerative farming, it’s not just about the wine,” explains Morison. “It helps broaden the conversation about important topics on a level that encompasses everyone’s life and livelihood.”
Three wines to try
2017 Lytton Estate Syrah Dry Creek Valley $48 / ridgewine.com: “The key to our existence and the soul of what we do is distinctiveness — and that’s born in the soil.” — David Gates, Ridge Vineyards
2019 Ancient Field Blend Sonoma Valley $38 / buckzin.com: “Healthy vines produce more nutrient-dense and colorful grapes, requiring fewer inputs in the winery.” — Will Bucklin, Bucklin Old Hill Ranch
2020 Burning Daylight Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley $50 / medlockames.com: “It’s a purchasing decision that can help the planet and help workers.” — Ames Morison, Medlock Ames
BBQ sandwich from Lombardi’s in Petaluma. (Lombardi’s)
Petaluma has attracted visitors for decades with its small town charm, cute boutiques, secondhand shops, award-winning creameries and eclectic mix of restaurants. Finding a great meal here is an easy feat, but finding one that is also easy on the wallet takes some insider knowledge. We’re here to help. Click through the above gallery for 10 places in Petaluma where you can get a satisfying meal for less than $10.
