Page 18 – Sonoma Magazine

How Will We Eat In 2025? Here Are Our Food Editor’s Predictions

December 2024

By Heather Irwin

The Euphoria nonalcoholic cocktail with Seedlip Grove, goji and schisandra berry, Euphoria Elixir, lime, prickly pear-hibiscus puree and jasmine water at Fern Bar in Sebastopol. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

At the start of each year, we all love a good prediction of the next 365 days. The food and restaurant world is no exception, and industry pundits crunch data, consult experts and posit theories about what we’ll be eating, how we’ll be dining out and what trends will influence us at the cash register.

Often, those predictions are ridiculous, wrongheaded or just wishful thinking, but sometimes they hold a nugget of truth.

This year, I’ve again sifted through dozens of “official” predictions, including those from Whole Foods Market, Food & Wine magazine, Forbes, Chowhound and reports from several trend forecasting companies to see what resonates.

My own predictions are also based on what I’ve seen and heard while eating at more than 120 restaurants, food trucks and food purveyors in Sonoma County over the last year. Here’s what you might expect in 2025.

The word that defines dining out in 2025 — Experience

Friends Aine Fitzgerald, left, and Rachael Brackett enjoy a drink together at The Block Petaluma food park in Petaluma, Calif., on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat) — The Block Petaluma is a food park featuring drinks and live music. The varied entertainment and rotating food trucks provide something for everyone. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)

Diners are paying attention to their food and are looking for value, entertainment, healthy alternatives, sustainability and customization — often all in the same package. Restaurateurs and grocers will need to up their game to create “experiences” that engage customers weary of high prices, unhealthy ingredients and uninspiring options. The mantra I’ve heard a thousand times: “If I can make it at home, why go out?” Diners want more for their money and are willing to seek out the players who best fulfill that desire.

The food watchwords of 2025

Artisan masa, fancy instant noodles, mushroom coffee, turnips, caviar, adaptogens, mood-altering nonalcoholic cocktails, saffron, guava, “swicy” (sweet and spicy), aquatic protein.

The biggest dining trend — Microsizing

We’re all looking for ways to get healthier, especially with the advent of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs, which have diners looking for power punches of flavor in smaller-sized servings. At the start of the new year, many are also trying to cut down on alcohol. We’re also looking for great deals.

To cater to those interests, more restaurants offer flights and “experiences” that include multiple tastes at a lower cost than full-size entrées. I recently ordered a $24 flight of four mini margaritas to share with a friend. It was fun to try different flavors and have an “experience” — neither of us missed having a hangover.

“Restaurants are now offering a smorgasbord of smaller, high-quality dishes and, in some cases, mini cocktails. Think amuse-bouche, bite-size starters, dumplings, tapas and two-sip cocktails — delicious tastes that double as snacks or mini meals,” according to food-trend adviser John Koch.

Table Culture Provisions chef Stéphane Saint Louis serves a collage of late spring bites for two, including squid-ink madeleines, asparagus cappuccino and golden orbs of Indian pani puri filled with Dungeness crab salad. Expect to see more bite-size starters and smaller, high-quality dishes in 2025. (Kim Carroll)

International snacking

Riding on the coattails of microsizing is international snacking. “Brands can tell their story by sharing their cultural roots, introducing consumers to different parts of the world. Think chili masala popcorn, Mexican chamoy candy, Korean seaweed chips, and Thai chili and lime rice chips,” said the Whole Foods 2025 food trend report.

Social media influences

Chopped sandwiches, Boursin pasta, Stanley Tucci’s pasta fagioli soup and chili oil noodles were everywhere on social media this year. Copycat recipes from social media influencers and celebrities show Gen X, millennials and Gen Z how to cook. Quick preparation equipment like air fryers and easy-to-find ingredients encourage people to stay home instead of dining out.

@andyseastcoastkitchen When Stanley Tucci speaks, the world listens—especially when it’s about food. Enter pasta fagioli, a hearty, comforting Italian soup that has captured hearts and taste buds everywhere. Made famous by Tucci’s love for simple and tasty dishes, this pasta fagioli soup is perfect for cold weather. It is warm, filling, and absolutely delicious. This isn’t just soup—it’s a bowl of tradition, rich with the flavors of Italy and packed with wholesome ingredients. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug. You can enjoy it on a winter evening or during a relaxed Sunday lunch. #fyp #foryou ♬ Peaches – Instrumental – Art James

“Food influencers have become culinary rock stars, wielding immense power over what ends up on our plates. Visually-stunning recipe demonstrations and endlessly creative meal ideas draw viewers in, inspiring them to experiment with new flavors and techniques,” said Amazing Food and Drink.

Low ABV is here to stay

The needle continues to swing toward less boozy drinks, whether in restaurants or at home after a long day at work. On trend are “mocktails” with “healthy” mix-ins like herbs, roots, shrubs and mushrooms. “While the millennial and Gen Z generations may have started the Sober Curious movement, it has expanded to all generations who value wellness,” according to T. Hasegawa’s “Flavor Trends 2025” report.

Adaptogens, mushrooms and probiotics

House specialty Green Chile Apple Pie with walnut streusel, cheddar crust, whipped cream and a red chile honey drizzle and an Adaptogenic mushroom tea from the House of Better at the newly renovated Dr. Wilkinsons Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs in Calistoga on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat) — House specialty Green Chile Apple Pie with walnut streusel, cheddar crust, whipped cream and a red chile honey drizzle and an Adaptogenic mushroom tea from the House of Better at the newly renovated Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs in Calistoga on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

Add a little lion’s mane mushroom powder, turmeric and ashwagandha to anything, and you have an “adaptogenic” food — or so the multibillion dollar wellness industry wants you to think. Somewhere between truth and fiction are herbs, roots, fruit, seeds, oils and fungi that may help the body deal with stress, fatigue, gut issues and aging — they may also make you look better, some claim. I am passionate about drinking my mushroom-infused coffee daily, but does it make me a more relaxed person with reduced inflammation? At least, it makes me think so.

“Expect to see more mushroom-based products in everyday pantry staples like pasta, broth and coffee, allowing consumers to effortlessly add its anti-inflammatory and sleep aid properties to their diets,” said Fresh Thyme Market’s 2025 food forecast.

Early bird dining

There are dozens of reasons diners are shying away from 8 p.m. dinner reservations and looking toward early bird eating. In my experience, early dining means fewer people, better service and shorter waits for food. Happy hour deals are a steal and usually offer smaller portions with plenty of variety. We are exhausted by blaring music and poor sound baffling at restaurants, and earlier hours are far less noisy.

“I think we are going to continue to see a push for earlier reservations. I thought this would eventually swing back to later, but we’re still seeing people wanting to eat much earlier than pre-pandemic,” said Food & Wine magazine.

Sustainability

Diners are becoming more familiar with the impacts of what they eat on the environment. Epic waste to toxic pesticides and climate change have us embracing meat alternatives, locally grown produce and environmentally friendly seafood. On the horizon are sustainable aquatic greens and proteins.

“Duckweed, also known as water lentils, is in the early stages of emerging on the scene thanks to a higher protein content than other leafy greens,” Whole Foods said in its 2025 food trend report.

What trends do you want to see? And what trends just need to die? Let me know.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

New Sonoma County Tasting Rooms to Keep On Your Radar in 2025

December 2024

By Carey Sweet

Inside the new Kanzler Estate tasting room in Sebastopol. (Courtesy of Yoni Goldberg)

Many small, family-owned wineries would like to have a tasting room to share their wines in a more accessible way than at a portable setup in their yard (or at their dining room table, as some of our tiny gems do).

But tasting rooms are sizable investments, and often, it can take years before a boutique business can save up enough funds to go big.

These past few months, though, we’ve seen some recognizable, much-loved brands finally take the leap.

Put these three top-notch producers on your list of must-visits in 2025. Besides sampling excellent wines, you’ll also get to know the families, too, as they generally participate in the personal tasting experiences.

Amapola Creek Lounge

The name Amapola Creek isn’t new — the boutique winery was founded by acclaimed winemaker Richard Arrowood in 2005, with 20 acres of organic vineyards on Moon Mountain.

But now it’s easier for people to get their hands on the signature Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon, thanks to a new tasting room opened in Kenwood. The debut comes after Arrowood sold the winery in 2020 to Brion Wise, owner of Sonoma Valley’s B. Wise Vineyards.

After helping put Sonoma Mountain winemaking on the map in 1986 with his original eponymous winery west of the Mayacamas Ridge, Arrowood decided to retire, he said, though he continues to consult with B. Wise on the Amapola brand.

Visitors to the chic tasting room can explore a variety of Rhône red blends, Chardonnay, Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah and that flagship Cabernet Sauvignon.

Do plan to spend ample time admiring the extensive art collection that fills every nook and cranny of the multiroom space. B. Wise is known for its dramatic architecture and design at its properties, and this elegant destination is another stunning showstopper.

9380 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-913-8487, amapolacreek.com

Emmitt-Scorsone Wines

The downtown Healdsburg area is home to more than two dozen tasting rooms, and more adventures just keep on coming. This new spot on the outskirts of Front Street is home to winemakers-owners Michael Scorsone and Palmer Emmitt, and showcases their small-batch Judge Palmer, Domenica Amato and Emmitt-Scorsone labels.

Named after Palmer’s grandfather, Judge Palmer celebrates Cabernet Sauvignon (including a premium selection from Oakville’s Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Scorsone honors his Sicilian grandmother with the Domenica Amato label, featuring Old World-style Grenache, Barbera, red blends, an intriguing, tropical Falanghina varietal, and an herbal, melon-y Cortese that’s particularly great with seafood.

The newer Emmitt-Scorsone brand touts “Old Vines” for its Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing from 30-year-old estate plantings in the rugged hills above West Dry Creek Valley.

Be sure to check out the culinary garden overlooking the Russian River — the bucolic space was designed by renowned Healdsburg chef-farmer Mateo Granados. And bring a picnic, too, since outside food is welcome.

52 Front St., Healdsburg, 707-933-7603, emmittscorsone.com

Kanzler Estate

Inside the Kanzler tasting room in Sebastopol — Inside the new Kanzler Estate tasting room in Sebastopol. (Courtesy of Yoni Goldberg)

Pinot Noir lovers, rejoice. This beloved, under-the-radar producer now has a tasting room, the better to share their superb bottlings. It’s been a long time coming for the boutique business that the Kanzler family established in 1996 on a nearly abandoned apple farm in the Sebastopol Hills.

It’s a lovely, modern space, with cozy sofas, walls of glass to welcome in vineyard views, and an inviting deck to lounge over glasses of five different Pinot Noirs, a Chardonnay and a rosé of Pinot Noir.

Find your favorites, then snap up some bottles to squirrel away home — production ranges from just four barrels to 46 barrels, and stock sells out fast.

After sipping, stroll the property to feel like you’re worlds away in your own quiet, rural retreat.

2109 Sanders Road, Sebastopol, 707-827-3874, kanzlervineyards.com

Slow Co. Pizza in Cotati Focuses on Local Ingredients and Community Vibe

December 2024

By Heather Irwin

The Pretty Fly for a Fungi with pesto, white sauce, mushrooms, Valley Ford Estero Gold Reserve cheese topped with arugula rom Slow Co. Pizza Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

According to industry studies, between 33% and 41% of Americans eat pizza once per week, spending more than $47 billion annually on our favorite fast food.

We love our ‘za.

But some eyebrows were raised when the tiny town of Cotati (population 7,500) got its fourth pizzeria — Slow Co. Pizza — in November. Could there be such a thing as too many pizza restaurants?

The answer is a resounding “no,” as Slow Co. Pizza co-owners Dane Baratta and Dany Cleland take a bite out of not only Cotati’s pizza scene but are impressing pie-eaters throughout Sonoma County.

Their focus is on a “slow” mindset of cooking and eating — using long-fermented dough, family farms and sustainability. The literal opposite of “fast food.” Though the cartoon snail logo for Slow Co. Pizza isn’t a direct reference to the iconic snail of the Slow Food movement, there’s a shared point of view, said Baratta.

Slow Co. Pizza in Cotati — Slow Co. Pizza brings a fresh look to an old cinderblock building, formerly a Mexican restaurant, off La Plaza park Fri., Dec. 20, 2024 in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

“I don’t know if I can claim that we are doing something that doesn’t exist, more so a concept that I don’t think there can ever be enough of,” said Cleland (whose pronouns are they/them).

“Local seasonal food that is simple and done well. Supporting local agriculture and producers and honoring the work they do by making bomb pizza that is served in an environment that is a hang for the community. A pizza spot that is all about ground-up connectedness,” they added.

Baratta and Cleland, both longtime chefs and friends, worked together for several years in Bend, Oregon, where they developed a passion for woodfired pizzas. Baratta moved back to Sonoma County with his family and invited Cleland to open Slow Co. Pizza in Cotati.

“Seasonal foods that I could create and be connective with were always the thing that … hit home. And pizza spoke to this simple and beautiful point … especially doing so in Sonoma County, where everything to make pizza is produced within a 50-mile radius,” said Cleland.

Slow Co. Pizza sources flour from Central Milling in Petaluma, produce from nearby Coyote Family Farm and FEED Cooperative, a food hub for more than 50 North Bay farms, and meats from Sonoma County Meat Co. in Santa Rosa and Zoe’s Meats in Petaluma.

“I’ve always been drawn to farming and good vegetables on the canvas of a pizza,” said Baratta, who worked on a farm outside Seattle for several years.

Slow Co. Pizza’s dough, however, is a signature.

Slow Co. Pizza emphasizes working with the local farming community with a simple, healthy menu Fri., Dec. 20, 2024 in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

“I’ve been obsessing about pizza and dough for 12 years,” said Baratta. The dough uses a sourdough starter and is fermented for 48 to 72 hours. Regular pizza dough is typically ready to use in a few hours.

The sourdough fermentation lends a nutty, slightly sour taste to the dough and creates air pockets for a crisp crust. The pizzas are cooked in a specially-made Pavesi dome oven that uses gas rather than wood to cook the pies in three to four minutes.

The pizzas are 10 inches, enough for one hearty eater or two with a side salad and a small plate. The menu is curated to include seven traditional styles of pizza — pepperoni, cheese, mushroom, veggie — and seasonal additions. Add-on toppings are also available.

Creating a family-friendly space is also a focus for Slow Co.’s owners. Baratta has young children, and wanted a space where kids were welcome and the food was approachable. Though there are some more adult gourmet-style pizzas, there’s plenty to love for younger eaters, too (including Valley Ford soft serve) for the Clean Plate Clubbers.

So, while there’s plenty of great pizza in Cotati and around the region, Slow Co. Pizza’s warmth and inclusivity make it a welcome addition.

“We just want to encourage people to take things slow and enjoy the good stuff,” said Baratta.

Best Bets

Clockwise from top left, Hogwarts Express, Pep in Your Step, The Bird, Living on the Veg and the Pretty Fly for a Fungi pizza from Slow Co. Pizza Fri., Dec. 20, 2024, in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

The Bird, $13: A great pizzaiolo once told me that cheese pizzas are the true measure of a pizzeria. There’s nothing extra to get in the way of tasting the sauce, cheese and, most importantly, the crust. This pizza is stripped down to its core elements and weighs in strong with a sturdy, mottled crust, simple red sauce and shredded mozzarella. Nothing fancy, but nothing missing.

R-Grated, $18: Consider this the classy older sister to the standard cheese pizza. Adding Estero Gold Reserve cheese from Valley Ford Creamery — an aged Parmesan-style cheese with a nice bite — adds depth and umami. You get the sense this pizza could hold her own at a cocktail party.

Pretty Fly for a Fungi, $20: Mushroom pizza is my go-to, mostly because I can justify eating a vegetable with my carbs and cheese. Slow Co. turns the tables on the sauce, using pesto and white sauce instead of red sauce. It makes so much sense. The combination of garlic, cream and basil set the stage for a restrained layer of cheese (including Estero Gold Reserve) that lets the mushrooms take center stage.

Living on the Veg, $20: Seasonal veggies are the star of this show. My pizza included half-moons of sweet Delicata squash atop white sauce. Fresh mozzarella (not the shredded kind) plus Estero Gold Reserve with Calabrian honey and radicchio. Definitely for a more mature palate.

Crispy Broccolini charred in the pizza oven with a housemade chili sauce from Slow Co. Pizza Fri., Dec. 20, 2024 in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat) — Crispy Broccolini charred in the pizza oven with a housemade chili sauce from Slow Co. Pizza Fri., Dec. 20, 2024, in Cotati. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Small Plates, $10: This is where the kitchen gets to flex. Every two weeks or so, a new star gets its moment in the spotlight. When I visited, crisp, roasted stalks of bitter broccolini got a drizzle of creamy miso aioli and dots of chili crunch to add the heat. Stunning.

Caesar salad $15: A lovely mix of local greens, cheese and garlicky Caesar dressing. The breadcrumbs use the day’s leftover uncooked dough, which is baked and crumbled so nothing goes to waste.

Slow Sauce, $3: I remember a pizzeria in Sebastopol with a chef who refused to serve ranch dip with his pizza. Sullying his pies with salad dressing! The nerve! That pizzeria quickly went out of business because ranch dip’s sole purpose (in my opinion) is for dipping pizza crusts.

The Slow Co. crew get it and make their herby sauce with so much garlic you could burn someone’s eyes by saying “hello” a little too enthusiastically after a dip or two.

8197 La Plaza, Cotati, 707-796-5124. Order online at slowcopizza.com.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

Award-Winning Sonoma Interior Design Firm Hommeboys Open New Studio

December 2024

By Vince Vitale

The Hommeboys, a boutique Sonoma interiors firm headed by Alex Mutter-Rottmayer and Austin Carrier, outside their Haus of Hommeboys studio in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche / for Sonoma Magazine)

The boutique Sonoma interiors firm headed by Alex Mutter-Rottmayer and Austin Carrier marries thoughtful design with hands-on craftsmanship (see their richly detailed home in the March/April 2023 issue). Married since 2019, the two say they appreciate classic Wine Country design but think that the look is ready for a shake-up — a revolution they’ve pioneered in award-winning designs for Healdsburg’s Marine Layer tasting room and Sonoma’s Valley Bar + Bottle restaurant.

The couple are now launching three new capsule collections for their furniture line, Haus of Hommeboys, and opening a new woodshop and cabinetry studio just off the plaza in downtown Sonoma.

“It’s kind of scary,” admits Mutter-Rottmayer. “Doing all this work to see if anyone will actually like it. But we’ve always wanted to have a store. Every designer’s dream is to have their own showroom.”

Haus of Hommeboys, 141 Church St., Sonoma. hausofhommeboys.com

Hommeboys interior design — Among the Hommeboys’ interior design projects is the Marine Layer Wines tasting room in Healdsburg. (Gretchen Gause)

Hommeboys in Sonoma — Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, left, reviews a custom furniture design in the workshop. (Eileen Roche/for Sonoma Magazine)

Mixing materials

Alex: “Design is in our blood. It’s what drew Austin and I together. We are always trying to mix the materials we are using, playing with different shapes in plaster, stone, wood. We definitely focus on more organic and natural materials. It’s what we are drawn to. It’s synonymous with California and this part of this country, and this gets routed back to our furniture line, which is very organic and earthy.”

Rustic inspiration

Austin: “We’ve been playing with wood for years. One of the capsule collections is dark, ebony stained, hand-notched cedar furniture. We wanted it to feel raw, rustic and edgy. The shapes are very anthropomorphized, inspired by the backdrop of California’s golden hills.”

On shaping design

Alex: “What’s the process? You just do it! One of the bedrooms we are designing had all of this green velvet from a photo shoot we were doing. And we were like, what if we just cover the walls in green velvet? What can you do with what you have? A lot of design inspiration and process comes from a desire to have fun with it.”

‘I’m Here for a Reason’: A Santa Rosa Couple Replaces Their Lawn With Something More Purposeful

December 2024

By Nate Seltenrich

Landscape designer Tim Farley, left, with Santa Rosa homeowners Perri Haughwout and Carmen Castaldi at the couple’s Labyrinth Garden off Piner Road in Santa Rosa, Sept. 18, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

Perri Haughwout’s decision to build a labyrinth in her front yard wasn’t rushed. She had been thinking about it for years, much like one walks a labyrinth: deliberately but slowly, in quiet consideration, allowing things to unfold.

Haughwout would look out on her front lawn with distaste, imagining something more thoughtful in its place. In time, she let the weed-stricken lawn die entirely. Then two long years passed. By chance, in October 2023 she struck up a conversation with a local acquaintance named Tim Farley, who had been designing and planting gardens for a quarter of a century — but had never built a labyrinth. Both were now excited about the project, though still not hurried.

It took another year to design and build and plant. Finally, there it was: A meandering path that embodies its own circuitous road to existence. To Haughwout, a winemaker and beekeeper, and her husband Carmen Castaldi, who recently retired as president of Healdsburg’s Rodney Strong Vineyards, the garden’s long road to realization reinforces its call to contemplation, meditation and patience.

Carmen Castaldi at work in his and his wife Perri Haughwout’s Labyrinth Garden off Piner Road in Santa Rosa, Sept. 18, 2024. A labyrinth represents a way of looking both inward and outward, explains Haughwout. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

Santa Rosa Labyrinth Garden — Perri Haughwout and Carmen Castaldi’s Labyrinth Garden off Piner Road in Santa Rosa, Sept. 18, 2024. The irregular, undulating footprint of the labyrinth recalls a serpent or sea creature rising up from the landscape. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

A labyrinth represents a way of looking both inward and outward, explains Haughwout, a way of bringing everything together, especially the natural world. One local example that spoke to the couple and helped set the project in motion is a grassy spiral on the Sonoma Coast along the Kortum Trail, near Shell Beach. It’s believed to have been there for over 20 years.

“People are just planting all their intentions there, and memories of people, and personal statements,” Castaldi says. “Little rocks, too. It’s very cool.”

Haughwout was immediately drawn to labyrinths as a personal tool. “I’m not one to sit still, so a way for me to center myself and focus has been walking meditation,” she says. “The walking, the purposeful walking, was what really attracted me to have this at my own house. I mentioned to my neighbors, ‘If you see me walking around in circles, you’ll know I’m just meditating, and not that crazy old lady next door, right?’”

The couple’s new labyrinth is not, in fact, a true circle. Instead, it meanders left and right, winding its way around an existing concrete path that leads to the front door. And this serpentine footprint is artfully echoed in the design of the low, mounded “walls” that define it. Farley chose to construct them of flat, slate-like slabs of locally quarried Sonoma fieldstone. The stones are placed vertically into the earth and aligned perpendicular to the flow of the lava-rock path, so each stone points to the center of the labyrinth.

The effect is something lifelike and familiar, yet mythical. In the spaces between the stones, Farley has planted a crevice garden that Haughwout and Castaldi figure will be a perennial work-in-progress, where succulents and groundcovers and other small plants can put down roots and send up flowers and spread over the rock, softening the already gentle walls while bearing the promise of constant change.

“It’s really going to grow,” Castaldi says. “What I like is that I continue to walk around it, and every time, there’s something else there. We just started placing different nuggets that we’ve collected over the years, like a shell from the beach” — or a rock from Sedona, Haughwout adds.

Another metaphorical layer is Farley’s own labor. He estimates he spent 160 hours last winter, five or six hours at a time, often on hands and knees, selecting and hammering each stone into place.

“In the garden, a lot of times we have tasks that are repetitive,” Farley says. “It’s all about the planning. Get the stone here, get the dirt here. Once I have all that in place, and I actually go into execution, it’s very repetitive. It doesn’t take 100% of your mind state — it absolutely has some of those meditative qualities.”

Perri Haughwout and Carmen Castaldi’s Labyrinth Garden off Piner Road in Santa Rosa, Sept. 18, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

Tiny sedums and flowering succulents are slowly filling in between the stones at Perri Haughwout and Carmen Castaldi’s Labyrinth Garden off Piner Road in Santa Rosa, Sept. 18, 2024. (Chad Surmick / The Press Democrat)

The labyrinth is adjacent to a Pinot Noir vineyard that supports Haughwout’s small label, Perri Jaye Vineyards, which produces about 150 cases of Pinot Noir and rosé each year. Once or twice a year, she invites a few dozen members of her wine club to her vineyard for an intimate gathering, with home cooking from Castaldi — and now a chance to walk the labyrinth and perhaps tuck their own small mementos into the stones.

Even as she asks guests and loved ones to bring their own remembrances, Haughwout feels a strong connection to the labyrinth.

“Walking is my way to meditate, and the labyrinth is pretty magical,” she says. “I feel like as soon as you walk in there, you just kind of go, ‘I’m here for a reason.’ And the reason is, you know, being here, being present and walking with intention.”

Resources

Landscape Design and Installation
Tim Farley
773-456-3813
unlo.com/gardens

Sonoma, Napa Bottles Make The New York Times’ List of Most Memorable Wines of 2024

December 2024

By Maci Martell

The New York Times recently released a list of the most memorable wines of 2024. Sonoma and Napa wineries made it on the roundup of 12 young, noteworthy wines.

The Times’ chief wine critic Eric Asimov curated the list with a focus on “younger, more accessible bottles along with a couple of middle-aged examples.”

Among the newer bottles is a 2017 Chardonnay from Matt Taylor Wines in Occidental. And one of the older, “middle-aged” wines is a 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from Corison Winery in St. Helena.

Matt Taylor Wines, Komorebi Vineyard 2017 Chardonnay

This west county winery focuses on small batches of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir made with organic and biodynamic vineyard practices. Asimov noted he had been “hearing great things” about Matt Taylor’s wines, and was finally able to try it at Point Seven restaurant near New York’s Grand Central Station.

“It was unforgettable, so different in style from the lean, precise Chardonnays that are in fashion around the world today,” Asimov wrote about Matt Taylor Wines’ Komorebi Vineyard 2017 Chardonnay. “This seemed broader, more richly textured, both complex and saline.”

Purchase the Sonoma Coast wine for $75 at Fiasco! Wine & Spirits. The winery also has its Komorebi Vineyard 2018 Chardonnay for sale on its website for $100. Its 2020 Chardonnay is currently sold out, though recent release Pinots are available ($80-$100). matttaylorwines.com

Corison, Napa Valley 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

Cathy Corison works in the Corison Vineyard in Napa Valley. (Chicago Tribune/MCT)

Cathy Corison, renowned owner and vintner of St. Helena’s Corison, specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. The San Francisco Chronicle named her Winemaker of the Year in 2011 as well as “one of Napa Valley’s best winemakers of the last half century” earlier this month.

“With sufficient aging, her wines always have a lot to say,” Asimov wrote of Corison’s Cabernets. “This 2001 was a beautiful expression of the potential of Napa Cabernets, graceful and complex with a lovely balance of earthy, stony, fruit and herbal flavors.”

Purchase a bottle (from $199) at Wine-Searcher. Corison’s 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (valued at $335) is sold out on its website, but the winery offers dozens of other Cabs (from $65). corison.com

Lang & Reed Excels at Napa’s ‘Other’ Cabernet

December 2024

By Tina Caputo

If you’ve ever wanted to pretend you live in one of those charming vintage homes in St. Helena, Lang & Reed Napa Valley is a great place to visit. (Kim Serveau)

Pop quiz: What’s the most expensive wine grape in Napa Valley by the ton?

Cabernet Sauvignon would be a good guess, but it would also be incorrect. The priciest grape is actually Cabernet Franc at more than $10,000 per ton, with Cabernet Sauvignon ranking second.

Once relegated to blending status, Cab Franc has seen a surge in popularity lately due to its bright acidity, earthy tones and red berry flavors.

Lang & Reed Napa Valley has been putting Cabernet Franc on a well-deserved pedestal since the ‘90s — long before the cool kids caught on.

The story

Kansas City native John Skupny first visited Napa Valley in the late ‘70s, on a wine-buying mission for a restaurant group. Quickly realizing that California was where he wanted to be, he moved to the Bay Area in 1980 to work in wine marketing.

Skupny made his first wine — an amateur effort he calls “dreadful” — the same year. He later made his way to St. Helena and spent the next decade working for Caymus Vineyards, Clos du Val and Niebaum-Coppola before teaming up with his wife Tracey in 1993 to create the prototype for Lang & Reed Napa Valley. They launched the winery, named for their two sons, a few years later.

John and Tracey Skupny of Lang & Reed with their son, Reed Skupny, daughter-in-law, Megan Skupny, and grandchildren Felton and and Hawk. (Kim Serveau)

Knowing they’d need to do something different to stand out among the region’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Skupny focused on Cabernet Franc and added another unsung hero, Chenin Blanc, to the lineup in 2013. The Skupnys opened their St. Helena tasting room in 2021.

The vibe

If you’ve ever wanted to pretend you live in one of those charming vintage homes in downtown St. Helena, the Lang & Reed Tasting Salon is a great place to do it.

Cozy up to Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc at Lang & Reed Napa Valley in downtown St. Helena. (Kim Serveau)

Set just off the town’s main drag, Lang & Reed sits inside the historic Spring House. The home, built in 1902 by Swiss entrepreneur John Battista Salmina, now features multiple sipping spaces, from the charming front porch to the cozy living room to a boardroom lined with historic photos of Spring House and the surrounding neighborhood.

If you like the idea of booking two winery appointments in a single location, you’re in luck: Lang & Reed shares the space with The Debate, another boutique producer.

On the palate

When I wrote that Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc are the focus at Lang & Reed, what I meant was this: That’s all the winery makes — and I don’t mind. (OK, OK … If you absolutely must taste something else, you can also sample the Rockhound Pinot Noir, made by the Skupnys’ son Reed.)

The 2022 Napa Valley Chenin Blanc ($75) is a beautiful wine with vibrant color, a rich texture and delicious pear notes. The winery also offers a pretty 2023 Chenin from Mendocino County (the grape is increasingly scarce in Napa Valley, with less than 20 acres remaining), brimming with stone fruit flavors and lively acidity ($35).

John Skupny of Lang & Reed Napa Valley in St. Helena. (Kim Serveau)

The 2022 North Coast Cabernet Franc ($60) is structured and rich with dark cherry and berry flavors. For a real showstopper, try the 2019 Two-Fourteen Napa Valley Cabernet Franc ($90). Named for the clone from which it’s made, the wine is silky-smooth, combining savory notes with juicy raspberry fruit.

Tastings range from $75 for a flight of current releases with nibbles of dried fruits and nuts, to $175 for a pairing with Tsar Nicoulai caviar and potato chips.

Beyond the bottle

Goose & Gander is directly across the street from the Tasting Salon, so you can book a late afternoon wine tasting and then just pop over to the “neighbor’s” 1920 bungalow for an early dinner or a pre-dinner snack.

The restaurant’s pub-like atmosphere, adorned with plenty of dark wood and brick accents, is ideal for a chilly winter evening. A glass or two of Cab Franc sure would make a tasty match for G & G’s house burger (go ahead and add bone marrow, if that’s your thing) or a juicy steak.

Lang & Reed Napa Valley, 1244 Spring St., St. Helena. Tastings by appointment. langandreed.com

Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost, and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Twitter @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.

The Hidden Town of Hopland Is Eager To Share Its Treasures With Visitors

December 2024

By John Beck

Amy Knudsen, left, Kurt Hauser, right, with Ella Brait, Hannah Knudsen Robyn DeuPree (from left, clockwise), eat at Hopland’s Bluebird Cafe on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)

If roads and scenery have a way of evoking moods, then there’s definitely a barometric change in tone as you head north on Highway 101 beyond Healdsburg and Cloverdale. Winding curves grow sharper as surrounding hills run up to the edge of the road. Signs advertise fossils, crystals and unusual rocks. Not long after crossing into Mendocino County on a steel truss bridge over the Russian River, the road narrows to two lanes and you roll into Hopland — a town that treasures its past and is eager to share it with curious visitors.

The perfect example is the Thatcher Hotel. Almost foreboding in its charcoal and gray facade, the gorgeously renovated 1890s Victorian opens into a warm, spacious lobby framed by an original marble-topped bar pouring holiday drinks like pumpkin spice White Russians and pear bourbon old fashioneds. A Christmas tree towers over the stately library room (yes, Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” is on the shelf).

Behind the hotel, a popular train depot once flourished, where brakemen would make jokes about “hopping off in Hopland.” Named after the bitter flowers that flavor beer, Hopland once drew hundreds of seasonal workers for the annual hop harvest, later shipping its prized bounty to brewers around the world.

Inside the Thatcher Hotel in Hopland. (Melissa Kaseman / Courtesy Thatcher Hotel)

Today, the hops are gone. But that hasn’t stopped Thatcher owner Gary Breen from buying the recipe to defunct Mendocino Brewing Company’s popular Red Tail Ale. Thanks to an onsite nano-brewery, Red Tail is still always on tap at the bar.

Grapes are thriving in the region these days. From giant Bonterra (formerly Fetzer) to smaller destinations like Campovida, Alta Orsa and Blue Quail, the name of the game is organic, regenerative farming. Family-owned tasting rooms embrace the season, with a gingerbread house contest at Graziano, McNab Ridge and Brutocao wineries. Located in a former high school, Brutocao is also a good setting for a bocce ball game, weather permitting.

A trip to The Golden Pig for dinner is a must. Owner Julie Golden runs the restaurant, which goes through four to six hogs and one steer a month, sourcing from local farms including her own 2,000-acre Heart Arrow Ranch. Golden also offers tastings of Coro, a prized local cooperative wine blend of Zinfandel and Mediterranean varietals, all sourced from Mendocino County.

Roasted chicken at the Golden Pig Restaurant in Hopland. Photo Credit: DG Creative — Roasted chicken at the Golden Pig Restaurant in Hopland. (Photo courtesy DG Creative)

Inside Bluebird Cafe in Hopland. (John Beck / Sonoma Magazine)

A stone’s throw north, the Bluebird Cafe is a great place for breakfast or lunch. Say hi to the giant moose mounted on the back wall (“some people call him ‘Marty,’ some people call him ‘Bullwinkle,’” says server Sharon Kyriakos) before you dig into a Bluebird Benedict or a blueberry blintz.

And five miles east of town, the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center offers classes in farming and animal husbandry. If you’re lucky, you might see a few wobbly newborn lambs just getting their feet under them.

Early winter is a delightfully slow time of year in Hopland, but even in the summer this southern Mendocino hamlet never strives for the trendy hustle-and-bustle of wine destination towns to the south.

The UC Hopland Research and Extension Center in Hopland is a 5,300-acre educational facility. It offers guided hikes as well as classes in farming and animal husbandry. (Brittany App / Courtesy UC Hopland Research & Extension Center)

“Hopland is still sort of that unknown place that you pass through,” says Thatcher Hotel general manager Amy Pardini. “You’re going 65 miles an hour on Highway 101, and you’re brought down to 35 miles an hour for a blip, and then you’re back to 65 miles an hour again. A lot of people don’t really even see us.”

But they should.

Where to visit

Thatcher Hotel

This copper-steepled Victorian boasts 18 updated modern rooms and a pool and spa. 13401 Highway 101, 707-723-0838, thatcherhotel.com

The Golden Pig

Holiday drinks at this “farm-driven” locally sourced restaurant include the Hopland Toddy with Stave Robber Ryed Bourbon, Rapscallion Spiced Apple liqueur, lemon juice and honey. 13380 S. Highway 101, 707670-6055, thegoldenpig.com

Campovida

Look for Italian varietals like Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo and Negroamaro at this organically farmed vineyard and winery. 13601 Old River Road, 707-744-8797, campovida.com

Bluebird Cafe

This roadside diner is reminiscent of a Southern greasy spoon, but with a moose watching over everything. 13340 Highway 101, 707-744-1633

UC Hopland Research & Extension Center

This 5,300-acre educational facility offers guided hikes as well as classes like Sheep Shearing 101. 4070 University Road, 707-744-1424, hrec.ucanr.edu

Creative Family Transforms Healdsburg Home With Handcrafted Design

December 2024

By Abigail Peterson

Inside Morgania Moore and Brook Bannister’s living room, filled with handcrafted pieces and foraged finds. (Eileen Roche / Sonoma Magazine)

Morgania Moore and her husband, Brook Bannister, both have deep family ties to the rural Alexander Valley outside Healdsburg. As a child, Moore spent many weeks visiting the home her grandmother built in the Soda Rock area near the Russian River. Bannister’s father had a place nearby, and Bannister grew up fishing and swimming in that same stretch of river, though the couple didn’t meet until they were in their 20s.

Now raising their 11-year-old son, Monroe, in the home that Moore inherited from her grandmother, the creative family is deeply connected to the land and to the handcrafted spaces they’ve brought to life together.

“This house, as the crow flies, is very close to the house my dad built in 1978,” says Bannister. “It was on the edge of these huge expanses of cattle range and maybe a few vineyards. There weren’t any other people around, and you could go out and walk forever and feel like you were out in nature. So this is really close to that; it has the same kind of feel.”

Alexander Valley craft home — Brook Bannister, a winemaker, musician and woodworker, built much of the home’s furniture, from tables and shelves to kitchen cabinets. (Eileen Roche / Sonoma Magazine)

The low-slung, stick-built 1970s cottage and adjacent shared studio unfold in a series of imaginative rooms that bear the mark of a family captivated by craft. Bannister, a winemaker, musician and woodworker, has built much of the home’s furniture, from tables and shelves to kitchen cabinets. Moore, whose creativity extends from lighting and floral design to jewelry and textiles, has filled the rooms with large-scale foraged finds from nature. And Monroe, who attends a nature school near Forestville, plays music with his dad and oversees a massive Lego operation.

There’s space enough for the family to be creative, each quietly absorbed in solitary pursuits in different parts of the home during the day. As the afternoon wanes in the early darkness of winter, they circle back to the kitchen to talk, read and make dinner together.

“We’re all so individually into whatever we’re into. So we try to give each other a lot of room and patience to work on projects,” says Bannister.

“One of the things about having creative impulses is you dig the hole, and then you find your way out,” he says. “That’s how interesting things get made — but it’s also a more difficult process at times.”

Moore and Bannister wander into art projects the way others might pick up a book, following ideas as they come. They’re drawn to the possibility in the curve of a piece of bone, the palette of river stones, the shape of a piece of recycled metal. Bannister translates these inspirations into furniture or music, while Moore sculpts overscale pendant lights in papier-mâché, braids fabric into textured cushions and twists reclaimed fireplace screens into large-scale installations. Entire tree limbs brought inside arch over seating areas, and finds from Moore’s years spent on film sets populate the scene. It’s not just a cabinet of wonders, but an entire home of artistic imagination and creativity.

They both want to honor the house’s humble, artsy history and stay true to its bohemian, 1970s roots. “I had a couple friends who were interior designer people come through, and they were like, ‘Paint the ceiling in here, and brighten it up,’ and do all this stuff. And I just can’t do it,” laughs Moore. “There’s something about it. The old is still here, and I’m trying to bring in some new. But there are stains and marks everywhere that represent years and years of life in this house.”

There are years of life and history in the surrounding hills as well. Winter rains uncover clay and pebbles that Moore collects and brings back to her studio to wire into jewelry. The rains also rejuvenate the river flows and give a flush of green and gold to the landscape. “There are materials all around us…That’s country life, you know?” says Moore.

The crispness of early winter in the Alexander Valley means vineyards turning colors and native plants starting to grow back. “Winter isn’t empty; it’s really beautiful. More sculptural for sure, because the leaves are off the oaks, and the grasses are laid down,” says Bannister. “You can see the shapes of the branches and how they’re framed, and you can really see a large swath of the valley from the house.”

A few years back, a winter storm washed up the waterlogged trunk of a huge black walnut tree onto a nearby sandbar of the Russian River. Where someone else might see a tangle to clear away, Bannister saw a once-in-a-lifetime project. He and a friend cut the walnut into logs and hauled them out of the river to mill into slabs, which took a couple of years to cure. Stained and shaped into live-edge cabinet fronts, that walnut is now the hallmark of the family’s character-filled kitchen.

“To start with something as crazy as a giant tree lying on the bank… it’s kind of a long, interesting process where you have to be patient and have some faith,” says Bannister. “Only later on do you find out what you’ve got.”

This sustainable, local approach to craft is deeply resonant for Bannister and Moore, who are motivated by a desire to conserve the land for the future and their young son.

“We have cut down millions of trees that ended up just being wasted. I’ve always just hated that, how little value is placed on keeping old-growth trees in the forest and not cutting them down,” says Bannister. “So when I got interested in making furniture, I was inevitably pushed towards salvaged and reclaimed stuff. It’s just more beautiful than anything you can buy from a supplier. I’m not interested in making stuff out of trees that came out of rainforests.”

Some of Morgania Moore’s designs, in ceramic, stone and marble-dyed leather. (Eileen Roche / Sonoma Magazine)

Monroe explored carving spoons from the same walnut that Bannister used for the kitchen cabinets. In fact, the couple often find themselves drawn to the same stones, clay and other natural materials. “That’s the cool thing,” explains Moore. “Artistically, we don’t always go together, but eventually Brook and I end up at the same spot.”

And as the family wanders through the chapters of their creative life, the spaces of their home continue to evolve. “You use a room one way for a while, and then you want to do something different with it,” says Bannister. “You look at it as a template.”

“The house is like a canvas that receives your creativity as it comes. It’s seeing what happens over time.”

Mid-Century Modern Santa Rosa Home Featured in The New York Times

December 2024

By Karen Kizer

The New York Times recently featured a Santa Rosa property in a spotlight of $1.1 million homes in California. Perched in the hills of Montecito Heights, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home is on the market for $1,098,000.

Built in 1972, the 2,124-square-foot home has been renovated in a mid-century modern style. An open layout, vaulted ceilings, and some whited-out wood paneling and stone cladding give the home an airiness.

A series of windows and the balcony along the front of the home offer views of oak trees and mountains. In the back, a porch runs the length of the home and has built-in benches for sitting.

Patio. (Tim Rangel) — Patio. (Courtesy of Tim Rangel)

Kitchen in Santa Rosa home — Kitchen. (Courtesy Tim Rangel)

Italian marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and cabinets refinished in a robin’s-egg blue give the kitchen sparkle. The bathrooms are refreshed by refinished cabinets and vertical tile work in hues borrowed from the natural setting.

Along with the Santa Rosa property, The New York Times article featured two other Northern California homes, in Oakland and Stockton.

For more information on this property at 3935 Alta Vista Ave., contact listing agents Tim Rangel, 707-280-1700, or Claud Bates, 707-365-6830; Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – Sonoma Brokerage, 793 Broadway, Sonoma, sothebysrealty.com