In the New Year, Virtual Tastings are Here to Stay

By Linda Murphy

At the start of 2020, Papapietro Perry Winery in Dry Creek Valley operated a typical tasting room, with a belly-up bar inside and a covered patio outside for sunny days, overflow crowds and private pinot noir and cheese pairings.

That was B.C., before coronavirus. Then tasting rooms closed in mid-March by county order, later reopening to outdoor-only, physically distanced visitor experiences and shuttering again on Dec. 12 and until at least Jan. 9, 2021. Except for online sales, order shipments and curbside pickups, Sonoma tasting rooms are currently limited to virtual means to reach customers.

What’s a winery owner to do to sell wine and stay in business? “Get creative,” said Renae Perry, partner, CEO and general manager of Papapietro Perry. “We’d introduced ‘Pinot on the Patio’ and cheese pairings before the pandemic and had already expanded the patio. But how many times can you ask people to buy your wine? We had to do more.”

“More” for Perry has included virtual tastings on Zoom and FaceTime; online bingo nights; “Wine & Whatever” — freewheeling virtual happy hours with partner and winemaker Ben Papapietro and wine club manager Kristen Greenberg; cooking demonstrations with winery chef Jim May; caviar, chocolate and cheese pairing sessions; cellar videos that demonstrate how wine is made and “Paint & Sip,” a live painting lesson with wine and a finished piece at the end.

Unable to physically host their traditional parties for wine club members, Perry and Greenberg converse with them online when wine shipments go out. “As they unbox and uncork the wines, we tell our members about each one,” Perry said. “They can taste along or just listen. We’ve learned that our club members want the same information we give our staff about each wine and have the same questions. Our ‘Vino at Home’ Zoom tasting sessions let us to share that information with people across the country. We’re now in their living room, tasting with them, since they can’t come to the winery.”

Perry’s efforts are a snapshot of what so many other small- to medium-sized Sonoma wineries have done since March and plan to continuing doing into 2021, in order to keep their heads above water, financially. Virtually delivered “edu-tainment” has become a crucial marketing component, evolving from throw-it-against-the-wall experimentation at the start of the pandemic to why-didn’t-we-do-this-before queries once staff got the hang of it.

Merriam-Webster’s word for 2020 is “pandemic;” No. 2 for the wine industry could very well be “pivot.” As Perry said, maintaining customer loyalty is paramount. To do so, and to welcome new customers, nontraditional outreach is necessary. Wineries must continually offer new experiences that resonate with wine lovers, likely for the long term.

Here are some of the many wineries whose innovations and approaches to staying in contact with current and potential wine buyers have been successful. In most cases, costs vary.

Adobe Road Winery

Gearheads, start your engines. This tasting room at the Great Petaluma Mill (a new riverside venue is under construction) is all about the matchup of motor sports and fine wine. CEO and sports car driver Kevin Buckler heads the Racing Group, which has won such prestigious races as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Buckler and winemaker Garrett Martin bring the whine their virtual tastings, with endless options for guests to customize their own events. Name your budget, choose your topic and wines and the hospitality staff does the rest. Virtual celebrity guests in 2020 included Texas star chef Dean Fearing, Napa grapegrower Andy Beckstoffer, professional drivers Lyn St. James and Derek DeBoer and “Cars Yeah” podcaster Mark Greene. Talk cars while enjoying the Racing Series tasting of four red blends (Redline, Shift, The 24 and Apex) named for elements of Buckler’s career.

Not an automotive enthusiast? Not to worry, because Adobe Road also offers several other virtual tastings, including wine and food pairings, wine education and barrel sampling. Bordeaux varietals, chardonnay, pinot noir and grenache are among the best bottles, exceptionally made and definitely not gimmicks.

6 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma, 707-774-6699, adoberoadwines.com

Buena Vista Winery/JCB Collection

Leave it to the always-inventive, effervescent Jean Charles Boisset to turn wine sales in a pandemic into a three-ring circus of fun and infotainment for his Sonoma brands Buena Vista, DeLoach and Lyeth and Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley. Boisset hosts numerous multi-week virtual happy hours in which pair his wines with a broad cast of characters and subjects. Most virtual events are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 4 p.m. They’re free to watch on Facebook Live, and wine kits can be ordered in advance to taste along. A recent session, “The Legacy of Prohibition with Carla de Luca Worfolk,” explored, with the filmmaker, how California’s fine-wine industry (including Buena Vista founder Agoston Haraszthy, of course) was shaped by Prohibition. Buena Vista Jovita’s Selection Chardonnay and Buena Vista Alexander Valley Zinfandel were tasted during the session.

On Jan. 6, 2021, the guest will be British Master of Wine Tim Aikin, who will discuss New World classic wines while tasting Chateau Buena Vista Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and DeLoach Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Private virtual tastings are also available on Zoom by appointment.

Buena Vista Winery, 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com

Wise Vineyards

With their Kenwood tasting room closed and Moon Mountain estate cave visits on hold, Brion and Ronda Wise have introduced the tool Corovin to their virtual tastings. One of the drawbacks of tasting wine online is that it usually requires the purchase of full bottles to play along (though a handful of wineries, among them Passalacqua in Dry Creek Valley, sell tasting kits with 2-ounce mini bottles). Once opened, those 750-ml standard bottles can oxidize in a couple days, even when stoppered.

Corovin solves that problem, and the Wises sell tasting kits equipped with the tool so the cork does not need to be removed to access the wine. Corovin has an extracting needle that draws wine from the bottle through the cork and a spout that dispenses the wine into the glass, leaving a blanket of argon gas in the bottle as a preservative. The B. Wise wines are exceptional, with the Moon Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon selling for $95 and the difficult-to-acquire BRION proprietary red going for whatever one is willing to pay. Chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and zinfandel also are produced. Corovin, which sells for $150 and up at retail, lets aficionados enjoy every drop of B. Wise wines whenever they want, and the virtual tastings include instruction on the use and care of your Corovin. Tasting kits also are available without Corovin, and estate-grown olive oils are other options.

9077 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-282-9169, bwisevineyards.com

Papapietro Perry Winery

This Dry Creek Valley winery, which specializes in pinot noir and also offers a silky, seductive zinfandel, has rotated several successful virtual experiences in and out of its offerings since the initial March 2020 shutdown of its tasting room. On Jan. 21, 2021, Bay Area artist Sonya Paz will join a winery host in a step-by-step interactive lesson, “Paint & Sip,” on painting a private masterpiece on an oak-barrel stave. Order in advance the stave, paint, brush and one bottle of Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir, then log on to find your inner Van Gogh. Order more bottles and become Jackson Pollack. 5-6:30 p.m. $100 per kit, includes wine. Additional painting kits are $35, without wine.

4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-0422, papapietro-perry.com

Dutton-Goldfield Winery

Where else but in Sonoma can one taste a crunchy Marin County riesling alongside a single-vineyard Russian River Valley chardonnay, a Green Valley Fox Den Pinot Noir and perhaps an old-vine Morelli Lane Russian River Valley Zinfandel from the comfort of one’s home? Dutton-Goldfield affords this opportunity, with hospitality manager Greg Johnson hosting one-on-one Zoom tastings of flights offered in the Sebastopol tasting room and creating groupings of wines grown in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, per customer request.

Grapegrower Steve Dutton and winemaker Dan Goldfield produce elegant, fresh-tasting yet rewarding wines at their Sebastopol winery, with gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, rosé and syrah joining the lineup. Russian River Valley is the baseline for Dutton-Goldfield wines, yet Marin and Mendocino’s Anderson Valley chime in to create a robustly varied tasting experience that expands on the RRV chardonnay-pinot noir theme. Email Johnson at greg@duttongoldfield.com to order the wines and schedule a tasting.

3100 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, 707-823-3887, dutton-goldfield.com

Pivots, Pop-ups and Predictions: How We’ll Eat in 2021

By Heather Irwin
Kosho Sushi in Sebastopol. Heather Irwin/PD

This was a year that fundamentally altered everything about how we eat. Grocery store shelves went bare. We learned how to make sourdough starter. We cooked for ourselves and we watched restaurants struggle to stay open despite repeated blows to their business models.

In 2021, we’ll still have plenty of fallout to address, but there’s also a lot to look forward to as we move into the future and see what changes will stick, and which will mercifully go away. Hopefully by this time next year, sheltering in place will be a thing of the past and we’ll be toasting together in restaurants, cafes and clubs. But until then, here are some predictions about how we’ll be eating in 2021.

Forget diets: Comfort food will continue to reign supreme, with braised meats and carb overloads. We’ll stick with eating our feelings for awhile because, hey, we’re supporting restaurants! And because sitting in front of a computer all day in your stretchy pants doesn’t really make for strong dieting incentive.

Eat-ertainment: Diners are still craving entertainment and fun with their food, and restaurants are heeding the call. Zoom cooking classes and interactive dinners will continue to be popular as eaters share a meal virtually.

Outdoors is the new indoors: When sheltering-in-place orders subside, we’ll probably be able to eat outdoors again before eating indoors. Throughout the summer and into the late fall, restaurants created fun outdoor oases in parking spots, on sidewalks, on back patios and anywhere a patch of land could support a tent and some heaters. We’ve become more comfortable with the idea of eating outside, and restaurants have gotten better at making outside areas more than an afterthought.

Takeout transformations: The energy it’s taken for restaurants to revamp their kitchens and menus to accommodate takeout won’t disappear anytime soon. Though takeout isn’t a huge moneymaker for high-end restaurants, which rely on the in-person experience, they are seeing a lot of interest in luxe takeout meals. We will continue to see takeout evolve throughout 2021.

Family meals are here to stay: The simple, hearty meal shared by restaurant staff before starting work — the “family meal” — has become a household word as restaurants reacted to the increased interest in takeout from actual families. For moms and dads, it’s a night off from the kitchen and a brief moment of family togetherness that doesn’t involve a computer screen. For restaurants, it’s a simplified menu that’s usually cheaper and easier to make.

Spinster Sisters (thespinstersisters.com) was an early adopter of weekly family-style meals for takeout and is still one of the best. Two favorite family meals of the year were fried chicken and mashed potatoes from Sally Tomatoes (sallytomatoes.com) and a Father’s Day feast from Ricky’s Eastbound (rickyseastbound.com).

Pop-ups continue: Whether it’s a restaurant temporarily changing its menu to be more takeout friendly, a chef doing a delivery-only dinner club or culinary entrepreneurs taking advantage of how we’re eating now (i.e., mostly at home), we’re excited about this clever new class of eats. Among them is Gravenstein Grill’s temporarily makeover into Sonoma Burger (sonomaburger.com) and Pleasant Hill Pie (gravensteingrill.com), eliminating the need for long menus and complicated ingredients and focusing on simple comfort food. Others include Street Social’s “The Coop” traveling fried chicken pop-ups (streetsocial.social), Table Culture Provision’s (tcprovision.com) weekly pop-up kitchen in Petaluma, Noodle Spring Ramen from Sondra Bernstein’s girl and the fig team (noodlespring.com) and Wild Bird fried chicken takeout at the Flamingo Resort (flamingohotel.com). Also impressive are specialty companies like Tilted Platter’s charcuterie boards, family-run Ethel’s Bagels (ethelsbagels.com) and Wooden Petal pretzels (woodenpetal.com) that focus on one thing and do it right.

More Pivots to Come: Local restaurateurs and chefs have been forced to pivot so many times in 2020 that it’s become less of a dance and more of simply spinning in dizzying circles.

Servers masked up and learned more than they cared to about health protocols with each new outbreak. Chefs became construction workers, building thrifty outdoor dining rooms with pallets and reclaimed tents. Each new health order required new business models for delivery and takeout, not to mention filing endless paperwork for financial assistance. Yes, 2020 was a sizzling dumpster fire of agony for everyone in the food business.

But 2021 will bring more confusing directives, and restaurants will have to stay on their toes, whether that means reopening outdoor dining, limiting indoor dining or eventually reopening indoor dining.

Technology advancing: The silver lining for those who can hold out until spring or summer, when life hopefully returns to some semblance of normalcy, is radical progress in technology and efficiency for an industry that’s long needed some disruption.

Restaurants that struggled with a simple Facebook presence now have extensive online ordering systems. Delivery, once the sole domain of pizzerias and Chinese food, is going gourmet and is easier than ever. Michelin-starred restaurants are doing luxury takeout. Social media has become critical to lure diners with glossy, mouthwatering images. Communicating quickly and directly with diners also will become increasingly important as restaurants bank on preorders from repeat guests.

Crowd support: Word-of-mouth has become invaluable for restaurants, especially when those words come with delicious pictures and tasty testimony. Save Sonoma County Restaurants on Facebook has surpassed 20,000 members and has become an invaluable free resource for restaurants and diners to share information about local restaurants. Restaurants like the Gypsy Cafe in Sebastopol (gypsy-cafe.com) have taken to crowdfunding platforms to raise money to support them during hard times.

Never the same again: We can never go back to the halcyon days of restaurant dining again. Too much has changed. We’ve cooked more at home, we’ve seen too many restaurants go under, we’ve tightened our belts and restaurants have fundamentally changed how they do business.

9 Books to Read Right Now, According to Local Booksellers

By Karen Kizer
Aaron Rosewater, co-owner of Levin & Company, organizes the shelves at his bookstore in Healdsburg on Tuesday, August 21, 2018. (Beth Schlanker/ The Press Democrat)

Bookseller and avid reader Jude Sales, of Readers’ Books in Sonoma, sometimes has difficulty giving book recommendations. Not that there aren’t plenty of good books to recommend, rather because, “There are so many titles that are worth our time,” she said.

After asking local booksellers for a few recent titles seen flying off of Sonoma County bookstore shelves, we’ve compiled recommendations for works of fiction and non-fiction with strong narrative style that make for great stay-at-home companions. Books with stories that, in Sales words, “take you out of yourself.”

(Find a few favorite independent bookstores here).

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Booksellers unanimously recommend the Barack Obama memoir, A Promised Land. In its first day on sale, 890,000 copies were sold in the US and Canada; in the week following, it sold 1.7 million copies.

Whether speaking or writing, Obama knows how to turn a phrase. In A Promised Land, he colorfully captures his early life and political career, then goes on to chronicle his 2004 Senatorial campaign, his presidential campaign and his first presidential term.

If you’re prone to suffering end-of-a-good-book blues, no worries here: Obama is busy writing a sequel that will cover the second half of his presidency.

Readers’ Books, 130 E Napa St, Sonoma, 707-939-1779, bookshop.org/shop/readersbooks

A Reason to Kill by Andy Weinberger

Readers’ Books store owner Andy Weinberger can sell them and write them too. His second installation in a three-part murder mystery series is high on the list of bestsellers at the Sonoma bookstore.

Sometime retired PI Amos Parisman isn’t the fastest or most stylish walker in LA, but he can still out gumshoe any of the other 20 million passing him as he saunters down the cracked sidewalks of the city. He knows that “the race isn’t always to the swift.”

“He writes a pretty damn good book,” said Readers’ Books buyer, Jude Sales, about Weinberger’s latest novel.

Readers’ Books, 130 E Napa St, Sonoma, 707-939-1779, bookshop.org/shop/readersbooks

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Jude Sales gives high praise to this fictionalization of Shakespeare’s life with his wife Anne Hathaway and their two children. In this book, you will not “just” read of Shakespeare’s marriage and the death of his son Hamnet in plague years — O’Farrell’s rich storytelling makes you feel as if you were there. This Elizabethan period drama enchants; it even brought tears to Sales’s eyes.

Readers’ Books, 130 E Napa St, Sonoma, 707-939-1779, bookshop.org/shop/readersbooks

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell

Treehorn Books, Santa Rosa’s bibliophile paradise, well known for its veritable ocean of used and rare books, also carries a robust selection of contemporary bestsellers. Obama’s A Promised Land and Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist are in high demand, according to bookseller Casey Colby.

Colby mentioned David Mitchell’s Utopia Avenue as a particularly transporting read; a colorful chronicling of the 1960s music scene. A refreshing read in an era of pandemic, “It brought me back to a different time, when live music was happening,” he said.

Treehorn Books, 625 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707-596-3845, treehorn.com

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Casey Colby highly recommends this historical and inspirational non-fiction book which chronicles the first year in office of Britain’s intrepid wartime leader Winston Churchill: a year when Adolf Hitler expands his invasion of Europe while conducting a massive bombing campaign (the Blitz) of Britain’s cities. According to Colby, the book tells a gripping story at a breakneck, page-turning speed, focusing on Churchill’s leadership and eloquence during a year in which Britain stood alone against Hitler.

Treehorn Books, 625 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707-596-3845, treehorn.com

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

The staff at Pages Books on the Green in Windsor recommend a few bestsellers. The Vanishing Half tells the story of twin sisters — inseparable growing up, they then move apart and experience contrasting lifestyles: one in a Black community and the other in a white community.

In the author’s words, this is a story that explores the “lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.”

Pages Books on the Green, 920 McClelland Dr, Windsor, 707-837-8665, facebook.com/Windsor-Pages-Books-on-the-Green-208175175894182.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Pages Books staff says customers are loving this memoir by actor Matthew McConaughey: it’s a charmingly funny read.

Pages Books on the Green, 920 McClelland Dr, Windsor, 707-837-8665, facebook.com/Windsor-Pages-Books-on-the-Green-208175175894182.

The Man Who Ate Too Much by John Birdsall

This biography on the late food luminary James Beard is front and center on the recommendations section of Copperfield’s Books website. Award-winning food writer John Birdsall uses “novelistic detail” to describe Beard’s notion of what an American cuisine could be and his complex life as a gay man closeted in a society in which being gay was allowed “only as long as it stayed enigmatic and implied.”

Copperfield’s Books, 138 N. Main Street, Sebastopol, 707-823-2618, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, 707-762-0563,  106 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-9270, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-578-8938, copperfieldsbooks.com

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Another recommended title on the Copperfield’s Books website is this story about Gitty, a young Ghanaian-American neuroscientist at Stanford, who is looking to science to make sense of the diseases that have plagued her family: addiction and depression. Named one of “The Best Books of 2020,” by The Washington Post, Gyasi’s second novel “interrogate(s) medical and religious issues in the context of America’s fraught racial environment.”

Copperfield’s Books, 138 N. Main Street, Sebastopol, 707-823-2618, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, 707-762-0563,  106 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-9270, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-578-8938, copperfieldsbooks.com

Takeout Meals and Virtual Events for New Year’s Eve in Sonoma County

By Heather Irwin
BBQ burger at Sonoma Burger, a pop-up at Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol. Photo: Sonoma Burger.

Phew, we’ve almost made it, folks. Though the light at the end of the tunnel may still seem dim, we can wish 2020 goodbye and hope for a better 2021. To start off the new year right, many restaurants will be open for takeout with their usual menus on Thursday, Dec. 31. But we also found a few special events to share:

Fried Chicken Zoom Party at Backyard: What are you gonna do on New Year’s Eve (besides wish 2020 good riddance)? How about hanging out with the Backyard crew and MC Clark Wolf?  Welcome 2021 with a lesson in making fried chicken — the online class will cover chicken brining and frying along with how to make buttermilk biscuits and Chef Daniel Kedan’s infamous smoked hot sauce. Class is 6 – 7 p.m. on Dec. 31. The ingredient list will be sent 48 hours in advance of the class. You also can pre-order an already prepared fried chicken dinner as well as Balletto wines at backyardforestville.com. ($100 and up, available for pickup). Deadline to order the dinner is noon, Dec. 29.  Editor’s note: This event will donate 20% of proceeds to Sonoma Family Meal, a nonprofit founded by Heather Irwin, dining editor for Sonoma Media Investments, owner of The Press Democrat.

Single Thread: For a lavish New Year’s meal, Single Thread is offering a finish-at-home menu of Royal Sturgeon Caviar and Steelhead Trout Roe from the Caviar Co., Chilled King Crab Legs, Chilled Poached Prawn, Cured Sliced Wild Salmon, Shucked Oysters on the Half Shell, Smoked Black Cod Mousse, 72-hour Braised American Wagyu Short Rib with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Liquid-Center Fondant Cake with Charred Orange Cream. Available for pickup. $150 and up per person, with instructions for cooking at home. Order at exploretock.com/singlethreadfarms.

Girl and the Fig: Bubbles and caviar seem an appropriate way to ring in 2021, and you can pre-order Tsar Nicoulai California White Sturgeon or Israel Golden Osetra along with Duck Liver Mousse, Quiche Lorraine, veggie frittatas, cakes, cheese and charcuterie from Sonoma’s Girl and the Fig. $28 and up. Deadline to order is Dec. 26 at noon. Details at 2020figholidays.square.site.

Dia de Reyes: Celebrate the Feast of Three Kings on Jan. 6 with a delicious King Cake pastry from Tia Maria by Costeaux. The specialty decorated sweet bread, or rosca, resembles a crown to honor the epiphany. In addition to the roscas, there will be other pan dolce including conchas, chocolate and breads. Order by calling Tia Maria at 707-540-9864 or order and pick up at any Costeaux location. Tia Maria is located at 44 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa (across from Sonoma County Meat Company).

Smash that Burger: Gravenstein Grill in Sebastopol has transformed into a pop-up burger and hot dog concept during shelter-in-place. Featuring locally sourced meat from Bodega, bacon from Sonoma County Meat Company and Willie Bird Turkey, Chef Simontacchi’s smashed burger patties are topped with griddled onions, lettuce, bread and butter pickles and “Sonoma Sauce” on a fresh bun. Add-ons include Mycopia mushrooms, American cheese and crispy onion strings. Also check out the Pimento Burger ($9) with beef chili and pimento cheese or the barbecue burger with Pt. Reyes blue cheese and ginger barbecue sauce. Tempeh burger and turkey burgers available, too. If you’re a hot dog lover, there’s the classic dog, Ranchero dog (with bacon, ranchero salsa and habanero aioli) or pimento chili dog, plus chili cheese fries, truffle fries and crispy Brussels sprouts with garlic aioli. Order online at sonomaburger.com. 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol.

They’re also doing a pop-up pizzeria with a wild chanterelle mushroom, bacon and gorgonzola pie and Joe Matos cheesy garlic sticks and boozy eggnog. Order online at sonomaburger.com.

These Sonoma Stores Sell Cozy Loungewear You Could Actually Wear Outside Your Home

By Karen Kizer

With more sheltering at home, it might be time to expand the comfy section of the wardrobe. But comfy doesn’t have to mean unstylish. Sonoma County stores have lots of fashionable and cozy outfits that will help you feel your best on your own, on Zoom or during your next socially-distant and masked outing. So before heading to that superstore to shop for expandable waistbands and soft fabrics, check out our local independent stores. There’s so much unique style to be found. Click through the above gallery for a few favorites.

10 Sonoma-Made Products That Will Help You Start The New Year Right

By Karen Kizer

One of the things the New Year bestows on us is the opportunity for a fresh start. As we near the end of this year, many of us are more than ready to close the book on 2020. But how can we kick off 2021 in a way that feels just right? We certainly don’t need more restrictions in our lives, like extreme diets or exercise regimens. Here are a few items that are full of fun and that can also help you lead a happier and healthier life. An added bonus? They are all made in Sonoma County. Click through the above gallery for details.

20 Kid-Friendly Takeout Options in Sonoma County

By Grace Yarrow
ITALY, Campo Fina in Healdsburg: Pizza Salsiccia (Kent Porter, PD)
ITALY, Campo Fina in Healdsburg: Pizza Salsiccia (Kent Porter, PD)

Tired of preparing three meals per day for the whole family? We’re here to help. Sonoma County has plenty of restaurants serving up both adult-friendly and kid-friendly fare for pickup and delivery — we’ve rounded up a few favorites in the above gallery. And don’t forget to check out these restaurants offering family meals to go.

Where are you ordering takeout for the family? Let us know in the comments.

Half-Bottles for the Holidays: 10 Small-Format Sonoma Wines That Are Mighty Good

By Linda Murphy

Sonoma is locked down again, just in time for the holidays. That’s a mean one, Mr. Grinch, another diabolical way to keep families at home and in small numbers at what normally is the most celebratory time of the year. Wineries, bottle shops and restaurants are closed, except for online sales, curbside pickups and takeout. Bah humbug.

Yet there is a small yet satisfying silver lining to this holiday season: the availability of half-bottles of excellent Sonoma wines — holding 375 ml instead of the more standard 750 ml. Sparkling wine, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel, they’re all available in a size (often called a split) that suits the coronavirus times, meant for sharing or for two generous pours for those home alone.

“Half-bottles have always been a great way to introduce our wines to new customers,” said Robert Wetzel, family partner and national sales manager for Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg. “In any year other than 2020, they are the top sellers at restaurants and hotels across the country, and many restaurants use them as premium-by-the-glass pour, which guarantees the guest will always have a fresh glass.”

The role of the split has shifted to home enjoyment this year, Wetzel said, “and I can’t think of a better ‘adult’ stocking stuffer than a half bottle. Plus, they are priced right so you can put together a really nice Sonoma-based gift basket with a couple of half-bottles, some local cheese and charcuterie.”

Mari Jones, president of Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol, knows a thing or two about half-bottles. Her father, Brice Cutrer Jones, founded Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in Windsor in 1973 and was a huge proponent of half-bottles, placing his 375-ml chardonnays in seemingly every hotel honor bar in California and beyond. He sold Sonoma-Cutrer to Brown-Forman Corp. in 1999 and started Emeritus, which Mari now directs.

“We love making half bottles because (they’re) a little more accessible and less intimidating than opening a full bottle,” she explained. “Whether you want to try multiple wines over the course of a dinner, are drinking solo or like to enjoy something different from your partner, half-bottles are the perfect size. It’s also a great way for people to try our wine without such a big commitment.”

Half-bottles of wine are meant to be consumed when they’re young, so buy the latest vintage possible. The amount of oxygen trapped between the wine and cork is the same in both half and full bottles, so there is more air exposure in a 375-ml bottle. This makes the wine mature more rapidly than the same wine in a 750-ml bottle. But this can also be an advantage: tannic red wines will soften more rapidly in the smaller vessel, with no cellaring required.

Here are 10 Sonoma-made half-bottles to provide full drinking pleasure for the holidays. Many wineries don’t bottle 375 mls, and some that do don’t promote their availability on their websites. So call ahead and order for pickup or delivery, or shop at grocery stores and wine shops allowed to remain open during the stay-home order. Large chain stores tend to have the broadest selection of both local and international wines.

Alexander Valley Vineyards 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $15: Cabernet sauvignon is joined by splashes of merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot in this fruit-forward wine that also has complex notes of cedar, vanilla and dark chocolate. Juicy dark fruit, supple tannins and a lingering finish make it a serious wine in a small package. The Wetzel family also bottles and sells chardonnay ($11), merlot ($14) and Sin Zin ($11) in 375-ml sizes; a sampler pack ($51) includes one bottle of each, all finished in screw caps for tool-free opening.

8644 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-433-7209, avvwine.com. Also sold at Bottle Barn, 3318 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-528-1161, bottlebarn.com

Bedrock Wine Co. 2019 Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Valley Heritage Red, $25: Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson and business partner Chris Cottrell look to their old-vine Bedrock Vineyard in Glen Ellen for this multi-variety blend. Zinfandel, mourvedre, syrah, tempranillo and other grapes appear in this wine, depending on vintage, and the result is a complex, spicy, peppery wine with solid tannins, graphite-like minerality and intense black and blue fruit. Beef and lamb roasts are good companions for this wine. The Sonoma plaza tasting room is temporarily closed, so call or email for wine purchase opportunities.

414 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-343-1478, info@bedrockwineco.com, bedrockwineco.com. Sonoma’s Best Modern Mercantile often stocks this wine in half-bottles: 1190 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-996-7600, sonomas-best.com

Dry Creek Vineyard 2019 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc, $10: Consistently one of the best sauvignon blancs produced in Sonoma, it delivers layers of citrus, lemongrass, white peach and tropical fruit flavors and gains complexity from the addition of sauvignon gris and sauvignon musque grapes. Winemaker Tim Bell ages the blend in oak, acacia and chestnut barrels, and this combination contributes mouthfeel and depth to a varietal that can be simple, lean and assertive. For those eating fresh crab for the holidays, here’s your wine.

3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-1000, drycreekvineyard.com. Also available at Oliver’s Markets in Cotati, Santa Rosa and Windsor, oliversmarket.com and Big John’s Market, 1345 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-7151, bigjohnsmarket.com

Emeritus Vineyards 2017 Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $25: From the winery’s estate vineyard comes this luscious pinot noir with vibrant black cherry and dark raspberry fruit, savory spice and supple tannins. It’s both energetic and silky-smooth, with fine depth and a long-lasting finish. It’s textbook Russian River Valley pinot noir in the hands of winemaker Dave Lattin.

2500 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, 707-823-9463, emeritusvineyards.com. Also available at Sonoma’s Best Modern Mercantile, 1190 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-996-7600, sonomas-best.com

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards NV Carneros Blanc de Noirs, $11: Traditionally made sparkling wines such as this, in which still wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles, mature remarkably fast in 375-ml glass bottles. For this reason, most California producers don’t make them, yet Sonoma Valley’s Gloria Ferrer does, and thankfully so. A pretty pink in color and brimming with refreshing strawberry, raspberry and citrus fruit, it has a slightly creamy mid-palate and brisk acidity. It’s a perfect holiday-time aperitif and New Year’s Eve corker for in-your-bubble celebrating.

23555 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 866-845-6742, gloriaferrer.com. Also available at some chain grocery stores and Glen Ellen Village Market, 13751 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, glenellenvillagemarket.org

J Wine Co winemaker Nicole Hitchcock. (Courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery)
J Wine Co winemaker Nicole Hitchcock. (Courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery)

J Vineyards & Winery 2018 California Pinot Noir, $10: J winemaker Nicole Hitchcock may focus most of her efforts on Russian River Valley-grown still and sparkling wines, yet her three-appellation blend from Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara counties offers a solid bang for the buck and is widely distributed in half-bottles. Blackberry, black cherry and cola aromas and flavors from Sonoma, red fruit and black tea from Santa Barbara and forest floor and subtle leafy herbs from Monterey meld in this smooth-drinking wine, which has a whiff of holiday baking spice upon opening and pouring.

11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-5430, jwine.com. Among the local stores that carry this wine are Bottle Barn and Pacific Market in Santa Rosa, Lucky, Safeway, Whole Foods, Wilibees Wine & Spirits and Petaluma Market.

La Crema 2018 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, $12: This wine has a little bit of everything most chardonnay fans love: juicy tropical, peach and citrus fruit; palate-cleansing acidity and subtle notes of oak and baking spice. Head winemaker Craig McAllister, a native of New Zealand, sources grapes from throughout the Sonoma Coast AVA and is able to bottle this wine with a consistency of style, no matter the vintage. If you find another vintage of the La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, expect a very similar wine (though the older the vintage, the more evolved the wine will be).

3575 Slusser Road, Windsor, 800-314-1762, lacrema.com. Also available at Oliver’s Markets in Cotati, Santa Rosa and Windsor and many other chain supermarkets.

Ramey Wine Cellars 2018 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, $23: In the past, chardonnay master David Ramey has bottled this flagship wine in half-bottles for key accounts such as hotels and restaurants. COVID-19 restrictions have increased demand at the winery for this smaller-size bottling, and Ramey has obliged, making “splits” of this generously fruited, focused, oaked-spiced, mouthwatering wine available to more consumers. It’s not listed on the winery website, though an email sent to the winery will give buyers the opportunity to purchase this chardonnay. Ramey has an equally strong (and international) reputation for Bordeaux-style red wines; his 2018 North Coast Claret ($23), based on cabernet sauvignon, hails from Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties and also is sold in half-bottles at the winery.

25 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-0870, info@rameywne.com, rameywine.com

Seghesio Family Vineyards 2018 Sonoma County Zinfandel, $16: Of Seghesio’s many fine zinfandels, this one is the easiest to find in markets, particularly in the 375-ml format. Rich in juicy blackberry and blueberry flavors, it’s accented by notes of espresso, licorice and pepper. Winemaker Andy Robinson has been with Seghesio since 2003, recently taking over in the cellar for longtime winemaker Ted Seghesio. Seghesio’s Old Vine and Home Ranch Zinfandels are treasured by zin fanatics, yet this county blend over-delivers on price.

700 Grove St., Healdsburg, 707-433-3579, seghesio.com. Also available at Sonoma’s Best Modern Mercantile, 1190 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-996-7600, sonomas-best.com

Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, $11.50: This refined, racy wine is widely available in supermarkets and hotel minibars, with an easy-to-remove screw cap to suit all occasions. Winemaker Mick Schroeter has maintained the chardonnay style established by winery founder Brice Cutrer Jones, with a precise balance of citrus and green apple character, background oak spice and energetic personality that complements a wide range of foods. Fruit- and butter-bomb lovers should look elsewhere for chardonnay. Sonoma-Cutrer’s Russian River Ranches Chardonnay also comes in half-bottles ($14) and is a step up in complexity, with a bit more oak influence.

4401 Slusser Road, Windsor, 707-237-3489, sonomacutrer.com. Also available in most chain grocery stores.

How to Restaurant Now: Local Takeout Triumphs

By Heather Irwin
 First, the good news: takeout is getting great

Pre-Christmas takeout meals are shaping up to be pretty spectacular this year. From roasted Mount Lassen Trout with creamed kale, five-spice carrots and olive-oil potatoes from the Girl and the Fig in Sonoma and Wagyu prime rib from Seared in Petaluma to cider-brined pork shoulder and apple strudel from Franchetti’s in Santa Rosa and Snake River Farms beef Wellington from Glen Ellen Star, all those little sugarplums and hunks of meat are dancing in our heads!

More good news: Pop-up kitchens are popping up all over Sonoma County

We’re huge fans of Chef Jennifer McMurry’s underground meal delivery service. The former Viola and Pharmacy chef is back in business, serving up dishes like short ribs with crème fraîche mashed potatoes, homemade butternut squash gnocchi, chicken pot pie, pork sugo, hearty salads and comforting soups. She works out of a commercial kitchen, so you’ll have to get on her “nice” list via social media (@chefjennifermcmurry on Instagram) to place an order. Menus come out weekly and deliveries are on Fridays. Each order comes with McMurry’s salted caramels.

TC Provisions (@tcprovisions on Instagram) has popped up for takeout at Wishbone in Petaluma with beef bourguignon, lobster bisque and trout en croute. More pop-up kitchens are set to launch soon.

Finally, with the current ban on dining outdoors at restaurants, over the next few weeks we’ll highlight some of the best takeout in the county from restaurants like Catelli’s, Sweet T’s, Single Thread, Valette and Folktable in Sonoma at biteclubeats.com. Share your faves with me at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com.

The bad news: hibernation

Expect an increasing number of restaurants to go into hibernation soon. Takeout isn’t sustainable and the winter months are always slow. John Ash & Co., Central Market, La Rosa Tequileria and Geyserville Grille all have proactively shuttered, with more restaurants to come. We hope to see them all back soon.

The ugly news: delivery continues to disappoint

On a recent sleepless night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the delivery meal I’d paid nearly $90 for and ended up throwing in the garbage. I actually laughed when I opened the sealed bag because everything looked so disappointingly unappetizing. It smelled off. It tasted worse. I stopped laughing.

I don’t blame the restaurant. I blame what restaurants have been forced to become. This wasn’t even close to being the first poorly packaged, miserably seasoned, soggy, not-what-the-picture-looked-like, ridiculously overpriced delivery disaster I’ve had recently. The same thing happened the night before. And the week before. And the month before. It’s predictable at this point.

What hurts even more is that the restaurant probably lost money on this transaction, with high fees and low margins. Nobody won except Door Dash.

Most restaurateurs take great pride in their food, but nine months into the pandemic they still haven’t quite figured out delivery. In many ways, they can’t.

Restaurants may have one order or 100 and are usually working with a skeleton crew. Ingredients may run out or go bad on shelves waiting for orders. Drivers show up late or not at all. Packaging is tricky, everything gets soggy and the half-hour drive leaves everything jostled and upended.

Yes, the system works well for tried-and-true delivery businesses like pizzerias, fast-food joints, taquerias and Chinese restaurants. Mary’s Pizza Shack always rocks it, and we are frequent, happy guests. The same is true for spots like Taqueria California and Amy’s Drive Thru. It’s about expectations, too. I can tolerate a sloppy $20 pizza but not a $90 disaster from a fast-casual restaurant.

Sadly, this is where we are and where we’ll probably be for at least a few more months. So before you give up on restaurants, let’s get smart. Here’s how:

1. Preorder: Support chef-run restaurants who want to make you happy. Dustin Valette of Valette Restaurant has a huge following for his Michelin-quality takeout meals, which are actually less expensive than some bad delivery I’ve had. Try Spinster Sisters’ Family Meals. They need preorders to make takeout work, so they know how to staff and what ingredients to order. Plan and order at least a few days ahead; some restaurants sell out, so even a week ahead is good idea. Yes, it takes a little thought, but I’ve created a calendar to remind me. Plus, contactless pickup and it’s all prepaid. Win!

2. Pick up your food: Get off your tush and go get it. Restaurants save the delivery fees and you don’t wait around or end up paying $50 for a $35 meal. Plus, it’s fun to sniff all that goodness on the car ride home. I recommend the Audible fairy tale comedy “Heads Will Roll” from Kate McKinnon (not for kids) to keep you company on the drive.

3. Spread the love: Consider getting out of your everyday area. See what’s available in Sonoma if you live in Santa Rosa. Take a trip to Healdsburg. Get down to P-town.

4. Be Nice: Every meal won’t be perfect. But hold your Yelp nastiness and let the restaurant know directly instead. Online reviews are forever, and your meal may have been a slip. A good restaurant will address your concerns. If they blow you off, then hit Yelp.

5. Share the love: Had a great meal? Share it on social media, tell a friend, go to Save Sonoma County Restaurants on Facebook and post a quick review and a picture. Tell me at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Word-of-mouth is more valuable than gold.

Sonoma County’s Best Restaurant Dishes 2020

By Heather Irwin
Tamarind glazed grilled shrimp at Stark’s Steak and Seafood Brazilian BBQ popup in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)

It’s almost cruel to talk about the incredible food I have eaten this year as we begin another pandemic lockdown. Many of these restaurants are closed or only offering takeout, which pales in comparison to the summertime luxury of being able to eat al fresco.

For that I’m sorry, but not that sorry. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and my it’s my most sincere wish that we’ll soon be able to enjoy the amazing food Sonoma County is known for. This look back at the best dishes I ate this year is also an homage to all the chefs who refused to give up and pivoted over and over to meet the challenges heaped on them at every turn.

Sadly, it’s my greatest fear that some of these restaurants won’t make it through the winter. The lack of any real Congressional action to assist the restaurant industry — a massive stimulus remains mired in committee — is about the only thing that can save them at this point. Customer support is still critical as we enter the darkest season these restaurateurs have known. Soggy takeout containers and cold food aren’t my favorite either, but it’s our current reality.

As we dream of better days, consider this a look at what was 2020 and what will be again.

Top five dishes

Grossman’s Noshery & Bar, every dish: Grossman’s is all that and a bag of matzoh chips. Fresh bagels and schmears, the world’s best egg salad, smoked fish, chicken liver with gribnes, veal palmeni and the dish I order frequently (just for my own satisfaction) — the Sabich platter with fried eggplant, falafel, pickled veggies, tahina, pita and Israeli salad. It’s my soul food. Full menu available for takeout. 308 1/2 Wilson St., Santa Rosa (at the Hotel La Rose), 707-595-7707, grossmanssr.com

Bricoleur Vineyards, Heirloom Tomato Salad and Elote Agnolotti with roasted corn, charred shishito pepper, lime and cotija: There is a brief window in late summer where food becomes magical. Tomatoes and corn are at their peak, late-season berries are sweeter than ever and in the right hands a perfect meal is possible. Chef Shane McAnelly’s summer wine dinners at this fledgling winery are a combination of place, time and talent. I will likely never forget my dinner for one as I sat by the pond and savored every bite. Wine dinners resume in February. 7394 Starr Road, Windsor, 707-875-5700, bricoleurvineyards.com

Single Thread, opening course small bites and wild Kagoshima Kanpachi: Utter delight is the best way to explain the small fairy glen of flora and fauna studded with luxurious edible treats waiting for diners at this three-Michelin star restaurant. In their temporary home at Kistler Vineyards’ Trenton Roadhouse this summer, Kyle and Katina Connaughton matched the breathtaking scenery and moonrise with a series of dishes almost too beautiful to eat. The luxurious outdoor dining fantasy they recently built will remain until March, but currently, they’re takeout-only menu is available online. 131 North St., Healdsburg, 707-723-4646, singlethreadfarms.com

Blue Ridge Kitchen, Croque Madame: This showstopper is the Liberace of sandwiches. Its jeweled capelets of griddled brioche sit in a dainty puddle of golden saffron Bechemel. Up top is a jaunty chapeau of sunny-side-up eggs and sequins of caviar. Peering inside, you’ll find a symphony of fontina, country ham and even lobster. You can’t look away from that kind of fabulous. Open for takeout. 6770 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, 707-222-5040, brkitchen.com

Wit and Wisdom, Caponatina Angolotti: Michale Mina’s first Wine Country restaurant is top-to-bottom exceptional, but this simple little pasta dish with tomato-water glaze and Parmesan fonduta blew me away. Open for takeout. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-931-3405, michaelmina.net/restaurants/wit-wisdom

And the rest

Barndiva, Boeuf Bourguignon with crème-fraîche mashed potatoes and shiso dashi-glazed maitake mushrooms: One of my early takeout meals this year is still one of the best. Open for takeout. 231 Center St., Healdsburg, barndiva.com

Sushi Kosho, Japanese Eggplant with sweet miso glaze and walnuts and sushi made for a happy visit to one of my favorite chefs, despite the lockdown. Open for takeout. 750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, koshosushi.com

PizzaLeah, Old Grey Beard pizza: This sausage pizza gets a sweet-spicy kick from hot honey and orange zest added to homemade red sauce, fontina cheese, Italian sausage and a seriously delightful crust. Leah Scurto has become a huge part of the community since opening in March, with amazingly good pizza. Open for takeout. 9240 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 116, Windsor, 707-620-0551, pizzaleah.com

Stark’s Steakhouse Brazilian BBQ, Tamarind-Glazed Grilled Shrimp: Though this summer churascarria has ended, the memories of the all-you-can-eat fest will linger. You can still order the shrimp and other steakhouse classics for takeout. Stark’s Steakhouse is open for takeout. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com

Seafood and Eat (Down to Earth Cafe), Crab Louie Salad and Fish and Chips: A pandemic pivot resulted in one of the best seafood spots in the county. The Fish and Chips are unparalleled; with local rock cod fried in a beer batter, they’re flaky, clean and crisp rather than an oily, sodden mess hidden in a puffy pancake jacket. The Crab Louis Salad is a feast for the eyes and belly. Open for takeout. 9238 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-657-7701, facebook.com/dtewindsor

Simmer Claw Bar, Crayfish Boil with potatoes, corn and all the fixings: This was the last review I did before the COVID-19 shutdown and still one of the finger-licking best. Open for takeout. 595 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park, 707-806-2080, facebook.com/SimmerClawBar

Acre Pizza, Detroit-style pizza: Caramelized crust, homemade sauce and loads of cheese make this thick-crust, gramma-style pizza too delicious to ignore. 6760 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, 707-827-3455, acrepizza.com

Mateo’s Cocina Latina, Pork Belly: An unplanned lunch with friends turned up this incredible piece of crispy pork in a honey-serrano glaze. Unforgettable. 214 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1520, mateoscocinalatina.com

El Charro Negro food truck, Tacos and agua chiles: Home of the best ocean-to-table tacos, tostadas and ceviche in Sonoma County, hands down. Hours vary, but check out their social media for updates. Mitote Food Park in Roseland, 707-385-6465, charronegrofood.com

Note: We’ll be adding more favorites in the coming days.