Page 219 – Sonoma Magazine

Try Something New: Free or Cheap Online Classes From Local Experts

June 2020

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

We admit to disappearing down the reality TV rabbit hole a bit more often these days — after all, everyone needs to look away from the news and turn off our brains, at least for a few minutes. But if you’re looking to spend some time at home in a wholesome way, Sonoma County’s creative and fitness community has you covered. Locals have stepped up in a big way, offering free or low-cost online resources that will keep you in shape, get you started on a new hobby, or back on track with an old favorite. Click through the above gallery for a few ideas.

Karen Kizer, Chelsea Rose Kurnick, Meg McConahey and Janet Balicki Weber contributed to this article.

“You’ve Been Serving Us for So Many Years:” Local Hospitality Workers Get Free Food This Friday

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

Redwood Empire Food Bank distribution. Courtesy photo

Furloughed hospitality workers from Sonoma County are invited to a free drive-through food distribution from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, June 12, at 400 Aviation Blvd in Santa Rosa.

Aimed at restaurant, hotel and winery employees who have lost work during the pandemic, the distribution is a collaboration between the Redwood Empire Food Bank and Sonoma County Vintners. Workers will be given a variety of provisions purchased from farmers through the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Sonoma County has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the state region due to shelter-in-place mandates that have disproportionally affected hospitality workers.

Food will be supplied on a first-come, first-served basis and there is no need to register in advance or provide proof of previous employment, according to organizers.

“We know it’s a challenging and difficult place to be, to ask for food,” said David Goodman, Redwood Empire Food Bank’s CEO. “You’ve been serving us for so many years, now please let us serve you.”

Find more information here.

Free Books, Movies and More: The Power of Your Sonoma County Library Card

June 2020

By Dana Rebmann

While the physical branches of The Sonoma County Library remain closed during the pandemic, your library card still comes with a great deal of benefits. Books are a given but did you know that you can also watch movies and read magazines for free, among other things? With school out and a summer sans travel around the corner, your library card can help keep you entertained and transport you to faraway places any hour of the day.

“We have so many resources that I’m not sure anyone can keep track of all of them,” said Ray Holley, Community Relations Manager and Public Information Officer for the Sonoma County Library.

Select branches have now started offering curbside pickup, but you don’t need to leave home to borrow books, movies, and more. E-books and audiobooks are always available. There are tens of thousands of titles to choose from, ranging from classics and nonfiction to kids and young adult books. The New York Times is free online with your Sonoma County Library card. As are Consumer Reports, National Geographic, and Britannica, just to mention a few. Many of the library’s resources are available in Spanish, some are even available in French and Mandarin.

No library card? No problem: you can sign up for an Instant Digital Card using your mobile phone number.

“I hope people will take advantage of the subscription resources that we provide,” said Ann Hammond, Sonoma County Library Director. “We have – literally – thousands of popular magazines to read online, plus in-depth legal references, car repair manuals, newspaper archives, manga comic collections, software tutorials…it goes on and on!”

Want to learn how to play the guitar? Maybe the ukulele? The library has you covered with Zoom workshops.

You can learn a new language with Mango online language software and explore your family tree on Ancestry.com. Lynda.com, the Criterion Collection of classic films, and many other popular services are also available through the Sonoma County Library.

“It would cost you hundreds of dollars a year to subscribe to them all, but they’re all free with your library card,” said Ann Hammond.

A number of digital services are also available for kids and kids-at-heart. The annual Summer Reading Challenge runs from June 1 through August 8 (reading can be tracked online or using paper logs). Every Tuesday at 1 p.m. during “Simple Science at Home,” librarians use common ingredients to create fun science experiments like learning how to make invisible ink in under three minutes. Every Saturday at 1 p.m. crafts take center stage. Even story time is virtual these days: new stories and songs get added to the Sonoma County Library’s playlist every Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m.

If you don’t have a library card, you can sign up here.

Award-Winning Pizza Chef Brings a Slice of Rome to Windsor

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

A variety of pizzas, including the Old Grey Beard, left, featuring Italian sausage, Calabrian peppers, hot honey and orange zest, the Spayde, center, a square pan pizza with red sauce, mozzarella, pecorino, olive oil and fresh basil, and the Chingona, top, featuring olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta and fresh basil at PizzaLeah in Windsor, Calif., on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (Beth Schlanker / The Press Democrat)

Ordering a plain cheese pizza always seems like a cop-out to me. It’s cheese, dough and pizza sauce, which is about as exciting as a bowl of undercooked oatmeal. Give me wild mushrooms, goat cheese, fresh rosemary and maybe even a little peanut sauce on that dough!

Champion pizzaiola Leah Scurto of PizzaLeah in Windsor is far too polite to call out my amateur-hour thinking, but clearly it’s wrong-headed if you actually know your pies.

“When I try a pizza place I always do the plain cheese. The dough, sauce and cheese have to be right. There’s nowhere to hide, and throwing a bunch of stuff on it won’t improve it,” she says.

There’s not much to argue with there, and Scurto puts every bit of her soul into making those three things as perfect as possible. That means spending up to 72 hours on each batch of the long-fermented dough she uses for her thick, Roman-style (aka grandma-style) square pizzas. It’s why she won’t let her customers order eight toppings on a pizza. It’s why she refuses to use flavor-dominating bell peppers in her restaurant.

“It takes away from the integrity,” she says with the earnestness of someone who’s done a lifetime of thinking about such things.

And she has.

Scurto has spent her entire adult life slinging pizza, primarily for the Santa Cruz-based Pizza My Heart. Walking into the tiny beach shack at 18, she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the executive chef and overseeing its expansion from two restaurants to 24 throughout the Bay Area.

She’s passionate about the art and science of pizza, rolling and tossing dough each day, responding to minute changes in the temperature or humidity, getting a literal feel of the dough’s unique personality.

“It should never be the same, because it’s a living thing. I make it every morning, and the end result is always different,” she says.

Like any obsessive bread baker, her proof is in the proofing.

Scurto is also a seven-year member of the United States Pizza Team and one of a tiny handful of women who compete.

She’s learned to hold her own, though she’s had more than a few awkward situations, like a customer demanding a man make his pizza instead of Scurto or being handed the camera to take a picture of the predominately male U.S. pizza team while she was part of it.

But Scurto mostly scoffs at the whole gender disparity thing. Frankly, she’s got more award-winning recipes than many of her male counterparts, cooler tattoos and better things to worry about, such as why anyone would want pineapple and Canadian bacon on a pizza.

“Look, there’s a lot of masculinity in restaurant kitchens in general, but I’m just gonna do my thing,” she says.

Best Bets

Don’t call PizzaLeah pies “California” pizza. Though the L-o-l-a and Po-Tay-To pizzas have smashed fingerling potatoes, most of her pies are classics with a twist. Think olive oil, mushrooms, roasted garlic, Italian sausage or meatballs and sweet, rich tomato sauce. She uses hot honey, pickled peppers, orange zest, caramelized onions or roasted fennel to flavor-boost her pies, not decorate them.

Pizzas come in two styles, thin-crust round pies that are 12 or 16 inches ($20/$28) or square-pan pies ($28) which are made in limited quantities. Pizza names are usually references to friends or family.

Old Grey Beard: Red sauce, mozzarella, fontina, Italian sausage, Calabrian peppers, hot honey and orange zest. The sauce is worth noticing, because it’s noticeably different and not overwhelmed by oregano or dried basil. There’s a sweet, tangy, long-simmered tomato flavor that doesn’t need to be covered with seasoning. I love a mix of sweet, salty and savory with light heat that tingles rather than burns.

Po-Tay-To: Mozzarella, smashed fingerling potatoes, green onions, applewood smoked bacon, garlic and cream. Potatoes are fairly common as a pizza topping in Italy and soak up the flavor of the bacon and garlic.

The thin crust has that perfect balance between chewy and crunchy. It’s not blackened on the bottom, but dark enough to show a keen mastery of temperature and dough.

Mush-a-Roni: Square pizzas use the same basic dough but become more like focaccia than a thick, bready crust. This is one of the most beautiful pizzas you will ever see in your life. It’s not a gloopy mess of cheese and dough but comforting grandma-style pan pizza with red sauce, pepperoni, cremini mushrooms, fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese.

You also can make your own pizza, and the menu includes gluten-free crusts. Several items on the menu aren’t available right now, like the meatballs and wedge salad or the watercress salad, but will make an appearance once things get back to normal.

Ordering is by phone only, 707-620-0551. Menu online at pizzaleah.com and contactless pickup in Windsor is available. 9240 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 116 (in the Oliver’s shopping center). Closed Mondays.

New Petaluma Bagel Shop Launches Delivery Service Throughout the Bay Area

June 2020

By Heather Irwin

Bagels and schmear from Ethel’s Bagels. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Chef Nicolas Abrams has been on a quest to create the perfect East Coast-meets-West Coast bagel for years. But it took a pandemic to finally get them to market.

Ethel’s Bagels, named for Abrams’ Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn grandmother, was born of a desire for Jewish comfort food and a family with extra time on their hands during shelter-in-place orders.

“This is an idea I’ve had for so many years,” said Abrams, a 30-year culinary veteran. Enlisting the help of his two children and his wife, he has created a delivery-only bagelry in Petaluma that’s gaining word-of-mouth traction throughout the Bay Area.

“I never had time to go full bore into this with family, kids, insurance. But COVID-19 gave me all this time. I had all the pieces in place, and this was meant to be a family business. So we came together and did it,” Abrams said.

Avocado delight bagel from Ethel’s Bagels in Petaluma. (Courtesy photo)

It started, as most good things do, with grandma’s cooking. “What drove me is remembering the days when I was young, growing up and heading to grandma and grandpa’s and all the amazing spreads, friends and family, that community and warmth,” Abrams said. Grandma Ethel inspired Abrams’ lifelong love of Jewish comfort food.

But it was the bagels that stood out in his memory. So, for several years, Abrams experimented. He landed on an organic sourdough base using flour from Central Milling, which he calls the “perfect flour.” No, it’s not a Gold Rush-era starter or made with magical tap water from New York City. Abrams doesn’t necessarily buy into all that voodoo.

Bagels are for dessert too: plain bagel and OyVey schmear from Ethel’s Bagel with macerated strawberries and a drizzle of local honey. (Courtesy photo)

After plenty of carbo-loaded research and development, Abrams created a bagel he liked, adding malt flour and boiling the bagels in water, malt syrup and local beer. He prefers Lagunitas, which he said helps create a crispy exterior with a chewy interior.

Thus Ethel’s bagels were born. Flavors include plain, salt, sesame, poppy seed, onion, everything and black pepper Parmesan and cinnamon raisin. They are exceptional; they are crispy and chewy. They are, as Abrams explained, a West Coast bagel with an East Coast attitude.

But any good bagel needs a good schmear. Abrams also makes Oy Vey cream cheese schmears that are required eating with the bagels. We loved the fresh, light spring chives, pickled shallot and herbs and luxe wild smoked salmon. But the earthy-sweet black garlic and sherry schmear is a game-changer.

There are also bagel “kits” that range from classic with cream cheese, capers, lox and lemon to avocado delight to an olive and scallion mix.

Tempted? You should be. Just know you’ll have to plan ahead a bit. Deliveries to Sonoma County are on Friday, and you’ll need to order the week prior. It’s worth the wait. Order online at ethelsbagels.com

50 Sonoma County Wineries That Are Now Open to Visitors

June 2020

By Linda Murphy

Editors note: As of June 12, tasting rooms are allowed to open without the requirement they also serve food. Many Sonoma County wineries have since resumed tastings. Please check with your favorite winery for more information. The below list was created before Covid-19 restrictions were further relaxed.

After more than two months of coronavirus-prompted closures, wineries are reopening throughout Sonoma County like wildflowers after spring rain. But things remain a little different in Wine Country — wineries must now employ a plethora of measures to keep visitors and employees safe.

This list of wineries that are now open (or soon will be) will be updated in the coming days. In all cases, reservations are required, parties will be seated 6 feet apart, and masks must be worn before and after meals. Prices listed are per person unless noted; wine club members typically receive discounts and/or complimentary visits.

Grace Yarrow contributed to this article.

Adobe Road Winery: While proprietor Kevin Buckler continues to develop his property on the Petaluma River to a multi-use winery, restaurant and visitor center, he now hosts pop-up tastings, with food service, at the construction location. Tastings of five wines are $35, accompanied by appetizers from Ayawaska RestoBar. C and First streets, Petaluma, 707-774-6699, adoberoadwines.com.

Alexander Valley Vineyards: Seated wine tastings on the tasting room porch, with boxed lunches, give guests an up-close look at a working winery and vineyards. The Estate Tasting is $30, the Reserve Tasting $40. 8644 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 707-7902, avvwine.com.

Anaba Wines: Located in the Carneros region, Anaba will reopen on June 5 for seated outdoor tasting experiences with paired lunches provided by Sonoma restaurants the Girl & the Fig and the spanking-new Kivelstadt Cellars Wine Garden and Eatery. A flight of four Anaba wines is delivered to each table in carafes so that guests can pour four themselves. Available Friday through Sunday. $70. 62 Bonneau Road, 707-996-4188, x109, anabawines.com.

Bacigalupi Vineyards: Reopens on June 12 with seated one-hour tastings (by reservation) that will be held on the winery’s patio and outdoor spaces adjacent to the tasting room on Westside Road. Each outdoor tasting ($25) features a selection of five Bacigalupi Vineyards estate-grown wines, including the recently released 2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir. Guests will also be able to purchase their own “Baci Board,” featuring a selection of the winery’s favorite local cheeses with an assortment of cured meats, almonds, and Rustic Bakery Flatbread. Each tasting fee will be refunded with a purchase of two or more bottles at the time of the visit. Appointments are available at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays and select holidays when the winery is closed to visitors. 4353 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-473-0115, bacigalupivineyards.com.

Balletto Vineyards: Patio tastings are available Friday through Sunday, with two options. The Reserve Food & Wine Pairing is comprised of five vintage and single-vineyard wines matched with a bruschetta trio of pesto cream, olive tapenade and tomato, with brie and honey to finish ($39). Four estate wines are poured in the Estate Food & Wine Pairing ($29), served with naan and three spreads. 5700 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, 707-568-2455, ballettovineyards.com.

Benovia Winery: Sit on the winery’s ranch house deck in the heart of Russian River Valley for Pinot & Pairings on the Patio. With the estate Martaella Vineyard as the backdrop, visitors taste pinot noirs and chardonnays paired with small bites that complement the wines. $30. 3339 Hartman Road, Santa Rosa, 707-526-4441, benoviawinery.com.

B.R. Cohn Winery: Thursday through Monday, B.R. Cohn offers several food packages for two, partnering with Sonoma restaurant the Girl & the Fig. Wines are sold by the glass and bottle, to accompany a menu that ranges from boxed brunches to picnic lunches to multi-course meals. Wine and food prices vary. 5000 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen, 707-938-4064, brcohn.com.

Bricoleur Vineyards: The Essentials Picnic for two ($90) includes a bottle of grenache rosé and lunch for two, to be enjoyed by the pond or rose garden on the 40-acre estate in Windsor. Chef Shane McAnelly (formerly of Chalkboard and Brass Rabbit in Healdsburg) assembles pre-packed meals of piadini, two salads, housemade chips with Swiss chard dip, and cookies, with many of the ingredients grown onsite. There are also tasting experiences served with a seasonal dish prepared by McAnelly ($45-$65). 7494 Starr Road, Windsor, 707-857-5700, bricoleurvineyards.com.

Bucher Wines: Open for seated tastings on the patio at Grand Cru Custom Crush Sunday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New releases, including the 2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir that received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, will be available for tasting. Guests can choose between two meals: a cheese and charcuterie plate and a vegan plate, which includes chickpea hummus, seasonal vegetable crudités, mixed olives and pickles, and nuts. 1200 American Way, Windsor, 707-484-5162, bucher.wine/taste

Buena Vista Winery: Cheese and charcuterie platters for two, with wines, are $50 at this historic Sonoma winery. Boxed lunches from Oakville Grocery, with wine, are $50 per person. Guests can enjoy food only for a reduced price. 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com.

Cast Wines: This Dry Creek Valley producer serves four wines with cheese and charcuterie boards on its Grey Palm Patio ($30); boxed meals are an additional $20. The menu changes weekly, so check the website for offerings. 8500 Dry Creek Road, Geyserville, 707-431-1225, castwines.com.

Chateau St. Jean: Build your own sandwich at a private picnic table at this Kenwood visitor center. The reusable picnic basket contains all the necessary sandwich fixings, chips, a cookie and your choice of wine, for $40. 8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-257-5784, chateaustjean.com.

Corner 103: Corner 103 opens its downtown Sonoma tasting room on Saturday, June 13. The Sonoma Wine Tasting ($20) is by appointment only and includes a tasting of 5 award-wining, limited-production wines of the guest’s choice. 103 W. Napa Street, Sonoma, 707-931-6141, corner103.com.

Davis Family Vineyards: A large patio and organic garden area with picnic tables overlooking the Russian River allow visitors to enjoy a five-wine-tasting outdoors. There’s a bocce ball court too, and food from chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart’s Black Piglet food truck. Open by appointment only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Email for reservations at least 24 hours in advance. 52 Front St, Healdsburg, 707-433-3858, davisfamilyvineyards.com.

DeLoach Vineyards: Cheese and charcuterie platters for two, with wines, are $50 at this Russian River Valley producer. Boxed lunches from Oakville Grocery, with wine, are $50 per person. Guests can enjoy food only for a reduced price. 1791 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa, 707-755-3300, deloachvineyards.com.

deLorimier Winery: This Geyserville winery’s back patio offers views of Alexander Valley and is a quiet space for tasting its wines, with a picnic lunch prepared by estate chef Donna Parsons. Each reservation, offered at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., has a dedicated host who serves three deLorimier wines with the meal. $30. 2001 Highway 128, Geyserville, 800-546-7718, delorimierwinery.com.

Donum Estate: Wine meets art at Donum Estate, which reopens its tasting room on Friday, June 12, with a new culinary experience featuring seasonal produce from Kicking Bull Farm, the winery’s Michelin-standard onsite garden. The Discover ($95) and Explore ($150) experiences are by appointment only and include tours of the estate’s open-air art sculpture collection featuring over 40 works by world-renowned artists. 24500 Ramal Road, Sonoma, 707-732-2200, thedonumestate.com.

Dutton Estate Winery: Enjoy a picnic and wine tasting in the garden, with five estate wines served with a springtime boxed meal. The wine menu includes rosé, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. $30. 8757 Green Valley Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-9463, duttonestate.com.

Fort Ross Vineyard and Winery: Reopened since June 5. Wine tastings ($45) include four estate grown wines accompanied by a sit-down meal of locally sourced, traditional charcuterie or artisanal cheese and vegetarian selection. Tastings take place on the winery’s outdoor decks and patios surrounded by coastal forests and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Limited reservations are available, Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. – 3 pm. 15725 Meyers Grade Road, Jenner, 707-847-3460, fortrossvineyard.com.

Flowers Vineyards & Winery: Reopening Friday, June 12, with a new contactless, alfresco bottle service and picnic experience ($150 for two guests). Tables will be preset with a bottle of 2017 Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay or 2017 Flowers Sea View Ridge Pinot Noir, an ice bucket, glassware, and picnic basket prepared by Healdsburg restaurant SingleThread (additional partners will include Valette and The Spinster Sisters). Guests can reserve a time slot (Friday through Sunday) and pre-pay for the tasting experience online. Flagship tasting flights ($25) also available. 4035 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, 707-723-4800, flowerswinery.com.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery: Leave it to Francis Ford Coppola to jump on an opportunity to show off his wines and Italian cuisine from his Rustic restaurant at his Geyserville property. While the pool, movie memorabilia collection and tasting bars remain closed, outdoor dining and wine tastings are available, noon to 4 p.m. Restaurant menu pricing is in place; cost for a wine tasting and pairing session is $30. 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, 707-857-1471, francisfordcoppolawinery.com.

Freeman Vineyard & Winery: By appointment, Akiko and Ken Freeman reopen their Sebastopol winery on June 5, seating visitors in their redwood grove and serving food prepared by nearby Handline Restaurant. The dishes are paired with five wines made by Akiko, a specialist in chardonnay and pinot noir. $50. 1300 Montgomery Road, Sebastopol, 707-823-6937, freemanwinery.com.

Hanna Winery: Hanna Winery has two tasting rooms — one in Alexander Valley and one in the Russian River Valley, just west of Santa Rosa. Both are open for tastings by appointment. In Alexander Valley, picnic under the oak tree with a flight of five wines and a lunch selection ($50 per person). The Hanna Vineyard Lunch includes a locally source meal featuring three items from the Sonoma County Chef’s Menu, plus dessert and a flight of five wines ($85 per person). Wine and cheese pairings and cabernet and charcuterie pairings are available, too. 9280 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-431-4310; 5353 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, 707-575-3371, hannawinery.com.

Horse & Plow: This Sebastopol winery and cidery is open for outdoor tastings every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between noon and 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy wine, cider and food on 2 acres of gardens and orchards. 1272 Gravenstein Hwy N Sebastopol, 707-322-4871, horseandplow.com.

Iron Horse Vineyards: Three sparkling wines, a single-vineyard chardonnay and a single-vineyard pinot noir are the core of this experience, paired with foods and served in a picnic gazebo. $30. 9796 Ross Station Road, Sebastopol, 707-887-1507, ironhorsevineyards.com.

Jordan Winery: The currently available experience is a guided estate hike and take-away box lunch with one bottle each of Jordan’s chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon ($220 per couple). Starting June 11, seated bistro-style lunches will be available, prepared by estate chef Todd Knoll, with wine, served on the terrace. $75-$110. 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 800-654-1213, jordanwinery.com.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens: K-J’s visitor center, located just north of Santa Rosa, has resumed its Food & Wine pairing program. Executive Chef Justin Wangler and his team use local ingredients and hyper-local produce from its 4-acre culinary garden to prepare four small dishes paired with the winery’s small-production, limited-release wines. $70. 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, 707-571-8100, kj.com.

Kunde Family Winery: Its expansive patio is conducive to hosting tastings with plenty of physical distancing. A selected group of wines are served, with a food component, for $35. 9825 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5501, kunde.com.

La Crema at Saralee’s Vineyard: Take a walking tour of the estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley, then receive a cheese and charcuterie picnic box and bottle of wine to take home or savor on the adjacent lawn at Richard’s Grove. $100 for two people. 3575 Slusser Road, Windsor, lacrema.com.

Larson Family Winery: Open by reservation only for bottle service paired with food from Tips Tri Trip Trolley. This kid-friendly winery has a shaded patio and a big lawn. Prices vary depending on wine and food selection. Reservations can be made online. 3355 Millerick Road, Sonoma, 707-938-3031, larsonfamilywinery.com.

Ledson Winery & Vineyards: Tasting room and gourmet marketplace reopens Friday, June 12. Wine tasting experiences at the castle are hosted daily, by appointment, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Choose between the Classic Wine Tasting ($30 plus tax), the Winemaker’s Flight ($50 plus tax), and the Private Wine Tasting ($75 plus tax). Call 707-537-3823 or visit ledson.com/taste for reservations. 7335 Highway 12, Kenwood, ledson.com.

Longboard Vineyards: Enjoy sparkling wines, crisp whites, pinot noir, syrah and other varietals, alfresco, with cheese and charcuterie boards, and other food selections. Prices vary. 5 Fitch Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-3473, longboardvineyards.com.

Marimar Estate: Owner (and cookbook author) Marimar Torres serves Spanish tapas and charcuterie plates alongside her chardonnays, pinot noirs and albarinos, on her Russian River Valley winery’s patio. $40-$65. 11400 Graton Road, 707-823-4365, x114, marimarestate.com.

Martinelli Winery: Open for tastings by appointment on the vineyard terrace, with a picnic lunch, Friday — Monday, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m ($50). Includes six estate wines and lunch options such as the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with provolone, roasted tomatoes and parsley mayo, Grilled Portobello Mushroom sandwich with fontina cheese, lettuce and parsley and a Picnic Lunch Salad with walnuts, candied lemon, pecorino cheese, raisins and a raspberry vinaigrette. Bottle service paired with picnic is also available. Make reservations online. 3360 River Rd, Windsor, 707-525-0570, martinelliwinery.com.

Mayo Family Winery: Mayo Family Winery has two tasting rooms — The Main Tasting Room in Glen Ellen and The Reserve Room in Kenwood. Both are now open for tastings by appointment. Call to make reservations. 13101 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-938-9401; 9200 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5504, mayofamilywinery.com.

Meadowcroft Wines: This Cornerstone Sonoma tasting room has reopened for by-appointment wine tastings. Picnic boxes prepared by the Girl & the Fig ($40) accompany bottle purchases and can be enjoyed on the Cornerstone’s grounds. 23574 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-934-4090, meadowcroftwines.com.

Merry Edwards Winery: Merry Edwards’s tasting room reopens Saturday, June 13, with tastings of selected wines ($25) by appointment from 9:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There are a limited number of appointments available per day and the winery will be accepting a maximum of 4 guests per tasting to maintain proper social distancing. To book your appointment, email taste@merryedwards.com or call 707-823-7466 to speak with a tasting room host. 2959 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, merryedwards.com.

Muscardini Cellars: This Kenwood winery offers a number of food options to complement wine tastings, wines by the glass, and wines by the bottle, all served at safely distanced picnic tables. Charcuterie Lunch, Boxed Sandwich Lunch and Boxed Salmon Nicoise Salad Lunch ($15-$24) are among the meal selections; wine is an additional cost, from $15-$25 tasting flights to glass and bottle purchases. 9380 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-933-9305, muscardinicellars.com.

Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards: Lakeside Lunch is the newest experience at this Windsor winery. Four Notre Vue and Balverne wines are served to guests, alongside a charcuterie board ($40); prices vary for upgrades to a full lunch. 11010 Estate Lane, Windsor, 707-433-4050, notrevueestate.com.

Papapietro Perry Winery: Beginning June 5, a five-wine, pinot noir-forward flight accompanies lunch on the patio. Guests choose either a grilled sweet potato banh mi with Asian slaw, avocado and soy glaze, or a roast turkey sandwich with cranberry chutney, green onion cream cheese and arugula. Each is served with cauliflower tabbouleh salad and a chocolate-raspberry brownie. $40. 4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-0422, papapietro-perry.com.

Ramey Wine Cellars: Open daily for hosted seated tastings by appointment at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ($50). Each reservation will be the only group in the private tasting space at all times. For information and scheduling, email info@rameywine.com or call 707-433-0870. 25 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, rameywine.com.

Ram’s Gate Winery: Its open-air tasting includes five wines and a tableside picnic of local cheeses, cured meats, candied almonds, olives, artisan bread and pickles. $50 per person for wine flights and an additional $16 per person for the tableside picnic. 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700, ramsgatewinery.com.

Roadhouse Winery: Visit the Healdsburg tasting room to try its lineup of pinot noirs. Tastings require a purchase of a meal. $45 for wine and food. 250 Center Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-0433, roadhousewinery.com.

Russian River Vineyards: Its restaurant license and outdoor patio allowed this winery to welcome visitors just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Picnic tables are arranged on the grounds, appropriately distanced. The current menu features charcuterie and cheese boards, salads and sandwiches, all paired with the winery’s pinot noirs, chardonnays and rosés. $20 for a tasting flight, with food orders additional. 5700 Highway 116 N., Forestville, 707-887-3344, russianrivervineyards.com.

Ryme Cellars: Outdoor tastings are available on Ryme’s patio, with wine and a picnic brunch or lunch from Pascaline Patisserie. $35 meals per person, $20 wine tasting per person. 6450 First Street, Forestville, 707-820-8121, rymecellars.com.

Siduri Wines: Reopens the Santa Rosa Warehouse Winery — the original tasting room — on June 12 for tastings by reservation, Friday to Sunday. The Signature Tasting ($20) includes 4-5 of the winery’s critically-acclaimed Pinot Noirs from various spots along the West Coast. The tasting lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The $20 fee is waived with purchase or joining wine club. Call 707-578-3882 or email vino@siduri.com to make a reservation. 981 Airway Ct, Santa Rosa, siduri.com/visit/warehouse.

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards: Well-known for its high-end wine and food pairings program, St. Francis returns from closure on June 5 with a pairing of wines and multiple food bites, served on the vineyard portico. $50. 100 Pythian Road at Highway 12, Santa Rosa, 888-675-9463, stfranciswinery.com.

Three Fat Guys Wines: Proprietor and winemaker Tony Moll became well known in Sonoma Valley long before he filled his first barrel. A fourth-generation Sonoman and sports standout at Sonoma Valley High and the University of Nevada, he went on to play in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers. Two of his Packers teammates, Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz, are the other Fat Guys founders. The winery produces rosé, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon from renowned vineyards in Sonoma and Napa Valley. They reopened for tastings on Memorial Day weekend. 20816 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-983-7211, threefatguyswines.com.

Trentadue Winery: A selection of meal options is available, from local vendors such as Big John’s Market, at this Geyserville winery, served with wines by the glass or in a tasting flight. $20-$30 per person. 19170 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-433-3104, trentadue.com.

Trione Winery: Open Thursday to Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. by appointment. Outdoor seating is available around the property. Offerings include wines by the bottle, half bottle carafes and four-ounce pours, as well as cheese and charcuterie plates. 19550 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, 707-814-8100, trionewinery.com.

Viansa Sonoma: Choose to be seated in one of Viansa’s private overlooks, for glorious views of Sonoma Valley and a bit of birdwatching ($75 per person), or on the terrace, with a similar view ($50 per person), for an Italian-inspired lunch prepared by the Girl & the Fig and served with a seasonal flight of four wines. 25200 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 800-995-4740, viansa.com.

Williamson Wines: The Williamson family has two downtown Healdsburg tasting rooms, both on Matheson Street. The patio gates are open at each, and the focus, as always, is on wine and food matching. The Wine & Cheese Pairing ($20) with four wines is available at the 134 Matheson St. location. The Lunch Pairing takes place in Bill’s Cellar, at 18 Matheson St. and pricing is based on the level of wines chosen by guests — $50 for four Icon wines, $75 for Bordeaux-style wines and $95 for reserve wines. 134 Matheson Street and 18 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-1500, williamsonwines.com.

Finally, A Virtual Wine Tasting That Feels Like the Real Thing

June 2020

By Jess Lander

Garry Farrell wines, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. (Courtesy Garry Farrell)

As a wine and travel writer, I used to spend several days a week tasting wine at wineries (tough gig, I know). Now, in the time of coronavirus, I still taste wine but I do it from my couch. Over the past few weeks, I’ve participated in roughly a dozen virtual tasting experiences —some more fun and unique than others. One of my favorites so far is the Sip & Savor Through Sonoma tasting with Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery. Taking place via Zoom, this interactive experience transported me to the Healdsburg winery with a tour, tasting, and food pairing. Here’s what happened.

The Salon at Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery. (Courtesy photo)

The Tour

Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery is located in a fairly quiet stretch of Westside Road just south of Healdsburg. The winery specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley and, as a Russian River Pinot enthusiast, I’ve counted it among my favorite wineries for a long time.

Gary Farrell’s virtual experience begins with a tour of the winery’s cellar and barrel room. Our host, estate Sommelier & Wine Educator Kevin Patterson, used his camera to walk me and a few fellow writers through this area of the winery while speaking about different winemaking practices. Just like a normal tour, we were encouraged to ask questions along the way.

Next, Patterson showed us around the Salon, the sleek and intimate hospitality center the winery completed in 2017, and teased us with the panoramic view from the estate terrace. Since I’d been there before, it brought back happy memories from a few years prior.

The Tasting

The tasting portion of the experience included two wines: the 2017 Olivet Lane Chardonnay and the 2015 Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir. The Gary Farrell team shared their screen with us for each wine and played an educational video about the vineyard, featuring winemaker Theresa Heredia and the respective vineyard owners.

The Russian River Valley is expansive and has several microclimates—best described as neighborhoods—each imparting unique characteristics on the wines (different flavors, aromas, textures, etc.). Both of the wines we tasted are single-vineyard designates, giving true expression of the place, or neighborhood, in which they were grown.

The elegant and balanced Olivet Lane Chardonnay is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1975—those are pretty old vines by California standards. This wine represents the Santa Rosa Plain, a sloping bench land that’s sandwiched between a warm and cool microclimate. Meanwhile, the Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir comes from the cool and windy Petaluma Gap, which is known for producing full-bodied, rich, and structured wines. At five years old, this Pinot clearly had a lot of life left in it and the potential to age well.

The Food Pairing

The tasting kit I received included three recipe cards, curated by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer. Featuring selections from past Pigs & Pinot events — Palmer’s annual food and wine extravaganza — the dishes included coffee-brined pork tenderloin and a Brussel sprouts and celery salad with pickled onions.

Making the food pairings was optional but, with the tasting scheduled on a Saturday afternoon and with not much else to do these days, my husband and I decided it would be fun to put our cooking skills to the test. This did require some planning ahead — the brine, for example, had to be made the night before. I was a little nervous preparing recipes from one of the top chefs in Wine Country, but they were surprisingly easy to follow. The winery also provided a helpful video of Palmer preparing the meal.

As it turned out, I was the only participant on this media-only wine tasting that had prepared the food pairings — I think most other participants regretted this once they saw my plate and heard my enthusiastic reviews of the flavorful dishes.

As for how the food went with the wine, the Pinot complemented the pork tenderloin perfectly and, while Brussel sprouts are notoriously difficult to pair with wine, the salad also worked with the Pinot and didn’t add any additional bitterness. With my belly full and mind happy, it was a Saturday well spent at home.

Sip & Savor Through Sonoma can be booked as a standalone experience with Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery but was created in partnership with Sonoma’s Three Sticks Wines, enabling guests to virtually visit two wineries, much like they would on a typical visit to Wine Country. Hosted from their historic 1842 Adobe, the Three Sticks experience also includes a tour, tasting of two wines, and food pairings from chef Armando Navarro of El Dorado Kitchen. The cost is $250 or $125 for one winery.

20 Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained and Yourself Sane This Summer

June 2020

By Karen Kizer

If you’re a parent, you’re likely asking yourself the following question right now: “How are we going to get through summer?”

After months of being cooped up under one roof while balancing work and home schooling, the prospect of spending a long hot summer together can seem daunting. So how are we going to do this? Yes, there are those problematic yet ever-so-helpful screens, but haven’t the kids done enough TikTok moves already?

Thankfully, Sonoma County, the Bay Area and the world wide web offer engaging resources that will help keep kids entertained (and parents sane) — especially now that coronavirus shutdowns have made local businesses and organizations even more creative.

To make your life a little easier, we’ve outlined a few tips and ideas for summer 2020. Click through the above gallery for details.

5 Sonoma Wineries That Are Now Open for Patio Tastings

May 2020

By Linda Murphy

After more than two months of winery tasting room closures, Sonoma County’s health department granted permission for winery visitor centers to reopen as of May 23. Shortly before that, a couple of local wineries took advantage of relaxed coronavirus closure rules to offer walking tours followed by sales of wine and food. The new regulations go a step further — wineries can open for onsite tastings, though with limitations.

Those itching to hit the winery road ASAP should be prepared for a different tasting experience. You will need to make a reservation, sit down to a meal to accompany the wines outdoors and belly up not to the tasting bar, but to a hand sanitation station when you arrive. To meet Centers for Disease Control recommendations, servers wear masks and non-latex gloves. Tables are spaced at least 6 feet apart, and employees maintain this spacing from each other and guests. Glassware is washed in commercial washers reaching 180 degrees. All touch points, including tables, chairs and payment processing devices, are sanitized after each use. Visitors are asked to wear face coverings until they are seated.

While the vast majority of Sonoma County wineries remain closed to visitors, every day brings news of another winery or two adding food components and moving tastings outside in order to resume service. Check your favorite wineries’ websites for updates (you can also find a list here). Many tasting room managers say they are hopeful for mid-June reopenings, with safety-minded protocols in place, reservation-only service, and small groups instead of large crowds. Some are arranging for caterers and food trucks to provide meals and snacks, in order to open more quickly.

In the meantime, these excellent wineries are open for patio tastings. And, for those not quite ready to venture out, they also offer curbside pickups of wine and, in some cases, delivery.

deLorimier Winery

This Geyserville winery’s back patio offers west-facing views of Alexander Valley vineyards and is a quiet, calming space for tasting deLorimier wines (the Meritage red and Primativo are outstanding) with a picnic lunch prepared by estate chef Donna Parsons. Each reservation, offered at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., has a dedicated host who serves three wines with the lunch. Seatings are staggered to comply with physical distancing requirements. $30 person. This is the only member of the Wilson Artisan Wineries family to be open now.

2001 Highway 128, Geyserville, 800-546-7718, delorimierwinery.com

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Leave it to Francis Ford Coppola to jump on an opportunity to show off his myriad wines and Italian cuisine from his Rustic restaurant on the winery property in Geyserville. While the hospitality center, with its swimming pool, Coppola’s movie memorabilia and tasting bars, is not open, outdoor dining and wine tastings are back. Reserve a table, from noon to 4 p.m., to indulge in Mrs. Scorcese’s Lemon Chicken and a glass or bottle of sunny sauvignon blanc. Seating is limited to four people per table, and guests pay menu prices. Or pay $30 per person for a wine tasting and pairing session, with four tasting portions of wine matched to small-plate dishes.

300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, 707-857-1471, francisfordcoppolawinery.com

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens

K-J’s visitor center, a fixture on the west side of Highway 101 just north of Santa Rosa, sprang back to life May 24 with the resumption of its popular Food & Wine pairing program. Executive Chef Justin Wangler and his team take advantage of local ingredients and hyper-local produce from the 4-acre culinary garden to prepare four small dishes paired with the winery’s small-production, limited-release wines. Cost is $70 per person and the alfresco experience is offered, by reservation, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Guests also can stroll through the gardens, keeping physical distancing in mind.

5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, 707-571-8100, kj.com

Russian River Vineyards

Owners Gio Balistrieri and Chris O’Neill have long had a restaurant at this Forestville winery (some will remember it as Topolos Russian River Vineyards, which O’Neill and “Pasta King” Art Ibleto bought in 2008). The kitchen, restaurant license and outdoor patio allowed them to welcome visitors just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Picnic tables are arranged on the grounds, appropriately distanced. Compostable plates, flatware and napkins are used in service, and wine and food orders are taken via a form at each table. The current menu features charcuterie and cheese boards, salads and sandwiches, all casually paired with the winery’s pinot noirs, chardonnays and rosés. Wine and food tastings are offered daily, by reservation, from noon to 5 p.m.

5700 Highway 116 North, Forestville, 707-887-3344, russianrivervineyards.com

Williamson Wines

The Williamson family has two downtown Healdsburg tasting rooms, both on Matheson Street. The patio gates are open at each, and the focus, as always, is on wine and food matching. The Wine & Cheese Pairing ($20) with four wines is available at the 134 Matheson St. location, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Lunch Pairing takes place in Bill’s Cellar, at 18 Matheson St. (owner Bill Williamson, a native Australian, is the winemaker), and pricing is based on the level of wines chosen by guests — $50 for four Icon wines, $65 for Bordeaux-style wines and $75 for reserve wines. Reservations are available hourly for groups of two to four, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Shy about going out? Williamson offers dinner for two for curbside pickup, with a daily special and one bottle of wine ($69). A typical menu: American-Style Ribs with Cole Slaw and a bottle of Scandal Zinfandel.

134 Matheson Street and 18 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-1500, williamsonwines.com

20 Favorite Burgers in Sonoma County

May 2020

By Heather Irwin

A cheeseburger and fries at Superburger in Santa Rosa, on Tuesday, July 17, 2012. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

Happy National Hamburger Day! Looking for a way to celebrate? Click through the above gallery for some of our favorite burgers in Sonoma County to enjoy on patios or order for takeout and delivery.

Grace Yarrow contributed to this article.