50 Things to Eat in Sonoma County Before You Die

By Heather Irwin

Fifty Sonoma County dishes may seem like a lot, but to be honest, it wasn’t easy to whittle down our list from the hundreds of incredible and iconic meals we’ve had from Cloverdale to Cotati. 

What makes the grade? Eating isn’t an exact science, but these dishes represent either the chef or the restaurant, use great local ingredients or have been around so long that they’ve become part of the fabric of Wine Country. That, and the fact that we got great input from our readers.

No doubt we’ll miss plenty of favorites, but that’s the fun of lists like these – doing the research for the next list.

In no particular order, we present Sonoma Magazine’s 50 Favorite Sonoma County Dishes in the gallery above. 

Unique Sonoma Wedding Ideas We Absolutely Adore

By Karen Kizer

There are so many things to love about Sonoma weddings, the first thing being the Sonoma scenery, which doesn’t need any dressing up to be storybook-worthy. But that doesn’t stop local artisans and designers from stepping in to add their spectacular touches. Here are some of our favorite details to inspire your own memorable event—click through the above gallery for details.

Airstream Trailers Get a Makeover in Petaluma, Take a Peek Inside

By Carey Sweet
This Spartan was the first renovation Geoff did after moving to Sonoma County. It is located in the backyard of a Petaluma residence. The Spartan was there when the family bought the property.

Sonoma County is home to quite a few artist-types itching to go to Burning Man this summer — but many of us are less than eager to suffer the ravaging winds and dust tornadoes hurtling across the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada. Dirt littering our granola, stuffing our sleeping bags, and caking our tents — no thanks.

Internet entrepreneur Mark Pincus has a solution. The founder of the $5 billion San Francisco-based mobile gaming company Zynga will be glamping in a posh, renovated 1970s Airstream trailer he purchased specifically for the self-expression festival that runs August 25 through September 2.

So will Swiss designer Yves Behar. Founder and principal of Fuseproject, a business consulting firm in San Francisco, Behar bought his own retro-chic Airsteam for Burning Man, outfitted with personalized goodies like a built-in bar and high-tech sound system.

[Check out where to stay in an Airstream trailer in Sonoma County]

As tricked out as their custom-designed, 31-foot-long mobile palaces are, neither man had to look far. One call to Geoff Sacco got it done, as the owner of The Portable Life in Petaluma found and negotiated purchase of the coveted trailers, calling on his network of Airstream sellers in Arizona and Oregon. Sacco then coordinated mechanical checks, worked with Pincus and Behar on their dream designs, gutted and rebuilt the trailer interiors, and finally delivered them to the gentlemen within just three months.

The first paid renovation Geoff Sacco took on after moving to Sonoma County was this Spartan, which sat in the backyard of a Petaluma home when the current owners bought the property. They recognized its potential, and Sacco made their hopes a reality.

Working out of an airplane hangar-style shop on a 100-acre Italian water buffalo dairy off Valley Ford Road, Sacco has completed more than 50 such vintage trailers since taking one on as a hobby project in 2012. Behar’s trailer layout was rather rare, Sacco noted, with its bedroom in the back and bath in the middle. That was fine, but no one liked the uncomfortable twin beds, or the clunky kitchen that blocked the floorplan’s flow.

“It was, well, ugly,” Sacco says. “These trailer interiors were always substandard design, in a disconnect to the classic exterior iconic style.” So he stripped the entire interior, added insulation, designed a 3-D layout mockup, and had the grungy aluminum exterior professionally polished to a mirror shine. “Some of the old trailers are hideous, actually, but that’s why everyone used to live 80 percent of the time outside of them.”

Space is at a premium in an Airstream, so Sacco added raised platforms hiding storage space under Behar’s bed and front lounge seating, and tucked the water heater in a lift-up cubby. Sanitation is state-ofthe- art, with a Laveo Dry Flush toilet, requiring no water hook-ups, chemicals, or messy disposal.

While many projects are completed within six months — or barely two months for a 10-foot “canned ham” trailer — a few summers ago, Sacco tackled a monster 50-foot Spartan that took more than two years to complete.

“I have the good fortune to be doing something I really love,” says Sacco, who was a designer for Patagonia, Timbuk2, and other businesses, and then owned his own bag manufacturing company with Apple as a primary client.

His art background shows in the finishing touches unique to each trailer, though Sacco favors wire-brushed oak flooring, reclaimed materials from Petaluma artist Michael Black of Black’s Farmwood, and easy-clean waxed canvas fabrics. Sometimes he goes really ornamental, such as creating hitch stands that are inspired by buoys and made of wood, paint, and leather.

So far, he’s never had to advertise. Behar, for just one example, is so happy with the end result that he recently asked Sacco to find two more Airstreams for friends.

Call it the start of a Burning Man caravan.

Hold On to Your Glass: ATV Winery Tour Trend Arrives in Sonoma County

By Dana Rebmann

Of the more than 400 wineries that call Sonoma County home, the grand estates have a knack for getting all the attention. But when you make the turn onto the retired tractor-lined driveway at Chenoweth Wines, it’s the unpretentious setting that makes you happy you’ve arrived.

With 800 acres of land, from redwoods to vineyards (even a coyote on the day of my visit), there’s plenty to see here. But it’s the how you get to see it – buckled into an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) – that adds even more bragging rights to a busy day of wine tasting.

“That’s a big pour but that’s how I roll,” says winemaker Amy Chenoweth as we sip Chardonnay in the shade of a redwood grove.

Our glasses empty, we hop into the off-road vehicle, holding our glasses tight as we bump our way toward the vineyards.

The name may not be as recognizable as other notable Sonoma County wine families, but the Chenoweth roots run deep: the family has grown fruit in Sebastopol for more than 150 years. The Chenoweths homesteaded the ranch in the mid-1800s, farming Gravenstein apples, cherries and other crops. Redwoods from the property were used to rebuild Santa Rosa after the 1906 earthquake. Grapes found their place on the ranch between towering redwoods and rolling hills, and then Prohibition happened.

Fast forward to 2000, when Charlie Chenoweth decided to plant pinot noir grapes and sell these to local wineries. A second vineyard came in 2006 and a third in 2009. Chenoweth’s vineyard management business was the talk of the town when Amy, his wife, decided it was time to keep some of the fruit.

The new ATV tour introduces visitors to the history of the family and the property and offers an opportunity to learn how different soil influences grapes, how wildlife like owls and deer can impact a vineyard. And then there’s the pinot noir, of course, and the stellar views.

As you travel along the rugged dirt roads from Treehouse vineyard to the Home Ranch vineyard (sometimes also called Chenoweth Ranch), colossal redwoods provide shade while reminding you of the beauty of heading off the beaten or, in this case, paved path.

Siblings, sons, and assorted family members live in homes on the Chenoweth Ranch. Even those technically not in the wine business seem to have a hand in the business of making Chenoweth wines. Charlie’s brother contributed the sketches that grace many of the wine labels.

Chenoweth makes pinot noir, rosé and chardonnay, but annual production is limited to 600 cases. The wines are only available direct from the winery and at a handful of select restaurants. Grapes that don’t wind up in Chenoweth bottles find a home in vintages made by the likes of Kosta Browne and Patz and Hall.

Tours last about 2 hours, and are limited to 8 guests.  The cost is $50 per person; tours are available by appointment only. Guests are welcome to bring along a picnic to enjoy after the tour. 5550 Harrison Grade Road, Sebastopol, (707) 829-3367, chenowethwines.com

More Wineries Where You Can Roam Off Road

Whenever possible, tastings at Calistoga’s Jericho Canyon Vineyard include a spin in an ATV. In addition to 40 acres of grapes, 90 acres have been set aside by the Bleecher family as wildlife habitat. Plan on about 90 minutes for the tour and tasting. Cost is $75 per person, by reservation only. 3322 Old Lawley Toll Rd., Calistoga, (707) 942-9665

The Back Country Tour of Pope Valley’s Heibel Ranch Vineyards cruises the vineyards in a baby-blue, 1963 Willys Jeep. Run by owner Trent Ghiringhelli and his dog Chachi, the ranch has been in the family since 1945. Annual production is limited to 300 cases made from predominantly estate farmed fruit. Tastings, complete with a charcuterie plate, take place at a picnic table on the 185-acre property. Cost is $125 per person, by reservation only. Aetna Springs Road, Pope Valley, (707) 968-9289

The Mountain Excursion at Healdsburg’s Stonestreet Winery comes with views and insight into how they sustainably farm cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc at higher elevations. Tours of the estate mountain vineyards, ranging in elevation from 400 to 2400 feet, take place in a Land Rover. The tour is offered Monday through Friday at 10am and 1:30pm. Cost with wine tasting is $200 per person in the morning (box lunch included), and $150 in the afternoon. 7111 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 800.355.8008

La Crema uses an electric cart to move about the 200-plus acre estate on its Saralee’s Vineyard Tour. Guests learn about the history of the property and label, along with La Crema’s sustainable wine making practices. The tour is offered daily, spring through fall, at 10:30am and 12pm. Cost is $80 per person including wine tastings, reservations required. 3575 Slusser Road, Windsor, (707) 525-6200

 

Costeaux Taking Over Kozlowski Bakery Production

By biteclub

Two years after the announcement that Kozlowski Farms planned to sell its historic Forestville property, a portion of the jam, pie and tart maker’s portfolio has been sold to Costeaux French Bakery.

Costeaux CEO Will Seppi has announced that his Healdsburg-based bakery will take over the pie and tart production from the Kozlowski family at their own baking facility.

“We are delighted to have partnered with the Seppi family of Costeaux to continue our family legacy of quality locally made pies and pie tarts,” said Carol Kozlowski-Every in a press release. She was not immediately available for comment.

Seppi, who was traveling, said he was also very excited about continuing the family’s traditions. He has hired several Kozlowski employees who have been longterm “makers and bakers” of the product.

“Our core values are very much aligned, making this a great opportunity to preserve and carry forward a brand that Sonoma County has come to love and depend upon for family events and celebrations throughout the year,” said Seppi. 

Kozlowski-Every said there was no news about a buyer for the land at this time. The question of the jam, sauce and preserve production remains unclear.

Costeaux French Bakery was founded in 1923 and purchased by the Seppi family in 1981. Their retail outlet and cafe in Healdsburg have recently been joined by satellite bakeries at the Sonoma County Airport and in Santa Rosa’s Roseland neighborhood. Costeaux also produces bread for restaurants and grocers.

Founded in 1949, Kozlowski Farms has been an icon in Sonoma County for generations. The 21-acre farm has been seeking a purchaser for nearly two years.

Check back for more updates on this story. 

5 Stores to Visit Right Now in Downtown Petaluma

By Karen Kizer

There are so many reasons to shop Petaluma, like the legendary antique scene and other unique shops like a supremely-stocked spa boutique, an all-things-knives store and a two-story Copperfield’s location. Here are a few other unique Petaluma shopping destinations that we suggest you visit right now—click through the above gallery for details.

15 New Sonoma Restaurants You Need to Check Out

By biteclub
Mac & Cheese at Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)

During the dog days of summer, cooking is about the last thing anyone wants to do. That’s why we’re so lucky here in Sonoma County to have an ever-evolving dining scene. Click through the gallery for some of the just-opened and soon-to-be-open restaurants (plus one winery). *Hot picks are restaurants that have our special attention…

Summer Getaway: 12 Things to Do in Santa Rosa, CA

By Shana Bull

While Santa Rosa is the biggest city in Sonoma County, it’s rarely the first item on Wine Country itineraries. Other local destinations, like Healdsburg and Sonoma, boast downtown tasting rooms and picturesque plazas. Places like Petaluma and Sebastopol offer a charming distinctive vibe. And then there’s the summer wonderland of the Russian River area.

Santa Rosa, on the other hand, is a diamond in the rough; at first glance, it may not look like much. But dig a little deeper and you’ll discover one gem after the other: craft beer tasting rooms, artisan creations, farm-to-table food, the list goes on. Santa Rosa also makes a great jumping-off point for your vacation; the city is called the heart of Wine Country for good reason: you’re in the middle of everything here with close proximity to wineries, restaurants, outdoor adventures and the coast. So click through the gallery to explore how to spend a weekend in and around Santa Rosa. 

What are your favorite Santa Rosa spots to visit? Let us know in the comments below, or on Instagram @SonomaMag! 

What’s New at The Barlow: 20 Food and Drink Destinations in Sebastopol

By biteclub
Dos Tacos with two yellow tortillas, your choice of meat, topped with chipotle aioli, pico de gallo, arugula and micro greens from Barrio Fresca Cocina Mexicana in Sebastopol’s The Barlow. (Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

It’s been six months since the devastating February flood, and the Barlow is back and better than ever. There are some exciting newcomers, plenty of spots that have reopened and others that have kept chugging along through it all. Click through the gallery for a scorecard on food and beverage spots.