From Fiestas to Tequila Trains: 9 Ways to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Sonoma and Napa

By Sarah Stierch
Danielle Alvarez, center, toasts to friends and family during a special dinner menu at Mateo’s Cocina Latina in Healdsburg, Calif. Saturday, June 25, 2016. Mateo’s Cocina Latina is beginning to offer sustainable feasts that include every part of the animals butchered for the dinner, including suckling pig brain mousse and pigs tails. (Jeremy Portje / For The Press Democrat)

The first commemoration of Cinco de Mayo took place in California in 1863, one year after a stunning Mexican victory over a much larger invading French army at the Battle of Puebla. 155 years later, Cinco de Mayo continues to be a cause for celebration — and Wine Country serves up a variety of opportunities to enjoy the day with food, fun and, of course, margaritas, cerveza and vino. Check out the gallery above for nine seriously cinco events in Sonoma and Napa, 2018.

Middle East Feast at Petaluma’s Pearl

By biteclub
Smoked trout and house ricotta jar with semolina flatbread at Pearl in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD
Smoked trout and house ricotta jar with semolina flatbread at Pearl in Petaluma. Heather Irwin/PD

Hold onto your za’atar, Sonoma County is finally getting some Israeli and North African cuisine worthy of Wine Country.

Chez Panisse alum Brian Leitner has opened a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with partner Annette Yang at the former Luma space in Petaluma. But where “Mediterranean” often means Italian or Greek, menu-wise, the newly opened Pearl takes inspiration from the exotic, warm-weather cuisines of Spain, Morocco, Southern France and the Middle East.

Open for breakfast and lunch only, the menu includes “Israeli breakfast” of green hummus, labneh (it’s somewhere between yogurt and cream cheese) and fresh pita with olive oil and za’atar (a spice blend of cumin, sumac, thyme, coriander and sesame seeds); smoked trout with house ricotta and semolina flatbread, cassoulet of duck confit and beans; chicken tagine, with yogurt and couscous; lamb tongue fattoush (a salad with toasted pita) and shakshuka, a vivid tomato stew with chickpeas, fresh fava, baked eggs and grilled sheeps milk cheese I can’t get enough of.

We’ll have plenty more to say about this spot in the coming weeks, but one of the biggest surprises was the no tipping policy. Menu prices include all service, rather than having the restaurant automatically tack on a “service charge” or depend on customers to tip staff. Love that.

Prices range from $8 to $20 with both small and larger plates. 500 First St., Petaluma, 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com.

Santa Rosa’s Sprenger’s Taproom Closing

By biteclub
Fans watch and cheer at Sprenger’s Tap Room in downtown Santa Rosa as the Golden State Warriors win their first NBA title in 40 years, Tuesday, June 16, 2015. (CRISTA JEREMIASON / The Press Democrat)

Popular Santa Rosa downtown taproom Sprenger’s is closing in June, according to owner Kevin Sprenger. When the Brickyard spot opened in 2012 with 40 taps, Sprenger claimed to have more beers on tap than any other bar north of San Francisco. With the ballooning of downtown taprooms and breweries (there are now six just in downtown and more than 35 in Santa Rosa), along with ongoing problems with vandalism and downtown parking costs, Sprenger says he’s throwing in the towel.

“It’s been a slow fall for the last 2.5 years,” said Sprenger. “Businesses in downtown Santa Rosa are being impacted,” he added, saying that customers aren’t willing to pay for metered parking. Sprenger also said he was frustrated by security footage of what he believes to be transients in the downtown area vandalizing his taproom. The culprits have broken outdoor television sets and windows at the taproom and frequently urinate and defecate on his patio.

“My family has lived in Santa Rosa for nearly 50 years. I’ve lost everything,” he said.

9 Sonoma Wineries You Didn’t Know Made Sparkling Wine

By Sarah Stierch

Sparkling wine houses like Gloria Ferrer, Korbel and Domaine Carneros may rule the roost when it comes to Wine Country bubbles, but there are plenty of awesome sparklers to sip at “regular” wineries too. Sparkling wines made by still wine houses are often small production and may involve unique varietals or vineyard specific creations that one wouldn’t find in the sparkling producers’ repertoires. Pop a bottle of bubbly from one of these nine Sonoma County wineries to taste something new – details in the gallery above.

French Flea Market Brings Paris to Sonoma

By Sarah Stierch

Oui! Annual favorite fête the “French Flea Market” returns to Cornerstone Sonoma on May 26 and 27. This year’s market will feature over 30 antique and vintage dealers showcasing handpicked wares sure to fascinate even the fussiest of Francophiles. 

Hosted by Cornerstone’s French-inspired boutique Chateau Sonoma, the weekend aims to transport visitors to a classic Parisian flea market, such as Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen. Rummaging flea markets is a tradition for the French who, with Gallic intensity, explore markets in cities and villages to find an overlooked Louis Vuitton suitcase, an undiscovered impressionist painting, delicate table linens, wooden wine openers, or perhaps a gently used little black dress (made by Chanel, preferably!).  

At Cornerstone, French-born musician Michel Saga provides an antique barrel organ soundtrack for a weekend of perusing the creme de la creme of bric-a-brac, exotic curios and antiques on display.

The French Flea Market has been named thee “Best French Flea in America” by French Country Style magazine; its vendors come from throughout the Northwestern United States to barter and bargain their wares, which include trinkets and treasures as varied as clay pots to handcrafted furniture. Prices are reasonable: items are sold at wholesale prices with the hope that everyone leaves avec un petit souvenir.

Realizing that treasure hunting can be energy intensive, the market serves sausages and rosé to quaff with your beret at a rakish tilt. 

The French Flea Market takes place May 26 & 27, 10am-5pm. The market is free. 23588 Arnold Dr., Sonoma. chateausonoma.com

“Just Months After Wildfire Tragedy, Sonoma Remains California’s Most Blissful Holiday Destination”

By Sonoma Magazine Staff
Mustard, Dry Creek Valley. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

A reporter from the Scottish edition of The Sun recently made a trip across the pond for a wine country vacation. She was “in awe” of what she found in the county of Sonoma.

“Just months after [the] wildfire tragedy, Sonoma remains California’s most blissful holiday destination/…/ The Sonoma locals are just as bright and lovely as the California sunshine,” said Heather Lowrie in a travel reportage for The Scottish Sun.

Together with “hubby” Alan, Lowrie sampled Sonoma County gems from east to west and noted that, during the couple’s first trip to “this utterly gorgeous region,” they did not see “one piece of evidence of the infernos which hit some of California’s wine-making regions.”

During their Sonoma sojourn, Lowrie and husband Alan tasted wines at Buena Vista Winery (“think Great Gatsby meets Liberace”), did sightseeing in the town of Sonoma (“it is just picture-postcard small town America”), ordered Pastis-scented steamed mussels at the Girl and the Fig, along with a Sonoma Mountain Beef Burger (“huge, juicy, and mouthwatering, came with another mountain fries. God bless America!”) – and much more.

Click through the gallery above to see what else Heather and Alan got up to during their first Sonoma County visit (their itinerary sounds pretty good to us), and what they recommend to Scottish readers. 

Sonoma Vintner Jean-Charles Boisset Launches Wine-Based Vodkas and Gin

By Sarah Stierch

Like a little caviar or truffle with your vodka? Or perhaps a touch of wine with your gin? Then eccentric vintner and ultra-luxury lover Jean-Charles Boisset has an elixir just for you: JCB Spirits.

Boisset’s recently launched line of spirits comprises three vodkas and a gin, all distilled from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes from the Côte d’Or in Burgundy. The new spirits collection includes not only a classic vodka and botanical gin, but also two uber-fancy vodkas: one infused with French caviar, and another with – wait for it – black Périgord truffles.

“JCB Spirits is the culmination of my dream of many years to create the ultimate elixir,” says Boisset, who has worked with master distillers in Burgundy for 15 years to develop the vodkas and gin.

Boisset is the owner of several luxury wine brands, including three local wineries – Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, DeLoach Vineyards in Santa Rosa, and Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena – as well as the eccentric JCB Lounge in Yountville, which pours still and sparkling French wines from Boisset’s signature JCB brand.

Handpicked, sustainably grown pinot noir and chardonnay grapes are barrel fermented and aged for six months, then distilled five times, in order to create JCB Spirits. The JCB Gin is infused with 44 herbs, spices and biodynamically grown plants, alongside the classic ingredients of juniper, rose, and coriander.

The infused vodkas are meant to be “elegant, but not overpowering.” The truffle vodka has a unique, earthy umami flavor, while the caviar flavor is delicate with a touch of brine. Both aren’t for the faint at heart, everyday happy hour sipper: they retail at $150 a pop (the non-infused vodkas and gin start at $125).

The bottles, in usual Boisset style, are works of art – or over the top. Inspired by Boisset’s collection of antique decanters, they feature diamond cut adornments and look more like glamorous perfume bottles than your regular Tanqueray or Smirnoff. Learn more at jcbcollection.com.

11 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Sonoma Stores

By Karen Kizer

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Cue the search for a gift for the woman who wants nothing, really, other than to spend time with her family and maybe a few hours alone with some peace and quiet. Of course she deserves both of those, but here’s a collection of Sonoma-based gifts ideas if you’re looking to surprise her with something boxed up with a bow – click through the gallery above for details.

11 Sonoma County Festivals You Need on Your Radar This Summer

By Estefany Gonzalez & Gabe Meline
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis rock the Bottlerock crowd on the Jam Cellars stage at the Napa Expo. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

April kicks off festival season in California with two weekends of live music, camping and dancing at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Luckily, Sonoma County isn’t far behind. Over the past few years, Wine Country has continued to ramp up its music scene and now features several local festivals that will save you the drive south. Click through the gallery above for a list of local festivals to catch in the coming months.

*Of course we can’t possibly include every festival, but once you get out to one this summer, you’re sure to find many more that fit your mood and interests.