What happens when a winemaker and a brewer walk into a bar? Well, here in Sonoma County, they come up with a plan to add hops to wine, and use wine barrels to make beer.
Sonoma County-based Murphy-Goode Winery and St. Florian’s Brewery recently unveiled a unique partnership, which has been more than a year in the making. Inspired by the deep agricultural roots of grape growing and hop cultivation in their home region of Sonoma County, winemaker David Ready Jr. and brewmaster Aron Levin have crafted a limited beer and wine duo consisting of a dry-hopped Sauvignon Blanc and a barrel-aged lager.
“Hops and grapes have coexisted in Sonoma County since the 1850s. It seems winemakers have always been big fans of beer, and vice versa, so we thought it would be really unique to combine those two areas of craftsmanship,” said Ready.
Murphy-Goode’s Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc – a light, crisp wine with tropical fruit notes – features Citra hops, which add a new dimension to the wine as well as additional nuances of citrus aromas and fruit flavors. In a similar vein, St. Florian’s has brewed a light, crisp lager (also infused with Citra hops) that has aged just long enough in Murphy-Goode’s Sauvignon Blanc barrels to balance the oak and lingering, fresh, juicy fruit flavors with the Citra bite.
“Dave and I both agreed that using Sauvignon Blanc as the base of the project made sense, since there are similar flavor profiles between the wine and Citra hops, which I love to use in my beer,” said Levin. “When we hit on the idea of aging a Citra-hopped lager in wine barrels, and then again implementing Citra hops by dry-hopping a wine, we thought it would work well.”
The end result of the collaboration is a wine and beer duo that can appeal to both beer and wine fans. The Murphy-Goode Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc and St. Florian’s Brewery Barrel-Aged Lager is available for a limited time at select Bay Area retailers, including Penngrove Market, Molsberry Market in Santa Rosa, and Oliver’s Market in Windsor, Santa Rosa, and Cotati. A celebration where guests can try the beer and the wine will be held at the Oliver’s Market taproom in Windsor on September 28th, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tilted Burger from Wishbone restaurant in Petaluma. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Just about every menu has a version of America’s favorite food, because we demand it of restaurants from haute to humble. There are burgers topped with fried eggs, kimchi, stinky cheese and tapenades. There are fat burgers, thin burgers, juicy burgers, dry burgers and burgers we don’t even know how to categorize. We’ve tasted dozens of contenders throughout Sonoma County. And we’ve chosen six favorite bun-patty-bun combinations along with more humble “regular joe” burgers, wacky burgers and even meatless burgers. It was a tough job. You’re welcome.
Click through the gallery above for all the juicy details – and check out the fan favorites below. Did we miss one of your favorite burgers? Let us know in the comments.
FAN FAVORITES
The daunting task of trying to taste all of the county’s top burgers isn’t one to be undertaken alone (at least that’s what my doctor said). So, we shouted out to our social media friends to see what burgers they craved in Sonoma County, and what burgers we may have missed altogether. Overwhelmingly, they came through with a list of more than 185 suggestions. Here are some favorites we had to include.
River’s End Restaurant both the hamburger and the lamb burger. Tasty over the top. —Rick
At Twist Eatery in Forestville, they make a crazy good burger called The Bomb. And they even have an out-of-this- world veggie burger, aptly named The Vegetarian. My mouth is watering just thinking of their burgers. — SJ
Cowboy Burger, The Healdsburger— Viveka
Pongo’s Kitchen & Tap has awesome pow-pow spicy burger— Jennifer B.
I’m always blown away by The Toad in the Hole Pub’s burgers (especially with blue cheese). It’s definitely my favorite burger in town. —Kate P.
The Casino (in Bodega) has a good inexpensive burger! —Samantha R.
Swiss Hotel in Sonoma, The Lucy Burger! — Jennifer B.
Phyllis’ Giant Burgers, Highway 12 — Kerry H.
The brisket burger at Apple Junction is different and tasty — Chris H.
Hamburger ranch and BBQ in Cloverdale — Hila
CRICKLEWOOD! Cooked medium rare. Can only get at lunch. — Kris A.
Happy Dog in Sonoma makes super good char burgers and it’s totally an old dive. — Jess
My favorite is at the Willowbrook ale house in Petaluma, you know, “had a great burger lately … with fries?” Very fresh and right down to business, no monstrous, onion-ring-touting, sauce-spilling gimmicks, just pure awesomeness. And great fries too. — Brent M.
*Love* the bunless Kobe burger with brie at Saddles Steakhouse in Sonoma! — Rita
There are times when a budget holiday just doesn’t cut it: a honeymoon, an anniversary getaway, a 50th birthday trip – these are all occasions that deserve making a splurge on. And in Sonoma and Napa Wine Country there’s plenty of ways to spend your hard earned dollars. But before you take out your checkbook or credit card, you’ll want to make sure you will get the best bang for your buck; don’t settle for an expensive, but less than extraordinary experience.
To aid you in your quest for luxury, we’ve picked out eight local wineries that have curated tasting experiences that cater to discerning visitors. From exclusive behind-the-scene tours and immersive winemaking sessions to farm-to-table feasts with renowned chefs and vintners, click through the gallery above for your guide to the good Wine Country life.
Thai pizza at Urban Pizza in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Tossing pizza is an art form that takes years of experience, dexterity and some serious stamina. After 40 years in the pizza business, however, Dennis Milano has it pretty well figured out.
At his family’s new pizzeria, Urban Pizza Co. in Santa Rosa, he’s always up for a little fancy flinging, spinning the glutenous dough high into the air a few times, spinning it on one finger, then doing a couple of fancy twists. It’s mesmerizing to watch a blob of flour and yeast succumb to the forces of a veteran pizzaiolo, powerless against the physics of a perfect toss.
It’s also something that’s becoming a rare sight as prefab pizza doughs become the norm, frozen discs that any 18-year-old can throw into an oven. More than just for show (although it is a pretty great show), hand-tossing the pizza does three things: It stretches the dough to the proper size, creates a thicker crust around the edges and manages moisture so that the dough is slightly drier on the outside and moist inside.
Piadine with prosciutto at Urban Pizza in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Urban Pizza Co., housed in the former Borolo’s (500 Mission Blvd.), has been a long time in coming. After 35 years, Milano sold the restaurant in 2000, moving to Santa Rosa to raise a family.
Milano has done stints in construction and fine dining over the years but always threatened to open another pizzeria someday. Now that his son, John David, is in college at Santa Rosa Junior College and interested in helping run a family business, he says the time was right to dive back in.
Milano’s other teenage sons and wife, Kim, also help out at the pizzeria. John David is chief delivery driver, and quickly learning the pizza biz from his dad.
Dennis Milano at Urban Pizza Co. in Santa Rosa, Heather Irwin/PD
“I was 17 when my dad opened his restaurant,” said Milano, of the reasons he dived back in. “I wanted to run a small family pizzeria here. I love cooking, I love making pizza, and I’m a people person,” he added. That and fact that Americans can’t really get enough pizza, no matter where it comes from.
In fact, it’s become the number one comfort food — ahead of chocolate — in the country, with 83 percent of us eating it at least once a month, according to Technomic’s 2016 Pizza Trend Report. The sad news is that most of the pizza we eat is pretty uninspired, as anyone who’s stuffed down a frozen Totino’s at 3 a.m. can tell you.
Milano takes a different approach: not making things overly fancy but using good ingredients like whole milk mozzarella, homemade dough and sauces, and fresh produce on his pies.
The menu is also simple, with just a handful of combos, like the “Urban Combo” with mozzarella, salami, fennel sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, bell pepper and garlic. After handing me a chef’s coat and apron, that’s the first pizza we make in the tiny kitchen.
And by we, I mean me taking instruction poorly as I pound the dough with a little too much vigor. A combination of feather-light and powerful hand movements are the key to pizza perfection.
I am, however, kind of a natural when it comes to throwing the pizza until it almost lands on the floor.
Handling the pizza oven, which is about 10 million degrees, is another issue altogether, but Milano makes the whole thing look like a graceful dance as he tosses, tops and slides in each pizza in a few fluid movements.
Urban Combo pizza. Heather Irwin/PD
“We’re here to feed people, have conversations, and maybe make a little money,” says Milano. “You have customers and they become your friends,” he adds. “Well, most of them,” he laughs, turning back to the oven to make another pizza.
Best Bets
Pizzas range from $14.25 to $27 for an 18-inch specialty pizza. Pizza is available by the slice for $3.75.
Prosciutto Piadina, $9.50: Less than a pizza, more than a sandwich, this folded flatbread holds a mountain of mozzarella, pesto, prosciutto, tomatoes, arugula and lightly dressed cabbage. Served with a side of cumin-roasted carrots. Absolutely don’t miss. If you’re meat-free, try the piadina with roasted eggplant.
Jack and Delores Special: Pesto, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, onion, garlic and feta cheese make this one of the most flavorful pizzas. It also has a special meaning for Milano, who named it as a legacy for a favorite couple who visited his restaurant and asked for this combination for years. We love the tangy, aromatic pesto and salty feta as a combo.
Urban Combo: Milano’s signature pizza is a straight up pizzeria classic with plenty of tasty meats, roasted garlic and green peppers.
Thai One On: Personally, I can’t resist a pie with peanut sauce, chicken and fresh cilantro. The chewy crust is a perfect carrier for all the deliciousness.
Roasted Carrots, $6.95: Caramelized carrots with a drizzle of tzatziki sauce. Delish, and a great way to get in a few more veggies.
We’ll Return For…
The True Greek: Somehow we missed this tribute to Milano’s Greek heritage, with mozzarella, bell pepper, onions, black olives, oregano, feta, tomato and cucumber. Opa!
Arugula Salad, $9.50: Urban Pizza has several salad options, made fresh. The Arugula Salad has raisins, pumpkin seeds, Parmesan and apple cider vinaigrette.
Overall: This isn’t gourmet pizza, this is hand-tossed family-style pizza that everyone can agree on. With more than 40 years of experience, Dennis Milano wants to make Friday night pizza you’ll love for years to come. Plus, they deliver!
Where: Urban Pizza, 500 Mission Blvd., Unit B, Santa Rosa, 707-978-4668. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday open until 11 p.m
Why would an acclaimed textiles designer, who was raised in Tokyo and San Francisco and has lived in Italy and frequently works out of New York, choose way-north-of-“The City” Healdsburg as her home? Julia Berger of Julia B. Designs, a bespoke handmade home goods designer, summarizes it like this: “The kids are launched; let’s move to paradise.”
Berger names Healdsburg’s proximity to urban life, the town square’s likeness to an Italian piazza, and the fine food and wine as a few reasons she sees the Wine Country city as an “irresistible choice” for home.
“Launched” is a good word to describe the spread out whereabouts of the four adult children Berger and her husband Marc Fleischhacker have between them. The oldest is in the coffee business in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two are studying in Milan, and the youngest is attending college at Tulane in New Orleans. Berger, who moved to Healdsburg last October, says she loves “visiting them all over.” In fact, an international experience has always characterized her upbringing and artistic inspiration.
Berger’s designs reflect this confluence of culture. She melds art styles (like golden age and modern) and essences (classic femininity and geometric boldness) to create intriguing pieces. Her newly released second edition of Quattro Mani linens are named after “powerful women in history,” and reference Egyptian, Italian and Russian art.
The line will be introduced exclusively by Architechtural Digest and, you know, sonomamag.com (score!).
“I remember setting the table as a young girl,” says Berger as she identifies the beginnings of her artistic inspiration: her Japanese mother’s affinity for fine ceramics and linens. A frequent visitor of fabric stores with her mother, Berger’s opinion was often sought to help choose the silk panel to have fashioned into a kimono by a master artisan.
Hand-embroidery is central to Berger’s bed and table linen designs. Her small team in Healdsburg, which she describes as “a close group,” partners with about a hundred artisans all over the world.
“We will be very sorry when these arts and crafts are lost,” Berger says of the “old work” that went into today’s heirlooms. She’d like to offer heirloom quality and service to the next generation.
With an integrity of materials and fabrication comes careful attention to care. Berger recommends gentle soaps, like “baby soap,” Ivory or French milled bar soap to wash linens. She recommends lime juice for stain removal and “good old baking soda” for deodorizing. Long wash cycles, she says, break down the fibers of the fabric.
Berger’s advice for setting your table at home is simple and sage:don’t be afraid to pull what you have out of the cabinets. Use what you have and “put it together in a way you think is right.” It doesn’t have to be linens, but it could be a quilt or even a non-fabric element like a grass or rattan.
Berger sees tableware as fashion and encourages people to celebrate old and new and seasonality by, for example, integrating flowers from that season. “Food is part of the decor—choose your plates and glassware according to what you can harvest.”
Berger looks forward to developing her “designs with influences that are indigenous to Sonoma County.” Her East Coast customers, she says, are into gilding. Sonoma, she says, tends to prefer an aged patina. The designer is at her best when she can create cultural and visual counterpoint.
Berger’s first Quattro Mani collection was inspired by cities in Italy. When asked if wine or wine country might be the influence behind her third edition of Quattro Mani, she says she’s very excited about the collection, and that we may report that “a little birdie” says ‘yes.’
Replacing the 15-year run of the Heirloom Tomato Festival, the new celebration offers a chance to get up close and personal with Master Gardener Tucker Taylor, talk wine with master winemaker Randy Ullom and meet the internationally-celebrated KJ culinary team headed by Justin Wangler. (The KJ culinary team were recently tapped to cook at the Leonardo DiCaprio fundraiser event).
Roasted Salmon with Artichoke Barigoule & Sorrel Aioli
Purple Potato Salad with Peas, Dill & Tarragon
Seared Flat Iron Steak with Spigarello & Cherry Tomatoes
Beet Pasta with Ham Hock & Brussels Sprout Leaves
Charred Calamari, White Bean & Chorizo Salad
Cherry Clafoutis with Tarragon Whipped Cream
It’s also chock-full of Farmer T’s award-winning Instagram garden photos, the culinary team and seasonal food porn from Wangler and kitchen collaborator Tracey Shepos Cenami with decadent desserts from Robert “Buttercup” Nieto.
In addition, there will be demos from Top Chef Masters’ Douglas Keane of Two Birds/One Stone and a farm-to-table talk with Michelin darlings Kyle and Katina Connaughton of Healdsburg’s Single Thread. Tickets are $12- to $150 per person, and proceeds will go to the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. Details at kj.com/events.
You’re halfway to Munich at Franchetti’s Woodfire Kitchen on Saturday, Sept. 29. The restaurant will celebrate Oktoberfest and owner Gesine Franchetti’s German heritage with a beer-friendly menu of soft pretzels, wurst and kraut fritters, German potato salad (Muttis bester Kartoffel Salat), homemade tater tots with lox and horseradish, a mixed grill plate with pork chops and rostbraten andKaese Spaetzle, a German-style mac and cheese with shredded Emmentaler and caramelized onions.
Reservations are recommended. 1229 North Dutton, Santa Rosa, franchettis.com, 707-526-1229.
A trio of disasters hasn’t stopped a longtime family of Santa Rosa seafood purveyors from coming back even stronger. In fact, things are now going swimmingly.
After a 2-alarm fire last May, Santa Rosa Seafood briefly closed for repairs, but owner Nick Svedise says they’re very much reopened. “We’ve gotten a lot of calls from customers thinking we are still closed,” said Svedise, who took over from his father, Mike, after his untimely death at age 59 in 2017.
The family’s sprawling seafood compound (which includes a retail store and restaurant at 946 and 958 Santa Rosa Ave.) also suffered another smaller fire in the restaurant kitchen months ago, but things are totally back to normal, according to Svedse.
The seafood shop is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30a.m. to 6:30p.m. and the raw bar and grill is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. 707-579-3474, sanfranciscocrabshipping.com.
Leonardo DiCaprio is not the only Hollywood star who likes to spend time in Sonoma. According to a recent article in The Hollywood Reporter, wine country continues to gain in popularity as a destination for a-listers. “Why is that?” you might ask. The magazine lets Rich Frank, Disney studio president turned Napa Valley vintner, provide the answer: “It’s the perfect departure from big-city living into a beautiful rural environment where life is much calmer and where the people are welcoming. You can actually have quality of life here, breathe fresh air and not sit in traffic for hours. Oh, and drink some of the best wine in the world.”
The say birds of a feather flock together. And celebrities seem to escape the spotlight in the same carefully selected spots – St. Tropez, Aspen, St Barts, Cabo San Lucas… And, once they’ve reached their destination, most of them also like to hangout in the same hotels, restaurants, wineries and bars. (This observation is based on our pretty limited knowledge of celebrity behavior, so feel free to dispute our conclusion). In wine country, VIPs definitely have their favorites, a fact that makes things easier for celebrity-spotters. To make things even easier, we’ve created an abbreviated version of The Hollywood Reporter’s “Insider’s Guide to Wining and Dining in Napa and Sonoma” in the above gallery. You’re welcome!
In home styling, catalog-page-perfect isn’t the decorating ideal anymore. The current pushback toward overspending and over-consumption has steered shoppers in the secondhand direction. Add to that social media influencers who are decorating the internet with their DIY interpretations of what major designers are peddling, and you’ve got yourself a serious case of vintage mania. Thank you, Pinterest.
Riding into town on that resale-lovin’ vibe is Rebel Junk Vintage, with a pop-up sale of antique, vintage, farmhouse, DIY, re-purposed and upcycled items. Style seekers can shop the touring market at their Santa Rosa stop, the Sonoma County Event Center, on October 12 and 13.
Couer D’Alene-based Rebel Junk Vintage features local and traveling vendors “with a heart for junk and an eye for aesthetics” according to the market’s CEO, Dixie De Rocher. De Rocher and her team select small business vendors who handcraft or procure items, the best junk around it appears.
De Rocher is no stranger to loving what’s old. Her formative shopping years were spent scouring garage sales with her mother and four siblings who, with little money to spare, learned how to upcycle the purchases they loaded into their old Ford truck. De Rocher’s junking talent has won awards, and she’s even styled pop-up shops and seating areas at some major music festivals, like, oh, y’know…COACHELLA and Desert Trip and Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
The work of De Rocher and others beautifully illustrates the aesthetic possibilities of this greener, more economical approach to home design. Shoppers can create an individualized look based on a mix of skill and luck in finding the “that piece” which can enliven a space. By keeping gems out of the garbage, decorators can achieve good-looking, landfill-to-living room style, if you will.
Santa Rosa is one stop in several Rebel Junk Vintage pop-up locations around the country.
Rebel Junk Vintage Market, $5-$10, October 12, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., October 13, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Santa Rosa Event Center, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-545-4200, rebeljunkmarkets.com
