What to Drink (and Not Drink) If You Have Seasonal Allergies

By Sarah Stierch

As if seasonal allergies weren’t bad enough in and of themselves, they can also make wine drinking less enjoyable. If you’ve noticed you’ve been sneezing more after a glass of springtime pinot, histamine and sulfites, found in wine, can be to blame as they exacerbate seasonal allergies. Both chemicals are also found in beer, spirits and some foods. Red wines are the biggest culprits when it comes to histamines, having between 60 to 3,800 micrograms per glass versus white wine, which has between 3 and 120.

But all hope is not lost. There are still plenty of delicious adult beverages to enjoy during allergy season.

Wine drinkers should seek out white wines and wines that don’t have any additional sulfites added to them. The latter are often made by organic and biodynamic wine producers. My picks for this summer:

Quivira 2016 Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc ($18), a flavorful SB with melon and Meyer lemon qualities and a lush, silky mouthfeel.

Frey Vineyards 2016 Organic Chardonnay ($15), a fruity, bright stainless steel fermented Chardonnay sure to satisfy any palate.

Coturri Winery’s 2016 Carignane ($28), a light red made in the style of Beaujolais Nouveau, meant to be drunk now, chilled.

Benziger Family Winery 2013 Appellation Series Merlot, Sonoma Valley ($39) a hearty red filled with all the blackberry and blueberry pie you want out of a classic Merlot.

When it comes to spirits, stick to tequila, vodka and gin. They’re lower in histamine than other liquors. For vodka, stick to the plain types, as flavored vodkas can have higher histamine levels. If you want to drink local, grab these three for your liquor cabinet:

D. George Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin is made in Graton and has a complex botanical nose of flowers and earthiness and a unique peppery flavor.

Pasote Blanco Tequila is produced by Sonoma-based 3 Badge Beverage in Jalisco, Mexico. It’s smooth, clean and has a bit of citrus at the start. Tasty enough to be enjoyed on its own.

Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka Original is small batch and made from local grapes. It’s not only organic, but also non-GMO and gluten free. It’s savory and smooth.

Beer, brown liquor, and ciders are high in histamines and sulfites, so stick to natural wines and clear liquors. However, if you want to feel your best and avoid triggering your allergies, take a break from the booze for a few months until your allergies subside.

6 Unique Napa & Sonoma Wine Tours

By Sarah Stierch

Black car, limousine, or party van? When it comes to Napa and Sonoma wine tours, the choices can seem a little limited. While these options do allow you to sit back, relax, and let someone else do the driving while you do the drinking, do you really want to experience Wine Country through the tinted windows of a stretch hummer? Thankfully, there are some fun alternatives! From romantic carriage escapades to vintage Volkswagen rides, we’ve lined up some of our favorite Sonoma and Napa wine tours in the gallery above. 

Otter Cafe Coming to Spring Lake Lagoon

By biteclub
Annadel State Park supporters attend a benefit breakfast at the new Lakeside Grill by the Spring Lake Regional Park swimming lagoon in Santa Rosa, on Sunday, July 1, 2012. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)

Summer came to Spring Lake swimming lagoon weeks ago, as kids and parents flocked to the new play area to beat the unseasonal heat. But if you wanted a cool drink or a hot dog at the nearby concession stand, no luck.

Since restaurateur Nino Rabbaa closed his Spring Lake Grill last year, the walk-up cafe and patio has been tightly shuttered—which wasn’t a real problem until the water park reopened in late May. Folks have been asking Biteclub continuously if there would be a new restaurant in the space for 2017, and the answer, finally, is yes.

A Walnut Creek company, Sycamore Concessions Corporation, has been awarded the regional parks contract to operate the eatery. The business operates food concessions at a number of Northern California parks. Officials for Sonoma County Regional Parks say Sycamore’s was the only proposal submitted.

A sample menu shows a very kid-friendly and economical lineup of sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, simple salads, fries, fruit and veggie snacks (oh, we like the strawberry shortcake kabobs), ice cream, yogurt parfaits, and smoothies. Farm-to-table fare it is not, but at a water park do you really want $12 avocado toast and oysters with mignonette for the kiddos?

Opening dates are still in flux, waiting for health permits from the county, but should be soon.

5 West County Wineries to Visit Right Now

By Sarah Stierch

West Sonoma County – or simply West County to locals – is one of the most beautiful rural areas of the North Bay. From farm to ocean, the area west of Highway 101 offers boutique and luxury wineries producing highly coveted wines in settings that inspire a deep admiration for nature and an appreciation for the craft of winemaking. Check out the gallery above to discover five wineries in West Sonoma County to visit right now. 

AAA’s 7 Favorite Hotels in Sonoma & Napa

By Shannon Brown

Every year AAA sends some 60,000 anonymous hotel inspectors to hotels across the country to find out which lodgings are most deserving of its highly anticipated Diamond awards. Diamonds are diligently assigned based on a variety of factors such as facilities, amenities, cleanliness, and comfort – out of the 28,000 hotels reviewed, only 2.1 percent have a Four Diamond rating.

Wine Country is certainly known for its world-class wineries, but what about its hotels? Click through the gallery above to see the AAA inspectors’ favorite diamond-rated hotels in Sonoma and Napa. 

Pliny No Longer Best Beer in America According to New Rankings

By Jess Poshepny Vallery

For the past 15 years, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) has polled readers of Zymurgy magazine (a publication by AHA) to compile the annual cult list “Best Beers in America.” For the last eight of those fifteen years, Pliny the Elder from Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company (RRBC) has been voted the number one beer in America.

This year, however, a Michigan beer has managed to impress the 4,000 voters enough to knock Pliny into second place. Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s Brewery in Galesburg, MI, took the top spot on AHA’s 2017 list. The Michigan brew had been voted the number two brew for the last two years and, this year, Bell’s Brewery also made the number five spot with Hopslam, a triple IPA that is now available in cans.

Bell’s founder Larry Bell started as a homebrewer in the 1970’s in the Michigan town of Kalamazoo. In 2001, the company expanded and built a new brewery and larger production facility in Comstock, MI. Since then, the brewery has increased distribution, including California in 2015, making Bell’s beers readily available to beer drinkers across the U.S.

Russian River brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo first brewed Pliny the Elder in 2000, for the first double IPA festival in Hayward, CA. The beer, brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ and Simcoe Hops, is named after Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder – the uncle of Pliny the Younger). The beer is sold at the Santa Rosa brewpub, both on draft and by the bottle and is produced in limited quantities. Because of the limited production, the beer is only available for purchase in select states and cities including California, Philadelphia, PA, Colorado and Oregon. Pliny the Elder is smooth, clean and well balanced with floral aromas and notes of pine and citrus.

Here are the top 10 beers in America, according to AHA (the “T” indicates a tie):

1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (Comstock, MI)
2. Russian River Pliny the Elder (Santa Rosa, CA)
3. Founders Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, MI)
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust (Munster, IN)
5. Bell’s Hopslam (Comstock, MI)
6. T6. Founders KBS, Kentucky Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, MI)
7. T6. The Alchemist Heady Topper (Stowe, VT)
8. T8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (Bend, OR)
9. T8. Sierra Nevada Celebration (Chico, CA)
10. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (San Diego, CA)

To see the full Best Beers in America list, click here.

5 Fun First Dates in Santa Rosa

By Noe Felix

When you’re out on a first date, you want to shake things up a little. Sure, you could always do dinner at the latest farm-to-fork restaurant or sample craft cocktails at a hip Healdsburg bar, but really, where’s the fun in that? To create that special spark, show your date some originality and that you’re different – Santa Rosa serves up a selection of unique activities that are sure to make a lasting impression. (We’ve also added two rambunctious Rohnert Park options)

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A couple takes on the dance floor at Ellington Hall in Santa Rosa. (Charlie Gesell)

Friday Night Swing at Ellington Hall
Ellington Hall hosts swell swing parties on Fridays, suitable for novices and veteran dancers alike. This is an opportunity to dress up – and then tear up the dance floor! Oh wait…what’s that? You’ve never swing danced before? Don’t worry, shortly before they open up the dance floor for the swing dance session, they teach a beginners course. At $10 a piece, you’re getting a lot of fun for your buck.

535 Industrial Dr, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 545-6150, ellingtonhall.com

DJ Trivia Night at Third Street Aleworks
On Wednesdays, Third Street Aleworks puts on a trivia night that will allow you to showcase your knowledge – or put your two pretty heads together. The trivia consists of a variety of categories and gives players the chance to compete for a myriad of prizes. The hosts are funny and charismatic, which adds some charm to the night. And there’s more on tap than just trivia, including a great selection of local brews and fantastic food (order the BBQ burger, you won’t regret it). The food is fairly priced and there’s no fee if you only want to participate in the trivia. A Wednesday night visit is basically a no-brainer – but don’t forget to switch it on for the trivia!

610 3rd St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 523-3060, thirdstreetaleworks.com

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Ice skating offers a sweet setting for your date. (stock photo)

Redwood Empire Ice Arena 
Looking for an excuse to hold hands and enjoy each other’s company? Go ice skating! The Redwood Empire Ice Arena – or Snoopy’s Home Ice – offers a sweet setting for your date. If neither of you know how to skate, don’t worry, they offer lessons to help you hit the ice. And don’t forget to bring some hot cocoa.

1667 W Steele Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 546-7147, snoopyshomeice.com

Shuffle’s Magical Ice Cream Shoppe
Shuffle’s Ice Cream is unlike any experience you’ve ever had at an ice cream shop. Yes, they offer 40+ flavors of delicious ice cream (shoutout to Apple Pie Crumble), but the real reason this is a great date night option is because they offer magic shows throughout the week. Magicians put on small sets as people enjoy their ice cream, and they also have a magic shop for people to browse. This is all the sweet magic you need for a special date.

123 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95401, (707) 544-3535, shufflesicecream.com

Safari West
If you want to go all out and spend a few hundred dollars, Safari West is a good first date investment. Locally known as the Sonoma Serengeti, a visit to this wildlife preserve is an authentic African adventure. Guests can explore 400 acres on outback vehicles and encounter herds of exotic wildlife ranging from giraffes to rhinos. Date going well? Spend the night “glamping” in a luxury tent.

3115 Porter Creek Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 579-2551, safariwest.com

Luxury tent at Safari West. (Photo courtesy of Hotels.com)
Date going well?  Spend the night “glamping” in a luxury Safari West tent. (Photo courtesy of Hotels.com)

Two Rohnert Park options…

Mini-Golf at Scandia
Thought miniature golf was just for kids and retired people? Think again. This activity can be one of the most romantic dates ever. How? Because it can be incredibly intimate at times, offering the opportunity to playfully embrace and joke around in attempts to better the game. Scandia offers two 18 hole courses, featuring ponds, fountains and a variety of obstacles, best enjoyed on a starry night.

5301 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, (707) 584-1398, scandiafunland.com

Driven Raceway
Go-karting might seem an unorthodox choice for a first date, but there’s nothing more exciting than getting the adrenaline going at high octane speeds. Driven Raceway in Rohnert Park bills itself as Northern California’s premiere indoor kart racing facility, with Italian-built electric kars that are fine tuned for quicker acceleration than gas powered karts. They supply the helmet, race suit and instructions – everything you need to get your hearts pumping.

4601 Redwood Dr, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, (707) 585-3748, drivenraceway.com

4 Floral Fashion Finds (for Men and Women) in Sonoma

By Karen Kizer

The runways have spoken. Floral patterns are back (again) and bringing colorful life to summer wear this year. Florals have been hot or not in waves since…forever, and 2017 is experiencing another hot spot. Sonoma County stores have a crop of gorgeous modern updates to this classic, ever-renewing favorite. Click through the gallery above for all the details. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barrio to Barlow: New Gourmet Mexican Coming

By biteclub

Wine writer Sarah Stierch shared this exciting tidbit with Biteclub: “Mexican food will finally be coming to the Barlow!”

Tis’ true!  Marin farm market faves “Barrio Contemporary Mexica Cocina” will open their first brick and mortar this fall at the Sebastopol food, wine and art destination.

Though the food is simple, Chef Carlos Rosas is an accomplished chef with stints at Jardiniere, Kokkari, Slanted Door, Lark Creek Inn and Cavallo Point.

Described as a “mix of street food with a gourmet edge,” by Maya Rosas, Barrio makes their own tortillas with GMO-free corn and uses organic and sustainable products from nearby farms and ranches. “We do believe that Mexican food can also  be healthy, fresh interesting and beautiful,” said Rosas. More at barriobayarea.com.

In 2015, Bay Area restaurateur Jorge Saldana, who owns Tlaloc in SF and Cancun Taqueria in Berkeley was slated to open a Mexican eatery called Cinco in the Barlow. Saldana runs a 130-acre farm and retreat near Guerneville that supplies much of the produce for his restaurants and line of salsas. The restaurant never materialized after months of negotiations.