Beltane Ranch hosts a farm-to-table luncheon at their Glen Ellen property as part of Signature Sonoma Valley (Photo courtesy of Beltane Ranch)
Beltane Ranch hosts a farm-to-table luncheon at their Glen Ellen property as part of Signature Sonoma Valley (Photo courtesy of Beltane Ranch)
The Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, a previous producer of the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, has launched a new event: Signature Sonoma Valley, which takes place April 7-8.
The event, which offers a “deep dive” into the wines, the land and the people of the Sonoma Valley region, will include the participation of vintners and winemakers from over 30 wineries, hosting parties and exclusive dinners, and providing rare access to special, limited wines.
The weekend begins on Friday, April 7, with a dinner at historic Buena Vista Winery. The oldest commercial winery in California, Buena Vista will host Signature Sonoma Valley guests for a dinner, prepared by Buena Vista Chef Victor Scargle, and a tasting of rare wines served by vintners from throughout Sonoma Valley. The evening will feature a special guest host – it has yet to be announced who it will be, but, rumor has it that Buena Vista’s storied proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset will make an appearance.
Buena Vista Winery will host the opening night dinner, for Signature Sonoma Valley, at its historic wine caves (Photo courtesy of Buena Vista Winery)
The next morning, Saturday, April 8, guests will attend vineyard tours at Durell Vineyard and Kamen Estate Vineyard. Both vineyards, which are rarely open to the public, will feature wine tastings and panel discussions moderated by sommeliers. Durell will showcase their Carneros-grown Pinot Noir and Kamen Estate Vineyard, owned by screenwriter Robert Kamen (Karate Kid, Taken), while sharing their Cabernet Sauvignon with guests.
Signature Sonoma Valley features a tour and tasting at Durell Vineyard, a premier grower of Pinot Noir (Photo courtesy of Durell Vineyard)
After the winery tours, guests will regroup at Beltane Ranch, in Glen Ellen, for a farm-to-table, al fresco lunch. A working 5th-generation owned ranch, Beltane Ranch produces sustainability grown Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel from estate vineyards. Guests will enjoy a meal featuring produce and olive oil from their gardens.
Signature Sonoma Valley wraps up with a gourmet dinner, starring local winemakers at Ram’s Gate Winery (Photo courtesy of Ram’s Gate Winery)
The weekend wraps up with dinner at Ram’s Gate Winery. Designed by renowned Wine Country architect Howard Backen, Ram’s Gate overlooks the hills of the Carneros winegrowing region, known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Guests will enjoy a gourmet meal, sharing tables with different vintners and winemakers, who will pour wine from their personal collections for all to enjoy.
Proceeds from the weekend benefit the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance and their foundation, the latter which directly benefits local Sonoma Valley nonprofits.
Tickets start at $175 and include transportation to and from the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. Visit sonomavalleywine.com for more information.
Portland band STRFKR backstage at Mystic Theatre in Petaluma. (Estefany Gonzalez)
Portland is an eclectic place. Those who have visited the Oregon city will likely have seen the “keep Portland weird” signs and slogans in the downtown area; the phrase serves as a beacon for the quirky and creative ethos that makes Portland a must-visit.
On March 28, Portland-based band STRFKR (a.k.a Starfucker) injected Petaluma’s Mystic Theatre with a potent dose of Portland-weird, with backup dancers dressed as spacemen, a mix of dreamy electronic indie tunes, and a light show that would rival any popular nightclub.
STRFKR has released five full-length albums and played well-known festivals such as Coachella. The concert at the Mystic Theatre in downtown Petaluma was one of many stops on the band’s 2017 tour, which includes gigs across the United States and a number of festivals.
The Portland band maintained an energetic vibe throughout a long set, which included both psychedelic elements, with lively synthesized tracks, and grungy punk-rock tunes accompanied by crowd-surfing spacemen. Singer Josh Hodges stage presence echoed the late Kurt Cobain, with beautifully mumbled vocals, streaky blond hair and large, dark sunglasses. The rhythm section, composed of bassist Shawn Glassford and drummer Keil Corcoran, had the Mystic Theatre audience dancing to the beat, and a quirky aura. One of the most interesting aspects of the show was seeing the band members play musical chairs; switching positions and instruments: Glassford switched between bass and synth drums, while Corcoran swapped roles with Hodges for a number of songs.
The energy reached a highpoint during the song “Bury Us Alive,” a dance number from the band’s 2011 album Reptilians, which had the audience jumping with hands in the air. Another highlight was “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second,” a song from the STRFKR’s self-titled 2008 album, which the Petaluma audience knew most of the words to.
The sparkle of of the band and the light show, like 4th of July fireworks, put the Petaluma night sky to shame once the show was over. Somehow, the stars didn’t seem to shine as bright as STRFKR did on stage.
From grain to glass – celebrate International Whiskey Day on March 27 (Photo courtesy of Alley 6)
Bourbon or whiskey? Rye or single malt? It’s all good on Monday, March 27, on International Whiskey Day. With locally produced whiskey on the rise, Wine Country is becoming Whiskey Country. Here are five of our favorite Sonoma County-crafted whiskeys to celebrate your love of this distilled beverage.
Fred and Amy Groth at Prohibition Spirits distillery in Sonoma. (Alvin Jornada)
Prohibition Spirits’ Hooker’s House Bourbon ($49)
Aged in neutral Pinot Noir barrels, Prohibition Spirits’ Hooker’s House Bourbon is a mainstay in Sonoma Valley liquor cabinets. Named after the womanizing and whiskey drinking General Joseph Hooker, who lived in downtown Sonoma, this Wine Country bourbon takes advantage of the hot days and cool nights of the Carneros wine-growing region in Southern Sonoma County. It’s a bold bourbon, filled dark fruit, cherries, and violet on the nose and palate.
Firefighter and police officers by day, whiskey distillers by night: twin brothers Chris, left, and Brandon Matthies own and operate Sonoma Brothers Distilling, in Windsor. (Christopher Chung)
Sonoma Brothers Distilling Bourbon Whiskey ($45) Twin brothers, and Sonoma County natives, Brandon and Chris Matthies, pride themselves on producing “grain to glass” handcrafted, small batch whiskey. Made in their shiny Arnold Holstein copper pot still, the Sonoma Brothers Distilling Bourbon Whiskey is made from GMO-free corn, wheat and malted barley. This whiskey has notes of cherry oak, dried fruit, spicy vanilla and caramel.
Distiller Ashby Marshall, measures out whole grains before creating the mash for the gin, whiskey and vodka produced at the Spirit Works distillery in Sebastopol. (John Burgess)
Spirit Works Straight Rye Whiskey ($65)
Sebastopol’s Spirit Works produces gin, sloe gin, vodka, and now, whiskey. Comprising a mix of rye berries, malted rye, and specialty brewing malts, their Straight Rye Whiskey is aged for two years in charred, new American White Oak barrels. Extremely aromatic, the nose has hints of green apple, coffee, and leather, with a palate of clove, caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut and a touch of honeycomb on the tongue.
Jason and Krystle Jorgensen, of Alley 6 Craft Distillery, fell in love with the whiskey-making process after a trip to Scotland. (Photo courtesy of Alley 6 Craft Distillery)
Alley 6 Craft Distillery Rye Whiskey ($54.99)
Handmade in Healdsburg by husband and wife duo Jason and Krystle Jorgensen, Alley 6’s Rye Whiskey is a bold, 86 proof rye that is produced in a copper pot still lovingly named Horton. Its time in charred, American oak barrels reflects in the taste, with hints of oak, honey, vanilla, spice and caramel on the finish.
Sonoma County Rye from Sonoma Distilling Co.
Sonoma County Distilling, Sonoma Rye Whiskey ($55) Adam Spiegel is the one-man show behind Sonoma County Distilling, which was the first all-whiskey distillery in the state. Making small-batch whiskeys with “Sonoma County terroir”, his signature Sonoma Rye Whiskey is a top-seller. Made with 80 percent unmalted Canadian rye and 20 percent rye malt from a hand-selected maltery in the United Kingdom, the whiskey is double distilled in traditional copper pot stills over direct-fire and aged in new, charred American oak barrels for at least a year.
Looking to explore something different on your vacation this year? The New York Times has curated a list of 52 domestic and international destinations to consider for your 2017 holiday – and dream about in your office cubicle.
From sunrise balloon rides in the Atacama Desert in Chile and luxury safaris on the Okavango Delta in Botswana to free museum-hopping in Stockholm, Sweden and food-feasting in Japan’s Osaka, the NYT bucket list has something for every type of traveler.
Pork belly Yakitori with kimchee at Two Birds/One Stone in St. Helena. (Heather Irwin)
If you’d like to stay close to home, Napa Valley is a great getaway option according to The New York Times. This year’s addition of a number of new Napa hotels and restaurants has given the classic wine region “fresh life,” says The Times travel writer Ondine Cohane, and mentions Japanese restaurant Two Birds/One Stone, the bespoke beer at Fieldwork Brewing Company, luxury St. Helena hotel Las Alcobas, and recording studio/fashion salon/tasting room JaM cellars.
Sonoma Valley Regional Park. (Adrienne Shubin)
Of course, we’d like to think that when you live in Sonoma County, you can pretty much find a beautiful vacation spot in your own backyard – sometimes, literally – but there’s nothing wrong with paying a visit to your neighbor once in a while, eh? Or you could hop on the plane at Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa and fly direct to another West Coast destination that made the list: Portland, Oregon.
Check out the New York Times list here. If you could only pick one place out of the 52, where would you go? And how about “staycationing” in Sonoma County, any special tips and ideas?
Petrale sole with artichoke hearts, braised octopus, dandelion, French flageolet beans at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
When it opened last summer, County Bench was an exciting addition to the Santa Rosa dining scene, showcasing the talents of two of Sonoma County’s top chefs, with a brilliant bar program, a chic urban space and impressive wine list. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing can sometimes be too much of a good thing. Dishes were alternately brilliant and a bit confusing, and some early service hiccups just didn’t do the upscale-dining spot justice.
Farro risotto with green garlic, kale and parmesan at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
The great news is that there have been a lot of changes since then. Chef Ben Davies has taken over the kitchen of this downtown Santa Rosa eatery, giving it a new point of view and a simplified menu with broader appeal.
Service has been given a thorough polishing by their new general manager, and the bar program has been evened out to include a handful of show-stoppers along with solid renditions of classics. We’re also stoked to see value-priced locals nights ($35 prix fixe on Tuesday) happy hour and free corkage until May 1.
Seasonal cocktails (l) La Vie En Rose with rose water syrup, gin, grapefruit juice (r) El Tajin with tequila, Bruto, lime juice, chamomile. Heather Irwin/PD
The menu has just gone through a seasonal transition to lighter spring ingredients, the last of the recent changes, and there are some solid bets worth checking out, along with a few standbys that have impressed us since opening.
Make sure to leave room for dessert, since their pastry chef, Victoria Madrigal (formerly of Della Fattoria) is one of the best on the sweets scene.
Granita at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine.
Quinoa cracker with smoked salmon, dill, capers, $7: This crunchy cracker is made in house, topped with lox, cream cheese and all the fixings of your favorite Jewish deli in a few bites.
Quinoa cracker with smoked salmon, dill, capers, onions, cream cheese and cucumber. Heather Irwin/PD
Buttermilk Potato Rolls, $5: Paying for bread at a restaurant still irks some, but personally, I’d rather pay for something well-made than stale, unimpressive slices. These are puffy little pillows in the Parker House style with Straus butter and olive oil.
Potato rolls at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Photo: Heather Irwin/PD
Farro Risotto, $22: A serious candidate for my “Best Dishes of the Year”, Davies knows the secret of perfectly cooked risotto — something that eludes most cooks. The spring version includes green garlic, crunchy baked kale and curls of Parmesan cheese, for a dish dripping with umami.
Farro risotto with green garlic, kale, and Parmesan at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather irwin/PD
Potato Parmesan Fritter, $6: Bar snacks elevated.
Crispy potato Parmesan fritter with chive sour cream at County Bench restaurant in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Roasted Hamachi Collar, $14: One of the best, most flavorful parts of the fish is the “collar” area (where a neck might be on a fish). With fennel, soy and ginger, it’s a revelation.
Grilled Cheese with Shot Rib ($5): The happy hour menu is a steal of a deal, with comfort dishes like a hearty grilled cheese with Red Bird seeded bread, Cowgirl Creamery’s Wagon Wheel cheese and short ribs.
Pan Roasted Petrale Sole, $26: Updated for spring, this humble piece of fish gets a light breading, served atop delicate white flageolet beans and lemon curd. Bits of pink octopus have a gentle chew, rather than being gummy, with an essence of the sea, rather than a sleeper wave to the tastebuds.
Petrale sole with artichoke hearts, braised octopus, dandelion, French flageolet beans at County Bench in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Meyer Lemon and Moscato Granita, $7: This tart-sweet jewel box of a dessert is almost too pretty to eat, with blood orange “pearls” and lemon peel, it’s a perfect spring palate cleanser. You’ll end up wishing the whole thing was a Slurpee flavor at 7-11. Seriously.
County Bench is at 535 Fourth St, Santa Rosa, 707-535-0700, thecountybench.com.
Bartender making a seasonal cocktail with grapefruit at County Bench Restaurant in Santa Rosa, Heather Irwin/PD
The Vista Terrace at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma. (Paige Green)
It’s time to check out what’s blooming in Sonoma County’s tasting rooms. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect, whether you’re craving a high-energy event or a personalized tasting experience. Check websites or call ahead for hours and reservations, and remember to stop and smell the roses. For more Sonoma and Napa wineries, visit our restaurant and winery guide.
Bartholomew Park Winery The Bundschu family’s Bartholomew Park Winery offers a historic facility and museum as well as hundreds of acres including a walkable estate vineyard, picnic grounds, a 3-mile hiking trail with views of Mount Tamalpais, multiple picnic tables and more. Tastings are $10-$20, and the winery’s new Abbot’s Passage project features small-lot field blends — the first of which, Due West, is a blend of two Cabernet Sauvignon blocks from the Nuns Canyon vineyard on Moon Mountain. 1000 Vineyard Lane, Sonoma, 707-9393026, bartpark.com.
The Bartholomew Park mansion. (Courtesy photo)
Benziger Family Winery
Benziger Family Winery’s estate is nestled just up the hill from downtown Glen Ellen and offers a variety of wines and tasting experiences. Its biodynamic property spans 85 acres and features natural growth, vineyards, gardens, cattle, sheep, an insectary and more. Consider the biodynamic vineyard tram tour ($25) to see everything up close, or the partners vineyard tour and exclusive wine tasting ($50) for an elevated experience.1883 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 888490-2739, benziger.com.
The Bubble Lounge at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, where sparkling wines are served. (Courtesy photo)
Buena Vista Winery
Buena Vista Winery has so much history that even the employees dress the part. There are multiple reserved tasting experiences on offer, or groups of up to seven can drop in for a selection of new and library releases ($20-$30). It truly feels like you’ve taken a step back in time once your feet hit these grounds. To fully immerse yourself, go for the historic wine tool museum tour and tasting ($25) or reserve a winery-provided picnic, which includes a tasting flight in the historic press house. 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com.
Chateau St. Jean
Chateau St. Jean is as well known for its bloom-filled, Mediterranean- style gardens as it is for its acclaimed wines (tasting fees are $15$75, depending on the experience you select). The most renowned offering is Cinq Cépages, a Bordeaux blend you don’t want to miss. Charcuterie and other delights are available on weekends or by reserving a Charcuterie at the Chateau tasting ($45), available daily, and there are all sorts of places for a picnic on the grounds. Margo Van Staaveren’s winemaking style has graced the estate for 35 harvests, so grab a taste, glass or bottle and take some time to truly enjoy the moment. 8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-257-5784, chateaustjean.com.
Chateau St. Jean Chateau St. Jean’s patio. (Courtesy photo)
Cline Cellars
Groups of up to six can enjoy complimentary tastings of Cline’s many wine varieties at the tasting room in its 1853 farmhouse. The lush setting features vineyards, the California Mission Museum, 5,000 rose bushes, six natural ponds (the one behind the farmhouse has carp you can feed for 25 cents) and animals including pheasants and two miniature donkeys. Larger groups require a reserved private tasting and/or tour, and anyone can reserve one of the property’s many picnic tables. 24737 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-940-4000, clinecellars.com.
Corner 103
Step in for a fun, casual and educational experience at Corner 103. Founder Lloyd Davis offers visitors a taste of seven limited-production wines from different Sonoma County AVAs to showcase the unique nature of each terroir. Six of the wines are paired with small bites of locally sourced foods. By reservation only ($40). 103 W. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-931-6141, corner103.com.
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery
Spring is the ideal time to visit Ferrari-Carano, which has 5 acres of gardens to explore — but this time of year is extra-special, as more than 10,000 tulips and daffodils burst into bloom. The winery even has a tulip hotline (707-433-5349) for updates on when the gardens are in full bloom. A multitude of wine tasting options are available, including a seated experience ($25) on the Il Terrazzo outdoor tasting terrace. 8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 800-831-0381, ferrari-carano.com.
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. (Courtesy photo)
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Gloria Ferrer’s modern, expansive tasting room features floor-to-ceiling windows and a broad terrace that overlooks its Carneros vineyards. Its second annual Bubbles & Blooms festival is a celebration of wine, flowers and gardening that takes place April 22, featuring still and sparkling wine, delicious food, flower installations, sustainable gardening demonstrations, a flower market and do-it-yourself workshops ($65). Flights are from $25-$33. 23555 Highway 121, Sonoma, 707933-1917, gloriaferrer.com.
Joseph Jewell
Friends and winemakers Micah Wirth and Adrian Manspeaker teamed up in 2006 to create their first single-vineyard Pinot Noir. Its success propelled them to create a winery focused on capturing the character of single-vineyard sites. Their tasting room opened in 2015 and features their many unique, Burgundian-style Pinot Noir selections (even some from Humboldt) as well as Zinfandel and Chardonnay. Drop in for a tasting ($10-$30) or schedule a gourmet vineyard picnic lunch ($95/couple) or a 30-minute helicopter tour over select vineyards where their grapes are sourced ($500/couple). 6542 Front St., Forestville, 707-975-4927, josephjewell.com.
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens
Tucker Taylor is the winery’s director of culinary gardens and oversees the estate’s 2.5 acres of sensory delights, from its farm-totable herbs, fruits and vegetables to its blooms, sensory gardens, beehives and more. Visit for a stroll on your own or reserve a garden tour and wine tasting ($25) for an in-depth experience. 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, 800769-3649, kj.com.
La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in Windsor. (Kent Porter)
La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard
La Crema is carrying on Richard and Saralee Kunde’s vision of sustainability and hospitality at their former Russian River Valley home, a restored four-story barn dating back to the early 1900s. Storied vineyards and botanical gardens delight, and visitors can enjoy wine flights ($15-$40; $35 with cheese pairings) or embark on a guided estate tour and tasting via golf cart ($65; by reservation). The complimentary “Vineyard Adventures” walking tour will be offered beginning in early April. This mile-long loop will guide visitors through the vineyards while they learn more about La Crema, Saralee’s Vineyard, the wines and the history of the property, with a total of nine different stops. 3575 Slusser Road, Windsor, 707-525-6200, lacrema.com.
Landmark Vineyards
Landmark Vineyards is best known for winemaker Greg Stach’s wide selection of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, many of which are single-vineyard. The winery property sits just off Highway 12 and features a beautiful, secluded courtyard where you can enjoy its elegant wines. Private tours and tastings are also available ($30-$40). 101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-0053, landmarkwine.com.
Lynmar Estate
Open daily for tastings by reservation, Lynmar Estate includes 100 acres featuring some of the oldest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in Russian River Valley as well as floral and culinary gardens. Its expansive tasting room invites the outdoors in, and guests can choose from various wine flights ($20-$90) or a wine and food pairing ($70) that showcases the property’s bucolic bounty. 3909 Frei Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-3374, lynmarestate.com.
Lynmar Estate Winery in Sebastopol. (Conner Jay)
Preston Farm & Winery
Bring a picnic (or purchase estate fruits, vegetables, bread, olive oil and more — spring is lamb season!) and plan to spend some extra time at Preston Farm & Winery. The biodynamic and organic property has all sorts of beautiful settings to explore and enjoy. Wines include old vine Zinfandel and Carignane, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhone and Piedmont varieties. Visit on a Sunday to score a Guadagni jug of wine (while they last) — you’ll be hooked. 9282 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-4333372, prestonfarmandwinery.com.
Quivira Vineyards
Quivira focuses on Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhone varieties grown and crafted on its estate (farmed following Rudolph Steiner’s biodynamic principles). Visitors can drop in for a classic tasting ($15-$20), estate tasting ($25; includes a charcuterie platter made from estate-raised animals and plants) or an estate tour ($25) to better understand its wines and sustainable practices. 4900 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-4318333, quivirawine.com.
Spicy Vines Winery
Spicy Vines’ roots reach back to German glühwein, the inspiration that first compelled its founders to craft spiced wine. Its tasting room features those as well as more traditional wines (with cool names like “Dragon’s Kiss”) and an art-filled, jovial atmosphere. Wine cocktails ($12) including sangria are also on the menu, as are small bites ($12-$20) and live music on Saturday evenings from 6 to 9. Tasting flights are $12 and reservations are recommended. 441 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-927-1065, spicyvines.com.
Three Sticks Wines in Sonoma. (Ken Fulk)
Three Sticks Wines
Located in the meticulously restored, historic Vallejo-Casteñada adobe in downtown Sonoma, Three Sticks Wines features intimate wine tasting experiences ($35-$200; some with food pairings) that involve history, art and a true sense of home. There are several places throughout the property, both indoors and out, where you can enjoy Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by winemaker Bob Cabral. Don’t miss artist Rafael Arana’s mural as you enter the property from the private auto court. 143 W. Spain St., Sonoma, 707-996-3328, threestickswines.com.
Westwood Estate
Westwood Estate’s tasting salon in downtown Sonoma pays homage to the winery’s Annadel Gap Vineyard, where all its grapes are sourced. The biodynamic vineyard has an array of microclimates, which are expertly honored by winemaker Ben Cane’s enthusiasm and attention to detail. Choose from one of three flights featuring the winery’s smallproduction Burgundian and Rhone varieties ($15-$35; reservations recommended). 11 E. Napa St., Suite 3, Sonoma, 707-933-7837, westwoodwine.com.
White Oak Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. (Sarah Stierch)
White Oak Vineyards & Winery
White Oak’s Mediterranean-style winery and hospitality center is known for its Chardonnay and sits on a 17-acre estate surrounded by vineyards. Tastings include four wine and cheese/ small bites pairings ($20) and two additional wines from the signature and reserve selections. Picnics on the beautifully landscaped grounds are encouraged, or you can reserve a private tasting and tour ($30; with lunch add $30). 7505 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-4338429, whiteoakwinery.com.
Crisp, chilly mornings and sunny afternoons signal spring in Sonoma. The comforting, hearty red wines of winter still have their place at the table, yet it’s also time for refreshing white wines to celebrate the change of season.
RED BLENDS
If you like…
Trione Vineyards & Winery 2012 Henry’s Blend Alexander Valley ($56)
This seamless melding of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, from winemaker Scot Covington, honors winery founder and philanthropist Henry Trione, who died in 2015. The supple tannins, sumptuous blackberry and currant fruit and hints of spice and toasty oak make it a serious mate for St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. Skip the cabbage.
You may also like…
Gundlach Bundschu 2013 Mountain Cuvée Sonoma County ($20)
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the winery’s Rhinefarm vineyard and sites in the Mayacamas Mountains mesh nicely in this bargain red. It’s soft and easy, with blackberry, black cherry and pepper character. Though not as complex as the Trione Henry’s, it’s an honest drink at a great price.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
If you like…
Galerie Wines 2015 Equitem Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley ($30) With asparagus, fava beans and spring garlic coming online, pleasantly grassy Sauvignon Blanc hits its pairing stride. This one, made by Spanish native Laura Diaz Muñoz, is sophisticated and classy, with brisk grapefruit, lime and mineral character. Half of the blend was aged in new and older French oak barrels, lending textural complexity to the vibrant fruit character.
You may also like…
Angeline Vineyards 2016 Reserve Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
Bright and brisk, it brims with ruby grapefruit, honeydew melon, lime and kiwi fruit character. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, it’s not as layered and textural as the Galerie, yet delivers racy flavors and is a tremendous value.
SERIOUS ZIN
If you like…
Gary Farrell 2014 Maffei Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel ($50)
No foolin’, there are local Zinfandels that are not too over-the-top in ripeness and alcohol potency. This polished example comes from a vineyard planted in the 1920s by Umberto and Maria Maffei. It offers vivid blackberry and plum fruit, plus exotic notes of mint and clove, all on an elegant frame. It’s a taste of Sonoma winegrowing history.
You may also like…
Frei Brothers Reserve 2014 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($20)
Count on E & J Gallo, a pioneer in sourcing Zinfandel grapes in Sonoma (thank you, Julio), to produce this exuberant Zinfandel at a fair price. The jammy red berry and dark cherry aromas and flavors aren’t as elegant as the Gary Farrell Zin, yet are rich and rewarding.
PINOT NOIR
If you like…
Bucher Wines 2014 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40)
The Bucher family has grown grapes in the “Middle Reach” of the Russian River Valley (Rochioli and Williams Selyem are neighbors) for 25 years. The Buchers sell their fruit to top Pinot producers, and in 2013, recruited Siduri’s Adam Lee to produce wines from their site. This one is textbook Middle Reach, with vivid red cherry, cranberry and pomegranate fruit, baking-spice complexity and refreshing acidity. Superb with Easter ham and crown roast.
You may also like…
Kenwood Vineyards 2014 Six Ridges Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($30)
This stalwart Sonoma Valley winery has upped its game under new ownership (Pernod Ricard), with new labels and improved grape sources. Longtime winemaker Pat Henderson produced this spicy, generously flavored wine with medium body, soft tannins and a vanillin finish. It’s versatile with anything an Easter dinner has to offer.
A cheese plate assembled by cheese monger Omar Mueller featuring (clockwise from lower left) Marcona Almonds, Pennyroyal Farm Bollie’s Mollies, Amexia D’Elvas Convento de Serra natural preserved plums, Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam triple-cream, Bleating Heart Cheese Fat Bottom Girl, Valley Ford Cheese Estero Gold Reserve, Point Reyes Cheese Company Gouda, aged two years, raw local walnuts, Rogue Creamery Rogue River blue cheese, and Regalis Tennessee black truffle honeycomb, at Freestone Artisan Cheese, in Freestone, California on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
When the California Artisan Cheese Festival began in 2007, Northern California’s cheese scene had a few stand-out makers, but was a fairly insular community just finding it’s audience. Ten years later, names like Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes Farmstead, Bellwether Farms, Cypress Grove and Tomales Farmstead Creamery are familiar brands in both grocery stores and restaurants.
Inspired and mentored by these artisan cheesemakers are new goat, sheep and cow milk cheese producers that have cropped up in the last decade, including Haverton Hill, Bleating Heart, Chevoo and many others. The North Coast is clearly cheese country.
This year’s event, March 24-26 at the Petaluma Sheraton, continues the cheese love with a weekend of cheese education, tours and lactose appreciation featuring the Ultimate Best Bite competition, cheesemaker dinners and the always-popular Artisan Cheese Tasting Marketplace. Much of the event is a la carte, allowing cheese fans to either nibble, or go whole hog for the weekend.
Want to go? Here are some best bets…
A variety of Chevoo fresh goat cheese & olive oil infusion in Smoked Sea Salt & Rosemary and Aleppo-Urfa Chili & Lemon. (Erik Castro)
Friday, Ultimate Best Bites Competition
The Ultimate Best Bite kicks off the three-day weekend with 24 chefs, 24 cheesemongers, and 24 cheesemakers competing to create the ultimate cheese creation. Top artisan cheeses get a creative twist from local chefs and cheesemongers cooked into cheesy dishes from sweet to savory. Expect a serious smackdown. Guests will taste bites of the dishes, along with beer, wine and cider. Tickets are $75 per person.
Saturday, Cheese & Cocktails
Nine local distilleries pouring tastes of spirits and sample cocktails with 20 artisan cheesemakers sampling their cheeses. $40 per person.
Saturday, Educational Classes and Pairing Demos
Cheesemakers and experts discuss how to make cheese, the specifics of California cheese, cheese and beer pairings and much more. Classes are $75 per person.
Saturday, Cheesemaker Dinners in Sonoma Multi-course cheese-centric dinners with the Cheesemakers in attendance. Wine, beer, or cider paired with each course! Dinners are at Park 121 at Cornerstone and at Suite D (event space operated by the girl & the fig). $150 per person.
Sunday, Bubbles & Brunch and the Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace
Kick off the morning with a four-course cheese-centric brunch paired with sparkling and a cooking demo. The marketplace takes up 20,000 square feet under tents with cooking demos, tops chefs, and samples from more than 90 of California’s best artisan cheesemakers, food vendors, breweries and wineries. Brunch is $115 and includes VIP access to the Marketplace one hour before opening to the public. Marketplace tickets are $45 for adults and $20 for children twelve and under.
The large dining table is the heart of the great room, close to the kitchen and overlooking the front porch. Chris Hardy
A family settles into their quiet new weekend home in the Glen Ellen hills.
Rachel Muscatine and Ananth Madhavan waited a long time to call Sonoma their second home. Three years ago, after an extensive search, the San Francisco couple and their two children (an eighth-grader and a college student) found their dream location: a private, 10-acre oak-studded vineyard property in Glen Ellen with a small seasonal creek. “We came through the gate and started up a little windy road, and we looked around and thought ‘This is special,’ ” says Muscatine. With 360-degree views of Sonoma Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains, the hilltop setting called for a retreat that would celebrate nature and provide a sense of ease and simplicity.
The central courtyard is formed by the L-shaped main home and a new garage and outdoor kitchen. The home’s soft gray-brown exterior walls echo the tones of the stone retaining walls and surrounding valley oaks. Rachel Muscatine grows Meyer lemons which she likes to preserve in salt for cooking Moroccan-style tagines. (Chris Hardy)
After a dramatic two-year renovation of the property’s 50-year-old cottage and garage, overseen by award-winning San Francisco architect Nick Noyes, the family came home to their new getaway last summer. Noyes reimagined the home’s overall footprint, connecting the existing buildings around a new central courtyard and pool.
Rachel Muscatine and Ananth Madhavan. (Chris Hardy)
The result is a refined yet unfussy home that invites its owners to relax and breathe deeply. “Everywhere I turn, the house has this quietness,” explains Muscatine, taking in the whitewashed floors, opened-up ceiling beams, and banks of windows looking out to the surrounding vineyards. Deep couches and a cozy built-in banquette are meant for snuggling together “like sardines” to watch a movie, Muscatine jokes. And there’s nothing to flash or beep that would break the sense of calm— not even the ring of an iPhone. “We don’t get good cell reception, and we’re thrilled,” says Muscatine. “It’s a place where we can’t help but just slow down, put up our feet and read a book.”
From the back of the house, the view extends high into the Mayacamas Mountains, where the soft sage greens of valley oaks are highlighted against the taller evergreens that rise in the background. (Chris Hardy)
A culinary school graduate and passionate cook, Muscatine had a close hand in creating a kitchen that’s highly functional but doesn’t interfere with the view. “In San Francisco, my kitchen faces a wall. Here, when I wake up and make my coffee, watching the mist rise off the trees, I feel like I’m standing right outside.” On the wall to the left of the sink, a sliding door of blackened steel conceals an expansive pantry, and everyday dishes are easy to access on a bank of open steel shelving.
Thoughtful choices in the kitchen keep the overall look clean and simple. The counter has an integrated drain board next to the sink, upright slotted spaces hold baking pans and trays and dishes go straight from the dishwasher onto easy access open shelves. Muscatine loves the broad windows and contrast between the cabinetry and blackened steel pantry. (Chris Hardy)The large dining table is the heart of the great room, close to the kitchen and overlooking the front porch. Muscatine and her daughter, a college student and painter, love to visit art galleries together and are particularly fond of the Lost Art Salon in San Francisco, which helps historically significant but lesserknown artists from decades past find new audiences. To the left of the fireplace is a work by the salon’s owner, Gaeton Caron. (Chris Hardy)The great room has a sense of calm and ease, with high ceilings, comfy couches, leather chairs and piles of pillows. A deep couch and the tufted banquette along the far wall are where the family settles in for movies and reading marathons.
The family looks forward to digging deeper into Sonoma Valley life, with plans this spring for chickens, blueberry bushes, a cutting garden and lots of cooking and canning on the weekends. Muscatine likes to put on sneakers for the 20-minute walk down the hill into Glen Ellen, waving to the rest of the family as they drive into town to meet for dinner at local favorite the fig café. And Madhavan revels in the quiet and the chance to pore over the highly entertaining police blotter in the local newspaper. Says Muscatine, “We’ve stepped into all this newness, and we say ‘This is our community now.”
A sense of calm extends into the master bedroom with a soft color palette and cozy gable rug. Muscatine and Madhavan often have their morning coffee here, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows. (Chris Hardy)The steam shower and standalone soaking tub in the master bath were inspired by Muscatine’s love of Turkish hammams. Marble tile and a restrained white and gray palette continue the restful theme. (Chris Hardy)Muscatine says the family is “thrilled” that the house gets poor cell service. “It’s a place where we can’t help but just slow down, put up our feet and read a book.” (Chris Hardy)The couple’s contractor sandwiched panels of hog wire between wooden frames for storage in the wine cellar. (Chris Hardy)
A selection of dishes at SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn in Healdsburg. (Photo courtesy of Single Thread)
Long before there was a single plate of food, a single handmade pottery bowl or even a single orderly row of Japanese carrots growing at their Healdsburg farm, Kyle and Katina Connaughton had an exacting vision of what it would look like to eat the seasons.
Not just a broad approach of eating foods native to winter, spring, summer and fall, but separating the seasons into 72 distinct microseasons, each only five days long, that could showcase food at the precise moment of perfection. Inspired by an ancient Japanese farming technique called shichijuuni koo, which factors in everything from the sun and moon to precipitation, wind and tides, it requires the farmer to be constantly in touch with nature.
The guest is greeted with an array of dishes presented on a bed of wood, moss and ferns at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess)
“These [small time periods] mark subtle changes in nature,” says Katina, who is the restaurant’s chief farmer, and wife to executive chef Kyle. “Being mindful and present, we can observe these environmental nuances and work in harmony with nature rather than outsmart or control it.”
In December, the culinary visionaries quietly opened the restaurant, which has been hailed as one of the most important new eateries in the country.
Cured Foie Gras, French Prunes, and Rooibos Tea from Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess)
Expectations have been dauntingly high, and in January a distraction emerged in the form of a claim by contractors that the restaurant’s investors had held back payment for nearly $400,000 in final construction costs. But the Connaughtons are doing their best to live up to their carefully curated trowel-to-table vision — which is why after nearly two years of planning, construction and menu testing, it’s little surprise to walk into the completed restaurant and find if not perfection, something awfully close.
An open kitchen design allows the guest to watch the creation of their meal at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess)
A Zen-like tone is set from the moment diners enter. The restaurant’s spare exterior in the recently constructed building, which sits on a central corner in Healdsburg that was formerly home to the city’s post office, opens to a small, silent vestibule. Framed at the far end is a peek into the kitchen, also nearly silent, where white-jacketed chefs are hunched over plates creating edible still lifes with kitchen tweezers and flicks of moss, edible flowers and seaweed. There are just a handful of tables, the most fascinating of which is a theater table where guests sit side by side with an unobstructed view of the open kitchen where Connaughton and his staff work at two massive islands.
Chef Kyle Connaughton uses ceramic pots from his Japanese donabe collection to prepare his meticulous multicourse feasts. (John Burgess)
New York-based culinary firm AvroKO is behind the restaurant’s design. The firm has been responsible for a number of high-profile restaurant designs in Napa, San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas and Hong Kong. Expect lots of fine details, including signature brass accents and tiles, and a minimalist look that echoes Connaughton’s culinary style.
The 52-seat restaurant defies simple labels like “farmto- table” or “Japanese” or “Wine Country” or “modernist,” though it encompasses all of those things. Instead, the menu is a reflection of Kyle and Katina’s life experiences, ranging from Kyle’s time at restaurants like Spago Beverly Hills, three-Michelin-starred Michel Bras in Hokkaido, Japan, and Hesten Blumenthal’s Fat Duck Restaurant in the U.K. (which was named “Best Restaurant in the World” during his tenure there), and Katina’s experiences as a farmer in Japan and Sonoma County. Kyle Connaughton describes the approach simply as omentashi, or the Japanese art of heightened hospitality and anticipation of a guest’s every need.
Carefully plating Sunchoke with Preserved Lemon, Mangalitsa Jowl, and Pine Nuts at Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg. (John Burgess)
The first course on our recent visit — which began with a cocktail in the rooftop garden and a tour of the complex’s luxury inn — was a sort of edible forest adventure, where wood and moss hid a tiny shelled whelk, a bite of pheasant wrapped in a fig leaf, Miyagi oysters and a nibble of Dungeness crab with ponzu. It was followed by a single blue egg nestled in more moss, with smoke sabayon, after which came umeboshi plums and beets, red jewels on a gently scalloped plate.
Chef de cuisine Aaron Koseba harvests purple frill mustard greens form the restaurant’s rooftop garden. (John Burgess)“The Mid Winter in Sonoma County” includes Chingensai Dashi with Meyer Lemon and edible flowers. (John Burgess)
The courses continued for hours (and hours): A donut-shaped wooden plate with Mangalitsa pork jowl and watercress puree, abalone in onion sauce with foam, foie gras on a bed of persimmon leaves, fermented local farro in a matsutake mushroom broth, and guinea hen roulade in pumpkin puree. Each course is a simple bite or two served on handcrafted Japanese dishes made of wood, clay and metal. Chef Kyle’s obsession with donabe (Japanese serving pottery), hand-wrought steel knives and artful serviceware add to continuity of the kaiseki experience — the artful presentation of beautiful food and flavors in Japanese haute dining.
A dish called “Tilefish, Blue Foot,” and Chanterelle “Fukkura-San” with Leeks, Brassicas from the Farm, Sansho, and Chamomile Dashi Borth is first presented at the table in the Japanese donabe it was cooked in, then whisked away to be plated for serving. (John Burgess)
A multicourse dessert menu included frozen fromage blanc with quince reduction and puffed amarynth and an “apple” made of chocolate, filled with cream and Gravenstein apple sorbet. Both were almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.
Single Thread offers both wine pairings and a nonalcoholic pairing experience that includes white tea, cucumber soda with lemon and mint, turmeric shrub with smoked salt and grenadine, nonalcoholic “gin” and lime, and a matsutake mushroom and lemon verbena tea. The 37-page wine list from head sommelier Evan Hufford includes hundreds of Old and New World wines and sakes, many from California and Sonoma County. At the high end: Stunning large-format bottles, like the Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-St.-Vivant Grand Cru for $9,500, and other rarefied bottles ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars. By-the-glass offerings range from $10-$50.
“The Mid Winter in Sonoma County” includes Kushi Oyster, Passmore Ranch Caviar and Alyssum Flower. (John Burgess)
With a $295 price tag per person not including beverages or wine, the Single Thread experience is for those looking to spend some serious cash on a restaurant that has yet to be given a Michelin star. But to put it in context, consider a few other haute experiences around Wine Country. Chef Christopher Kostow’s 10-course tasting menu at the three-Michelin-starred Meadowood is $330 (excluding wine) or $500 for a “counter menu” inside the kitchen. Thomas Keller’s three-starred French Laundry charges $310 without tax, tip or drinks. San Francisco’s Saison, which has the distinction of being the most expensive restaurant in the region and has also garnered three stars, is $398 ($498 for special holidays) without tax, tip or drinks. Douglas Keane’s Healdsburg-based Cyrus, which closed in 2012, was more than $800 for two people, but that did include wine pairing and a caviar course.
“The Mid Winter in Sonoma County” includes Geoduck with Kefir Lime Jelly. (John Burgess)
Meals like those at Meadowood, French Laundry and what Connaughton hopes his restaurant will become are personalized experiences using precious ingredients (abalone, Mangalitsa pig, foie gras) as well as highly labor-intensive sauces and preparations. Food is served as art, with two or three chefs attending to each plate. For a food connoisseur it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience offering as much beauty and joy as, say, driving a beautiful car or buying a well-crafted suit or dress.
Though in public he’s quietly reflective and not prone to chest-beating, Connaughton is no rookie in the high-pressure, review-driven world of haute dining. His résumé includes some of the most important restaurants in the world and he is cofounder of the culinary research group Pilot R& D, a pioneering company focused on food science. Recently he finished a book on cooking with donabe, ancient Japanese clay cooking pots.
Katina Connaughton at Single Thread Farms and Inn in Healdsburg. (Sally Egan)
For her part, Katina presides over the 5-acre Single Thread Farm, which is tucked away in Alexander Valley. Carved out of fallow land on winemaker Pete Seghesio’s San Lorenzo vineyard property, the farm took months just to prepare for planting. Visitors travel past a flock of laying hens and green grapevines before they spot Katina’s greenhouse and neatly plowed rows.
This is the heart of the restaurant, where the seasons, the microclimates and the terroir drive everything. It’s all hands on deck, with family members, chefs and anyone else who can handle a shovel, a set of clippers or a bale of hay pressed into service. A tangled orchard borders the farm, with fruit and olive trees Katina hopes to rehabilitate. This isn’t gentleman farming, but hard, sweaty, dirt-under-your-fingernails work that has helped Katina get an intimate feel for what will grow there, and how to best utilize the space.
Kyle and Katina Connaughton of Single Thread Farms Restaurant in Healdsburg at their farm. (Jason Jaacks)
Natives of Los Angeles, the Connaughtons were high school sweethearts and have spent more than 20 years traveling the world, planning for a someday restaurant like Single Thread.
They moved to Sonoma County from the U.K. in 2011, and say they felt at home almost instantly. The location seemed a good fit for the restaurant they envisioned as a guest experience that’s an extension of their family, rather than a rigid, uptight encounter.
The Connaughtons and their staff have spent more than 18 months working on every detail, and will continue to hone the bespoke experience to a fine sheen. Doing that in the limelight creates a heavy yoke of expectation. But Single Thread seems well on its way to becoming a culinary jewel in the crown of the Sonoma County dining scene, showcasing the unique bounty of our county — from the farm to each of Single Thread’s beautiful plates.
