Page 44 – Sonoma Magazine

The Ultimate Guide to Sonoma and Napa County Pumpkin Patches 2024

September 2024

By Maci Martell

The Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

As the spooky season draws nigh, local pumpkin patches ready their gourds and prepare an assortment of autumnal activities for the whole family. From late September through Halloween, they will offer a variety of pumpkin-picking opportunities, as well as attractions such as corn mazes, hay rides, petting zoos, jump zones, festive seasonal fare and even wine tastings.

The famed Petaluma Pumpkin Patch on Stony Point Road opens tomorrow, Sept. 20, the first of the season in Sonoma County. Since 1993, locals and visitors alike have traveled in droves to the north Petaluma patch — not only to pick their favorite pumpkin for Halloween, but also to challenge their sense of direction when navigating owner and farmer Jim Groverman’s 4-acre Amazing Corn Maze.

A fourth generation Sonoma County farmer, Groverman carefully designs the corn maze each year, planting over 150,000 corn seeds for the unique course. Groverman also sustainably grows 5 acres of pumpkins, including over 50 varieties of the gourd and other squash.

As one of the oldest family-run pumpkin patches in the county, the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch, now in its 32nd year, has long been a reliable fall retreat for gourd picking, maze walking, pony rides and more. Open the last Friday of September through Nov. 1.

Scroll on below to find more pumpkin patches in Sonoma and Napa counties and start plotting your 2024 autumn adventures.

Sonoma County

Petaluma Pumpkin Patch

Opens Sept. 20 for its 32nd season. The pumpkin patch boasts a 4-acre corn maze and a large assortment of pumpkins to pick, making it a sought-after patch come autumn. Plus, the patch has local food vendors on site and offers children activities, such as pony rides, jump houses, face painting and a carnival fun slide.

450 Stony Point Road, Petaluma, 707-781-3132, petalumapumpkinpatch.com

Mickelson Pumpkin Patch

Opens Sept. 21 through Halloween, Oct. 31. The patch will have a large variety of traditional and specialty pumpkins for sale from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Activities include cornhole, giant Jenga, an animal farm, apple cannon, paintball gallery, corn pits, a 1-acre hay maze, grain train rides, a super slide and a jump zone. Admission to attractions range from free to $30. Food vendors will also be on site.

5495 Redwood Highway South, Petaluma, 707-490-8088, mickelsonpumpkinpatch.com

Pronzini Farms Pumpkin Patch

Open daily from Sept. 28 through Oct. 31. The patch offers a variety of pumpkins in a rural setting, enhanced by decorated vintage vehicles. Attractions include a haunted trail and western village, hay maze, giant slides, jump zone, tractor rides, petting zoo, steer toss and corn pit. On weekends, there will be live music from noon to 6 p.m. and the Cowgirl Café will be open, offering barbecue foods. Admission ranges from free to $7, with plenty of activities included in admission, and punch cards for other attractions range from $31.25 to $106.25.

3795 Adobe Road, Petaluma, 707-778-3871, pronzinifarms.com

Pumpkins on Pikes

Tara Firma Farms will present its magical Pumpkins on Pikes fundraiser from 2-9 p.m. over three weekend days, Oct. 12, Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. Participants can pick a pumpkin to carve and decorate on site, then mount their lit jack-o’-lanterns on pikes for a glorious Halloween display. Food and drink, plus live music and games, will be available. Tickets are $40, which includes one pumpkin. Children 3 and under can attend free. Purchase tickets online.

3796 I St., Petaluma, 707-765-1202, tarafirmafarms.com

Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch

Opens Sept. 28 with a wide assortment of activities, in addition to its range of pumpkins for sale. Attractions include a Barnyard Ballzone, 8-acre corn maze, hay bale pyramid, petting zoo, bounce house, cornhole, zipline, hay rides, pumpkin tether ball and country tire swing set. Open daily through Halloween, closing at 6 p.m. Oct. 31. Keep an eye out for the pumpkin patch’s Oktoberfest 8k run/walk, which is followed by a Bavarian-style party with food, drinks and live music.

5157 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, 707-582-3276, santarosapumpkinpatch.com

Muelrath Ranches Pumpkin Patch

Opens Sept. 28 through Oct. 31. The Muelrath pumpkin patch offers free family-fun activities with the purchase of a pumpkin. It includes a haunted house, picnic area, hay pyramid, pumpkin slingshot, toddler’s corn maze and a narrated hayride. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Keep an eye out for historic tractors from the Santa Rosa branch of the National Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association on display.

3800 Walker Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-585-2195, muelrathspumpkins.com

Punky’s Pumpkins

Punky’s has been a reliable hometown pumpkin patch since 1995, offering a wide selection of pumpkins and other squash. Attractions at Punky’s include Johnny Popper tractor hay rides, train rides, bounce houses, a giant slide, corn pit, hay maze and cartoon billboards for fun photo ops. Snow cones, cotton candy and fresh squeezed lemonade will be available on weekends. Bring a lunch to enjoy at the patch’s picnic tables. Opens Sept. 29 for the season and will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and on Halloween from 11 a.m. to dusk.

50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, 707-579-8474, punkysadobefarm.com

Floating Pumpkin Patch

The Ridgway Swim Center will host its 13th annual Floating Pumpkin Patch on Oct. 19, with two separate, two-hour sessions in the day (the first starting at 1:30 p.m. and the second starting at 3:45 p.m.). Participants can pick a favorite bobbing pumpkin from the pool and dress it up at the decorating station. There will also be other games, crafts and prizes available for kids all afternoon. Entry fee is $12 (pumpkin included); children under 2 enter free.

455 Ridgway Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-543-3421, srcity.org

Larson Family Winery’s Pumpkin Patch

The winery’s pumpkin patch returns Oct. 3 through Oct. 31, pairing family fun activities with wine tasting opportunities for adults. The patch is free to roam, and pumpkins, gourds and flint corn will be available to purchase. The winery will also host a canine costume contest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 27, with wine-related prizes for the top three costumed pups. Wine tastings are $35-$50; reserve on Tock.

23355 Millerick Road, Sonoma, 707-938-3031, larsonfamilywinery.com

Larson Family Winery's Pumpkin Patch — A spooky display at Larson Family Winery’s Pumpkin Patch in Sonoma. (Courtesy Larson Family Winery)

Orsi Family Vineyards Pumpkin Patch

This Healdsburg winery is bringing back its annual pumpkin patch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 5. The event is free to attend and activities include grape stomping, lawn games, face painting and a complimentary pumpkin to take home. Snow cones will be available for purchase, as well as wine by the glass or bottle. Reserve a spot on Tock.

2306 Magnolia Drive, Healdsburg, 707-732-4660, orsifamilyvineyards.com

Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch

Enjoy an old-fashioned experience at Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch. The patch includes vintage tractors, a hay pyramid and climbing structure for kids to explore, as well as a pumpkin decorating station, farm animals and shaded picnic tables. Admission is free. Opening date to be announced, check Facebook page for updates.

17740 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-293-5750, facebook.com/HealdsburgGranny

Papa’s Pumpkin Patch

Pick pumpkins under serene redwoods at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch. Opening date to be announced, check Facebook page for updates.

13110 Occidental Road, Sebastopol, 707-874-9070, facebook.com/PapasPumpkinsPatch

Napa County

Stanly Lane Smokehouse Deli

The family-owned Stanly Lane Smokehouse will temporarily convert into a deli (meaning no barbecue for now) as the owner focuses on running the Stanly Lane Pumpkin Patch, a Napa tradition for over 40 years. Features at the scenic patch include thousands of pumpkins, farm animals and antique farm equipment. The patch opens Sept. 28 and will be open through October, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. There is no admission fee.

3100 Golden Gate Drive, Napa, 707-224-2575, stanlylanesmokehousedeli.com

ABC Tree Farms & Pick of the Patch Pumpkins

The Napa County location of this West Coast tree farm and pumpkin patch business opened Sept. 18 and will stay open daily through Halloween. Attractions include pony rides, petting zoos, a paintball range, and inflatable games and rides for children ages 2-12. Prepackaged foods and refreshments will be available at the ticket kiosk. Admission and parking is free; pumpkins and tickets for games and rides are available for purchase.

4225 Broadway, American Canyon, 408-393-6303, abctreefarms.net

The Best Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Sweet Treats in Sonoma County

September 2024

By Maci Martell

Pumpkin spice lattes from Black Oak Coffee Roasters — Pumpkin spice lattes, iced and hot, from Black Oak Coffee Roasters in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Black Oak Coffee Roasters)

Whether “pumpkin-spice season” evokes autumnal bliss or exasperated groans, it’s hard to deny the appeal of comforting fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Crafty Sonoma County bakers and baristas are selling a wide assortment of creative pumpkin-infused drinks and treats this season, from quintessential pumpkin spice lattes to imaginative pumpkin scones, cheesecakes and ice cream.

Here are 20 local spots that offer delicious pumpkin spice drinks and dishes this season. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the sweet pumpkin treats.

Santa Rosa

Brew Coffee and Beer House

The cozy Brew cafe has brought back its seasonal pumpkin spice latte, a comforting and robust drink that’s likely to be embellished with some festive latte art.

555 Healdsburg Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-303-7372, brewcoffeeandbeer.com

Criminal Baking Co.

Criminal Baking’s seasonal specials include chocolate chip pumpkin muffins, a fine fall accompaniment to any hot drink, as well as a rich pumpkin cheesecake made with house-baked pumpkins.

808 Donahue St., Santa Rosa, 707-888-3546, criminalbakingcompany.com

Crooks Coffee

It’s fitting that this Edgar Allan Poe-themed coffee shop has a festive lineup of fall drinks just in time for spooky season. The seasonal drinks include a classic pumpkin spice latte, white pumpkin pie latte and cold brew with pumpkin spice foam. There’s also a maple pecan latte for those who want a different kind of fall dessert to sip. For bites to go with your drink, the cafe has its pumpkin bread on the menu, as well as new pumpkin pie scones.

404 Mendocino Ave., Suite C, Santa Rosa, 707-791-3365, shadyraveninc.com

Blondie’s Bakery Boutique

The cutesy downtown bakery has on its menu a pumpkin pie cupcake, filled with pumpkin mousse and topped with cream cheese frosting and a toasted pumpkin crumble. There are also pumpkin pie macarons.

404 Mendocino Ave., Suite A, Santa Rosa, 707-843-7335, blondiesbakeryboutique.com

Blue Beagle Coffee

Tucked away in the Larkfield Shopping Center, Blue Beagle Coffee makes its pumpkin spice puree daily for its seasonal drinks, such as the iced pumpkin pie latte.

540 Larkfield Center, Santa Rosa, 707-535-0776, facebook.com/bluebeaglecoffee

Johnny Doughnuts

For fall, Johnny Doughnuts will bring back its fan-favorite brown butter pumpkin cake doughnut, a fluffy spiced pumpkin cake with a brown butter glaze. It’s a perfect coffee companion for chilly fall mornings.

1200 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-308-4836, johnnydoughnuts.com

Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar

On the menu at this pie and ice cream shop is a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake. The spiced pumpkin cheesecake is filled in an Oreo crust and topped with a rich chocolate ganache and sprinkle of cinnamon. Keep an eye out for seasonal specials like pumpkin spice macarons and pumpkin chocolate chip ice cream, satisfying in any weather.

539 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-978-3392; 116 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-395-4426, thenoblefolk.com

Nothing Bundt Cakes

This bakery chain has a lineup of pumpkin spice items available on its menu through Dec. 8, including cakes, bundtlets and bundtinis, all of which can be decorated for holidays and special occasions.

266 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, 707-708-4800, nothingbundtcakes.com

Healdsburg

Black Oak Coffee Roasters

Black Oak boasts a highly recommended seasonal pumpkin spice latte, made with scratch-made pumpkin sauce and fall spices. There’s also a refreshing pumpkin cold brew, lightly sweetened with vanilla and topped with a layer of creamy, housemade pumpkin cold foam. The cafe’s pastry menu has spiced pumpkin muffins, as well as other fall treats. Starting to get sick of pumpkin? Black Oak also has an horchata latte and cookie crumble-topped Biscoffee latte on its fall drink menu.

324 Center St., Healdsburg, 866-390-1427, blackoakcoffee.com

Costeaux French Bakery

Among Costeaux’s seasonal items this October is a plump pumpkin cheesecake in a gingerbread cookie crust, topped with mascarpone whipped cream and decorated with white chocolate fall leaves.

417 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1913, costeaux.com

A pumpkin spice latte from Plank’s Coffee in Healdsburg. The latte includes their roasted Pine Mountain espresso, organic-house made pumpkin spice syrup (ingredients: pumpkin, brown sugar, cane sugar, cinnamon cloves, ginger and nutmeg). (Planks Coffee) — A pumpkin spice latte from Plank’s Coffee in Healdsburg. The latte includes their roasted Pine Mountain espresso and organic housemade pumpkin spice syrup (ingredients: pumpkin, brown sugar, cane sugar, cinnamon cloves, ginger and nutmeg). (Planks Coffee)

Plank Coffee

Plank Coffee’s seasonal pumpkin spice latte is naturally flavored with organic pumpkin, brown and cane sugar, and fall spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg), plus a double shot of house-roasted Pine Mountain Espresso. There’s nothing artificial-tasting or overly sweet in this special fall drink. Plank also has a rotating lineup of seasonal pastries, such as cinnamon sugar donut muffins and the chewy spiced cookies made with ginger, cloves and cinnamon.

175 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-395-0572; 227 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-894-6187, plankcoffee.com

Quail & Condor Bakery

Owned and operated by Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey (formerly of SingleThread restaurant), this bakery sells excellent pastries, breads and pies — and some of the best croissants in Sonoma County. This October, the bakery menu will include its famous miso-glazed pumpkin muffins. Quail & Condor will move to a larger location by early next year.

149 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-473-8254, quailandcondor.com

Troubadour Bread & Bistro

A French-inspired sister restaurant to Quail & Condor, Troubadour sells a variety of breads, pastries and sandwiches, plus dinner Wednesday through Sunday. This season, the boulangerie will have pumpkin financiers — brown butter almond cakes worth their weight in the gold bars they resemble.

381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-756-3972, troubadourhbg.com

Stellina Pronto Pumpkin cheesecake — Pumpkin cheesecake from Stellina Pronto in Petaluma. (Stellina Pronto)

Petaluma

Stellina Pronto

Quaint Italian bakery and cafe Stellina Pronto has a whole New York-style pumpkin cheesecake on its regular menu for those who want a taste of fall year-round. Last year, the bakery offered a seasonal pumpkin ricotta tart — part pumpkin pie, part fluffy ricotta cheesecake, all creamy goodness — and we hope to see it reemerge on this year’s menu.

23 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 707-789-9556, stellinapronto.com

Avid Coffee

This local coffee chain offers a pumpkin latte and a pumpkin chai on its seasonal menu, both made with pumpkin pie syrup from Sonoma Syrup Co. The menu also features a nitro cold brew, called the Autumn Dream, made with pumpkin syrup and cold foam. There are also Halloween specials — the Frankenstein, an iced matcha with pumpkin pie latte syrup, and the Cinderella, a combo of white chocolate, espresso and pumpkin syrup — both topped with housemade pumpkin whipped cream. Pair any drink with the gluten-free pumpkin muffin, or the cinnamon sugar toast (using Red Bird Bakery bread) for a bit of nostalgia.

21 Fourth St., Petaluma, 707-772-5117; 2365 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-595-5984, avidcoffee.com

Pink Owl Coffee

Located nearby the Whole Foods in Petaluma, Pink Owl offers a pumpkin spice latte with “a hint of pumpkin pie dust” on its specials menu, as well as an oak milk version. The coffee shop also offers a white chocolate pumpkin mocha and an Evil Dead-inspired pumpkin spice mocha cold brew called “Ash Vs The Army of Dark Roast.”

617 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-658-2274, pinkowlcoffee.com

Petaluma Pie Company

Come autumn, it’s near impossible to go wrong with a traditional pumpkin pie. Petaluma Pie Company goes a step further with its maple pumpkin pie, made with organic pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, brown sugar and maple syrup.

125 Petaluma Blvd. N., Suite B, Petaluma, 707-766-6743, petalumapiecompany.com

Petaluma Brunch Station

This all-day brunch spot has pumpkin pancakes, waffles and French toast on its fall menu. Make it a combo with two eggs cooked to order and a side of meat (bacon or sausage).

732 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-762-4095, thebrunchstation.com

Rohnert Park

Squatch’s Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches and Coffee Shop

The cafe and ice cream shop has a Pumpkin Cheesecake Squatch — pumpkin cheesecake-flavored ice cream between two snickerdoodles and topped with graham crackers. There’s also a pumpkin spice latte (with “big foot” and “little foot” sizes). Keep on the lookout for the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake milkshake, so you can eat your cake and drink it, too.

1451 Southwest Blvd., Suite 111, Rohnert Park, 707-992-0841, squatchscoffee.com

Sebastopol

Society Bakery and Cafe

For coffee and tea fans alike, this quaint bakery cafe offers both a pumpkin spice latte and a pumpkin chai latte, made with fall spices and housemade pumpkin syrup (available in the fall and winter). These hot drinks pair nicely with the pumpkin maple cake and the often-out-of-stock pumpkin cinnamon roll. There’s also a pumpkin sweet cream matcha for those looking for something different amid the deluge of pumpkin spice lattes. Also, 9-inch pumpkin cheesecakes are available in November and December.

2661 Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol, 707-861-9665, societybakerycafe.com

Muir’s Tea Room

The seasonal fall baked goods at this plant-based, naturalist-inspired tea room and gift shop include vegan pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon “cream cheese” frosting and moist pumpkin crinkle cookies with organic powdered sugar. Other specials include pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie tarts (gluten-free options available), pumpkin pie bars, cream cheese-filled pumpkin muffins, chocolate chip pumpkin muffins and pumpkin coffee cake with cinnamon streusel. These specials sell out fast.

At Muir’s annual Black Hat Society High Tea, from Sept. 21 through Oct. 27, find the New Moon Pumpkin Scone, served with fresh lemon curd, clotted “cream” and imported English raspberry preserves. The scones will also be served at Muir’s candle-lit Tea & Tarot service, Oct. 26.

330 S. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-634-6143, muirstearoomandcafe.com

Retrograde Coffee Roasters

The pumpkin spice latte at Retrograde is made with real pumpkin puree, so you know you’re getting an authentic touch of fall produce. It’s pretty much hot pumpkin pie in a cup. There’s also a pumpkin spice cold brew on the menu, sweetened with housemade vanilla syrup and topped with pumpkin spice cold foam.

130 S. Main St., Suite 103, Sebastopol, 707-969-7234, retrograderoasters.com

Taylor Lane pumpkin spice latte — A pumpkin spice latte from Taylor Lane Organic Coffee in Sebastopol. (Courtesy Taylor Lane)

Taylor Lane Organic Coffee

The cafe in The Barlow is offering pumpkin spice lattes this fall, which pairs perfectly with the seasonal pumpkin pecan scones.

6790 McKinley St., Suite 170, Sebastopol, 707-634-7129, taylorlane.com

Patisserie Angelica

The long list of dessert offerings at this Parisian-style bakeshop includes pumpkin pie and a spiced pumpkin cheesecake in a housemade graham cracker crust.

6821 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol, 707-827-7998, patisserieangelica.com

Screamin’ Mimi’s Ice Cream

The ever-popular Screamin’ Mimi’s has a pumpkin spiced latte ice cream on its October menu, as well as its seasonal special pumpkin mud pie ice cream, which is like the fan-favorite chocolate Mimi’s Mud, but with pumpkin replacing the espresso ice cream. Watch out for other fall flavors coming this October.

6902 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707-823-5902, screaminmimisicecream.com

Two Dog Night Creamery

Two Dog Night regularly changes its ice cream flavors with the season. This October, the creamery has pumpkin spice cookie ice cream on the menu, made with pumpkin spice sugar cookies mixed into their organic pumpkin ice cream.

6760 McKinley St., Suite 110, Sebastopol, 707-823-9376; 9240 Old Redwood Hwy., Suite 100, Windsor, 707-837-5965, twodognightcreamery.com

The Nectary

This plant-forward cafe and juicery has a Charlie Brown-themed fall drink, called “The Great Pumpkin Spice Latte,” which is made with a caffeine-free herbal coffee substitute. The drink has pumpkin puree and spices, housemade cashew milk, coconut palm sugar and a pinch of vanilla salt.

7300 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707-829-2697, thenectary.net

Buttercup Baking

Baker Jenny Malicki of Buttercup Baking in Sebastopol has one of the silkiest pumpkin pies you’ve ever tasted. Her caramelized honey pumpkin pie will be on her menu most of the time between now and at least Thanksgiving, and she also offers pumpkin butter mochi. Order through her Instagram page (@buttercup___baking) or find her goodies at Coffee & Moore.

Coffee & Moore: 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Suite 300

Sonoma

Darling, an Ice Cream Shop

This sister shop to Sonoma’s Sweet Scoops rotates ice cream flavors monthly. The September menu includes a Pumpkin Brandy ice cream, made with brandy from Prohibition Spirits. The October menu has a Pumpkin Oreo ice cream.

201 W. Napa St., Suite 6, Sonoma, 707-343-1482, darlingsonoma.com

Smastad Coffee Roasters

Formerly Barking Dog Roasters, this re-envisioned, Swedish-inspired cafe has a pumpkin pie latte on its list of fall specials. Pair with one of the flaky croissants baked in-house daily.

981 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-939-1906, smastadcoffee.com

Sunflower Caffé

The sunny Sonoma cafe’s menu currently features a pumpkin bread, served with espresso butter and chocolate granola, as well as pumpkin spice lattes and soft serve.

421 First St. W., Sonoma, 707-996-6645, sonomasunflower.com

Farther afield

Flour Girl

Cloverdale-based Flour Girl has a classic pumpkin cake on the menu — three layers of moist, warmly spiced pumpkin cake with caramel, candied pecans and cream cheese frosting. Available in 6-inch and 8-inch cakes. Gluten-free options available.

227 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, myflourgirl.com

Nom Nom Cakes

The Bodega Bay-based home bakery has a traditional pumpkin pie on the menu, spiced with nutmeg and ginger and filled into a flaky crust. Place an order online for delivery or pick up in Bodega Bay.

390 Calle Del Sol, Bodega Bay, 805-350-0680, nomnombaking.com

Wild Flour Bread

The Freestone bake shop has a spiced pumpkin bread studded with walnuts, cranberries and candied ginger, resulting in a festive mashup of pumpkin pie and gingerbread flavors.

140 Bohemian Highway., Freestone, wildflourbread.com

Travel + Leisure Names Elk in Mendocino ‘America’s Best Small Food and Wine Town’

September 2024

By Sonoma Magazine Staff

The historic Harbor House Inn in Elk was built in 1916 and updated this year with a $10 million remodel. Guests can relax on the dinning room deck with stunning views of the sea stacks and their caves. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

The picturesque town of Mendocino has long been considered a top-spot for an idyllic coastal getaway, but when was the last time you took a left on Highway 1 at the Navarro River Bridge and visited Elk?

If you have to stop and think about it, it’s time to get a trip on the calendar.

Too often overlooked by travelers making a beeline to the village of Mendocino, Elk was recently featured on Travel + Leisure’s website as a destination “making a name for itself in the food and wine world.”

Journalist Evie Carrick wrote about the community’s driftwood-strewn Greenwood State Beach, the noteworthy restaurants and charming places to stay in her Sept. 5 travel article.

Elk street sign, Mendocino County — The tiny town of Elk is located along Highway 1 in Mendocino County. (Courtesy of Dana Rebmann)

Visitors come from around the world to play in our beautiful Northern California backyard — stories like this are a good reminder that lucky residents should be taking advantage and doing the same.

Elk is tiny. A road sign along Highway 1 puts its population at 250, but locals have doubted the accuracy of the seemingly high number, jokingly questioning where all those folks live. If you blink while driving through the coastal enclave, you might miss its timeless charm. But if you park the car and go for a stroll, the town has a way of winning you over.

The story highlights new businesses making a name for themselves alongside community fixtures in Elk, like The Harbor House Inn. And car rental site Sixt recently ranked the inn as the No. 1 foodie getaway on its list of top Michelin-star restaurants worth the drive.

Built in 1916, the coastal property reopened in 2018 after an eight-year restoration. The 11-room Harbor House Inn is home to the first and only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Mendocino County. Chef Matthew Kammerer’s tasting menus are seafood focused and hyperlocal. A majority of the produce on the menu is grown at the inn’s offsite farm. Ranch hands also raise cattle, goats and chickens.

Summer squash, green garlic, preserved lemon and fava from chef Matt Kammerer at the Harbor House Inn in Elk along the Mendocino coast. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

room at Sacred Rock Inn in Elk — A guestroom at Elk’s Sacred Rock Inn, formerly The Griffin House and The Greenwood Pier Inn. (Courtesy of Jesse Cudworth)

Minutes down the road, Sacred Rock Inn is the newcomer in town. Formerly The Griffin House and The Greenwood Pier Inn, there are 19 accommodations ranging from a stand-alone Victorian home with four bedrooms, to suites with private decks overlooking the ocean, to pet-friendly garden cottages.

Executive chef Ryan Seal oversees the pair of restaurants at Sacred Rock Inn. Open for dinner only, Greenwood Restaurant offers an upscale dining experience Friday through Tuesday. Selections might include Mexican Street Corn Pasta and Mendocino Black Cod. Elk House offers a more casual experience for breakfast and lunch. We recommend the Reuben Grilled Sausage Roll and spicy michelada.

It’s easy to happily lose a day on secluded Greenwood State Beach. Janky driftwood shacks compete with the rolling surf for your eyes’ attention. Dogs on leash are welcome to put their paws in the sand here. There’s also a charger for electric vehicles at the beach entrance.

Greenwood State Beach in Elk, Mendocino County — Greenwood State Beach in Elk. (Courtesy of Dana Rebmann)

Grab supplies for a picnic from The Elk Store; the deli offers hot and cold sandwiches, as well as craft beer and wine. From there it’s just a few steps to Matson Mercantile and the Artists’ Collective in Elk. If you visit on a weekend, pop into the Greenwood State Visitor Center Museum. The former post office now houses local artifacts and information on the history of Elk.

Wine enthusiasts looking to find a new favorite can make the 30- to 40-minute drive to Anderson Valley for a plethora of tasting options at wineries, including Pennyroyal Farm, Foursight Wines and Navarro Vineyards.

Northern California is on a roll as a travel destination. Two Sonoma County locales — Sonoma and Healdsburg — recently snagged spots, No. 1 and No. 10 respectively, on coupon code website Wethrift’s recently released top 10 U.S. cities that offer luxury experiences at an affordable price.

Travel + Leisure magazine also included Sonoma County on its coveted international list of “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2024.” And last November, The New York Times shined the spotlight on Geyserville.

Click through the above gallery to see some of the Elk businesses featured in the most recent Travel + Leisure article.

Two New Restaurants To Check Out in Sonoma County

September 2024

By Heather Irwin

Sonoma Beef Burger with onion rings, fried chicken burger, chili fries and Cajun fries from Acme Burger. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)

Petaluma’s second Acme Burger restaurant has opened and there’s a surprise menu item only available at the Sonoma Mountain Parkway location — pizza!

The 10-inch pies are a DIY affair with red, pesto or Bechamel sauce and the usual toppings, including pepperoni, Italian sausage and Acme’s meatballs.

701 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy., Petaluma, 707-665-5012, acmeburgerco.com

Acme Burger restaurant Cotati Sonoma County — Sonoma Beef Burger with onion rings, fried chicken burger, chili fries and Cajun fries at Acme Burger in Cotati. (Heather Irwin/PD)

Khao Soi Thai Zen is now open at 1169 Yulupa Ave. in Santa Rosa. The hotly-anticipated restaurant serves a mix of Thai, Japanese and Chinese dishes.

What’s got our attention: Tom Kha and Tom Yum hot pot soup and Khao Soi, a yellow curry with fried noodles, pickled mustard leaves and steamed egg noodles. Details at khaosoithaizensantarosa.com.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

Cyrus Chef Doug Keane Brings the Heat to His New Book

September 2024

By Heather Irwin

During a family and friends pre-opening night, Chef Doug Keane works the kitchen at Cyrus in Geyserville. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)

Chef Doug Keane once told me he would name names if he ever wrote a book. Soon, we’ll know, as the Top Chef Masters’ winner, owner of Michelin-starred Cyrus restaurant and occasional provocateur prepares for the launch of his memoir “Culinary Leverage: A Journey Through The Heat.”

Keane recently invited his social media followers to vote on a potential cover image for the book, which will hit shelves in February next year.

Keane’s book takes a sobering look at the dysfunction of the culinary industry and his efforts to create a healthier, more sustainable work model.

Chef Doug Keane — During a family and friends pre-opening night, guests enjoy the Kitchen Table while chatting with chef Doug Keane at Cyrus in Geyserville on Thursday Sept. 8, 2022. (Chad Surmick / Press Democrat)

When Keane reopened Cyrus in Geyserville in 2022, a decade after closing his original Michelin-starred restaurant in Healdsburg, he implemented an audacious plan to provide a living wage to staff, who share tips and roles throughout each shift — a server may be helping in the kitchen or a cook bringing plates to the table.

“It’s really exciting yet at the same time surreal and a tad scary to have this very deep window into me out there,” Keane said about his memoir. “I’m hoping it has a positive impact on the hospitality industry that needs more compassion and thought about the model. I also hope it allows people to keep moving forward through personal and professional struggle.”

You can vote on the book cover at koehlerbooks.com/cover-polls/culinary-leverage.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

Rustic Healdsburg Home Roots Local Winemaker and Designer in Nature

September 2024

By Abigail Peterson

Winemaker Scot Bilbro and architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp’s Healdsburg home. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)

A deep-rooted connection to the landscape marks the rustic home of architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp and winemaker Scot Bilbro. On 5 rural acres in Healdsburg (“but just two minutes from Big John’s Market,” Lisa says), the couple and their son live in a simple, barnlike structure with broad connections to the outdoors from nearly every room.

“The thing we’ve always loved about this property is no matter where you are on it, whichever structure you’re in, you’re just looking at more wilderness,” says Scot. “It feels like you’re on a much, much bigger property than you are.”

The couple, who met in the early 2000s, were living in downtown Healdsburg in 2013 and had been looking for rural land for several years when Lisa got a tip from an old friend that the property was for sale. Though the outbuildings were in rough condition and overgrown with brambles, they could see the contours of the land held a beautiful shape, overlooking a sweeping view of a pond populated with herons, turtles and other wildlife.

“I was just itching to be able to walk out onto some meadow, to have some larger confines around us,” says Scot.

Winemaker Scot Bilbro and architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp at rustic Healdsburg home — Winemaker Scot Bilbro and architectural designer Lisa Steinkamp enjoy a meal with their son, Booker, outside their Healdsburg home. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)

He and Lisa designed the home together and undertook much of the construction themselves. They endlessly discussed the framing of the view through the antique windows they’d found, accumulating repurposed doors and redwood siding — even teaching themselves how to use SketchUp to draw their plans. Lisa envisioned a classic California indoor-outdoor home with pocket gardens and living spaces that blurred the distinction between inside and out.

“The thought process was to create a very small envelope of curated space around the house,” she explains. “It’s very clean, intentional. It was important not to have an immaculate garden space, but to feel like we were living in nature.”

Downstairs is one large room with separate spaces for living, dining, lounging and cooking. There’s a single bathroom that the entire family uses, and a bedroom for their son, as well as multiple sets of doors with views out to the pond and fields.

Scot and Lisa’s room is upstairs, reached via a set of stainless-steel scaffolding Scot repurposed from his winery. They’re the type of stairs more commonly used to access the tops of wine tanks during fermentation.

Stainless steel winery scaffolding leads to the upstairs sleeping space. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)

The interior, including 25-foot-tall walls in the main living space, is clad entirely in gorgeous, inch-thick, foot-wide reclaimed redwood boards.

“We were almost finished, and Scot kept saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you sheetrock the walls,’” recalls Lisa. “And I said ‘I can’t. I can’t do it.’ I didn’t know what I was waiting for. But then I got a call from our wood guy, who had found some secret stash of barnwood sitting under a tarp somewhere. So I jumped in his truck and we got the wood, and that clad the entire space.”

Though built less than a decade ago, this is a storied home, one layered with a history and personality that reveal much about the family that built it. The living areas have wide comfy couches and lots of pillows for reading and nesting. Lisa is drawn to pieces with a background: a chandelier draped in fringe, opera costumes purchased for a song at a sample sale, handmade ceramics, an antique upright piano.

“The place is from the heart,” says Lisa. “It’s cozy — which is weird to say with 25-foot ceilings, you know.”

Their design decisions have been guided by a feeling of what is right for the home and the property, even if their choices seem unconventional or unusual.

“Our signal that we’re doing the right thing is whenever somebody says, ‘Why are you doing this?’ or ‘What do you see in this property?’” says Scot. “Basically, whenever someone tells us we’re crazy, we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re on the right track.’ Usually Lisa and I are totally in sync in terms of feeling there’s potential and magic in a place. And it’s all the better when nobody else can see it.”

The couple are proud to be passing along their creative values to their son, Booker,
who was just a toddler when they first moved to the property and is now 13 years old.

“We are doing a really good job of training our kid that used is good,” says Lisa. “In a world where fashion is in constant turnaround and quality has gone down and mountains of throwaway clothing are sent far across the ocean, he’s learning all that’s not necessary.”

Booker, who wants to be a pilot, spends his summers outside fishing for bass on the pond or tinkering with motorcycles and model airplanes. With a cheeky high-schooler’s sense of humor, he names all of the goslings on the pond Ryan. There’s a whole bevy of Ryan Goslings hatched each spring.

Winemaker Scot Bilbro at rustic Healdsburg home — Wide glass doors open to a patio, where Scot Bilbro watches his son, Booker, fish for bass in the pond. (Eileen Roche/Sonoma Magazine)

“Booker’s exposure to all this has gotten us to the point where he’s the one who reminds us how to play outside. He gets us out on the lake, out on the paddleboard,” says Scot.

The family lives in tune with the seasons, throwing the doors wide open
each morning and eating outdoors on the patio most nights. Scot likes to grill whole fish or lamb, while Booker rolls out pasta from scratch. The three of them make big salads with produce grown in raised beds made from half-ton bins from the winery.

“Being in the wine industry, having every seasonal change mean something’s happening is really fun,” says Scot. “It makes you feel connected to your job and what’s going on and where you live in a different way.”

“I work really hard to be present. When you’re working in agriculture, you’re always looking ahead. There’s a similarity between working on projects at the house and growing grapes and making wine. You’re in the midst of a perpetual transformation — you’re watching the leaves come out, you’re watching the canopies. Suddenly there’s fruit, and suddenly again, it changes color, and then you’re in the cellar. I just think it’s an amazing process… It’s like one big choose-your-own-adventure story.”

Purple Passion: These Indie Winemaker Portraits Were Developed in Wine

September 2024

By James Joiner

Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Photographers have long experimented with developing black-and-white film in solutions of instant coffee, beer and other liquids — a time-honored and nontoxic alternative to traditional chemical processes.

Sonoma photographer James Joiner has now done the same with wine. He turned to longtime collaborator Ian Sullivan to help refine the method, and together they honed in on a process with red wine that worked not just well, but extremely well.

Joiner now has an ongoing partnership with Kodak to photograph the people he has come to know and admire in the wine world and develop the portraits in wines that hold meaning for the subjects, with the ultimate aim of releasing a book. Each portrait bears the mark of the winemaker via the subtle rosy glow from the wine in which it was developed.

Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines in Sonoma County — Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Joiner’s interest in wine ignited in 2008 after meeting Sonoma winemaker Tony Coturri through a friend. Coturri offered him a bottle and, when Joiner declined, saying he didn’t really like to drink, Coturri poured him a glass anyway.

“Wine isn’t drinking, it’s stories in a bottle,” Coturri told him.

Something clicked, launching Joiner into an obsession with the stories of wine and the people who work with it.

“There’s a poetry in wine, and a poetry in analog photography,” Joiner explains. “So to be able to capture someone on film and have the actual light and energy from that split-second of exposure bond with the wine — it’s incredibly magical. The moment gets fused together forever inside the silver halide crystals that make up the black-and-white image. Plus, the process is completely nontoxic, which is important to me.”

“Sonoma is just… it’s an incredible spot,” says Joiner. “It’s been one of those rare places where you always seem to be in the right place at the right time, full of chance encounters and small-world moments.”

Rosalind Manoogian of Fog Crest Vineyard in Sebastopol. Photo developed in the 2018 Fog Crest Estate Pinot Noir. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Rosalind Manoogian, Fog Crest Vineyard

“Shooting a proper portrait isn’t about just capturing someone’s likeness. That’s for driver’s licenses and passports. Portraits should speak to who the subject is and give insight into their character. To do this properly, most photographers have to learn to get out of the way and adapt to the situation.

Meeting Rosalind at her Fog Crest Vineyard estate tasting room, it immediately became clear that her elegance and confidence should take center stage. After shooting and talking with her for almost an hour, it was obvious she was as lyrical and complex as the Pinot Noir she produces. This shot — developed in a stunning 2018 Fog Crest Estate Pinot Noir — is more serious than some of the others. For that reason, it’s also one of my favorites. What’s that saying? ‘Fashion is fleeting, style is forever.’ Rosalind, and her wines, have style for miles.”

Hardy Wallace of Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! in Sonoma. Photo developed in the 2022 Extradimensional Wine Co Yeah! Marvelous Mourvèdre. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Hardy Wallace, Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!

“This was taken the very first time I met Hardy, at his production facility in Kenwood. While his expressiveness and stoke is well documented, nothing prepares you for the ball of positivity that is Hardy in real life.

I shot this with a fish-eye lens because I love how the distortion makes him feel larger than life. Fun fact, this was taken moments after discovering we were born in the same hospital in Salem, Massachusetts. Developed in Hardy’s 2022 Extradimensional Wine Co Yeah! Marvelous Mourvèdre, a beautiful, playful wine that defies the varietal’s brooding stereotype.”

Katie Rouse and Corinne Rich of Birdhorse Wines. Photo developed in the 2021 Birdhorse Barbera. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Katie Rouse and Corinne Rich, Birdhorse Wines

“One of my favorite things about these wine film portraits is forcing myself to make an expressive image in a place I’ve often never been with someone I don’t really know. To be fair, I’d worked with Katie a bit in her role as assistant winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co., where this was shot, but never Corrine.

The newlywed couple were a photographer’s dream, more than willing to go the extra mile, as evidenced by the frames of Katie hosing Corrine down — something she certainly didn’t mind on a 104-degree July day. Processed in their 2021 Birdhorse Barbera, a delicate wine whose high acid content paired perfectly with the duo’s playfulness and the frenetic energy of the images.”

Patrick Cappiello of Monte Rio Cellars. Photo developed in the 2021 Monte Rio Cellars Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Patrick Cappiello, Monte Rio Cellars

“I met Patrick before he was a winemaker, at his restaurant Pearl & Ash in New York City. He taught me how to saber Champagne with an iPhone for a story I was doing, and we stayed in touch. The way Patrick has willed himself into being a pivotal part of a new generation of winemakers always impresses me, as does his adherence to a DIY, punk-rock ethos.

The framing, film and super-wide lens make me think of classic early ’90s skate and hip-hop images, a vibe that works well for him. This was shot on Kodak Tri-X film and developed in Cappiello’s ebullient 2021 Monte Rio Cellars Zinfandel, which I think lent itself to the boldness of the images.”

Bibiana Gonzáles Rave of Cattleya Wines, Alma de Cattleya and Shared Notes. Photo developed in the 2021 Cattleya ‘The Reward’ Syrah. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Bibiana Gonzáles Rave, Cattleya Wines, Alma de Cattleya, Shared Notes

“Bibiana met me at her winery for the shoot but was so excited to hear that I loved coffee she rushed me to another part of the building to show off her single origin, female-farmed coffee company, all roasted in-house and sourced in her native Colombia. Her excitement is as palpable as her sophistication, whether discussing the nuance of coffee imports or the clones that go into her breathtaking farming-forward wines at Cattleya.

Quick to laugh and naturally gregarious, Bibiana made photographing her, much like enjoying her wines, almost too easy. Developed in her mind-blowing 2021 Cattleya ‘The Reward’ Syrah, a wine so special they only make a handful of cases. Fitting for a portrait of a winemaker of the same caliber.”

Chris Christensen of Bodkin Wines. Photo developed in the 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel. (James Joiner/Sonoma Magazine)

Chris Christensen, Bodkin Wines

“When Chris rolled up to his Sebastopol winery and got out of his car with a vintage saber as big as his smile, I knew this was gonna be a fun one. Equal parts insightful, eccentric and hilarious, Chris is as effervescent as his sparkling wines, several of which he happily beheaded for our shoot.

We only went through one roll of film — 12 frames — and after developing them in his wonderfully autobiographically emoji-labeled 2022 Bodkin Light Skinned Zinfandel, I can say almost all of them rank among the favorites I’ve ever taken.”

Digital bonus: We’ve teamed up with photographer James Joiner and his friends at The Wine Makers podcast for a series of winemaker interviews in September.

Sonoma Artist and Winemaker Finds Peace at Family Ranch Along the Russian River

September 2024

By Vince Vitale

The land that artist Alice Warnecke Sutro farms has been in her family for a century. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)

Alice Warnecke Sutro has always looked to the land for inspiration. The rugged Warnecke Ranch, a 265-acre property in Sonoma’s Chalk Hill region with over a mile of frontage along the Russian River, has been in her family for six generations. The ranch is the place that feeds her soul, she says — the place where she can be the best version of herself.

“It’s why I manage the vineyard, make the wine and do the work. It’s all about the connection to the ranch.”

Growing up, the river was a peaceful place to swim and explore. Now, she takes her two children there to do the same. “It’s so beautiful down there. It’s imprinted in my mind as the most energizing place I can go.”

The scenery at Alice Warnecke Sutro and her family's Chalk Hill ranch in Sonoma, with over a mile of frontage along the Russian River. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine) — A scene of the Russian River near Alice Warnecke Sutro and her family’s Chalk Hill ranch in Sonoma. “It’s so beautiful down there,” she says. “It’s imprinted in my mind as the most energizing place I can go.” (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)

Alice — a grapegrower, winemaker and visual artist — studied art history at Stanford. She once held one of those student jobs that seem to only exist in the movies: maintaining works of art in the university’s outdoor sculpture garden. While soaping down a priceless Rodin bronze, she realized she was drawn to explore the places that had been home to the great artists she loved. Being able to touch and experience art in person was grounding to her artistic practice. Alice later lived and worked in Florence and Moscow before returning to the Bay Area’s California College of the Arts for a master’s degree in fine arts.

It was in graduate school that the young artist experienced a bit of a creative crisis. A professor had questioned aspects of her work, and she retreated to the family ranch to regroup. Alice found herself sitting on the ground, with her drawing paper beneath her, inside a large pigeon coop. Looking up at dozens of white pigeons, which had been raised on the ranch for 30 years, she simply began to draw what she saw.

“It’s hard to draw a bird because they always move. It was exciting, drawing faster and looser. Letting go of control made me more creative, exploratory and adventurous — and then the line in my work didn’t seem stale,” she says.

Artist and winemaker Alice Sutro in her Sonoma studio — Recent works on paper inside Alice Warnecke Sutro’s rustic studio on her Chalk Hill ranch in Sonoma. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)

Today, Alice continues that freely given expression, and has become known for life-size figurative line drawings as well as live art performances. She likens the performances to drawing under pressure — a concept she explores in the tradition of artists like Niki de Saint Phalle, one of her creative inspirations.

At Healdsburg’s Gallery Lulo, where she first explored the concept of live drawing, she’d sit in the gallery and invite people off the street to step inside, where she would draw them live and then give away digital copies of the portraits to the subjects.

“I don’t think museums are always the best places for art. They make it rare and inaccessible,” she says, pointing out that long ago, art was a form of ritual and often didn’t culminate in a single, stand-alone work.

Last summer, Alice created a monumental outdoor piece set in an olive grove at Petaluma’s McEvoy Ranch. Her “I’m On a Roll” mural spooled out in one 100-foot-long roll of paper, with 20 life-size portraits of real-life people, solicited on the spot and drawn in a span of 12 hours — an experience she likens to running a marathon, as she dug deep for the physical strength and focus to finish the work.

Sonoma artist and winemaker Alice Sutro — Alice Warnecke Sutro specializes in large-scale portrait projects, which she often draws on site and outdoors. With quick brushstrokes, she captures the essence of personality. (Liza Gershman/Sonoma Magazine)

“I was looking at subject matter and drawing, so my brain was working there. While talking to them, I was an active listener and active in the conversation and tried to remember things about them, but then I was also aware of the people around me. They are my audience, also.”

The live performance aspect of her art creates a deep connection with people.

“At the heart of my projects, there is always a person-to-person interaction,” she says. “Drawing from life gives my line a certain quality and helps make my work look how I want it to.”

Her recent installation, “Mistress of Memory,” at Healdsburg’s Harmon Guest House plays with the concept of hotels as transitive spaces, featuring life-size figurative drawings of women holding balloons over their bodies. Alice created art for six guest suites, as well as a large mural in the hotel restaurant — all accompanied by a flash-fiction writing project where hotel guest are invited to interpret the works. It’s a narrative, she explains, about making, and perhaps losing, memories.

“I like to open up my practice to other people. I think of it more like theater, like having a director or set producer.”

But drawing under such intense circumstances can take a toll. She utilizes her ranch as a place to recuperate “before getting back out there.” Her small, rambling studio, filled with family antiques and artifacts from around the ranch, was once used by her father, a landscape architect, as a drawing studio. It smells of the redwood from which it was built.

Alice says the studio is a place to look inward and work privately on smaller art pieces as well as short stories for an upcoming book.

“The internal work balances the public-facing part of the art,” she explains.

In late summer and early fall, Alice’s art takes a back seat to her duties as a rancher, grapegrower and winemaker. Alice and her aunt, Margo Warnecke Merck, manage an 80-acre vineyard, which produces some 350 tons of grapes that they sell to labels like Decoy, Matanzas Creek and Herzog. Alice holds back an additional 20 tons of fruit for her own label, SUTRO Wine Co. Her favorite fruit to work with is Cabernet Sauvignon, she says. “It’s the variety that can do the most. I love the grippiness and bitter taste.”

“I do often think about tannins as deep shadows on a painting.”

With a heavy harvest workload, Alice typically pauses larger works for a few months. Though, she keeps a list of musings and ideas close at hand and manages to create some time to write. She also occasionally uses an app on her iPad to “finish the stories” on drawings that are not yet complete. But the time away from more ambitious projects is another chance to recharge.

“I like that distance from it. I get reinvigorated to return to art-making with the seasons.”

Ever the farmer, with the promise of the future in mind, Alice is hopeful that this fall’s harvest will be the best vintage ever. After all, she says, “All farmers are idealistic romantics at heart.”

Alice Warnecke Sutro’s installations will be on display at Harmon Guest House through September, and she is also currently at work on a new exhibition at Escolar on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus in November. For more information, visit alicesutro.com. To shop Alice’s wines, including a crisp Sauvignon Blanc as well as her favorite Cabernet Sauvignon from Warnecke Ranch, visit sutrowine.com.

Sonoma Named No. 1 US City for Luxury on a Budget

September 2024

By Maci Martell

Valley Bar + Bottle in Sonoma. (Emma K Creative)

Coupon code website Wethrift recently released a list of the top 10 U.S. cities that offer luxury experiences at an affordable price. The August list included two Sonoma County cities — and Sonoma ranked No. 1.

According to Travel + Leisure, the Wethrift study looked at 956 Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants as well as 348 luxury hotels across the country to come up with the 10 most affordable cities with 5-star experiences.

Seven of the cities on the list are located in California, and three of those are in the Bay Area. Healdsburg is No. 10 on the list and San Francisco comes in at No. 6.

Dish from Valley Bar + Bottle in Sonoma. (Eileen Roche/For Sonoma Magazine)

“Sonoma is the cheapest city for a 5-star experience, with an average restaurant price of just $43.75 and an average hotel price of $518,” the Wethrift team stated in their findings. “In Sonoma, you can enjoy restaurants such as Valley, then stay a night over at the Cottage Inn & Spa.”

Valley Bar + Bottle, also known as Valley, made it on our list of the best restaurants in Sonoma County this year. Favorite dishes here fall under the $40 mark — like the half chicken ($38) and the crispy rice cakes with ginger-scallion sauce ($14).

The best restaurants list also includes Sonoma’s Bloom Carneros, where everything on the dinner menu is under $30. We recommend the Tacos Dorados ($19): crispy rolled vegan tacos with sweet potato puree, avocado, salsa, cabbage and spicy pickles.

A room at Sonoma Creek Inn in Sonoma. (Courtesy Sonoma Creek Inn)

In terms of where to stay, Sonoma Creek Inn ranks as one of Wine Country’s best bargains. Additionally, Wethrift noted The Cottage Inn & Spa, on First Street, has the cheapest rate for “250 square feet of charm.”

Healdsburg, No. 10 on Wethrift’s list, is known for its upscale, high-price restaurants like Valette and SingleThread. But there are also some more affordable Healdsburg eateries, such as the Downtown Bakery, Otoro Sushi and the Wurst Restaurant.

Find more places to eat, sip and stay on a budget in Healdsburg and Sonoma here.