The Rolls Royce of wood-fired pizza ovens, Mugnaini Pizza Ovens, has recently relocated to Healdsburg.
Mugniani Pizza Ovens is open in Healsburg, CA
In case you haven’t seen one in some of the tip-top kitchens around the county (both commercial and residential), the thing about these ovens is that these brick ovens are specifically made to heat up quickly (room temp to 1,000 degrees in under an hour), provide convection heating via its dome and generally make perfect Neopolitan-style pizzas, long with other wood-fired dishes in the tradition of our ancestors.
The new 15,000 square-food Mugnaini building is a combination pizza oven showroom, cooking school, retail store and production facility. And here’s where it gets really cool (if you have some serious dough): Three day Wine Country Culinary Getaways are held at owner Andrea Mugnaini’s nearby vineyard property.
Mugniani Pizza Ovens is open in Healsburg, CA
That’s three days of serious oven training to make bread, fish, meats, veggies and of course pizzas. There’s also a week-long cooking school in Tuscany. Sigh.
Mugnaini, 1531 Grove St., Healdsburg, (707) 416-4106.
Long before iPhones and food bloggers and digital cameras that can make almost anyone a culinary documentarian, Art Culinaire magazine was the first and last word in food. Introducing the world to the greatest chefs, the most state-of-the-art kitchens and, of course, the latest trends and recipes in haute cuisine, and with spectacular photography, Art Culinaire was — and is — a magazine coveted by chefs and gourmands.
Wolfgang Puck was in the first issue, long before he became a household name and celebrity chef. Renowned French Laundry chef Thomas Keller is rumored to have almost every issue of the hard-bound magazine, published since 1986.
But few people know that the magazine, subtitled the International Magazine in Good Taste (it’s shipped to 57 countries) makes its home in Healdsburg, quietly published by the wife-and-husband team Carol M. Newman and Lars Ryssdal. They took over the publication in May 2014 from founder and friend Franz Mitterer, described by Ryssdal as an Austrian gourmet who envisioned a magazine that honored chefs and their food.
What makes it stand out in a flurry of digital food magazines, however, are its decidedly old-school ways: It’s printed as an oversized book on heavy gloss paper and with almost no advertising.
“It’s like a vinyl record. There isn’t an online component and you keep it forever,” Ryssdal said. “We think about the legacy of chefs and their food. This is the only way to really honor a dish that a chef creates, with giant photos that show every detail.”
U.S. subscriptions to Art Culinaire are $68 for four issues a year, and can be purchased at artculinairemagazine.com or by calling
707-595-3850. Visit the website to see what’s featured in the current issue.
“Everything André taught me has come to fruition,” says Davis of the Russian immigrant known as the guru of California winemaking. (Photos courtesy Jordan Vineyard & Winery)
Rob Davis, just 22 and fresh out of UC Davis, became the first winemaker at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Alexander Valley in 1976. Remarkably, he’s still there.
Davis is up to his gumboots in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, working his 40th wine harvest at Jordan. It’s an atypically long run, given that talented winemakers are often lured to greener pastures. Yet Davis, 61, has not been compelled to leave his first, and what will likely be his last, winemaking job.
Winemaker Rob Davis is marking his 40th harvest at Jordan Vineyard & Winery this fall.
“Every day I drive into the estate, I feel fortunate to work here,” he said. “I’ve worked for the same ownership and have been given the OK to make the viticultural and winemaking decisions. I’ve been able to exercise the pure joy of what I do.”
Davis was hired by Tom and Sally Jordan at the insistence of Napa Valley winemaking guru André Tchelistcheff. The diminutive, chain-smoking Russian immigrant was the chief winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard in Rutherford from 1938 to 1973 and continued to advise the winery and others until his death in 1994. If Robert Mondavi is the father of the California wine industry, Tchelistcheff is certainly its father of winemaking.
“Everything André taught me has come to fruition,” said Davis, a triathlon competitor who combines vineyard inspections with running and cycling in Alexander Valley. “I learned humility, and that Mother Nature is in charge and you take what she gives you. I learned to not be afraid to experiment. To smell the soil, because you can judge grape quality from that.
“André showed me that wine is an ongoing mystery. I could be doing this a thousand years from now and not stop learning.”
Two new breweries have turned an industrial area in northwest Santa Rosa into a destination for craft beer fans.
Plow Brewing Co., which opened in April, is owner and brewer Kevin Robinson’s handiwork. After stints at Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, San Francisco’s Speakeasy Ales & Lagers and Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, Robinson struck out on his own, installing Plow’s brewing equipment himself.
The cozy taproom feels engineered for bellying up to the bar and talking beer. Robinson had had three brews on tap recently: a pilsner, a traditional India pale ale and a rich Imperial porter. A hoppier IPA is just around the corner. Can’t decide? Plow offers “crowlers,” 32-ounce cans filled at the bar and meant for taking home. Robinson also offers bottles for sale, under his Divine Brewing Co. label.
While Plow is the kind of place you’d stop to have a beer, chat up the friendly staff and grab a crowler, Cooperage Brewing Co., a couple blocks away, is designed to let patrons while away the afternoon. The spacious taproom has diversions including TVs, a putting green, darts and the bean bag game of cornhole.
Accomplished home brewer Tyler Smith, who founded Cooperage with his wife, Stephanie, plans to specialize in sour, barrel-aged beers. They can take a year or more to make, so for now, he’s pouring a rotating selection of quicker-to-market ales. Makin’ Hoppies, a pale ale, can hold its own against the area’s best offerings.
Cooperage is extremely dog-friendly. One Sunday afternoon, several pooches hung out with their owners while the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” played on the sound system. No joke.
Cooperage Brewing Co., 981 Airway Court, Santa Rosa, 707-293-9787, cooperagebrewing.com
Plow Brewing Co., 3334 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-843-4583, visit on Facebook
Petaluma is a long way from Mexico, but the city has embraced El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in a big way. Observed on Nov. 1, the traditional Latin American holiday honors departed ancestors with food, drink and other earthly delights.
This year will mark the 15th anniversary of Petaluma’s festival, which has grown from a weeklong affair into a monthlong extravaganza featuring community altars, music, dance performances, food and traditional crafts. Although the theme is death, the mood is celebratory, with families and friends paying joyful tribute to those who have died. The holiday is so important to Latinos and others that several local communities celebrate in some way.
Petaluma
Petaluma’s El Día de los Muertos party is the biggest. Highlights include a mole tasting and competition on Oct. 10, a bilingual poetry event on Oct. 16 and a folk dance performance on Oct. 24. More than 1,500 people are expected to turn out for a traditional procession on Nov. 1, led by a cast of giant puppets and revelers wearing colorfully painted skull masks, or calacas. Events will take place at multiple downtown locations. Visit El Día de los Muertos Petaluma on Facebook.
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa’s annual festivities will take place Nov. 1-2 in Old Courthouse Square (santarosadiadelosmuertos.org).
Windsor
Windsor will host events throughout October, with the main festival of food, music, face-painting and costumed dancers on Nov. 1 at the Windsor Town Green (windsor-bloco.org/#!muertos/c8wd).
bs_1018_DayofDead4.jpg
Sonoma
Sonoma celebrates at the Maloney Memorial Waterwise Garden on Nov. 1 (276 E. Napa St., sonomacommunitycenter.org). The the La Luz Center (17560 Greger St., 707-938-5131, laluzcenter.org) also has an annual event; check the website for date and details.
Sebastopol
Sebastopol Regional Library’s Día de los Muertos is Oct. 31 (7140 Bodega Ave., 707-823-7691, sonomalibrary.org).
Collin, left, and Erick Thuss at Westside yoga studio in Sebastopol. (Photo by John Burgess)
If your body is a temple and it’s a fixer-upper, “Namaste Brothers” Erick and Collin Thuss may be just the renovation team you need.
The two Pennsylvania-born brothers, who look like twins despite a four-year age gap, opened Westside Yoga Studio in Sebastopol in 2008. Erick, at 39 the elder, arrived in California 20 years ago and, inspired by a book about the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, began to practice yoga. Collin followed Erick west and eventually also delved into the discipline.
“The only way I would fully commit my life to yoga would be to tie the anchor of the studio to my ankle and jump off the pier,” Erick said. “So Collin and I started it on a wing and a prayer, with no plan except to cut directly against pop-culture yoga and give people a place to come that was born of a desire to uphold at least scraps of the depth we were shown by our teachers and the tradition of classical yoga.”
So instead of chasing the perfect “yoga butt,” students at Westside Yoga learn traditional forms that stem from the 20th-century Indian guru Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, called by many “the father of modern yoga.” While practice does produce physical benefits, including strength, flexibility and balance, students are also exposed to the more subtle, spiritual aspects of yoga, gaining clarity, focus and a shift in perspective.
The studio attracts more than 1,000 regular students to its cozy space, with its radiant-heated floors, warm decor and a multitude of props. They say there’s a growing demand for traditional yoga in Sonoma, so the Namaste Brothers are looking for a larger studio in Santa Rosa.
For years, Sonoma architect Karin Campion made her own sodas, to avoid the artificial flavorings and unpronounceable ingredients listed on cans of Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew. She used a well-known, Italian-sounding product to flavor her kids’ sodas and jazz up her iced tea.
“But when I read the labels, I said, ‘Yikes, these aren’t healthy for my sons,’” Campion said. “No one was producing syrups that were all natural, with real fruit and pure cane sugar.”
Thus, in 2003 Sonoma Syrup Co. was born, and Campion has steadily expanded the company to include extracts and bar mixers to go with her dizzying array of infused simple syrups. Whenever possible, she uses Sonoma ingredients: lavender from Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa, mint from local patches, Meyer lemons from neighbors’ trees and olives grown in Sonoma Valley.
Her Pure Sonoma Olive Juice ($8.99) dirties up a mean martini. Splash Lavender Syrup ($13.99) into espresso and steamed milk for a lavender latte. Vanilla Bean Extract Crush, made from Madagascar bourbon and Tahitian vanilla beans, is a great flavor booster for baked goods. For a refreshing fall beverage, with or without vodka, there’s Olive Mary Mix ($14.99), a bloody Mary mix with the brightness of Sonoma olive juice that was a finalist in the 2015 the Good Foods Awards.
Several Sonoma Syrup products have been featured in beverages served at U.S. State Department receptions, including this one below.
Sonoma Syrup, 707-996-4040, sonomasyrup.com. Also sold at BevMo, Whole Foods, Williams-Sonoma and other stores.
Workers prune grape vines at the Kiljian Vineyard on West Dry Creek Road. (photo by John Burgess)
Brown lawns, quick showers and dirty vehicles are among the more benign results of California’s drought and the mandatory water restrictions that have come with it. The withering of parched crops in the Central Valley has made national news, but what about the grapes that are now being harvested and contribute mightily to Sonoma’s $13 billion annual wine industry?
“As far as wine quality this year, I see little correlation, so far, to the drought,” said Chris Bowland of Bowland Vineyard Management in Santa Rosa. “Most of our quality and quantity concerns have to do with weather at bloom. That is a bigger story than drought.”
“The winter of 2014-2015 was not as dry as last season,” added Mike Crumley, vice president of vineyards for Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma. “One of the great things about this growing season is that we did not have to irrigate between bud break and bloom. The vines grew their canopies to full size.”
Bud break occurs when tender buds form on the vines in early spring. Bloom, also called flowering, happens about a month later, as tiny flower clusters emerge from the buds. Once pollinated, they form grapes. With enough moisture in the ground from bud break through bloom, the vines remained healthy. However, said Bowland, “Almost all varieties are down in yield from normal and, depending on variety and location, way down from the last several years.”
That’s because cool May temperatures delayed bloom and not all the flowers set fruit (called shatter). “I have some Pinot Noir at 50 percent of last year’s yields and some at 75 percent,” Bowland said. “Chardonnay was less affected, and if I dare, I predict a very good-quality Chardonnay vintage. But I have a buddy with a large block of Sauvignon Blanc that will not be harvested because of shatter. The results are all over the board.”
Although local growers have not been ordered to restrict irrigation, Bowland said most are conserving water in as many ways possible.
“We closely monitor vine status to make sure we are not wasting irrigation water,” he explained. “We want to be sure that we ride that fine line between watering too little, which makes vines and grapes suffer, and watering too much, wasting the resource.”
Other strategies have been used to reduce water use in vineyards, including dry-farming, nighttime irrigation to minimize evaporation, recycling winery water for use in vineyards, weather station monitoring to predict when rain will arrive, and won’t.
If a promised El Niño occurs in 2015-16, growers will get more rain than they need, with possibilities of flooding and mudslides. That’s a bridge they’ll cross when they come to it.
A very civilized table in the wild is set to greet happy campers. (photo by Bess Friday)
Access to the stunningly beautiful Bohemia Ecological Preserve normally is limited to guided hikes led by the nonprofit LandPaths environmental conservation group.
Yet now and then, a curious interloper might see a strange sight on the 1,000-acre property near Occidental: tents. Lots of tents, crafted of high-end canvas, glittering with twinkle lights and managed by butlers who scurry to serve their well-heeled patrons who relax on Adirondack chairs.
More wine? Yes, please. Another s’more from the freshly stoked fire pit? Don’t mind if I do. And when it’s time to retire for the evening, the tattooed, hipster personal attendant will turn down the full bed with its plush mattress, 400-thread-count linens, wool Pendleton blankets, and down comforters and pillows.
(photo by Kelly Ishikawa)
The scene, surreal as it is, comes courtesy of Shelter Co., a San Francisco design firm that has transported upscale events to the Sonoma wilderness and, in the process, created an increasingly popular concept of luxury experiences under the stars.
The private events have the extra draw that participants can number up to 230, making it a popular option for weddings, corporate retreats and large-scale family reunions. Part of the thrill is the exclusivity of the landscape, as Shelter Co. sets up its tiny towns essentially anywhere that can accommodate a tent, such as remote stretches of the Doran Regional Park beach campground in Bodega Bay, the Salt Point State Park coastal campground in Jenner, Barndiva Farm in Anderson Valley, Stewarts Point on the Sonoma Coast, and boutique Scribe Winery in Sonoma.
It’s about more than just supplying pretty tents. Company founder Kelsey Sheofsky handles every detail, including catering, communal tents for Scrabble games, lounge tents with full bars, children’s tents, activities such as croquet and outdoor movies, and a well-stocked library tent for immersion in classic literature or a juicy read of Rolling Stone magazine. Weddings can include hair, makeup and mani-pedi stations.
(photo by Jenny Elia Pfeiffer)
“I was a destination wedding planner for six years before launching Shelter Co.,” Sheofsky said. “I saw a need for lodging options outside of regular hotels when clients wanted to have their events at more far-flung locations. It turns out that this is something a lot of people need, for everything from work retreats to social events and music festivals.”
Perhaps “need” is a stretch, but who’s to deny the blissful joy of indulging in a fantasy abode, where peeling back the flap on a European-design Meriwether tent reveals an alfresco pied-à-terre decorated in cowhide or sea grass rugs, leather wing lounge chairs, throw pillows placed just so, and sleek bedside tables topped with chic battery lanterns? There may be artisanal chocolate mints on the pillow, a welcome bottle of Sonoma wine waiting, and a fashion-statement headlamp begging for a nighttime stroll. With tents spanning 16-by-16-by-9 feet, there’s plenty of room to stretch out, and since the furniture is selected by Sheofsky’s husband, Mike, a specialty build-out and custom furniture designer, virtually any look can be achieved.
(photo by Mel Barlow)
The idea has proved so popular that Shelter Co. recently expanded to Austin, Texas, and New York, and has set up tent parties in places such as a Malibu cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, at a private estate on a San Juan Island in Washington state, along the banks of the Colorado River in Moab, Utah, and a private mansion near Joshua Tree National Park.
“We’re about to do our biggest wedding thus far, with 120 guests staying in our tents at a private estate on the beach in Santa Barbara,” Kelsey Sheofsky said. “It’s three days of great activities, amazing food and wine, the works.”
With a $2,000 rental minimum, a Shelter Co. party isn’t for everyone. The profile, she notes, is people in the 30- to 45-year-old range, well off, outdoor lovers and looking for something different to experience with their friends and family.
“Most of my clients are pretty private,” Sheofsky added, explaining that she has found they prefer not to be showcased in testimonials or media, but would rather maintain the mystique of their unique hideaway events.
Still, there’s the Oakland couple who staged their wedding in a Wine Country redwood forest, inviting their guests to make their own pizzas with a pop-up oven, vogue in a photo booth, and play dress-up in Burning Man-style costumes. Other interesting requests have included yoga classes, masseuses, boat rentals, horseback riding, child care and tents reserved for dogs.
At the Bohemia oasis, the land seduces with coastal prairie meadows flanked by old-growth fir forests, hardwood riparian stands, chaparral groves and oak woodlands. The Duvoul Creek waterfall spills down to Dutch Bill Creek, one of the most valuable coho salmon habitats in the Russian River system.
Late one evening, the bamboo dinner plates have been cleared from the white-draped tables set in the grass, the wine glasses topped off, and guests have freshened up with the portable commodes, sinks and solar showers.
A butler glides among the revelers now cuddled around the campfire, offering flasks filled with farm-to-glass cocktails, mugs of hot cocoa, baskets of organic popcorn and perhaps homemade biscuits for the canine guests.
In the morning, the butler will cook breakfast, anything from hearty bacon and eggs with bloody marys to tofu scrambles with green juices. To date, no one has pushed the butlers too far, even in the most luxurious arrangements.
“Requests are nothing too crazy,” Sheofsky said. “It’s all about the setting. Our clients are pretty down to earth.”
The year was 2010, and Lisa Kristine was inside a 120-degree brick kiln in the middle of India. She had been sent to photograph indentured child laborers: child slaves. In the moment, as she captured little girls and their families enduring gruesome conditions without pay and under the threat of violence, the heat struck her as unbearable.
It was so hot she was dripping with sweat. So hot she could barely think or stand. So hot that her camera equipment stopped working.
Lisa Kristine, shown with two of her photographs. (photo by Chris Hardy)
“I remember dashing back to the cruiser every 20 minutes to run the camera in front of the air conditioning vent to get it to work again,” she said. “As I sat there, I thought to myself, ‘My camera is getting far better treatment than these people ever will.’”
Kristine, a Marin County resident with a gallery in downtown Sonoma, is all too familiar with these types of conditions. During the last 28 years, she has documented the lives, trials and tribulations of people in other cultures in other lands. Her goal is to use photography to expose deeply human stories and to inspire change.
For this reason, Kristine, 49, has become known as a “humanitarian photographer.” On the job, she has witnessed horrific injustice, heart-wrenching tragedy, and humans being treated like objects or worse.
Dealing with the emotional toll of these experiences is challenging, something that usually takes months. But according to Kristine, working to help garner support for the modern-day abolitionist movement helps; she hopes to play a small part in making a difference in these people’s lives.
‘These Tusks, Thailand,’ by Lisa Kristine.
“I work from the premise that I only have the gift that I have — an ability to make an image that will capture the spirit and quality of each human being and allow people to visually connect,” she said. “My hope is that this connection is what ignites others to make a difference.”
As a child in San Francisco, she daydreamed about seeing the great cultures of the world. As an adult, she followed her dreams, starting her career photographing indigenous cultures in the Middle East, the Far East, South America and elsewhere. Her early work shined a spotlight on different cultures and emphasized unity. By the latter part of the 2000s, Kristine had visited almost 100 countries on six continents, shooting in digital, 35mm film and 4-by-5 large format.
But her life changed forever at the Vancouver Peace Summit in 2009. There, she ran into a supporter of Free the Slaves, an organization dedicated to eradicating modern-day slavery. The woman told Kristine that according to U.N. estimates, 27 million people are currently enslaved across the globe. They discussed specific instances of slavery in India, Ghana and other parts of the world. Kristine’s mind was blown.
‘Through the Portal,’ by Lisa Kristine.
“After we finished talking, I felt so horrible and ashamed at my own lack of knowledge of this atrocity in my lifetime,” she said. “I assumed slavery had been dealt with. I just thought, ‘If I don’t know, how many other people don’t know?’”
Within weeks, she flew to Los Angeles, met with officials at Free the Slaves, and pledged to help.
After a few years of documenting slavery in images, Kristine started leveraging other media. She published a book about slavery (her fifth book overall) and was involved with a number of documentaries on the subject. She donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her work about slavery to Free the Slaves.
Kristine has also spoken at several TEDx events, which feature inspirational speakers and innovative thinkers, and the Wisdom 2.0 conference, which celebrates insight.
Her contributions in all of these areas have earned her acclaim from those who work on humanitarian projects every day. In 2013, Kristine received the Lucie Humanitarian Award from the Lucie Foundation, which honors master photographers, supports emerging talent and promotes the appreciation of photography around the world.
A quote on Kristine’s website from Cosette Thompson, former western regional director at Amnesty International, sums up the photographer’s gift for portraying the human condition in a way that appeals to all: “Few artists know how to capture the diversity and dignity of indigenous people. Kristine’s portraits exquisitely convey their silenced messages.”
When she’s not traveling the world, Kristine keeps a modest office in a nondescript office park in San Rafael. It isn’t open to the public, just colleagues and visiting journalists. The best place for people to experience the gravity and grandeur of her work is her gallery, located on the plaza in Sonoma.
Strolling around the gallery is an emotional experience. On one wall is a photograph from Kristine’s trip to quarries in the Himalayas, where she took pictures of child slaves carrying giant rocks strapped to their heads. On another wall is an image from a brothel-like facility in Kathmandu, a place where teenage girls are expected to have sex for 12 or sometimes 14 hours a day.
Additional images, from the textile industry in India and Lake Volta in Ghana, are stark, raw and jarring. Even her profile shots, those of everyday people abroad, are haunting in how alive they are.
‘Freedom, Ghana,’ by Lisa Kristine.
Kristine is cagey when asked to describe her next project, saying only that she spends a good bit of time every year on the road. She notes that currently she is touring two exhibits: “Enslaved,” which features her work on slavery and is booked to show at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., in early 2016; and “Bhutan: Pillar of Spirit,” which spotlights Bhutan and is still in the process of being booked.
Long term, Kristine said she will continue to work with Free the Slaves and strive to use her photographs to engineer change.
“I hope people see my pictures, see someone who is very different from them, but feel a connection to that subject and are moved by that connection,” she said. “That leads to wonder and curiosity. Ultimately, those are the kinds of emotions that are going to inspire someone to step away from the photo, love a stranger, give to a cause, raise a hand for helping others, and make a difference.”
Lisa Kristine Gallery, 452 First St. E., Sonoma, 707-938-3860, lisakristine.com
