This is the annual food and wine event that pretty-much sums up what it is to live in Sonoma County. Held at the Summerfield Waldorf School’s breathtaking biodynamic farm, top Bay Area chefs and vintners come together (many of whom are alums or have children at the school), to feast and toast under the stars. Among the feast-makers: Traci Des Jardins of Jarndiniere, Jon Stewart and Duskie Estates of Zazu restaurant and farm, Nick Peyton of HBG (and formerly of Cyrus), Lowell Sheldon of Peter Lowell’s and the schools’ own chef, Mat Petersen. Vintners pouring include Claypool Cellars, Coturri, Davis Family Vineyards, Littorai, Truett Hurst, Roederer, Small Vines Wines, Porter Bass and Martinelli Winery. Saturday, May 17, 3:30pm to 10:30pm, $90 per person, benefitting the school’s scholarship program. Tickets at farmtofeast.org.
Rendez Vous Bistro in Santa Rosa will become Flip A Crepe this summer. File photo
Rendez Vous Bistro in Santa Rosa will become Flip A Crepe this summer. File photo
The owners of Rendez Vous Bistro in downtown Santa Rosa (as well as Flipside Burgers, Flipside Steakhouse and Sports Bar, Lakeside Grill) are planning a “fresh market concept” in the former Rendez Vous Bistro in Courthouse, which judging by the name, Flip A Crepe, will include, uh, crepes?
Reps are talking yet, but it’s slated to open this summer, along with Flipside Brewhosue in Rohnert Park, which was formerly Latitude Island Grill.
Meanwhile, Lakeside Grill, the outdoor restaurant that opened last year in Spring Lake Park, will open with a limited menu on Saturdays and Sundays from May 17 through Memorial Day, then offer weekend breakfast and brunch, daily lunch and dinner, and a happy hour starting at 2p.m. all summer long. Hours are 10:30 AM until the park closes at sunset.
Pork Ramen at Shige Sushi in Cotati. photo heather irwin.
Pork Ramen at Shige Sushi in Cotati. photo heather irwin.
Ever since Doug Keane shuttered Shiso, the Northbay has suffered an appalling lack of decent ramen.
There is, of course, Hana Japanese (101 Golf Course Dr., Rohnert Park). But we’re talking casual, slurp at the table, take a doggy bag home kind of street ramen.
Alas, we’ve finally found it: Pork style.
Shige Sushi in Cotati is the absolute real deal. The tiny Japanese kitchen simmers pork bone, chicken and dashi stock over several days, concentrating the flavors into a cloudy, deeply pork-flavored broth. Slices of pork, a soft-boiled egg, strips of mushroom and green onions and chewy ramen noodles, served piping hot (with a dash or two of tobiko) make this a sinus-cleansing, soul-warming meal. Ramen isn’t available every day, so call ahead to make sure they’ve got it.
If not, you’re still covered. Shige’s sushi, sashimi and homestyle dishes (like karaage, or Japanese fried chicken) easily stand up to Rohnert Park’s Hana Japanese, Hiro in Petaluma and Bennett Valley’s Yao Kiku (Sam’s authentic dishes—which are often off menu—have made BiteClub’s head swim in the past).
8235 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 795-9753. Open Tuesday through Friday, closed Monday
The long-shuttered Last Day Saloon may come back to life, albeit in a new guise, in 2015.
BiteClub has gotten word that a local family of restaurateurs are hoping to rehab the historic building on Fifth St. in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square. With a working name of Monsoon, the concept is an “upscale Indian/fusion restaurant and performance venue”.
Just don’t call it a nightclub.
The developers say they’ll have an outdoor patio, long bar in the music and performance space along with wine-pairing and “approachable” Indian cuisine in the restaurant area.
The plan goes to the City May 7 , 2014 and BiteClub will have more details in the coming weeks.
Hotel Chauvet has graced the village of Glen Ellen for more than 100 years and is once again so grand that its guests pay a handsome sum to experience its historic luxury. Joshua Chauvet, who established this and other businesses in the bustling burg of yore, would be proud that his 1906-vintage hotel has dodged the wrecking ball.
Today this National Register of Historic Places landmark, now called The Chauvet, is a six-condominium vacation rental venue housed within the mostly original exterior. Each 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath condo whispers of its past with exposed brick walls and repurposed tie-rod plates covering old flue vents. The kitchens shimmer with stainless steel and granite, while gas fireplaces warm the living rooms, each furnished with a contemporary flair. An inviting pool long enough for lap swimming has been added amid a gorgeous lounge-chair-laced garden.
Frequented by weekend escapists, wine tasters and wedding parties, The Chauvet, which once had a top-floor ballroom and ground-level tavern frequented by famed author Jack London, has returned to life, attracting people from places as diverse as San Francisco, Florida and France. Marketed mainly online, its charms entice those looking for the modern pop of orange armchairs nestled in a stately edifice that’s welcomed generations of visitors.
The rebirth of The Chauvet is a saga of financial challenges, permit hurdles and a collapsed roof that nearly doomed the project. Yet the outcome is heritage preserved and a building that is now bliss.
“The building ultimately has its own spirit and it speaks for itself,” said Christine Hansson, the manager and a principal owner. “It is still here because it wanted to be. It really is a special place and we are just the caretakers.”
Hansson and her husband, Hans, along with project architect Larry Paul and other investors, purchased the boarded-up property on Arnold Drive in 1996 as an investment. “We were supposed to be in and out in two years and we’re still here,” she said, noting that the current owners are herself, Hans, and the project’s general contractor, Mike Allen. “We could have given up the ghost, but we didn’t.”
They acquired the abandoned property from George Siebert, who had operated George’s Three Nations restaurant, bar and arcade at the site from 1971 until 1987, when the eclectic spot that offered 42 beers on tap closed for good. The structure, begun before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and completed in 1907, became a hazardous eyesore.
“The county wanted to tear it down,” Hansson said. She and her team bought the building with a plan of turning it into condos and immediately selling them. “It was always our intention to save it.”
After many months in the planning and permit process, they were given permission to renovate, only to discover they could not secure financing. “Construction costs were escalating faster than property values at the time,” Hansson said. “Everybody was afraid of it. It was unreinforced masonry and all the seismic requirements were kicking in.”
Dreams dashed, the investors launched a new scheme to return The Chauvet to its true roots, as a hotel. They purchased the adjoining property to the south, which was originally part of the Hotel Chauvet site, and drew renderings that added two additional wings, resulting in a blueprint for 45 rooms.
“The county didn’t say no to a hotel. They were looking at it in a positive light. They didn’t slam the door on us,” Hansson said. But many Glen Ellen residents were not on board, concerned about the size of the hotel, parking and traffic. “I understood where they were coming from and I didn’t have the stomach for a fight,” she explained. “With community opposition, it makes it tough.”
While the partners needed a large number of rooms for the project to make financial sense, they also didn’t want to change the character of Glen Ellen. In 2004, eight years after they purchased the building they revisited the condo plan, found financing, paid off the original investors and renewed the building permits for the current six-unit venue.
Two weeks before construction began, an old beam broke and the entire roof caved onto the third floor, pushing out the south wall. Arnold Drive was closed in front of the building for four days. “I was outside on the street listening to people say, ‘They should take it down,’” Hansson recalled. Still, she knew that somehow it would survive. A stabilization team shored it up and removed the debris. Once the weight was removed, the bowed wall shifted back inward, making it possible to repair it and save the building from demolition.
Hansson made it her mission to salvage as much as possible, and with help from her two sons, hand-washed 3,000 bricks that ultimately went back into The Chauvet along with the tie rods and some fir beams that had fallen.
The condos were completed in 2007, just as the real estate downturn began. Priced at $1.1 to $1.3 million, they didn’t draw any buyers. Hansson and her husband purchased unit 2B to jump-start interest, an idea that failed. They then tried to sell the condos at auction, which was canceled when registered buyers failed to show.
Christine Hansson
The vacation rentals began in summer 2008. The Chauvet finally opened its doors to guests again, calling itself “Sonoma Wine Country’s Most Unique Lodging Experience.” The Chauvet is now a hot spot with a high occupancy rate, commanding $645 a night for a three-night minimum and $3,850 a week.
For Hansson, who learned along the way that she shares a birthday, July 20, with Joshua Chauvet, the building is now part of her soul. She loves catering to her guests, adorning the rooms with fresh flowers, local wine, chocolates and homemade cookies. She encourages them to use the Glen Ellen Village Market across the street and shares tips for visiting nearby restaurants and wineries.
Two of the condos are now back on the market, but Hansson, who splits her time between a home in San Francisco and The Chauvet, said she will never sell 2B. “There’s too much of me in this building. I’m attached.”
Without her, The Chauvet would not be historic. It would be history.
Tucker Taylor Director of Culinary Gardens and vegetable garden at Kendall-Jackson vineyard. (photo by
Chris Hardy)
Christian Dake was barely in elementary school when he asked his parents if they could start growing food and edible flowers.
“We started planting basil and tomatoes, and my first flower was a green zinnia,” said the St. Helena native. “We had three-quarters of an acre in front of the house, and I had an honor farmstand.”
More recently, the 32-year-old gardener grew tomatoes with “Tomato Guy” Brad Gates of Napa’s Wild Boar Farms, raised 2,000 heirloom squash and melons for Gere Gettle of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds of Petaluma, and started working with seed savers around the globe to preserve and produce heirloom seed.
So when the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone came knocking on his garden gate last spring, looking for a culinary gardener for its new Farm-to-Table Cooking program, Dake jumped in with both boots.
“We’re training these chefs to work closely with a garden or create their own garden,” Dake said. “If they can see what’s possible here, they know it’s possible for them.”
The farm-to-table students care for the garden and harvest the fruits of their labor under the guidance of Larry Forgione, a legendary chef who pioneered seasonal, local American cooking in the 1980s.
With Forgione’s help, they also create a prix-fixe, five-course menu they serve on weekends at The Conservatory, a pop-up restaurant on the St. Helena campus.
“If you don’t start with great ingredients, you’re not going to have great food,” Forgione said, summing up his farm-to-fork philosophy.
Although the Napa Valley was originally planted to grain, nut and fruit trees, most of those food crops disappeared long ago in favor of wine grapes.
Culinary Institute of America Farm Manager Christian Dake picks an aji limo pepper at the CIA farm at Charles Krug Winery. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
For Dake, who has a botany degree from Humboldt State University, growing grapes was not an option. Instead, he always dreamed of creating the most beautiful garden in Napa Valley. With the 6-plus acres provided by Charles Krug Winery across from the CIA campus, that dream has become a reality.
The production garden, which supplies the restaurants and the teaching kitchen on campus, doubles as a demonstration garden for Charles Krug Winery. It’s also a model of sustainability throughout the valley.
“I hope a lot of vineyards will do this as well,” Dake said. “Napa Valley is a wonderful place to grow a wide range of crops, especially fall-ripening crops like tomatoes.”
Dake came onboard in April 2013 and hit the ground running. Luckily, he already had seedlings started in a Calistoga greenhouse.
“I had all the plants ready to go,” he said. “The first year was a whirlwind.”
After clearing the soil of rocks and cement, Dake and the students amended it with compost and set about growing zinnias and calendulas, heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers, eggplant and New Zealand spinach.
He also created an experimental garden planted with aromatic herbs such as lemon verbena, subtropical fruits like lemon guava, and extreme chile peppers including the Diablo Grande from Oaxaca, Mexico.
“Peppers are my big thing: chocolate habaneros, aji amarillo and aji limo,” he said. “The students make a lot of hot sauce.”
But tomatoes also tug at his heart, especially heirlooms such as the Amos Coli paste tomato and the Blue Beauty tomato developed by Gates.
“The blues take a longer time to ripen,” he said. “But they have a thick skin and they keep well.”
This season at the garden, Dake has built a plastic greenhouse with retractable roof panels that will allow the students to grow crops year-round. He also is excited about the garden’s new fields of grain, having planted 3 acres to Sonora and Blue Tinge Ethiopian wheats.
“We’re going to thresh it and grind it at the Bale Grist Mill, to be used in breads and pasta,” Dake said. “The Sonoran wheat has high gluten, but it’s more digestible, and it makes incredible pastries.”
Tucker Taylor holds violas, edible flowers, in his hands at Kendall-Jackson vineyard. (photo by Chris Hardy)
Along with a flock of Silver Spangled Hamburg chickens, the garden also welcomed four Red Wattle sows.
The chickens will fertilize the garden, and the pigs will eat excess from the farm and campus. Like people, the animals are smart. They know a sweet, vine-ripened tomato when they taste one.
“It’s hilarious to see the pigs eating,” Dake said.
K-J gardener grows into new role A straw-hatted Tucker Taylor surveys the tidy rows of winter vegetables growing at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens, then moves into the warm, slanting rays of late afternoon.
It’s obvious that the shy, laconic farmer is more comfortable in the sun than the spotlight. Still, he relishes his role as ambassador for the Santa Rosa-based winery, which has unusually deep roots in the soil.
“My focus is to educate our guests, and hopefully inspire our guests, to expand their own gardens or just become aware of the local food movement,” the estate’s culinary gardener said. “The beauty of Sonoma is how diverse it is agriculturally.”
Taylor worked at organic farms across the country before spending five years as culinary gardener for The French Laundry restaurant in Yountville.
“I’ve always had an intimate relationship with chefs,” he said. “That’s the exciting part, entertaining their ideas and needs and bringing my own experience to the table.”
Justin Wangler, executive chef at Kendall-Jackson, describes Taylor as incredibly detail-oriented with a deep knowledge of gardening and food.
“The quality of the stuff he grows is ridiculous,” said Wangler, who showcases the pristine produce in food-and-wine pairings at the winery and at Partake eatery in Healdsburg. “He’s very sincere about his vegetables and food, and about the people in his relationships.”
Tomatoes, fresh squash, mozzarella and squash blossoms are served at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center. (photo by Conner Jay)
Since he was hired in April 2013, Taylor, 43, has been busy upgrading the 3-acre vegetable garden, launching a redesign that promises to yield more produce and pleasure.
After amending the soil, Taylor rotated crops, eliminated pathways, widened the beds and introduced an intensive style of gardening that requires hand tools rather than tractors.
“It gave the garden more balance, created more sun and a nice pathway,” Taylor said. “Intensive gardening increases the productivity. … There is less weed pressure, less evaporation.”
The central pathway through the garden, which will be lined with golden decomposed granite, will serve as a gathering spot for alfresco dinners.
“The trees will be lit up, and a long table down the center of the garden will sit 600 people,” Taylor said. “We have a lifestyle and a wine and food culture here.”
This year, Wangler said, the winery plans to offer garden tours that include harvesting with Taylor, a cooking class and a meal. Produce from the estate is served at local restaurants such as the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville. A new wine and food club in the works will allow guests to take vegetables home, along with recipes from Wangler.
In addition to the winery garden, Taylor is redesigning the 8-acre farm at the Jackson family estate in Alexander Valley. After that, the sky’s the limit, as he turns his artistic eye to the company’s other estates in Oregon, France, Italy, Australia and Chile.
Zachary Stoller prepares tomatoes to be used in a tomato-cucumber green salad with gooseberry vinagrette at the Culinary Institue of America’s The Conservatory at Greystone, in St. Helena. (photo by Alvin Jornada)
It’s an impressive trajectory for a Southern boy from Jacksonville, Fla., who first sank his hands into the dirt in his family’s summer garden.
Taylor got a degree in business administration at the University of Florida but decided that working in a bank was not for him. So he went back to school for another degree in environmental horticulture.
After graduating in 1998, he started an organic farm outside of Portland, Ore., then managed an organic farm in Athens, Ga., for six years, where he fine-tuned the art of growing for chefs.
Borrowing ideas from mentors such as farmer, author and educator Eliot Coleman of Maine, Taylor is building three plastic greenhouses, known as hoop houses, for year-round harvesting at the Kendall-Jackson gardens.
“We can do an early crop of tomatoes, growing them vertically up strings,” he said. “Same with seedless cucumbers, peppers and eggplants.”
For the past two years, Taylor has shared his intimate views of gardens with 40,000 followers by posting daily photos on Instagram, a feat that has made him “Instafamous.”
Although reluctant at first, his success at social media has allowed Taylor to connect with chefs and farmers around the world he never would have met otherwise.
“I didn’t get into gardening for my love of communication,” he said. “But a picture speaks a thousand words.”
It’s not officially summer until June 21, but wineries go into summertime mode in May, opening their patios, holding special events and firing up the grill. Virginie Boone recommends these wineries for May-June; they’re open to the public, typically from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact individual tasting rooms to confirm.
B Cellars, 400 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, 877-229-9939, bcellars.com. Book ahead for special tasting experiences at this expansive winery with its welcoming patio off the Silverado Trail. Single-vineyard tastings and a production tour and tasting are particularly popular; the winery has its own chef to showcase its red blends, Syrah, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah with food.
B.R. Cohn Winery & Olive Oil Co., 15000 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen, 800-330-4064, brcohn.com. Surrounded by olive trees and meandering gardens, B.R. Cohn is a peaceful place to enjoy a sunny day, taste Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals, and sample the estate’s olive oils and vinegars. The lovely grounds are ideally suited for picnics and afternoon naps, and double as a stage from time to time for classic cars and founder Bruce Cohn’s life in rock and roll.
Buena Vista Winery, 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com. Historic Buena Vista has refashioned its wine caves into a glittery romantic spot for barrel tasting and touring, and a section of the cave can be reserved for private, by-appointment tastes of library wines and barrel samples. Don’t miss the Champagne Cellars (kid-friendly and there is no charge) where the winery’s history can be further explored.
Charles Krug-Peter Mondavi Sr. Family Vineyards, 2800 Main St., St. Helena, 707-967-2200, charleskrug.com. Where Peter and Robert Mondavi got their winemaking start, Charles Krug is an impressive blend of old and new, with its historic Redwood Cellar now ready for tastings of crisp Sauvignon Blanc and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy a slew of tasting options and tours, or take a bottle and ponder life with it on the Great Lawn.
Chateau Montelena, 1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, 707-942-5105, chateaumontelena.com. A wonderful place to picnic, with a Chinese garden, lake and views of Mount St. Helena, Chateau Montelena remains a Napa Valley stalwart, the Chardonnay winner of the famous Paris Tasting of 1976, which put California wines on the map. Elegant Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels are consistently good. Special tastings and tours abound.
Chateau St. Jean, 8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-4134, chateaustjean.com. With a sprawling picture-perfect lawn and bocce courts, this venerable winery’s gorgeous location is perfect for the 40th-anniversary celebration of Cinq Cepages, Chateau St. Jean’s proprietary Bordeaux-style red blend. The tasting room also carries a selection of picnic goodies.
DRNK Winery, 3637 Frei Road, Sebastopol, 707-889-1000, drnkwines.com. Contact the winery to set up a tasting and tour with winemaker Ryan Kunde, who crafts small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from grapes grown throughout the Russian River Valley, as well as a delightful Pinot Gris “orange wine” from Sonoma Mountain. The winery overlooks the Laguna de Santa Rosa.
Duckhorn Vineyards, 1000 Lodi Lane, St. Helena, 888-354-8885, duckhorn.com. Still a premier name in Napa Valley Merlot, Duckhorn also makes lovely Sauvignon Blanc: the right wine to enjoy at tableside with charcuterie and a fine view of the winery’s gardens.
Frank Family Vineyards, 1091 Larkmead Lane, Calistoga, 800-574-9463, frankfamilyvineyards.com. Frank Family is a popular Napa Valley stop because of its gardens, picnic spots and reasonable tasting fees. A tasting of four wines, which might include a bubbly, Cabernet Sauvignon and age-worthy Petite Sirah, is $20. It also inhabit a historic site, the former home of Larkmead Winery, the third-oldest in the valley.
Freemark Abbey, 3022 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena, 800-963-9698, ext. 3721, freemarkabbey.com. Established in 1886, Freemark Abbey is a peaceful place to enjoy a traditional tasting of a wide range of its wines, or a one-hour Cabernet Comparison Tasting ($30) that demonstrates the range of vineyard sites sourced for the wines.
Gundlach Bundschu, 2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707-938-5277, gunbun.com. This 1860s winery, still family-run, offers a courtyard tasting menu in good weather, with flights of five current-release wines, and the option to indulge in five library Cabernet Sauvignons. A board of local cheeses, hummus and almonds might accompany the wines. Vineyard excursions start in May.
Hartford Family Winery, 8075 Martinelli Road, Forestville, 707-887-8030, hartfordwines.com. Tucked away in the woods, Hartford is a consistent high-quality producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old-vine Zinfandel, sourcing grapes from the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley, and from other cool locales such as Anderson Valley. Seated in-depth tastings, including some with food pairings, can be arranged by appointment.
J Vineyards & Winery, 11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-431-5400, jwine.com. A glass of bubbly is always a good thing, and this is a well-appointed spot at which to have it, as well as taste J’s Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Also don’t miss having a sip of Pinot Gris, among its most popular, springtime-perfect wines. The J Bubble Room pairs wines with exquisite, locally sourced dishes.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 800-654-1213, jordanwinery.com. By appointment, Jordan welcomes visitors for walking tours through its beautiful compound, which includes the estate gardens from which executive chef Todd Knoll sources a cornucopia of produce for winery meals. Tours and seated tastings are available Monday through Saturday throughout the year, and on Sundays from mid-April through early fall. Jordan also makes an exquisite estate extra-virgin olive oil.
Landmark Wine, 101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, 707-833-0053, landmarkwine.com. In the shadow of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Landmark makes Chardonnay (including the famous Overlook bottling) and Pinot Noir, and is increasingly becoming known for its Rhone-inspired reds, including Syrah and Grenache. In addition to its tasting room, the winery offers picnic spots and bocce courts.
Merry Edwards Winery, 2959 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, 707-823-7466, merryedwards.com. Winemaker Merry Edwards is a pioneer in Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, excelling at coaxing rich berry flavor and voluptuous texture from the grapes. She also produces some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the state, and has recently added Chardonnay to her lineup. Don’t miss the opportunity to discover her skill and view some of the estate vineyards surrounding the winery.
Navarro Vineyards, 5601 Highway 128, Philo, 800-537-9463, navarrowine.com. The wide selection of crisp white wines and bright, mellow reds is worth the drive to Philo, where Navarro’s homey picnic grounds inspire taking one’s time. Plenty of picnic goodies are stocked in the tasting room, including winery principal Sarah Cahn Bennett’s fine farmstead goat cheeses made down the road at Pennyroyal Farms. Tours of the vineyard happen twice a day, by appointment; picnics are encouraged.
Odette Estate, 5998 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707-224-7533, odetteestate.com. Owned by the PlumpJack Winery guys (Gordon Getty, Gavin Newsom and John Conover), Odette is in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District and on the path to becoming LEED-certified. With 18,000 square feet of caves, some of the first modern versions dug in Napa Valley, Odette makes for an intriguing visit, with great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines on offer.
Portalupi Wine, 107 North St., Healdsburg, 707-395-0960, portalupiwine.com. Located in downtown Healdsburg, this is a fine stop before or after lunch or just before dinner, and an easy walk from many hotels. Portalupi focuses on Italian-heritage wines, from Vermentino to Barbera to Vaso di Marina, a jug wine sold in a reusable milk bottle.
Pride Mountain Vineyards, 4026 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena, 707-963-4949, pridewines.com. Straddling Napa and Sonoma counties, Pride makes fiercely age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese. This time of year, its Viognier shines, a deliciously bright taste of spring. Make an appointment for a tour and tasting, offered daily (except Tuesdays) at 10 a.m., or take on the Summit Experience ($75), with time spent in the winery caves.
Ram’s Gate, 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700, ramsgatewinery.com. Ram’s Gate was designed for lingering, with a host of spacious sitting areas. Then there’s the food, prepared to order by the on-staff chef for seated, guided tastings. Order a picnic lunch to take into the vineyard or out by the pond. The wines alone are a reason to stay, a collection of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, Chardonnays and even a brut bubbly.
Ridge Vineyards / Lytton Springs, 650 Lytton Springs Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-7721, ridgewine.com. Revered, Ridge is a worthy stop no matter the time of year for its structured Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons, but its location on a Dry Creek Valley side road is also a pretty way to travel. The tasting room is open daily, but reserve ahead for a Century Tour and Library Tasting, which might include an older vintage of Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, Ridge’s most famous wine.
Andrew Pleva of Dublin at Rodney Strong Vineyards. (photo by Mark Aranoff)
Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 800-678-4763, rodneystrong.com. For a comprehensive taste of Sonoma County and expansive vineyard views, visit Rodney Strong, which offers an estate wine tasting daily as well as the option to try single-vineyard and reserve wines. From its staunch Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons to Davis Bynum Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, there’s a lot to like. Picnickers are also welcome on the winery’s lawn or vineyard terrace, with food items available for purchase inside.
Schramsberg Vineyards, 1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga, 800-877-3623, schramsberg.com. Among the first in California to specialize in sparkling wine, Schramsberg occupies hallowed, historic ground and is home to the oldest hillside vineyards in Napa Valley and some of the first excavated aging caves. Take a tour by appointment, and don’t miss the Mirabelle Brut Rosé and other gorgeous sparklers before moving on to taste the J. Davies Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, 100 N. Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, 707-538-9463, stfranciswinery.com. Named the No. 1 restaurant in America by Open Table, St. Francis does indeed offer a gourmet food and wine experience worth having, as well as a monthly interactive experience in its tasting room called Sonoma Tastemakers, whereby the best bites from Sonoma County producers and purveyors are paired with St. Francis wines. Past months have featured cheese, savory and sweet jams, and pie.
Stony Hill, 3331 St. Helena Highway N., St. Helena, 707-963-2636, stonyhillvineyard.com. A historic Napa Valley winery celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Stony Hill makes incredibly elegant white wines, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon. Family-owned, it has recently begun a series of family-style cooking classes for parties of four, by appointment only, offering a chance to cook, enjoy wines and take a tour of the winery. Open by appointment for tours and tastings Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Tamber Bey Vineyards, 1251 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, 707-942-2100, tamberbey.com. Newly opened, Tamber Bey is located within the grounds of Sundance Ranch, a 22-acre equestrian facility with horses galore and a tasting room fit into a former barn clubhouse. Taste and hang with the horses at the same time. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment, for tours and tastings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Twomey Cellars, 3000 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 800-505-4850, twomey.com. Owned by the same family that’s behind Silver Oak Cellars, Twomey specializes in Pinot Noir with two tasting locations, one in Calistoga and this tasting room outside Healdsburg, the former site of Roshambo winery. Along with the beautiful views of Mount St. Helena and beyond, visitors can enjoy a tasting of current-release wines or take a tour, by appointment. House-cured salumi and cheese boards can be ordered ahead of time.
Ty Caton Vineyards, 8910 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-938-3224, tycaton.com. Winemaker Ty Caton works with a variety of vineyard sites throughout Sonoma County, blending grapes from many of them into his flagship red wine, TyTanium. He’s also got a crisp Riesling and Rosé of Syrah that are just right for a sunny afternoon.
Vigilance Winery, 13888 Point Lakeview Road, Lower Lake, 707-994-9656, vigilancewinery.com. Sustainably farmed by longtime vineyard manager Clay Shannon and his team of grass-fed sheep, Vigilance offers gorgeous vistas of Clear Lake and Mount Konocti and access to the Anderson Marsh sanctuary. A day at Vigilance isn’t complete this time of year without a glass or two of Sauvignon Blanc.
Viszlay Vineyards, 851 Limerick Lane, Healdsburg, 707-481-1514, viszlayvineyards.com. New to Russian River Valley is this producer of fine Pinot Noir. Visits by appointment can be made (daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to taste, enjoy a cheese and wine pairing, or take a group pasta-making class. Viszlay also makes a dry, estate-grown Prosecco-style bubbly, Brut Cuvee, perfect for sipping in late spring through summer.
VJB Vineyards & Cellars, 60 Shaw Ave., Kenwood, 707-833-2300, vjbcellars.com. In an Italian-inspired, courtyard-centered villa in the heart of Sonoma Valley, VJB serves steamy coffee and pastries in the morning, panini, pasta and pizza during the day, and samples of its Italian-inspired wines. The winery also stocks co-proprietor Maria Belmonte’s line of sauces, pestos and tapenades, and houses a shop for gelato and specialty chocolates.
Alicia Hedenfield, left, Lisa Evich and Denise Coleman share a laugh and some wine before having dinner at Bistro 29 (photo by Alvin Jornada)
Backyard, 6566 Front St., Forestville, 707-820-8445, backyardforestville.com. The farmers, ranchers and fisherfolk who produce just about every ingredient of every item on the menu are listed by name — and they’re almost all from Sonoma County, and right around Forestville. This is great in-season, locally produced food, ably handled in the kitchen. The wines are local, too. On Wednesdays, a family-style fried chicken dinner is offered, and vegans will find much to like, too. When the place fills up, it gets loud, but the skilled locavore cooking helps smooth any rough spots. Reviewed 12/9/12. $$-$$$
The house pulled pork sandwich with Asian slaw and sweet fries is served at Bruno’s on Fourth in Santa Rosa. (photo by Conner Jay)
Bistro 29, 620 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-2929, bistro29.com. We’re lucky to have a restaurant in our area that serves the food of Brittany in northwestern France. The cuisine features beautiful buckwheat crepes, both savory and sweet, with myriad choices of fillings. Brittany is known for its excellent chicken and seafood, and chef Brian Anderson makes delicious entrees with locally sourced versions of both. There’s a fine list of French and local wines, too. Reviewed 5/19/13. $$$
Bruno’s on Fourth, 1226 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-569-8222, brunosonfourth.com. The “American comfort food” that chef Rick Bruno serves is reliably well-made, nicely priced and tasty. There’s a Sunday brunch, kids eat free Tuesdays through Thursdays at dinner, and there’s a good lunch menu. Crispy fresh salads stand out, along with meaty dishes such as braised short ribs and roast pork. The short wine list is well-priced, too. Reviewed 1/26/14. $$-$$$
Centre du Vin at the Ledson Hotel, 480 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-996-9779, ledsonhotel.com. A pleasant place for lunch or light dining in the evening, the Ledson Hotel’s restaurant does a good job with steak frites, croque monsieur, and B.L.T. & D sandwiches — bacon, lettuce, tomato and duck confit. The wine list is limited to Ledson Winery & Vineyards labels, although there are three local sparklers from other producers. Desserts include crème brûlée and chocolate mousse. Reviewed 3/18/12. $$
DeSchmire Restaurant, 304 Bodega Ave., Petaluma, 707-762-1901, deschmirerestaurant.com. Here’s Sonoma County’s best little culinary secret: a French restaurant with excellent food in a well-worn building away from the center of Petaluma. The kitchen is as open as a kitchen can be, and marvelous dishes flow from it, including old-fashioned French favorites such as onion soup, steamed mussels, chicken Dijon, rack of lamb, local duck and tender steak. The desserts are luscious, and there’s no corkage fee. Highly recommended. Reviewed 6/10/12. $$$-$$$$
Flipside Bar & Burger, 630 Third St., Santa Rosa, 707-523-1400, flipsidebarandburger.com. Flipside serves a variety of great hamburgers, plus grilled cheese, Reuben, BLT, club and meatball sandwiches. Everything is made from scratch whenever possible,
and scratch means fresh, local ingredients. The owner, Nino Rabbaa, envisions Flipside as a place for a bite, a drink and a place to meet before enjoying downtown Santa Rosa’s other delights. Perfect cole slaw and fries, too. Reviewed 5/27/12. $-$$$
Flowering Tea House, 1367 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-775-3088, floweringpetaluma.com. Everything is delicious here, but don’t miss the house-made pot stickers. The portions are large and the flavors are fresh. It’s one of the top Chinese restaurants in the North Bay, and the menu includes dishes from several regions of China, including Hunan, Shanghai and Hong Kong along with standard Cantonese cuisine. Reviewed 4/22/12. $-$$
The green papaya salad with shrimp, pork, peanuts and basil is served at Kettles Vietnamese Bistro along Steele Lane in Santa Rosa. (photo by Conner Jay)
Kettles Vietnamese Bistro, 1202 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-528-3747, kettlesvietnamesebistro.com. Vietnamese restaurants used to be exotic, but this one shows how comfy the cuisine has become in the U.S. Serving big portions of pretty good food — not all strictly Vietnamese, with some pan-Asian — at reasonable prices is a winning formula at Kettles, which attracts a lot of families. The pho noodle soups with meats or seafood are particularly delicious. Reviewed 2/2/14. $-$$
Lulu’s Kitchen, 1313 Main St., Napa, 707-258-1313, 1313main.com. The best feature of Lulu’s Kitchen are its wines. They are not confined to California, but include some of the finest wines in the world by the glass, as flights and by the bottle. The menu is small plates of carefully thought-out and nicely prepared portions to snack on while you enjoy the wine. The décor is sophisticated and chic, the service friendly, and the ambiance relaxing. Reviewed 1/12/14. $$-$$$
Luma, 500 First St., Petaluma, 707-658-1940, lumapetaluma.com. This is a real find: an unpretentious restaurant with a feel-good vibe, great service and contemporary American cooking featuring nightly specials such as braised pork ribs and blackened catfish. The regular menu includes ancho- and porcini- seared filet mignon, chicken picadillo, and a daily “vegetarian delight,” a tray loaded with wonderfully prepared seasonal fruits and vegetables. The wine list is global and modestly priced. Reviewed 11/3/13. $$$
M.Y. China, 630 Park Court (at Graton Resort and Casino), Rohnert Park, 707-703-1955, gratonresortcasino.com. This is the second of well-known chef Martin Yan’s innovative Chinese restaurants. The food is closer to the actual cuisines of China than the egg foo yung and chow mein parlors found across America. Yan and executive chef Tony Wu insist on absolutely fresh vegetables and high quality in other ingredients. The lychee panna cotta dessert is flamboyantly delicious. Reviewed 1/19/14. $$-$$$$
Watermelon gazpacho chilled soup with jicama, serrano, cucumber and lime at Olive & Vine restaurant in Glen Ellen. (photo by John Burgess)
Olive & Vine, 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-996-9152, oliveandvinerestaurant.com. Glen Ellen’s reputation as a stop for fine restaurants got a huge boost when Catherine Venturini and John Burdick opened Olive & Vine in Jack London Village. Venturini and her chef de cuisine, Julie Warner, do an exceptional job exalting local and organic ingredients in their versions of Sonoma cuisine. The menu changes seasonally, but just about everything on it is worth a return visit. Reviewed 5/20/12. $$$-$$$$
Pizzando, 301 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-922-5233, pizzandohealdsburg.com. Pizzando features pizza from a wood-fired oven, but also has a wide range of appetizers, house-made pasta, and meat and seafood entrees. The pizzas, in particular, are excellent. The wine and beer list is short but sweet. Everything on the menu is available for takeout, and Pizzando is open for late evening snacking, too. Reviewed 11/11/12. $$
Ravenous, 117 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1302, facebook.com. Ravenous started a couple of decades ago in this small space adjacent to the Raven Theater. It moved a block away to a larger space (now Bravas Bar de Tapas) and has somewhat recently returned to its roots at the Raven. The full bar is gone but the café still serves high-class pan-American cooking. The Mexican influences stand out, especially the stuffed and roasted poblano pepper and impossibly good fish tacos. But the changeable menu has classic American dishes, too. The wine list is interesting and eclectic. Reviewed 7/22/12. $$$-$$$$
Redd Wood, 6755 Washington St., Yountville, 707-299-5030, redd-wood.com. Chef Richard Reddington, who operates the respected Redd nearby, offers this upscale pizzeria for the foodies who flock to the little town of Yountville. The pizzas are amazing, but there are also pastas, house-made salumi, fish, main-course entrees and a lineup of fine desserts, including Italian ices. Italian wines complement the food. Reviewed 3/11/12. $$-$$$$
Homemade tiramisu at Risibisi Restaurant in Petaluma. (photo by Beth Schlanker)
Risibisi, 154 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-766-7600, risibisirestaurant.com. Risibisi is a good, northern Italian-style restaurant named for rice with peas, a favorite spring dish in the Veneto. Don’t miss the sea bass carpaccio antipasto. Pasta dishes including fettucini Bolognese and gnocchi with wild boar ragu just beg to be paired with one of the many excellent Italian red wines on the list. Entrees include eggplant parmesan, veal piccata and short ribs, among others. Good desserts, too. Reviewed 8/5/12. $$-$$$
Rosso Pizzeria & Mozzarella Bar, 151 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma, 707-772-5177, rossopizzeria.com. Rosso’s second iteration (the other is in Santa Rosa) focuses on house-made mozzarella and ricotta, some from cow’s milk and some from Craig Ramini’s herd of water buffalo in Tomales. All the pastas — a different type each night of the week — are house-made, and there’s a wood-fired oven turning out real Italian-style pizzas. Good salads, appetizers and a great wine list complete the picture. It’s a fine place for the whole family. Reviewed 9/2/12. $$
Rustic, Francis’s Favorites, 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, 707-857-1485, franciscoppolawinery.com/visit/dine/rustic. Francis Ford Coppola needs no introduction, yet at his winery/restaurant/resort/tasting room, you’ll get one anyway. The restaurant, called “Rustic, Francis’s Favorites,” features the Italian dishes of his childhood, plus adult loves like an Argentine grill serving big portions of beef with chimichurri sauce. The wine list is mostly from his winery, and that’s OK. A wood-burning oven makes wonderful pizzas. Reviewed 11/10/13. $-$$$$
A mixed berry crisp made by pastry chef Jenny Malicki at Spinster Sisters restaurant in Santa Rosa. (photo by Beth Schlanker)
The Spinster Sisters, 401 S. A St., Santa Rosa, 707-528-7100, thespinstersisters.com. The “New American Cooking” at this superb little restaurant is healthy, with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients deftly handled by chef Liza Hinman to create refined and enticing flavors. She likes cumin in yogurt, cares enough to peel and remove the seedy parts of cucumbers, and makes many ingredients in-house, such as duck terrine, bagels and lox, and kim chi. A fine wine list offers bottles from across America and around the world. Reviewed 9/9/12. $$-$$$
Spoonbar at h2hotel, 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-7222, spoonbar.com. Chef Louis Maldonado and the bartenders at this eco-hotel serve up some of the most innovative food and drinks around. When the kitchen plays with notions taken from the world’s cuisines, the results can be delicious. Case in point: North African-influenced short rib on quinoa with mint, rings of red-ripe jalapeño and preserved citrus make a super-tasty dish. Cured fish, vegetable appetizers and pastas all have something unique going on. Reviewed 4/15/12. $$$$
Terra Restaurant, 1345 Railroad Ave., St. Helena, 707-963-8931, terrarestaurant.com. For the past 24 years, Terra has set the standard for excellent quality and beautiful presentations, and continues to do so. Chef Hiro Sone is a master at pleasing the eye as well as the palate, with a menu of 22 items, from which you pick four, five, or six at varying (and expensive) price levels. But it’s worth it, because just about every item, from simple gnocchi to a combo of duck breast with duck sausage and duck liver mousse, is to sigh for. Very highly recommended. Reviewed 5/13/12. $$$$
Terrapin Creek Cafe, 1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-2700, terrapincreekcafe.com. Owners Andrew Truong and Liya Lin have fashioned one of the most charming restaurants in Wine Country, and her cooking is a shining example of locally sourced ingredients used in refined and thoughtful dishes that never fail to please. Simple soups and salads come to life. Entrees are rich and bold, like lamb sugo over pappardelle, and glazed baby back ribs. The cooking is pure Californian with a hint of French and Asian. Reviewed 3/24/13. $$$$
The Thomas at Fagiani’s, 813 Main St., Napa, 707-226-7821, thethomas-napa.com. An old downtown Napa building dating to the early 1900s is beautifully refurbished. Ground level is Fagiani’s bar with glorious cocktails. The second and third floors are The Thomas restaurant, where executive chef Brad Farmerie and chef de cuisine Jason Kupper will thrill you with the smartness of their culinary ideas and the quality of their cooking and presentations. The third floor is alfresco dining on the rooftop with views of the Napa River and beyond. Highly recommended. Reviewed 10/7/12. $$$-$$$$
Walter Hansel Wine & Bistro, 3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa, 707-546-6462, walterhanselbistro.com. The refurbished room serves as a wine bar for Walter Hansel Winery & Vineyard, and a showcase for chef Philippe Colasse’s French cooking. He springs surprises, too, such as Peruvian causa (a layered potato dish) and seafood ceviche appetizers. But it’s the French classics that really sing: sous vide chicken with mousseline sauce, perfect Liberty duck rillettes, potato gratin Savoyard, sea bass in beurre blanc sauce and much more. Reviewed 2/23/14 $$$$
Savor Healdsburg food tours typically takes guests on a 3-hour six stop tour of local restaurants and wine bars. One of their stops this day was at Bravas Bar de Tapas where guests tasted drinks such as this Red Sangria – made with seasonal fruit infused brandy and Torres orange liquer. (Photo by Charlie Gesell)
Food Sherpas like the Travel Channel’s Anthony Bourdain are whetting the appetites of a growing number of culinary tourists, who want to wander off the eaten path in Malaysia and Mexico, Paris and Rome.
In the past decade, food tours have also popped up in the Bay Area, from the back alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown to Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto.
At Portalupi, guests tasted wines such as their 2012 Pinot Noir, Russian River Vally – il migore served with prosciutto and goats milk Humboldt Fog.
Now, the culinary crossroads of Healdsburg has joined the fun, foodie party, with a few behind-the-scenes tours that explore the region’s confluence of farms, restaurants, breweries and wineries.
“When we started in 2004, people didn’t get it, but the county now is more recognized as a culinary and wine destination,” said Donna del Rey of Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg. “There’s so much here.”
From June through October, Relish offers two-day tours that first explore the farms, olive oil producers and wineries of the Dry Creek Valley, with participants gathering ingredients for a cooking class that night. The next day, the group heads to West County to visit a cheesemaker, a farm and a winery or brewery, with the option of a side trip to Bodega Bay to get a whole salmon.
Lodging at a Healdsburg bed-and-breakfast is included in the $1,750 per person (double occupancy) price of the tours.
After moving from Texas to Healdsburg a few years ago, Tammy Gass was surprised to find that there were no tours showcasing the region’s renowned restaurants. She had been on many such culinary tours around the world with her husband, a commercial airline pilot, and she recognized a delicious niche waiting to be filled.
“I wanted it to be food-focused and showcase the chefs and the unique options here,” Gass said. “There are casual places as well as fine dining.”
At Bravas Bar de Tapas, guests tasted dishes such as this creamy chicken, ham & Gruyere cheese croquetas.
In December, she launched Savor Healdsburg Food Tours, a walking tour in downtown aimed at folks who like to stretch their legs between bites and sips.
“It was terrific to walk everywhere, so we could see the different shops,” said Bentley Marane of Atlanta, who went on a recent tour. “We stopped in the plaza and learned more about the vineyards and wineries, so we got a good sense of the area.”
The tours are offered in the morning and afternoon, Wednesday through Sunday, for intimate groups of up to eight people.
“That lets people engage and ask questions,” Gass said.
A typical morning tour starts at 11 at The Wurst restaurant for some sweet-potato fries and a bite of a Sheboygan bratwurst sourced from Wisconsin by owner Charles Bell, a native of Detroit and former rock ’n’ roll guitarist.
Then it’s on to Mark and Terri Stark’s Bravas Bar de Tapas for three signature bites, such as Chorizo with Padron Peppers, and some tips on what to order at the bar during its popular happy hour.
Thus fortified, the group moves on to a boutique winery, such as Stark Wine Co. or Portalupi Wine Co., for a one-on-one tasting with a winemaker. A sweet treat follows at Costeaux Bakery, where guests learn about the bakery’s award-winning breads and get a cookie to go.
Next, the tour heads south of the plaza to Mateo’s Cocina Latina for a signature bite from Yucatan chef Mateo Granados: a tacone (crispy corn tortilla) filled with guacamole made with Preston Vineyards olive oil.
The moveable feast concludes at Healdsburg Shed for a tour of its unusual grain mill and the upstairs Grange area, and a refreshing shrub fruit drink at the Fermentation Bar.
At Shed, customers can eat-in or buy food to go and purchase these homemade ice creams with flavors that change with the season.
Afternoon tours also stop at Shed, Costeaux and tasting rooms, but veer off to Campo Fina, where chef Ari Rosen serves up his Old School in a Skillet (meatballs with tomato sauce and ciabatta bread), and Spoonbar, for a few bites from “Top Chef” finalist
Louis Maldonado’s snack menu.
Savor Healdsburg Food Tours cost $85, including all food, tips and tax.
Gourmet Walks, a company based in San Francisco that offers culinary walking tours in the Bay Area, gives a sweet twist to the outings on foot with a Healdsburg Gourmet Chocolate Tour.
Offered on Fridays and Saturdays, the tour makes eight stops for such goodies as chocolate ice cream, truffles, cupcakes and Port. The tour lasts two-plus hours and costs $55.
Healdsburg’s Twilight Parade is on May 22. (photo by Crista Jeremiason)
MAY 4: Day Under the Oaks
This Santa Rosa Junior College open house and education fair is fun for the whole family. It offers more than 140 booths, Native American dancers, magic shows in the Chemistry Lab, planetarium shows, Shone Farm petting zoo, plant sale, jazz and contemporary music presentations, food and more. Free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa Rosa Junior College, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-527-4424, santarosa.edu/about_srjc/day-under-the-oaks
MAY 11: Mother’s Day Bubbles and BBQ
Take Mom out for the day, for sparkling wine and slow-cooked beef brisket, pork spareribs and chicken. While you’re at it, let her enjoy live blues music by the Ragtag Sullivan Duo. Noon to 2 p.m. Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, 23555 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-996-7256, gloriaferrer.com
Montgomery High School band performs during the 2013 Luther Burbank Rose Parade & Festival. (photo by Crista Jeremiason)
MAY 17: Luther Burbank Rose Parade & Festival
One of the biggest and oldest of the region’s traditional parades, this perennial favorite is named for the world-famous horticulturist, who lived in Santa Rosa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 120th annual event starts downtown at 10 a.m. It drew more than 150 entries and some 4,000 participants last year. 707-523-3728, roseparadefestival.com
MAY 17-18: Taste Alexander Valley
More than 25 wineries will host wine and food parties, offering pairings, live entertainment and special wine discounts. The weekend event is presented by the Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $65 advance, $75 at the door; Sunday only $45/$55. 888-289-4637, alexandervalley.org
MAY 22: Healdsburg Twilight Parade
Load up on hometown charm, from homemade floats to kids riding tricycles and wearing overalls, when the Healdsburg Future Farmers of America stage this 65th annual procession through downtown. The parade starts at 6 p.m; arrive early to stake out your place on the sidewalk. healdsburgfair.org
Healdbsurg Jazz Festival. (phtoo by Beth Schlanker)
MAY 30-JUNE 8: Healdsburg Jazz Festival
The lineup for this tribute to jazz will include “Celebration of the Blues,” a two-day mini-festival at Santa Rosa’s Jackson Theater, starring harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite and jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman. The overall festival will also feature jazz bassist Ron Carter, the Marcus Shelby Orchestra, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival Freedom Jazz Choir and others. 707-433-4644, healdsburgjazz.org
MAY 31-JUNE 1, JUNE 7-8: Art at the Source
Thanks to the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, art lovers can roam western Sonoma County on these two weekends, visiting artists of all kinds in their studios to watch them work — and perhaps take home a one-of-a-kind creation. The self-guided tour features more than 150 artists each year, including painters, sculptors, woodworkers, jewelers, ceramic and fabric artists, and more. Free. sebarts.org, 707-829-4797
JUNE 13-14: Country Summer
A three-time Grammy nominee at age 22, country singer Hunter Hayes stars at this music festival that also features Darius Rucker, former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish. Gates open at 2 p.m. on June 13, 11 a.m. on June 14. $49-$79. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 800-514-3849, countrysummer.com
Hot Air Balloon Classic. (photo by Kent Porter)
JUNE 14-15: Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic
Bundle up, bring blankets and be at Windsor’s Keiser Park at 5:30 a.m. both days to see the glowing balloons of “The Dawn Patrol” go up, followed by the main launch of some 30 other balloons at 6:30 a.m. Public balloon rides are reserved and sell out in advance, so check the website for availability. Keiser Park, 700 Windsor River Road, Windsor, schabc.org
JUNE 14: Huichica Music Festival
The ever-hip and lively Gundlach Bundschu winery’s one-day, indie-folk music festival, also known for its good food and music, returns for its fifth year. Musical acts include The Blank Tapes, Kelley Stoltz and Mount Eerie. 2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707-938-5277, huichicamusicfestival.com
JUNE 14: Oysters and Whites Experience
Tune up your palate for summer’s pleasures at a pairing of white wines with oysters in Sebastopol. Taste Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer and determine which brings out the best in raw oysters. $20 (complimentary with $100 wine purchase).
Dutton-Goldfield, 100 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, 707-823-3887, duttongoldfield.com
JUNE 18-22: Sonoma-Marin Fair
Petaluma’s down-home event is probably best-known for its annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, but it also boasts a strong country and rock concert lineup. This year’s stars include the Marshall Tucker Band, Kellie Pickler, Kix Brooks and Loverboy. Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, 707-283-3247, sonoma-marinfair.org
JUNE 21: “Wet Paint”
In keeping with its customary lively style, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art plans to make its 14th annual fundraiser, to be held at Ramekins Culinary School and Inn (450 W. Spain St., Sonoma), fun for everyone. The museum invited artists to create new works with a summer solstice theme, and there will be live performances by colorfully clad dancers. SVMA, 551 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-939-7862, svma.org
JUNE 21-SEPT. 1: Summer Concert Series
Rodney Strong Vineyards’ 24th outdoor music series opens June 21 with Jazz Attack, featuring Peter White, Rick Braun and Euge Groove; includes Chris Isaak on July 13; Mindi Abair with Elliot Yamin and Spencer Day on July 26; Chris Botti on Aug. 16; and closes with Tower of Power with Jonathan Butler on Aug. 31. $50-$1155. 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, 707-433-0998, rodneystrong.com/events
This is the annual food and wine event that pretty-much sums up what it is to live in Sonoma County. Held at the Summerfield Waldorf School’s breathtaking biodynamic farm, top Bay Area chefs and vintners come together (many of whom are alums or have children at the school), to feast and toast under the stars. Among the feast-makers: Traci Des Jardins of Jarndiniere, Jon Stewart and Duskie Estates of Zazu restaurant and farm, Nick Peyton of HBG (and formerly of Cyrus), Lowell Sheldon of Peter Lowell’s and the schools’ own chef, Mat Petersen. Vintners pouring include Claypool Cellars, Coturri, Davis Family Vineyards, Littorai, Truett Hurst, Roederer, Small Vines Wines, Porter Bass and Martinelli Winery. Saturday, May 17, 3:30pm to 10:30pm, $90 per person, benefitting the school’s scholarship program. Tickets at farmtofeast.org.
