Craig Ramini, owner of Ramini Mozzarella, died last week. Photo courtesy of Audrey Hitchcock
Craig Ramini, owner of Ramini Mozzarella, died last week. Photo courtesy of Audrey Hitchcock
The local food industry was rocked by the recent news that Craig Ramini, the founder of Ramini Mozzarella, died last week from a short battle with cancer.
News of his sickness filtered through the community when wife Audrey Hitchcock set up a fundraiser for his medical bills and announced she was suspending operations at the creamery — at least temporarily.
As the news sinks in, friends are working to help maintain the Tomales ranch and hope to garner enough support to keep Ramini’s dream alive. So far, nearly $16,000 has been raised, but much more is needed.
Local brews hook up with that perfect mate. (illustrations by Ryan Mesheau)
Wine and cheese parties are de rigueur in Sonoma, but beer is often a better friend to fromage.
Much of that has to do with beer’s carbonation, which cuts through cheese’s creamy, mouth-coating fat. (Sparkling wine does the same thing). Add the bitterness of hops, the sweetness of malt, and additional flavorings such as fruit, spice and oak, and beer becomes a multidimensional, nearly universal match for cheese. Crisp white wines can be excellent with many cheeses, yet the astringent tannins in red wines can have a curdling effect in the mouth with milky cheeses. Beer is a safer bet.
Delicate beers (think lagers) tend to go best with young, fresh cheeses, yet delicate isn’t on the menu for winter. The season calls for hearty, rich, throatwarming brown ales, porters and stouts, and they can pair beautifully with nutty aged and smoked cheeses, Brie-like triple creams, even blue cheeses, notorious for being a wrecking ball on the palate with wine.
Try these combinations of local cheese producers and local brewers:
Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk with hoppy ales
This triple-cream cheese, which grows more pungent with age, calls for equally assertive beers. Try Red Tail Ale from Mendocino Brewing and Bear Republic Brewing’s Red Rocket Ale.
Bellwether Farms Carmody with stout
Fogbelt Brewing’s Armstrong Stout has a bitter chocolate finish that pleasantly contrasts with this buttery cow’s milk cheese. Lagunitas Brewing’s Cappuccino Stout, available January through March, has a strong coffee note and a 9.2 percent alcohol punch, yet for an after-dinner sip with Carmody, it’s a dream.
Bleating Heart Ewelicious Blue with Imperial stout
Yes, it’s a blue cheese, and a relatively mild one made by this Tomales producer, yet it’s assertive enough for Lagunitas Imperial Stout: roasty, toasty and viscous, with bittersweet chocolate and coffee notes.
Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog aged goat cheese with brown ale
St. Florian’s Brown Ale has great crispness to support its nutty, malty base, and it stand ups nicely to this pleasantly assertive, creamy cheese from Arcata.
Joe Matos St. George with moderately hoppy stouts
This full-flavored cow’s milk cheese from Sebastopol has a cheddar-like depth and texture. Its nutty notes make it ideal for Dempsey’s Ugly Dog Stout from Petaluma, and Cloverdale Monster Brown Ale from Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub.
A sampler flight of beers at Bear Republic Brewing Co., in Healdsburg. (photo by Christopher Chung)
Buck up, buttercup. The holidays are over, so put aside those seasonal beers with pumpkin, spice, spruce and other oddball ingredients, and embrace authentic winter brews, the amber and brown ales, the porters and stouts of the beer universe.
Soul-warming dark, rich ales with their typically creamy textures, toasted malt, roasted coffee and dark chocolate flavors are the grain-and-hops drinks of winter. They’re sumptuous and comforting, meant for sipping and not chugging, and they’re great mates with cold-weather foods such as stews, roasts, root vegetables, mushrooms, chili, skillet cornbread and most cheeses.
Seth Wood pouring beer at Woodfour Brewing Company in The Barlow in Sebastopol. (photo by Crista Jeremiason)
As the weather changes, so do beer tastes. Light lagers, which are cold-fermented and stored (“lagered”) for weeks or months under cold temperatures, are the beers of summer, the Budweisers at the low end and Pilsner Urquells at the higher end. They’re crisp and refreshing, with the purity of flavor more important than the quantity of flavor. Ales, on the other hand, are fermented at warmer temperatures and with yeasts that bring out the heady, complex, seductive aromas of the grains, malts and hops from which they’re made.
Pale ales and India Pale Ales (IPAs) are golden-colored and refreshing, with a touch of bitterness from the liberal use of hops, the resin-y dried flowers that give beer its bite. Amber ales, named for their color, are richer yet still crisp, with a balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness. These beers are assertively delicious year-round, yet none are a better friend for cold-weather consumption than seasonal brown ales, stouts and Imperial stouts.
Wine Country is a hotbed for these winter warmers and there are dozens from which to choose, on tap and in bottle. Always tinkering, local brewers push the envelope by adding a vast array of ingredients to the basic ale recipe of water, barley, hops and yeast. Chocolate, vanilla, coffee, spices, berries, citrus rind and flaked oatmeal can add complexity to their beers, as does aging them in used wine and bourbon barrels.
Brown ales are typically brewed with chocolate malt, roasted coffee and other adjuncts to give them their deep color and intense flavor. St. Florian’s
Brewery in Windsor produces a beautifully balanced brown that has hints of malt, coffee and caramel.
Bottles of beer on the wall at Woodfour Brewing Company. (Crista Jeremiason)
“While most brown ales tend toward bitter or sweet, this is perfectly balanced between those flavor profiles,” said coowner and CEO Amy Levin. “Brown ales have a reputation for being heavier beers, but ours is a palate cleanser.”
At 6 percent alcohol by volume, it does a fine job of combatting a cold afternoon or evening, with notes of roasted nuts, caramel and salty anise.
Levin and her husband, Aron, a captain with the Windsor Fire District, named the brewery after Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. They donate a minimum of 5 percent of their profits to fire-related and community-based organizations.
At its Cloverdale brewery, Healdsburg-based Bear Republic Brewing Co. makes an altogether different brown ale. Its Peter Brown Tribute Ale reflects brewer Richard “Ricardo” Norgrove’s penchant for making big, hoppy, malty ales. Tribute is brewed with molasses and brown sugar; its sweetness disappears in the brewing process, but a deep chocolate and caramel character remains.
Dry stouts (think Ireland’s Guinness) are very dark, occasionally jetblack, roasty, bitter and creamy, sometimes with bittersweet chocolate notes. A relatively new player in the Sonoma suds scene, Fogbelt Brewing in Santa Rosa is the partnership of Paul Hawley and Remy Martin, both of whom come from local winemaking families. In November, they brewed a fresh batch of Armstrong Stout and moved it to a finishing tank, adding American oak chips soaked in bourbon.
Josh Hamilton pours a beer for the Friday crowd at Fogbelt Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. (photo by Connor Jay)
“The chips should complement the roasty chocolate flavors from the dark-roasted malt with hints of vanilla, spice and cedar,” Hawley said. “A
good stout is a beer you can cozy up with in front of a fire (and we have a fireplace at the taproom).”
Woodfour Brewing in Sebastopol produces Coffee and Pie, a stout brewed with coffee and blackberries; Petaluma’s Lagunitas Brewing Company makes Cappuccino Stout, available January through March, using coffee beans from Sebastopol’s Hardcore Coffee. This is “coffee” for adults, and at 9.2 percent alcohol, it will keep you plenty warm.
And what on the surface seems to be a bad idea is actually surprisingly successful at HenHouse Brewing Co. in Petlauma. Its Oyster Stout is made with, yes, real oyster meat and shells from Tomales Bay.
HenHouse, founded in 2012 by Collin McDonnell, Shane Goepel and Scott Goyne, uses about 3 pounds of whole oysters and an equal weight of shells in each 31-gallon boil. The idea is that the shells, high in calcium carbonate, add a distinctive, mineral-y taste and texture to stout’s roasted coffee and malt profile. It doesn’t smell or taste of oysters, and the mineral character likely isn’t obvious to most beer lovers. But the stout is delicious, good enough that it’s served at the French Laundry in Napa Valley.
Cristian Jara Villegas, left, and Jay Fellers share a sampler flight of beers at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. (photo by Christopher Chung)
One rung up the big-beer ladder are Imperial stouts, decadent and potent, with alcohol levels as high as 12 percent. They’re referred to as “strong” beers, and for good reason. Imperials are luscious and chewy, with low carbonation. The intense flavors of roasted grain, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa and spice often are accompanied by glimmers of prunes and raisins.
Fort Bragg’s North Coast Brewing has had great success with its Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, a monster with roasted coffee bean and chocolate flavors and a heavy hit of hop bitterness. It’s to be sipped, not gulped. The same is true for Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley Brewing Co.’s Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, a viscous, woodsy ale with a strong espresso personality and a hint of caramel.
So when the temperature drops, pour a frothy pint of winter ale, tuck into a cheese plate or savory stew, and feel a glow from head to toe. The
lagers and IPAs can wait until spring.
French mocha and cappuccino chocolates from Wine Country Chocolates in Glen Ellen. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Betty Kelly has a message for people who love chocolate. Who really, really love chocolate:
It’s not all about the sweet stuff, baby.
The co-owner of Wine Country Chocolates in Glen Ellen said she is seeing more and more customers eschew milk chocolate for dark chocolate, and gooey cream fillings for savory add-ins like tart apricot. Then there’s the mother lode: dark and savory together, such as Kelly’s signature hot and spicy cashews enrobed in dark chocolate.
Part of the change comes from modern eaters’ increasing appreciation for bolder flavors, but there’s also a bonus.
Wine Country Chocolate in Glen Ellen with co-owners Betty, left, and Caroline Kelly, right.
“I always tell people that the good stuff in chocolate — the antioxidants and such — is in the chocolate and not in the sugar, so the darker the chocolate, the better it is for you,” explained Kelly, who founded the confectionery shop 15 years ago with her daughter, Caroline Kelly. “Luckily, there are a lot of chocolate lovers who agree.”
As Valentine’s Day rolls around, Kelly anticipates that savory sweets like her dark chocolate-dipped spicy ginger skewers might start to nudge out classics like boxed milk chocolates. Her wine-infused truffles, too, rely on the assertive notes of 61 percent dark chocolate to support the acid and tannins that people appreciate in Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.
Today’s chocolate experience isn’t limited to candy. Inventive chefs and bartenders are showcasing fermented, roasted and ground cacao in interesting ways, slipping it into sauces, kicking it up with chiles, and blending it into cocktails. The result: slight sweetness edged with bitter, heat and spice.
David Gambill, co-founder and chief confectioner of Sonoma Chocolatiers.
David Gambill and Susan McCarn, founders of Sebastopol’s Sonoma Chocolatiers, focus strictly on dark chocolates, crafting 90 flavors in the small store on McKinley Street where signage reads, “Taste the Darkside.” Since 2008, chief confectioner Gambill has pushed the envelope with flavors such as rosemary-goat cheese truffle, mulled cider-spiced chocolate caramel, salted grapefruit, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and chocolates infused with black, green and herbal teas from his tea house.
One of Gambill’s first chocolates was infused with a tea he blended specifically for a truffle, and it remains a best-seller. Citrus Earl is a marriage of fragrant lavender, citrus and sour bergamot. The creation is extra-mouthwatering when sipped with his white lavender almond milk latte.
“Tea has layers of flavors that provide a wonderfully complex taste profile,” Gambill said. “And many teas are pronounced enough that they can stand up to the strong flavor of dark chocolate. The trick is to pair the tea with the chocolate that will best complement, contrast or balance. I always want my chocolates to start and end with the flavor of chocolate, and the tea, fruit, cheese or other flavors arriving and fading through the middle.”
Just-made butter creme chocolates at Sonoma Chocolatiers.
Gambill constantly experiments. His new orange-olive oil truffle won Best of Show in the professional candy category at the 2014 Sonoma County Harvest Fair and no wonder: it’s a tiny striped block of heaven, dairy-free and made with local olive oils. As it melts on the tongue, it evolves into a symphony of each ingredient, discernible yet beautifully merging.
“In the first second of biting into chocolate, one experiences more than 500 flavors,” Gambill said. “Why would I want to muddle that most amazing experience with the monotone sweet-on-sweet that sugar creates? One of my favorite chocolates is a simple, 85 percent cacao truffle packed with roasted cacao nibs. I never want to have to work through the cloying annoyance of sugar to find the flavor.”
Latin American cuisine has long revered the savory aspects of chocolate, as the Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift from Quetzalcóatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds had so much value they were used as a form of currency.
In Santa Rosa, Cookie…Take a Bite! owner Tracy Mattson honors those ancient cacao lovers with her gluten-free Aztec Hot Chocolate Crinkle cookie, sneaking in a surprising kiss of pink peppercorn, cinnamon and almond. The treats are small, pop-in-your-mouth nibbles, following Mattson’s belief that an ideal dessert is one that satiates a sugar craving but intrigues with layered flavor and a bit of heat, and is not overwhelming in size. Gambill, too, makes a peppery Mayan spice truffle, just the thing to pair with his tequila truffle.
Granados’ Manhattan Mexicana cocktail includes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters.
Healdsburg chef Mateo Granados looks to his own Yucatan heritage for chocolate inspiration, adding it to the cocktails and cuisine at Mateo’s Cocina Latina restaurant. A Manhattan Mexicana cocktail teases the taste buds with sweet, sour, oak and smoke, in a mix of Tres Agaves añejo tequila, Noilly Prat vermouth, whiskey-barrel-aged bitters and Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters zinged with peppers and spices.
“It’s a salute to an ancient Aztec cacao drink that was believed to have aphrodisiac powers and make the drinker powerful,” Granados said. “The chocolate bitters gives an earthy flavor that softens the vermouth and lets both the vermouth and the tequila flavors come through in the classic orange-chocolate combination.”
Cacao also plays as starring role in Granados’ mole sauce, made with Mexican bitter chocolate, baked pineapple, plantains, raisins, caramelized onions, roasted papaya and ancho chiles.
“It’s often served with roast rooster, which is better than chicken because it needs to be cooked longer, and that lets the mole thicken and get richer,” he said.
Mateo Granados pours mole sauce on lamb meat that will go into enchiladas.
The French-trained Granados also likes French bitter chocolate for his veal chop smothered in morel mushrooms and chocolate sauce. The earthiness of the mushrooms and the rich fattiness of the veal come together with the chocolate for a silky flood of umami in the mouth.
For his classes at Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma, chef Agustin Gaytan draws on his upbringing in San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico, delivering dishes such as mole negro Oaxaqueño, turkey in a coal-black mole of dried chiles, chocolate and nuts (delicious with a shot of Gaytan’s smoky
mescal and bitter liquid chocolate aperitif).
The smallest savory accent can make a huge difference for avoiding sugar overload, as witnessed by the now ubiquitous trend of adding salt to chocolate. There is the immensely popular chocolate caramel sea salt ice cream sandwich created by Ozzy Jimenez and Christian Sullberg at Moustache Baked Goods and its sister store, Noble Folk Ice Cream + Pie Bar, both in Healdsburg. Bravas Bar de Tapas in Healdsburg offers a playful dessert of Nutella on toast, the chocolate-hazelnut spread spiked with olive oil, vanilla bean sea salt and orange zest.
Sonoma Chocolatiers’ Gambill is so adamant about the pure powers of savory chocolate that he doesn’t add sugar to the filling in his truffles. The only sugar comes from the Scharffen Berger chocolate he uses as a coating.
“Sugar is added to the ganache center for two reasons,” he said of conventional chocolates. “Mostly as a preservative, but also to mask a low quality of chocolate. Deep, rich, satisfying chocolate doesn’t need distractions. We use very dark chocolate, which has a small amount of sugar to round out the bitterness, but the natural flavors of the chocolate and whatever the truffle is infused with get to shine through.”
It may not be good news for See’s Candies, but there it is.
“As America’s palate becomes more sophisticated, more people are coming to share this belief,” Gambill said. “The only problem is my customers and staff curse me now. They tell me I’ve ruined their ability to enjoy those widely available, super-sweet chocolates they ate before trying mine.”
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
Michelin-starred Chef Brandon Sharp has announced plans to open Evangeline restaurant in Calistoga in early February.
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
The restaurant, at 1226 Washington St., has been home to a revolving door of restaurants, but was purchased last spring by Sharp’s employers at Solage Calistoga resort. In the interim, the historic brick building with a much-coveted patio space, underwent extensive renovation.
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
What we’re stoked about is the menu-concept: A casual French bistro with a Creole soul. Classic New Orlean’s dishes like Poulet Grand-Mereand Gumbo Ya Ya are slated, along with Sharp’s own Croque Marin which is a Croque Madame with Millionaire’s bacon (bacon cooked with brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne).
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
The 2,000 square-foot space will include eight taps for wine, five taps for beer from NorCal breweries and a cocktail program featuring NOLA-inspired drinks.
Expect to pay around $15-$27 for entrees, with lunch and dinner (11a.m. to 9p.m. daily) service.
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
Sharp, who is VP of Culinary Ops for Solage Hotels and Resorts will act as the restaurant’s Managing Partner.
More details at opening.
Chef Brandon Sharp of Solage Resorts/Solbar will open Evangeline in Calistoga in Feb 2015
Chef Kyle Connaughton will open Single Thread Farms and Inn in Healdsburg. Photo courtesy of Eric Wolfinger
Chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife, Katina Connaughton, will open Single Thread Farms and Inn in Healdsburg. Photo courtesy of Sally Egan.
Several months ago, Healdsburg began buzzing with rumors that a top-notch chef may be moving into winemaker Pete Seghesio’s newly-constructed Healdsburg Meat Company property at 131 North Street (the former post office).
Turns out the grapevine was surprisingly accurate. Today it was announced that world-renowned Chef Kyle Connaughton and wife Katina Connaughton will open Single Thread Farms Restaurant & Inn inside the space later this year. Seghesio’s butchery and a small tasting room for his Journeyman wines will occupy part of the first floor. They will also produce wine inside the Single Thread dining room in a glass-enclosed fermentation tank — making it the country’s smallest licensed winery.
“We really hoped to create a culinary showcase for the area with (this) building and we can’t think of a better pairing than the Connaughtons,” said Pete Seghesio. “They represent the essence of the modern food movement,” he added.
Chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife, Katina Connaughton, will open Single Thread Farms and Inn in Healdsburg. Photo courtesy of Sally Egan.
So here’s the skinny: The forthcoming 55-seat restaurant will offer an “experience” than includes personalized tours of the restaurant’s rooftop garden and greenhouse, an 11-course meal, California-centric wine pairings, lush decor, and the option to stay in one of the space’s five suites while being pampered and indulged throughout the evening.
Following a fine-dining trend that’s proved popular from Chicago to LA and New York, diners will purchase a ticket (running about $200 per person) for the meal in advance,
Connaughton, who spent many years cooking in Japan compares the luxe dining concept to “omotenashi”, translated as a heightened sense of hospitality and anticipation of a guest’s every need.
Chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife, Katina Connaughton, will open Single Thread Farms and Inn in Healdsburg. Photo courtesy of Sally Egan.
Connaughton’s wife Katina, who is an experienced culinary gardener, will manage a 5-acre farm near Healdsburg, driving the menu almost entirely. Also enamored with Japanese culinary techniques, she embraces an ancient Japanese farming technique that breaks seasons into 72 five-day farming cycles, also known in the expanding culinary farm-to-table cuisine as micro-seasons. That means a menu that could change daily according to what’s at the height of harvest.
Connaughton hasn’t given much detail on the types of dishes he’ll be serving on the three tasting menus (meat and seafood, seafood and vegetables, and vegetarian), but says they will be uniquely Sonoma County, with influences from his time in Japan, modernist cuisine inspired by his stint at the UK’s Fat Duck; the traditional French cooking of three Michelin-starred Michel Bras and local artisan foods of Sonoma County.
“We’re bringing together farm-driven cooking with innovation,” he said.
Reading between the lines: Sonoma County is about to have a new Michelin-star contender.
Speaking to his aspirations, Connaughton said, “I think we have a real opportunity. Sonoma County is a true food and wine destination, and that kind of (fine dining) experience is one that a destination location should have.”
Pieology has stores throughout the West, and will soon open in Santa Rosa
Pieology Coming to Santa Rosa
Pizza chain Pieology, with more than 50 locations primarily in the Western U.S., is putting down stakes in Santa Rosa. The long-vacated Blockbuster store in the Mendocino Marketplace (2280 Mendocino Ave.) is slated to open later this month. The custom pie shop features DIY “artisan style” 11.5-inch pizzas, each under $10.
Pieology has stores throughout the West, and will soon open in Santa Rosa
Mix and match traditional or gourmet toppings (herb butter sauce, meatballs, gorgonzola cheese, roasted red peppers) and get it cooked to order in their stone oven. Ready in about five minutes, its fast food with a personal twist.
Chef Andrew Wilson has been named executive chef at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen
Chef Andrew Wilson has been named executive chef at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen
Andrew Wilson hasbeen named the new chef at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, replacing Dustin Valette.
Wilson was most recently at the Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar in Sonoma. With Wilson at the helm, Palmer says he plans to create “an elevated dining experience at the Hotel Healdsburg restaurant with a new style of service, enhanced operations, and all-new menus.”
We’ll look forward in coming weeks to seeing what changes Wilson brings to the popular destination restaurant.
After all the excesses of the holidays, it may be tempting to lay off the wine for a while. But there are still plenty of occasions where the fruit of the vine is welcome, especially with food. A good time for experimentation and restrained spending, this is a season marked by holidays intimate (Valentine’s Day) and grand (Super Bowl). Enjoy.
ZINFANDEL FOR THE SUPER BOWL
If you like: DeLoach Vineyards 2012 Saitone Vineyard Olivet Bench Russian River Valley Zinfandel ($45)
From one of the most storied sites in the Russian River Valley comes this stubbornly persistent Zin, brambly and dusty and with an intense old-vine character. Cinnamon spice accents the hearty fruit in this balanced, complex wine. It’s a good candidate for cellaring (five to 10 years).
Then try: River Road Family Vineyards and Winery 2012 Boschetti Vineyard Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel ($20)
From a vineyard dating to 1925, this lovely Zinfandel is aromatic in sandalwood and blackberry, with peppery spice interspersed with generous fruit and creamy vanilla. There aren’t a lot of old Zinfandel vines in Russian River Valley, so this is not only a great find, it comes at an irresistible price.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON FOR GROUNDHOG DAY
If you like: Markham Vineyards 2010 The Altruist Calistoga Estate Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65)
Given more than two years of aging in French oak barrels, most of them new, this is a sizably lush and intense Napa Valley Cabernet, made from grapes grown at the winery’s estate vineyard. Bay leaf imprints itself on the wine’s entry, followed by juicy blackberry and vanilla notes. The firm tannins suggest this wine will improve with time in the cellar.
Then try: Dealy Lane 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)
From Michael Mondavi’s portfolio of family estate wines, Dealy Lane over-delivers on flavor given its price. This Cab has bold aromas of rose and lavender and a palate of zingy black fruit, oak and bacon.
DESSERT WINE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
If you like: Joseph Phelps 2013 Eisrébe Napa Valley White Wine ($50)
This subtle dessert wine is made from Scheurebe grapes (native to Austria) and has a lightness and floral quality to it. It’s lovely and fresh, expressing apricot and honey sweetness that lingers on the palate. It also can be enjoyed as an aperitif or digestif.
Then try: Benessere 2012 Estate St. Helena Vineyard Scintillare Moscato di Canelli ($25)
Perfumed and aromatic, it’s reminiscent of Gewürztraminer in its ripe lychee aromas and flavors. This balanced wine, made from Muscat di Canelli grapes, has a pretty lightness to go with its moderate sweetness.
CHARDONNAY FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
If you like: Keller Estate 2012 La Cruz Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($38)
From the family’s estate vineyard high above Lakeville Highway, in the heart of what may one day be officially known as the Petaluma Gap appellation, this barrel-fermented Chardonnay is creamy and full-flavored. This style would pair well with Peking duck, dumplings and spicy noodles.
Then try: MacMurray Ranch 2013 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($20)
This is a straightforward Chardonnay with layers of ripe tropical fruit and caramel, a generous creamy texture and whispers of vanillin oak. Stock up for festive feasts in celebration of the Year of the Sheep.
Some believe romance doesn’t just happen. It is in fact a premeditated act. With this in mind, we asked some Sonoma County notables: What’s the most romantic gesture you’ve ever made?
Terry Ehret, Sonoma County’s poet laureate from 2004 to 2006, celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary in Paris. To help finance the 2004 trip with her husband, she set up poetry readings and workshops in the City of Light. One workshop focused on poems based on Picasso’s portraits of women; a reading was held with the setting sun illuminating the facade of Notre Dame. While romance was in the air, the presence of Ehret’s daughter and colleagues from Santa Rosa Junior College, who were on spring break in Paris, were aperitifs.
For Crista Luedtke, owner of Guerneville’s Boon Hotel + Spa, Boon Eat + Drink and the new El Barrio bar, her romantic move nearly went down in flames. To surprise her girlfriend during a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2013, Luedtke rigged up a pathway of luminaria — glowing candles in paper bags — that lit the way from their bungalow to a blanket, a bottle of wine and “a sneaky little ring box.” One of the paper bags caught on fire, but a chain reaction was avoided and the evening continued on. Her partner said yes.
Santa Rosa’s Joan Frank, novelist and short-story writer, confessed to being “a kind of monster” because she was seldom thoughtful in amorous ways. But a few years ago, Frank arranged a weekend getaway to Malibu so she and her husband could spend time in a cabin on the ocean. While she has always been obsessed with writing, she now tries to make room for romance. “There’s never, as far as I can tell, a bad time for flowers, Champagne and declarations of love,” she said. It rained their entire weekend in Malibu. It wasn’t an issue.
Jamie Kutch made a daring marriage proposal during the grape harvest of 2005. The owner of and winemaker at Kutch Wines in Sonoma sent a red box containing a diamond ring down the slow-moving grape-sorting conveyor belt. His girlfriend, Kristen Green, was at the other end of the conveyor, removing damaged grapes before they went into the press. She grabbed the box before it got mangled in the machinery; Kutch proposed on the spot and Green said yes. They celebrate their 10th anniversary this year.
In a Healdsburg bar in 2008, Will Seppi ran into a woman he’d known since preschool. As they danced to a Johnny Cash tune on the jukebox, Seppi, the president of his family’s Costeaux French Bakery, asked her suddenly, “Will you go on a trip to Europe with me?” To his surprise, she said yes, and today they’re married and with three kids. “It’s a longer story than you’ll want to write,” said Seppi, the Healdsburg Sunrise Rotarian of the Year in 2014, “but long story short, we ran into each other at John & Zeke’s the day after Thanksgiving six years ago.” The rest is history.
