Beverage director Jordan Nova selects a bottle from the many featured wines at 1313 Main in Napa on Friday, October 11, 2013. (Conner Jay/The Press Democrat)

Wine of the Week: Kenwood Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaking is the perfect blend of Mother Nature, science and art. That’s how Pat Henderson sees it. Henderson, 53, is the chief winemaker behind our wine-of-the week winner, the Kenwood Vineyards 2012 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon at $19. The cabernet has enticing aromas of black raspberry and currant. On the palate, the wine is weighted […]

Things to Do This Week in Sonoma County

Written by Crissi Langwell & Dan Taylor for The Press Democrat. If you’re looking for something to do this week, you’ve come to the right place. This Saturday night, don your best Rocky Horror fashions and arm yourself with props for the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Phoenix Theatre. Burn some calories before your […]
The Fremont Diner in Sonoma is famous for its chicken and waffles. The wait for a plate can be up to an hour on busy weekends, but these chicken and waffles transport your taste buds straight to the South. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Food & Wine Magazine Named Fremont Diner Among “Best Diners”

Fremont Diner was just named among the “best diners” in America by Food & Wine magazine. Now it will be even more crowded, but everything works quite smoothly and the food is always interesting. It’s definitely a creative diner, rather than what we might think of as a traditional one. So often you see two […]

Is Your Wine Aging Well, or Just Getting Tired?

An awful lot of wine we cellar or put in storage lockers simply does not get better with age, but why? One of the problems we face is how to know whether a particular wine is aging well or merely getting tired. One way is to open a bottle of which you have more than […]
A sample flight of bears at Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg in 2013.

Bear Republic to Open New Brewpub in Rohnert Park

Bear Republic Brewing Co. will expand in Sonoma County by opening a brewpub in Rohnert Park, at the site of the shuttered Latitude Island Grill. The new brewpub will be in addition to its original location in Healdsburg and its new production facility in Cloverdale. It is expected to open within a year. The deal […]

Things to Do in Sonoma County This Weekend

Written by Crissi Langwell and Dan Taylor for The Press Democrat. This week is packed full of things to do. Here’s where you need to be. This weekend marks the 25th annual Santa Rosa Tattoos & Blues Festival, running Friday through Sunday at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. Also happening is the Windsor’s Got […]

2016 BottleRock Restaurants and Food Vendors Announced

Music festival band lineups? Meh. We’re waiting for the chef lineups to be announced, Napa’s 2016 BottleRock team has finally served up details on the food rock stars waiting to feed us this summer. The annual music festival in Napa is a coming together of food, wine, art and of course, music. The mostly-Napa lineup mixes […]

Five Spring White Wines to Enjoy in Sonoma County

This time of year is a conundrum. We have one muddy shoe in the rainy season, while the other is tap dancing under sun-kissed skies. We don’t dare leave our jackets in the hall closet … or do we? Our palates are just as confused but, in the end, can’t resist the urge to chase […]
Slicing beef brisket at the Cochon Volant BBQ Smoke House in Sonoma. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Pig out at Sonoma’s new Cochon Volant

The metal flying pig sculpture soaring atop the roof of Cochon Volant BBQ Smokehouse in Sonoma promises pork, as does the name Cochon, which is French for “pig.” And certainly that succulent meat is a hallmark of this friendly little eatery from chef-owner Rob Larman. If the art piece from Glen Ellen talent Bryan Tedrick […]

Sonoma Cheese Factory Celebrates 85th Anniversary

Written by Kathleen Hill for the Sonoma Index-Tribune. Sonoma Cheese Factory celebrated 85 years in business on Wednesday, Feb. 17, with members of the founding Viviani family present. New decals decorate the windows, saying Sonoma Cheese Factory was started in 1931. Tom Vella and Celso Viviani used to make cheese together, with Vella’s brother Joseph, […]