Southern Sonoma Country Life

Designer Digs in Charming West Petaluma Neighborhood

Here's a stand-out property that has just now hit the market in a charming West Petaluma neighborhood. Compact and cozy with all sorts of tasteful designer touches make for move-in readiness.

This super-sweet home has all the bells and whistles in the style department.

Super cool/modern kitchen

Dining area

Bathroom bliss!

Master bedroom with French Doors

And the backyard is cute as a button...

This 2 bedroom/2 bathroom home located at 608 Kentucky Street was built in 1922. There's a separate space for office/den or artists studio under the house. 

Southern Sonoma County living at its best. Great views, too! Click here for website and info. 

Historic Budweiser Clydesdale Barnwood - Old Growth Redwood Heads For Sonoma County's Heritage Salvage

Photos: Heritage Salvage 

Petaluma-based Heritage Salvage has recently scored all of the framing materials from the original Budweiser Clydesdale Barn, framed with old growth redwood from original water tanks .

In the process of being loaded on a semi along with the original metal storefront columns from the Brecht Butcher Supply buildings built in 1890-1917 (see photos below), the St. Louis Budwieser Clysedale Barn wood will arrive in Petaluma this May. 

Back in 1933, August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their dear Dad, August A. Busch, Sr., with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition.

"Realizing the marketing potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, the company also arranged to have a second six-horse Clydesdale hitch sent to New York on April 7 to mark the event. The Clydesdales, driven by Billy Wales, drew a crowd of thousands as they clattered down the streets of New York City to the Empire State Building," writes the intrepid king of U.S. reclaimation, Bug Deakin on his Heritage Salvage site. "After a small ceremony, a case of Budweiser was presented to former Governor Alfred E. Smith in appreciation of his years of service in the fight against Prohibition."

Delighting thousands of Americans on its way, the hitch apparently continued on a tour of New England and the Middle Atlantic States, making a stop in Washington D.C. in April 1933 to reenact the delivery of one of the first cases of Budweiser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

"The St. Louis hitch, driven by Art Zerr, also toured in celebration, stopping in Chicago and other Midwestern cities," reports Bug.

Soon after the hitch was introduced, the six-horse Clydesdale team increased to a team of eight.

A Dalmatian dog travels with each of the Clydesdale hitches, a tradition started in 1950 when a Dalmation was first introduced as the Budweiser Clydesdales’ mascot at the opening of a Newark Brewery.  These days, Anheuser-Busch owns around 250 Clydesdales - an enduring symbol of the brewer’s heritage, tradition and commitment to quality.

Restaurants and brew pubs throughout California and beyond have been clammoring for Heritage Salvage makeovers over the past few years. If you're in the market for something special in the custon-build department that would warrant the repurposing of some of this wonderful, historic old redwood haul, you'd best not wait too long. Contact Heritage Salvage for pricing.

Next to arrive will be  a bunch of materials from the 1869 Evans Grain Mill that Bug bought in Crestline, Ohio a couple of years ago. Stop by the shop at 1473 Petaluma Boulevard South or call 707 762-6277.

Wine Country's Inaugural First Blush Tasting - 89 Shades of Pink - June 8th, 2013

The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa invited all California wineries to participate in its inaugural First Blush California Rosé Wine Competition and now it's time to taste the winning wines. 

With judging complete the public is invited to taste many of the award winning wines, while enjoying live music and small bites on Saturday, June 8th, 2013, at the First Blush Tasting, being held in Napa at The Meritage Resort and Spa from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Eighty nine shades of California rosé were entered into two categories: “Dry” and “On the Sweeter Side.” Professional judges blindly evaluated and judged all submitted wines based upon factors including: wine clarity, aroma, color and overall appearance, balance, acidity, structure, fruitiness and varietal typicity. Plus whether or not the entered wines would be well received by consumers.

Competition director was Bob Ecker, noted wine/travel journalist and wine judge, and each wine was judged by five judges with extensive experience in the wine industry. Judges included Petaluma local Christopher Sawyer - an internationally-renowned sommelier, wine journalist, consultant, and public speaker. Chris travels the world following trends in wine and participating as a judge in international wine competitions.

Top winner in the Dry Rosé category was Jelly Jar Wines, while the top award for “On the Sweeter Side” was given to Ménage à Trois by Trinchero Family Estates. Many of the award winning California rosé wines, including all that were awarded Double Gold and Gold will be served at the June 8, 2013 public tasting.

 Tickets are available from Cellar Pass for $25, a portion of each ticket sale will be donated to Napa’s Cope Family Center, a nonprofit that provides a full range of parent education and family support services, giving parents get the skills necessary to nurture a healthy and happy family.

Each ticket includes wine tasting from approximately 30 wineries, small bites from the chefs at The Meritage Resort and Spa, Fish Story, Silverado Cooking School and more, plus live music. Special rates are available for event attendees the night of June 8 at The Meritage Resort and Spa. Reservations can be made by calling (866) 370-NAPA. For complete information and tickets please visit http://themeritageresort.com/napa-valley-restaurants/june-wine-tasting-event.

Inaugural First Blush Award Winners:

WINNER – "DRY" ROSE CATEGORY - Jelly Jar Wines

DOUBLE GOLD AWARD - Curtis Winery

DOUBLE GOLD AWARD - Handley Cellars

DOUBLE GOLD AWARD - Jelly Jar Wines

GOLD MEDAL - Epiphany Cellars

GOLD MEDAL - Lucia Vineyards

GOLD MEDAL - Peterson Winery

GOLD MEDAL - Soban Estate

GOLD MEDAL - Proulx "Willow Creek Farm"

GOLD MEDAL - Pomar Junction

 

WINNER - "ON THE SWEETER SIDE" ROSE CATEGORY - Ménage à Trois

 DOUBLE GOLD AWARD - Ménage à Trois

 

Coming Up Roses

“What a lovely thing a rose is!"

He walked past the couch to the open window and held up the drooping stalk of a moss-rose, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and green. It was a new phase of his character to me, for I had never before seen him show any keen interest in natural objects. 

"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as religion," said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. "It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.”  - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Naval Treaty

West of West Wine Festival - Discover the Best of Sonoma Coast August 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2013

Journey to the edge of the world - without having to leave the county! West Sonoma Coast Vintners like to say that the end is their beginning. It certainly is a spectacular region within which to get lost in the cool climate wonders of Sonoma coastal wines for a few days. Especially if you are a wine connoisseur.

The 3rd annual West of West Wine Festival is certainly one to put on your summer to-do calendar. Centered in Sebastopol, the Festival kicks off with Welcome Dinners at wineries and homes around the county, hosted by member wineries on Friday night, August 2nd.

These dinners, ranging in price from $140 to $200 per person offer a rare and exclusive opportunity to dine with winemakers in their home or winery.

Saturday offers morning seminars, interviews and flight tastings, following by the first of two Grand Tastings on Saturday afternoon and the Whole Hog Feast Celebration in the evening.

After vineyards tours, the Grand Tasting tent reprises on Sunday afternoon for a second opportunity to taste through more than 40 outstanding coastal wines. 

Guests are able to select from the Welcome Dinners line-up: 

BANSHEE: An intimate dinner in the winery's new tasting room in downtown Healdsburg featuring one of area’s top restaurants and an array of Pinots and Chardonnay from its collection.

FAILLA: Join the Failla team for an “Al Fresco” Dinner located in the middle of its Olivet Road vineyard. Sit amongst the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines with friends while enjoying current releases and library wines of Failla, paired with a feast prepared by Chef Gary Penir.

FREEMAN: A global exploration of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aficionado, enjoy with an intimate dinner for 16 guests at the beautiful and architecturally acclaimed vineyard home of Ken and Akiko Freeman. This special dinner catered by Chef Christopher Greenwald will be paired with wines from the Freeman portfolio as well as a special sampling of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from world’s best known producers and famed regions.

HALLECK VINEYARD: Sip wines on the deck while gazing across Sonoma County to Mt. St. Helena in distant Napa County. The five-course gourmet dinner will be paired with a selection of Halleck Vineyard wines. The menu will be lovingly prepared and served by the Halleck sons.

JOSEPH PHELPS: Enjoy an intimate celebration of Joseph Phelps 40th Anniversary and the winery's second decade of Sonoma Coast winegrowing at its charming Guest Center in Freestone. Join host Bill Phelps for a multi-course dinner paired with a selection of Phelps finest bottlings.

LITTORAI: An intimate, elegant yet casual dinner and tasting at the Littorai estate winery property with proprietors Heidi and Ted Lemon.

Saturday evening's Whole Hog Feast Dinner at the Barlow Events Center in Sebastopol starts with a pre-dinner reception featuring white and rose wines from the West Sonoma Coast and oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company. 

Afterwards, seating for dinner highlights the best of Sonoma bounty prepared by James Beard finalist Steven Satterfield from Miller Union in Atlanta. Dinner wines will consist of magnums of Pinot noir and Chardonnay supplied by each of the members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners. Feel free to bring something from your cellar to share if you're attending this memorable dinner. Tickets for this lavish dinner - $275 per person. 

Mix and match which events you'd like to attend at various ticket price costs or treat yourself to an all access Saturday/Sunday pass for $450 (excluding cost of Friday night dinner choice).  Grand Tasting only attendees pay $125 for Saturday's event and $100 on Sunday. 

Broadway Under the Stars - 2013 Season at Jack London State Park

Photo By Candy Glass Productions

Cast members from the "Broadway Under The Stars in Jack London State Park" 2012 season.  The concert series returns this summer for 14 nights of performances from June 28th through August 31st, 2013.

Photos By Ryan Daffurn

Each evening begins with pre-show picnicking on the great lawn, alongside the vineyards of the park (with multiple wineries pouring and food and wine available for purchase), and concludes with an evening of inspirational entertainment. Concerts start at 7.30 pm. 

Transcendence Theatre’s “Broadway Under The Stars” in Jack London State Park is a series of award winning concerts featuring professional Broadway and Hollywood performers in the majestic open-air winery ruins in Sonoma's Jack London State Historic Park.

Last year’s season won the award for Best Special Theater Event from Broadway World San Francisco and included Broadway performers from Wicked, Mamma Mia, Les Miserables, Chicago, Gypsy, Hairspray, White Christmas, Mary Poppins and more. 

A portion of every ticket is given to benefit Jack London State Park and the success of these concerts plays a vital role in the sustaining of the threatened park for generations to come.  

Visit the website for more information and tickets www.BroadwayJackLondon.com

Transcendence Theatre’s “Broadway Under The Stars” Concert Series:  June 28 - August 31 2013.

"Fly Me To The Moon" June 28, 29, 30, July 5,6  "Fantastical Family Night" July 19, 20 "Dancing Through Life" August 9,10,15, 16, 17  "Gala Celebration" August 30, 31.

Jack London State Park is located at Sonoma County 2400 London Ranch Road Glen Ellen, CA 95442,  1 877 424-1414.

Tickets - $29 - $117.

 

Oyster Farm Battles On - Drakes Bay Oyster Company Back in Court

Embattled Drakes Bay Oyster Company of West Marin County is back in court Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 following the appellate court having granted an injunction pending appeal of the National Park Service's decision to shut down this historic operation.

In short, the oyster farm will stay open until the court makes a decision on the appeal. Three judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are set to hear some 40 minutes of arguments from attorneys for the oyster farm's operator Kevin Lunny as well as from the man who ordered the farm's closure last fall, former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

A third-generation ranching family in the Point Reyes area, the Lunny family purchased the threatened (now 80-year-old) oyster farm in 2004 with a commitment to both protecting the health of Drakes estero and abundant wildlife, and reviving a significant business entrenched within the coastal community.

Providing 30 plus jobs for locals and a sustainable food product that supports local businesses, the Lunny's stewardship of the oyster farm produces award-winning oysters.

According to Drakes Bay Oyster Company: "In the course of this decision, NPS misrepresented the law, our contracts with the State of California, and the results of scientific studies. The fight is not over. We are in court to protest this. We need your help to continue." If you would like to add your name to the farm's growing ranks of supporters, click here.

At least two of the three judges in San Francisco must agree for the appeal to continue otherwise the farm's stay of execution will likely be over. An estimated 18 million oysters will have to be taken out of the water and destroyed. The National Parks and Service other critics remain steadfastly intent on closing operations in order to restore the area to pure wilderness, devoid of commercial activity.

Summer Travel Planning - The Whole Kit and Caboodle

There has been much talk amongst my circle of friends as, I am sure there has been amongst you and yours these past few weeks,  on the subject of travels planned and some already in progress for the 2013 vacation season.

As most of us know from experience, traveling en-famille involves a considerably diverse skill set in order to accomplish travel goals, attempt to have a good time all-around and successfully return home together without having lost ones hair (significant other, offspring etc) or marbles entirely.

Writer Andrew O'Hagan hits the nail on the head in his article Party of One, in The New York Times Magazine's May Travel Issue.

"Every vacation is an ego trip for somebody," he writes. "It's just that in families the person actually commanding the ego trip has to pretend he or she is running a functioning democracy. (And vacations, like failed states, are always run by one person.) People argue so much on vacation because the occasion so often falls short of the desire: the desire is for rest, peace, no pressure and a sense of being away from one's usual self, and your average family holiday sets fire in a comic sequence to each of these high hopes."

O'Hagan presents a passionate case for traveling alone: "You lift pictures of loved ones from your suitcase and place them gingerly on the bedside cabinet and blow them a kiss. Then you take off your shoes and die of bliss," he writes. 

If the closest you're likely to get to solo adventuring this summer is a camp-out in the backyard, do take a few minutes to indulge in some vicarious solo missions in O'Hagan's excellent article before you get back to the drawing board, hours on expedia, negotiating itineraries with various family members, checking everyone's passports haven't expired, finding a cat sitter.... 

Aahh, summer travels. Where are you headed? 

Happy Mother's Day

Window shopping's often more fun than the real thing and much kinder on the pocket book! One of my favorite storefronts to peruse here in downtown Petaluma's boutique shopping district is designer Robindira Unsworth's flagship shop at 15 Petaluma Blvd North.  

I don't know that I'd go so far as to hang a protestation quite this effusive on my wall but it certainly stopped a few passers by in their tracks!

That said, make it a sweet and simple Happy Mother's Day on Sunday May 12th. 

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." Sophia Loren 

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

"Few misfortunes can befall a boy which brings worse consequences than to have a really affectionate mother." W. Somerset Maugham

"Mother - that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries." T DeWitt Talmage

 "A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. " Tenneva Jordan

and, last but not least:

"No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement." Florida Scott-Maxwell

Celebrating the Fiftieth Birthday of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire

On May 11th and 12th, 1963, Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles presented the first Renaissance Pleasure Faire and May Market.

Culled from nearly six hours of live broadcasting, in celebration of the 50 years since the founding of this iconic Californian cultural event, forty minutes of the pageantry and revelry from the Pleasure Faire has been lovingly edited down from the original reel tape into a commemorative soundscape and generously shared by one of the radio host's and co-founder of the Firesign Theatre, David Ossman.

Phyllis Patterson, a high school history and English teacher, home on maternity leave and her husband, Ron Patterson, a theatrical and whimsical art director at a Hollywood graphics firm were on the forefront of inventive new theater.

The couple invited neighborhood schoolchildren, many the offspring of Hollywood writers, directors and musicians to sign up for innovative new drama and art classes called "Into the Woods." To quote the Renaissance Pleasure Faire history page, there, in the Hills of Hollywood: "they gathered around them a band of merry artists, actors and musicians, and a thrilling concept was conceived."

Curated by the Patterson Family, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire online history page records a rich and significant cultural experience enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of participants and time traveling visitors since that first weekend in May 1963.

Two commemorative books also provide an illuminating insight into this much loved American phenomenon. Though there have been many spin-off events around the United States over the past many decades, there was and will always be only one authentic Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Happy Half Century RPF.