Southern Sonoma Country Life

Buy Limited Tickets Now for Petaluma's Popular Annual Wind to Wine Festival, August 5th, 2023

Ticket sales are now open for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers’ popular, annual Wind to Wine Festival, celebrating the distinct and highly-awarded wines grown in the wind-driven Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA).  To ensure a quality experience, tickets to the event, which takes place at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park on Saturday, August 5, are limited, with VIP tickets allowing early access, a more intimate experience, and the opportunity to taste limited-release and large-format wines and barrel samples during the early hours of the event.

Once again, the Wind to Wine Festival will feature the AVA’s signature varietals—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah—with additional wines offered from winemakers pushing the cool climate envelope with their Albariño, Pinot Gris, Grenache, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon, among others. Over the last year, the number of 90+ Point Wines from the AVA has substantially increased, and many will be offered for tasting, along with wines from winemakers without tasting rooms, making it a rare opportunity to taste these wines before purchasing.

In addition to the more than 25 wineries pouring their wines, eventgoers will be treated to artisanal cheese pairings by Point Reyes Cheese Company, wine-infused chocolates by Bert’s Desserts, and savory bites catered by the culinary talents of Sally Tomatoes. Back this year, winemakers and growers will entertain and educate with behind-the-scenes tales at the Petaluma Gap Story Corner and guests will enjoy live classical and flamenco-style guitar outside in the towering redwood grove, by local favorite, Mark Taylor.

A wide array of wines will be available to taste, with Pinot Noir being featured due to its prominence in the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA) and in advance of National Pinot Noir Day later in the month. 

Participating wineries include:

Adobe Road	Leghorn Wine Company
Bevan Cellars	Lombardi Wines
Brick & Mortar	MacRostie Winery
Brooks Note Winery	McEvoy Ranch
Bruliam Wines	Merryvale
Calstar Cellars	Montagne Russe
Cline Family Cellars	Panther Ridge
Daniel Wines	Parum Leo
DeLoach Vineyards	Ron Noble Wines
Guarachi Family Wines	Sangiacomo Wines
Gust Wines	Schug Winery
Kendall-Jackson	Thirty-Seven Wines
Keller Estate	Trombetta Family
Kendric Vineyards	And more…

“The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers would like to thank American AgCredit who generously renewed its Presenting Sponsorship for the Festival,” said Tom Gendall, President of the Board of Directors for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.  “We also want to thank Supervisor David Rabbitt and the Sonoma County Community Board of Supervisors for additional support they provided and Marin Magazine and KSRO’s The Drive as media partners, joining us for what is certain to be another outstanding event.”

VIP tickets are $125, with early entry at 12 noon. General Admission tickets are $85, with entry beginning at 2 PM.  Food, wine tasting, story-telling, and live music will be available throughout the festival, which ends at 4 PM.  Tickets can be purchased at petalumagap.com.  

Marvelous Montecito — Read my Story on Weekending Like a Royal in Coastal Californa

Photo: Frances Rivetti 

I'm back in California and dipping my toes in the water to get back to my writing. Here's a super fun clip from an article I wrote for The Royal List prior to leaving for the UK. Please do click here and read the full story . . . 

 

Montecito, the peaceful, super-private, panoramic enclave of a not-so-secret roster of ultra-elite residents, is home-sweet-multi-million-dollar-home to Harry and Meghan’s family of four. And if it’s good enough for the Sussexes, it’s good enough for us.

A winding, two-hour drive north of Los Angeles brings you to Montecito. We soak in its subtle Southern California vibe and pleasant, Mediterranean climate with a drive-by of its upper-village gates of gorgeously-landscaped, lavish, hillside estates of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their star-studded neighbours, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Orlando 

History and Sybmolism of King Charles III’s Coronation Clothing — Sacred Robes & Glittering Regalia

(image credits Royal.uk)

Preparations for the historic occasion of King Charles III's May 6th Coronation are in full swing here in the UK where I am currently back in my home country. It's looking a little more restrained than celebrations for the Queen in recent years, however there is still over a week to go. As a history buff and a fashion lover, one key element that I'm most interested in with regards to the Westminster Abbey service will be the monarch’s outfits, including the Coronation robes, which I've read are to carry potent, personal and national symbolic meaning.

Celebrated designer Sir Jony Ive KBE has created a circular coronation emblem featuring a floral design, in honor of the King’s ‘love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world’

The king is anticipated to arrive at the service in military uniform, his initial attire for the ceremony. Although formal and official, it’s widely considered that the outfit will be more suitable for today's modern age than the flamboyant silk stockings and breeches of past male monarchs. Charles' mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, wore a Norman Hartnell gown embroidered with emblems that represented the dominions over which she was monarch. 

 

King Charles is backing British craftsmen, according to the Daily Mail, having reportedly chosen artisan tailors to make his Coronation outfits, including a Savile Row tailoring of his Royal Navy military trousers. For the anointing, he will reportedly be wearing a silk undershirt made by Turnbull & Asser, the collars and cuffs hand-embroidered with acorns and oak leaf detail. I like the look of the company's James Bond Collection, so I'm looking forward to seeing detals of the King's collars and cuffs. 

 

The garment is believed to have been made in Gloucestershire using English homespun silk.

 

Savile Row shoe shop Gaziano & Girling is likely responsible for creating  luxurious slippers – ‘opera pumps’ made by hand and crafted in Northampton using Swiss calf leather that the King is said to be wearing on his Coronation day. The sole leather of the slippers is sourced from a tannery in Devon that uses ancient methods. These sound gorgeous, I'm keen to see pictures afterwards. 

The Telegraph has reported that the Coronation robes will play a key role, as dictated by the 14th century Liber Regalis, or Royal Book, setting out the order in which the sacred garments should be worn. 

 

Although elements of the Coronation ceremony – from the smaller number of attendees to the welcoming of different faiths – have been updated to be more in keeping with the times, Buckingham Palace is making it clear that the occasion remains a most ‘solemn religious service’ and will be ‘rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.’

The sumptuous clothes that Charles will wear for his Coronation certainly promise history and symbolism woven into each and every thread. This rich and ancient history is as important now as ever, maybe even more so as many question the concept of royalty. There's no denying that Charles has worked closely and tirelessly with many organisations, publicly supporting a wide variety of causes relating to the environment, rural communities, the built environment, the arts, healthcare and education.

Apparently, new robes are traditionally made for each Coronation, with the exception of the Supertunica and the Robe Royal, which date back to the 1821 Coronation of King George IV. Both will be worn during the investiture, with the Robe Royal donned at the moment of crowning, bearing enormous symbolic weight in evoking the divine nature (or, in plain speech, the point) of monarchy. This coronation is expected to be shorter than those in the past and Charles may don a few less robes during the ceremony than his mother did. He's also asked attendees to leave their own titled regalia at home in favor of a more streamlined, business formal attire. 

According to Tatler: "Buckingham Palace has also now released details of the Coronation Regalia that will appear at the event: the ‘sacred and secular objects which symbolise the service and responsibilities of the monarch’, which ‘have played a central role in Coronation Services for hundreds of years’. Part of the Crown Jewels, these exquisite artefacts are typically on public display in the Tower of London. The Regalia belongs to the Royal Collection and is held in trust by the reigning monarch on behalf of the nation."

"The key components include two Maces, made of silver gilt over oak, which date from between 1660 and 1695. The Palace explains that these pieces are the ceremonial emblems of authority which are carried before the Sovereign at events such as the State Opening of Parliament.

Several more swords, sceptres, orbs and and staffs will be carried in the Coronation procession. One sword is much like another to me, I'm more intrigued by the embroidery that has been painstakingly undertaken for the Coronation emblem. 

 St Edward’s Crown will be used to crown King Charles III in keeping with centuries of tradition. It was created for King Charles II in 1661 by Vyner to replace the previous medieval crown, which was melted down in 1649. Although today’s crown is not an exact replica, it nods to the medieval design, with its four crosses-pattée, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches and is crafted from a solid gold frameset with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, with a velvet cap and an ermine band. The crown is topped with an orb and a cross, ‘symbolising the Christian world’. The same crown was worn by Charles' mother at her Coronation in 1953.  

The Coronation Emblem - which will feature throughout May's historic celebrations - pays tribute to The King’s love of the natural world, depicting the flora of the four nations in the shape of St Edward’s Crown.

 

 

Ice Cream For All — Walls "Stop Me, Buy One" Pre-War History from the Home Front.

Hearing a story from the family trove for the first time is always a treat. I'm spending time with my Dad in the UK while my Mum is in the hospital and in between visiting hours we've been reminiscing.

My parents still live in the small market town of Crowland, Lincolnshire on the border of Cambridgeshire in the Fenland region of England, where my Dad was raised, as were several generations before him. Mum and Dad will have been married 60 years this September and they live in the same house in which they started their married life together, which is rare these days.

Last night, over dinner we talked about some of the older buildings in town and the various shops and businesses that my Dad remembers from his childhood during and after WWII.

There was a shop (Mrs. Taylors) on the corner of North Street and East Street in which the proprietress made homemade ice cream on occasion. "When word spread that there was a fresh batch, once a week or so, my mother would send me out on my roller skates with a bowl," said Dad.

"But didn't it melt before you made it home?" I asked. 

"Either it wasn't very warm those summers or I was a fast roller skater," Dad replied. I can picture him sitting down to a bowl of ice cream with locally grown, sliced strawberries, small, red and summer-sweet. 

Well, I never knew my Dad had ever roller skated for one and I hadn't ever given any thought as to the availability of ice cream in the provinces during WWII.

That set me to thinking about an old photo I have in my collection of my Dad's auntie Margaret as a girl, selling Walls Ice Cream in Crowland on a Walls Tricycle. 

Ice cream, on further research, became popular in England in the mid 1880s when Swiss emigre Carlo Gatti set up the first ice cream stand selling scoops for one penny outside of bustling Charing Cross Station in London. 

Before this, ice cream was reserved for the privileged who had access to a brick ice house (with ice gathered from frozen lake or pond water). 

Ice Cream manufacturer Walls of London issued tricycles in London around 1923. When the Second World War started in 1939, the cycles were requisitioned for use at military installations. Ice Cream became a rare comodity. 

After the war, Walls introduced ice cream freezers for shops. 

Now I know the story behind Auntie Irene's ice cream selling enterprise, part of her parents' business as small business owners/shopkeepers. My grandmother, her sister, married a local businessman and small town enterpreneur who also went on to open several shops in town. My Dad and my Uncle continued the family business for many years. 

 

 

The King's Breakfast & Buckingham Palace — Two Classic Poems by A. A. Milne & My Current Mindset

With the fast approach of the May 6th Coronation of King Charles, I've been reminicing quite a bit about my childhood in England and the classic stories and poems that populated my early years. The poems The King's Breakfast and Buckingham Palace by A.A. Milne keep popping in a timely fashion into my head. As they're in the public domaine, I thought it would be fun to share them. 

Alan Alexander Milne (1882 - 1956) was an English author, most famously known for his books about Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne, who was educated at Cambridge University and graduated in 1903, wrote 18 plays, early screenplays, three novels and collections of childrens stories before the enormous success of Pooh overshadowed his previous work.

I'm headed over to the UK and will be posting a little of my (predominantly family) visit here and there on this site and my other social media. The concept of royalty amidst the gravity of current global concerns gives me much to ponder. While a large part of it appears ridiculous these days, there's a lot more than meets the eye to think about when we look at the merits of history and heritage, tradition and change. Especially for an ex-pat like me. So I will bring you my honest thoughts and feelings in my posts along the way. 

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

The King's Breakfast

 

The King's Breakfast
The King asked
The Queen, and
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
"Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?"
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, "Certainly,
I'll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed."

The Dairymaid
She curtsied,
And went and told
The Alderney:
"Don't forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread."
The Alderney
Said sleepily:
"You'd better tell
His Majesty
That many people nowadays
Like marmalade
Instead."

The Dairymaid
Said, "Fancy!"
And went to
Her Majesty.
She curtsied to the Queen, and
She turned a little red:
"Excuse me,
Your Majesty,
For taking of
The liberty,
But marmalade is tasty, if
It's very
Thickly
Spread."

The Queen said
"Oh!:
And went to
His Majesty:
"Talking of the butter for
The royal slice of bread,
Many people
Think that
Marmalade
Is nicer.
Would you like to try a little
Marmalade
Instead?"

The King said,
"Bother!"
And then he said,
"Oh, deary me!"
The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"
And went back to bed.
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"

The Queen said,
"There, there!"
And went to
The Dairymaid.
The Dairymaid
Said, "There, there!"
And went to the shed.
The cow said,
"There, there!
I didn't really
Mean it;
Here's milk for his porringer,
And butter for his bread."

The Queen took
The butter
And brought it to
His Majesty;
The King said,
"Butter, eh?"
And bounced out of bed.
"Nobody," he said,
As he kissed her
Tenderly,
"Nobody," he said,
As he slid down the banisters,
"Nobody,
My darling,
Could call me
A fussy man -
BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"

 

Photo: roberto-catarinicchia-unsplash.jpg

 

Buckingham Palace

 

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We saw a guard in a sentry-box.
"One of the sergeants looks after their socks,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We looked for the King, but he never came.
"Well, God take care of him, all the same,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
They've great big parties inside the grounds.
"I wouldn't be King for a hundred pounds,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
A face looked out, but it wasn't the King's.
"He's much too busy a-signing things,"
                                     Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
"Do you think the King knows all about me?"
"Sure to, dear, but it's time for tea,"
                                     Says Alice.

Global Wine & Food Event Returns to Sonoma County — The Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, May 18-21,2023

Last May I was fortunate to attend the inaugural Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience (HWFE)  — a weekend-long celebration featuring the best of Sonoma County and world-renowned food and wines. 

This fantastic festival is back for a second year and is set to showcase the region’s makers – farmers, growers, winemakers, and chefs – alongside globally recognized wines from the greatest wine regions of the world. I can't wait to revisit. It is an extraordinary gathering that highlights the vibrant culinary diversity, sustainable farming practices and deep connection to agriculture that Sonoma County offers.

The weekend-long event includes special wine tastings and seminar discussions, barbecues, exceptional lunches, dinners, celebrity chef demonstrations, cocktail experiences, and an expansive Grand Tasting. And there's  a live outdoor concert featuring Maddie & Tae at Rodney Strong on Saturday, May 20th.

New highlights from this year’s event will feature a Farm-To-Glass cocktail seminar hosted by the award-winning team of the Little Red Door from Paris; culinary demos from chefs including Joe Sasto, and Viet Pham; a special dinner experience at Michelin starred and recently reopened Cyrus; and a new Zinfandel tasting and pairing event hosted by Leslie Sbrocco called Zinfandel Live, with a unique live music component at Villa Chanticleer on Sunday.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be returning for our 2^nd annual Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience,” says Steve Dveris, founder, and CEO of the festival. “Our goal has always been to highlight the vibrant culinary diversity, amazing wines and sustainable farming practices of Sonoma County as it relates to the rest of the world.”

Chefs who are participating in the event include local chef Dustin Valette, chef/owner of The Matheson and Douglas Keane from award winning Cyrus; Food & Wine’s Best New Chef Matt Horn; Food Network star Maneet Chauhan; “Top Chef” winner Stephanie Izard; Food Network’s “Chopped” star and “Top Chef” finalist Joe Sasto; Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and Iron Chef America winner Viet Pham. The local participating beloved chefs include Thomas Bellec, Domenica Catelli, Duskie Estes, Matt Horn, Crista Leudtke, Tracey Shepos, Leah Scurto, Casey Thompson, and Ari Weiswasser.

Events will be held around Healdsburg, including at The Matheson, Montage Healdsburg, and the Madrona, along with wineries including Aperture Cellars, Bacchus Landing, Bricoleur Vineyards, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Kendall-Jackson Estate and Gardens, and Rodney Strong Vineyards, and more.

The event also strives to give back to the local community. The outdoor concert at Rodney Strong Vineyards on Saturday evening with the band Maddie & Tae benefits the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation. The organization’s mission is to raise funds that support the Leadership Academy, workforce development and other resources that elevate local vineyard workers, farmer workers and their families. This year’s event will also feature a community brunch at Chalkboard Restaurant to benefit Healdsburg Future Farmers of America (FFA). Sponsored by Foley Family Wines, a significant donation will go towards the HWFE Future Farmers Scholarship, created by HWFE for students from the local Healdsburg High School FFA chapter. We will also contribute to Farm to Pantry, whose goal is to bring together our communities to end food injustice and reverse global warming by rescuing and sharing locally grown food with those who have been marginalized.

“As co-founders and partners in this event, we believe in the dual mission to showcase Sonoma County wine, ag and sustainability on this global stage while raising funds to elevate and celebrate the local vineyard workforce. The mission is exemplified in the events and messaging throughout the entire weekend.  Have fun while doing good, what is better than that?” comments Karissa Kruse, CEO & president of Sonoma County Winegrowers and Executive Director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation.

Partners of the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience include Kendall-Jackson Wines, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, Foley Food & Wine Society, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, along with event co-founders the Sonoma County Winegrowers. For more information: healdsburgwineandfood.com. A la carte tickets, VIP Ticket packages as well as Ultra VIP packages are available.

About Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience

Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience is a four-day celebration featuring the best of world-renowned food and wines and highlighting the “Makers Behind the Magic.” The festival showcases the region’s makers – farmers, growers, winemakers, and chefs – alongside globally recognized wines from the greatest wine regions of the world. HWFE highlights vibrant culinary diversity, sustainable farming practices and a deep connection to agriculture, through tastings,

Culinary demonstrations, seminars, events, and more, in the beautiful setting of Healdsburg & Wine Country. https://www.healdsburgwineandfood.com/

Pre-order Bliss Road — Bay Rea Author Martha Engber's Much Anticipated Memoir About Living a Lie and Coming to Terms with the Truth — The Complicated Path of a Neurodiverse Family – June 2023

Bay Area Author Martha Engber is not alone as the neurotypical adult child of an undiagnosed, neurodiverse parent. Times have changed with today’s mass identification and testing of previously categorized “quiet” and/or “quirky” or “overactive” personalities, yet Engber’s story is likely mirrored by millions of people who were unwittingly raised in the psychological minefield of a mother or father with life-long, undetected Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I'm honored to have read Bliss Road pre-publication and can't wait to see it on print in June. 

Martha Engber's poignant and profound memoir, Bliss Road, trailblazes with painstaking precision and humility through the psychological minefield of growing up with a handsome, brilliant, blue-eyed, socially awkward and peculiar father whose seemingly invisible battle with ASD is beginning to emerge as its own phenomenon.

Reference to historical landmark studies in the Autism Spectrum highlight the fact that the focus has always been on identifying and helping neurodiverse kids and their parents, but the spotlight has yet to acknowledge the suffering endured by the surviving children of neurodiverse parents.

Engber’s story is a powerful coming-of-age in her fifties, as she came to terms with the complex environment of her formative years and its impact on her own life, marriage and kids. A must-read for better understanding neurodiversity and the case for never again attempting to sweep it under the carpet.

Click here to Pre-order now. 

The All New 2023 California Cheese Trail Cheese Tourism Map

From Eureka to San Diego, from the Central Valley to the Sonoma-Marin Coast, the newly-updated 2023 California Cheese Trail printed tourism map features 45 artisan cheesemakers in 23 counties who welcome visitors to their farms, cheesemaking facilities and retail shops, offer farm tours, cheesemaking classes and events.

Artisan cheesemakers featured on the map handcraft an estimated 250+ varieties of cheeses from cow, goat, sheep and water buffalo milk, winning national awards and gaining international acclaim for their unique styles, flavors and regenerative farming practices. In addition to these cheesemakers, the CheeseTrail.org interactive map also features 32 California cheesemakers which are not currently open to the public. All told, there are 77 cheesemakers in 30 (~52%) of California’s 58 counties.

As a mission-based initiative promoting cheesemakers and family farmers, Cheese Trail services are free to all California cheesemakers and consumers. “If you love cheese, cheesemakers and farmers, the California Cheese Trail is an incredible resource to get the inside scoop about unique cheeses, the people who make them and where to purchase,” says founder Vivien Straus, former VP Marketing of Straus Family Creamery and longtime small-farm advocate.

Of the cheesemakers featured on the printed map, 44 are family owned and operated, and the other is operated by a State university. The majority are also ‘farmstead’, meaning that they make cheeses with milk from their own herds.

Cheesemakers newly added in the 2023 printed map include:

● Copeland Family Farms (Siskiyou County) - Raw milk cheese (cow), and ‘farmshare’ program for the community.

●  Shooting Star Creamery (SLO County) - California’s youngest cheesemaker, making sheep, cow and sheep-cow mixed milk cheeses.

●  Claravale Farm (San Benito County) - Farmstead, raw milk cheese (cow), perhaps best known for their glass bottled raw cows milk.

Meanwhile, some cheesemakers are no longer open to the public:

●  Cowgirl Creamery: While still making cheese in Petaluma, they’ve closed their retail shops at the San Francisco Ferry Building as well as their flagship location in Point Reyes Station (Sonoma & Marin Counties)

●  Two Rock Valley Goat Cheese (Sonoma County): Closure

●  Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Co. (Glenn County): Closure

●  Orland Farmstead Creamery (Glenn County): Closure

Anecdotally, many of California’s ~80 cheesemakers attribute 20%-80% of their retail sales to the Cheese Trail’s printed map, mobile apps and website, and many have now opened to the public, offering on-site retail shops, tours and classes.

“The Cheese Trail has really helped folks discover our cheese and butter making classes,” said Sheana Davis, co-owner of The Epicurean Connection, in the town of Sonoma, CA. “It’s played a huge role in supporting our entire artisan cheese community.”

The Cheese Trail project began as a brainstorming session between Vivien Straus and Sue Conley (co-founder, Cowgirl Creamery), about how to support family farmers and cheesemakers. Soon thereafter, Straus convened the very first stakeholder meeting, where more than 30 very enthusiastic cheesemakers and nonprofit leaders crowded into her living room.

The first Cheese Trail map, printed in 2011, sparked an explosion of interest in California cheesemakers; one cheesemaker reported a 25% increase in retail sales within just two months. Today, the Cheese Trail includes: the Map (12 printings, 500,000+ distributed), Website (2+ million lifetime page views), mobile apps, international media relations (including features in National Geographic, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and Condé Nast Traveler), and mail order holiday cheeses collections.

In 2022, Vivien brought her brother Michael onboard to expand the Cheese Trail, building upon their long track record of successful collaborations, including as the marketing team that launched Straus Family Creamery and, in recent years, resurrecting their family homestead, Straus Home Ranch on Tomales Bay.

“In the coming months, we’ll be announcing some exciting and unique new features and services which we believe will help drive more visibility and sales for California’s artisan cheesemakers,” added Vivien Straus, with more than a hint of excitement in her eyes.

Major sponsors of the 2023 printed map include: The California Milk Advisory Board, the Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Sonoma Ag & Open Space District, with advertising support from Lagunitas Brewing Company, California Artisan Cheese Guild, Petaluma Market, The Palace Market, artisan cheesemakers and advocates.

Individuals: Request a free print map, explore the interactive map or download a digital version at www.CheeseTrail.org.

Bulk Map Requests: The map is also available in bulk for retailers, wineries, visitor bureaus, hotels, farmers markets and other partners to distribute to their visitors and patrons - email: [email protected] with requested quantity and shipping address. We offer free shipping to all California cheesemakers. Please inquire regarding free delivery in the SF Bay Area. Maps will also be available at the upcoming Artisan Cheese Festival in Santa Rosa, March 24-26, 2023.

 

Petaluma's Riverfront Trestle Campaign Update

Terrific spotlight on the historic railroad Trestle in riverfront Petaluma by Victorian home guru Bonnie Spindler. There's been a bit of a stalemate with news regarding the Trestle in recent months, so its good to see our Mayor, Kevin McDonald and the city's Director of Public Works and Utilities Christopher Bolt on camera reinforcing the need to secure funding to transform this important part of the city's history into a beautiful pedestrian walkway and riverfront gathering space.

In the meantime, the Petaluma Woman's Club invites all area residents to join the Time to Trestle campaign to make its restoration and transformation a priority in the immediate future. 

Petaluma Gap Winegrower's Alliance Invites All Producers of Petaluma Gap AVA Wines to Be a Part of its Annual Festival Celebrations at the 2023 Wind to Wine Festival, August 5th

Photo: Kim Badenfort

The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance (PGWA) invites all producers of Petaluma Gap AVA wines to participate in the annual festival celebrating the distinct wines grown in the wind-driven Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA) by pouring their highly- awarded wines at the Wind to Wine Festival on August 5, 2023 at SOMO Village.

The Alliance anticipates another sold-out event with over 400 attendees and 25+ wineries participating. In addition to a wide array of Petaluma Gap wines being poured, the festival will include nibbles to complement the wines, a story corner showcasing Petaluma Gap winegrowers, live music, and attendees will be able to purchase the wines tasted onsite, directly from the participating wineries.

New this year is the addition of satellite Wind to Wine events hosted by individual vintners and allowing attendees to participate in intimate winemaker dinners and hosted experiences.

PGWA encourages all producers of Petaluma Gap wine to sign up to be part of the Wind to Wine Festival starting March 1, and work with the alliance to promote their own Wind to Wine event in conjunction with the AVA festival.

“Once again the Wind to Wine Festival will feature the AVA’s signature varietals--Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah--with additional wines offered from winemakers who push the cool-climate envelope with their Albariño, Pinot Gris, Grenache, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, among others” said Tom Gendall, Director of Winemaking for Cline Cellars and President of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance (PGWA) Board of Directors.

“Over the last year, the number of 90+ Point Wines from the AVA has substantially increased, and many will be offered for tasting at the festival. In addition, several winemakers who do not have tasting rooms will participate, so this is a rare opportunity to taste their wines before purchasing,” Gendall said.

A menu of delicious bites from Sally Tomatoes, selected to complement the wines, will be served in the charming Fireside event space along with an array of artisanal cheeses from Point Reyes Cheese Company, whose dairy farm is located along the Pacific near the edge of the Petaluma Gap AVA.

Back by popular demand, guests will be entertained and informed by a story corner, featuring tips and tales from Petaluma Gap winemakers and growers. And the venue’s Redwood Grove will be the site for live music, enjoyed under the shade of the towering 80-food redwoods.

“The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers would like to thank American AgCredit, returning as Presenting Sponsor for Wind to Wine,” Gendall said, “and we look forward to new partners, co-sponsors and guests joining us for another successful and fun event.”

Tickets will go on sale starting on Monday, May 15, at 12 noon.

To be notified when ticket sales open and get updates on the event, including the Winemaker Dinners, please join the PGWA list here.

Photo: Fabian Jauregui