Southern Sonoma Country Life

Royal Wedding Brings out Best of Brit-Style Boho-Chic

Here's one for any Bah Humbugs out there still insisting on talking trash about the royal wedding: all in all there's been such an overriding sense of goodwill surrounding the union of Will and Kate and loads of displays of light hearted, Boho-meets-Brit-style-patriotic style.

I've got to admit, it's uplifting! Not so much as to wake up in the middle of the night, though. If I were in London for the festivities, my top pick for cush accommodations would have to be this fab Union Jack Club room in the newly opened 13-room Zetter Townhouse, across the way from the super cool The Zetter Hotel , established in 2004 in Clerkenwell Road.

Reason being for wanting to check this posh pad out in person, at least for a cocktail, when next in London, is that the Italian Husband had close personal ties to the 19th century, five-storey property which was the former headquarters of Zetters football pools.

Named after the Zetter family, for whom the building was the heartbeat of a long-standing British establishment, owner Mark Sainsbury's Clerkenwell hotel properties are touted as fun, eclectic, though expensive.

Still, what a way to experience the best of British! The Zetter Townhouse, St John’s Square, 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ
+44 (0) 20 7324 4444

 

Speculation on Royal Wedding Tipple Points to British Bubbly

Shocking though it might appear to California sparkling wine lovers and Champagne purists alike, but the best of British bubbly is highly likely to be the toast of London town this Friday, as a cacophony of corks pop in unison at Buckingham Palace in toast to the by-then newly-wed Prince William and his bride.

The rise in vineyard plantings in the South of England's chalky, limestone, sometimes clay soils has spiralled over the past decade, as savvy growers have taken advantage of a warming trend in a region that is positioned less than 100 miles North of Champagne, France.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grow well in cool climate soils, making these three varietals optimal in sparkling wines, a smart choice for small production exclusivity in a market that can't get enough of the real, 'local' thing in all aspects of artisan food and wine.

Still sceptic? Take a look at American-owned Nyetimber Estate and Manor, a probable front-runner for Friday's big bash. Absolutely fabulous, wouldn't mind a pit-stop to taste on-site when next in West Sussex.

Decanter Magazine named neighboring East Sussex vineyards' Ridgeview Estate as producer of Best Sparkling Wine in the World. Good enough for the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations in 2006, another likely contender this Friday.

BBC America's live Royal Wedding coverage commences at the stroke of midnight, California time. Unless you're going to be gripped by every tiny detail from the streets of London and glued to the tele' all night long, take note - the actual ceremony takes place in Westminster Abbey at 11 am GMT, so that'll be 3 am here in CA.

 

 

 

Making of a Family Farmstead Wine - Que Syra Syrah 2009

From harvest's crush through fermentation, press, barreling, several episodes of essential racking to filter the young wine as it matures, aging for 18 months and bottling, the grand finale before pouring a new vintage at the family dinner table is not complete until a new, homespun label arrives on the scene.

We're so completely delighted with the new 2009 Que Syra label, handpainted by the hugely talented Damon Karr, young, Petaluma-based friend of the family and up-and-coming artist/musician/designer extraordinaire.

A maverick freelancer, just kicking off his career in all things creative, Karr quite perfectly captured Kite, our 15-year-old Corgi, as a befitting mascot for our new release house wine. Kite has patrolled the backyard vineyard for all of its years since planting, working in cohort with cats Marley and Phoebe to keep any pesky vermin at bay.

Steep stone steps up the hillside haven't deterred the old boy yet, despite his little, old legs and famously rotund physic. Thank-you Damon for this lovely and inspired tribute to Kite.

Bottling the 2009 Backyard Vintage

What a busy weekend, Good Friday coinciding with Earth Day, Easter Saturday sharing the limelight with Saint George's Day, bottling of the year-and-a-half, barrel-aged, 2009 vintage backyard, handcrafted Syrah - plus Easter Sunday to boot!

This year's volunteer bottling crew was considerably less rowdy than in the past, thanks to fast-flowing physics of a rudimentary syphoning-system requiring minimal man-powered suction initiation.

Fruitier than past vintages and delightfully floral toned, this  '09 Que Syra Syrah has a more complex, delicate character than in previous years. With just 18 cases for this particularly low-yielding harvest, at an estimated cost of $14 a bottle to produce, this half acre of hobby vines provides a good indicator of why boutique wines from this region are priced so high. It's just not possible to grow, maintain, pamper appropriately, pick, crush, barrel age and bottle a true artisan, small production farmstead wine in Sonoma County for much less.

Everyday is Earth Day at Southern Sonoma County's Tiny Town Farm

Click here for full story at West Petaluma Living and take a tip or two from Urban Homesteader and author, Rachel Kaplan.

Make a Date for a Sonoma County Farm Trail Tour Sunday May 1st 2011

(animal photos: Cindi de Channes; bee keeping shot, Farm Trail staff)

Blossoms, Bees and Barnyard Babies are back for Sonoma County Farm Trails Spring Farm Tour, Sunday May 1st, 2011 from 11 am to 5 pm.

Discover Spring in full bloom as farms from Petaluma to Healdsburg open their barn doors and garden gates for a day of farm-hopping, agricultural adventure and a sneak-peak into Sonoma County’s finest food and agriculture.
 
Farmers, ranchers, vintners and artisan producers will dust off their hats, fold up their aprons and scrape the mud off their boots to welcome the public for a day on the farm.  Stroll through orchards and fields in bloom, sample local honey fresh from the hive and learn about the art of beekeeping, see and cuddle newly born goat kids, Babydoll lambs and hold little chicks, taste some of the county’s best artisanal foods. 

Purchase seasonal produce and handcrafted foods fresh from the source, glean tips on gardening, from pruning to compostin; and meet the farmers, ranchers and producers who keep Sonoma County’s agricultural heritage alive.
 
Plan your own route, selecting from a couple dozen small family farms and agriculture-based business for a self-paced exploration into where your food comes from and story of how it's produced. 

Farm passes are $25 per vehicle for as many passengers as can safely fit.  The vehicle pass holder may pick up a complimentary 100% cotton provision bag with snacks for the road and “farm-bucks” for on-sitesales.  

Visit Sonoma County Farm Trails online or click here to purchase passes directly.  Call (707) 837-8896 for more information. 
 
Here's a partial list of participating Farms 
Kozlowski Farms, Forestville
Bernier Farms @ The Warren Ranch, Healdsburg
Foggy River Farm, Healdsburg
Artful Arrangements, Penngrove
Barlas Boer Goats, Petaluma
Canvas Ranch, Petaluma
EverMay Garden Center, Petaluma
Green String Farm, Petaluma
Garden Valley Ranch, Petaluma (as featured in May issue of Martha Stewart Living)
Tara Firma Farms, Petaluma
The Seed Bank, Petaluma
Japanese Maples by Momiji Nursery, Santa Rosa
Matanzas Creek Winery, Santa Rosa
Senk Farms, Santa Rosa
Zazu Restaurant & Farm, Santa Rosa
French Garden Restaurant and Bistro, Sebastopol
Gabriel Farm, Sebastopol
Luther Burbank's Gold Ridge Farm, Sebastopol
Rainbow's End Farm, Sebastopol
SkyHorse Ranch, Valley Ford
Mueller Winery, Windsor

Taking Flight at Petaluma's 2011 Butter & Egg Days Parade

All Things Bright And Beautiful - What's Next For Tara Smith's New American Farm?

Click here to read full feature article on West Petaluma Living. Thanks to Petaluma portrait and wedding photographer, Jude Mooney for her gorgeous shots.

I Just Subscribed for Petaluma Argus Courier Online Version, Have You?

Because I love the tradition of poring over the print version of my local newspaper at the breakfast table, I took my time to bite on the Argus Courier's new online subscription. Now that I've signed, sealed and delivered for full online access on the net, I have to share my enthusiasm.

Now you might think that I'm just saying that to get you to read my "South County Notebook"  every-other-week community print column in the Argus that you can't find for free on Petaluma 360.

Folks have been stopping me around town and asking me how they can find my column online. If you're not into the print version on your doorstep every Thursday, then the Argus online edition is for you. For just $2.75 a month, your subscription goes a long way towards keeping quality local newspapers in biz. If you are already a print subscriber, you can add the online version for an introductory  just $1.50 per year.

If you are one of the many people in this community who tends to see your name in print for all the right reasons, linking business, community, sports articles to your social media pages is the new big thing. Being able to share links to specific articles spreads the word about whatever it is you're doing to make a difference!

Go on, subscribe today, you'll be glad you did.

And look, here's my column!

 

 

Petaluma's One Planet Fair Trade Store Welcomes Peruvian Artists to Sonoma County

Fair Trade is a lifesaver for so many people around the world. If we think times are tough in the States right now, it's important to remember those who most likely never knew anything of economic and social stability until OUR collective purchasing power via Fair Trade shopping came into their lives.

Petaluma’s One Fair Trade Store owner, Noelle Marshall looks forward to meeting two of her favorite artisan vendor women from Peru, visiting Sonoma County May 14, 2026 to demonstrate their craft and talk about how fair trade has changed their lives.

Sonia Anahue Uscamayta is a jewelry maker, part of the Munay Rumi jewelry cooperative in Lima, Peru. She formed this group after experiencing serious exploitation locked in a factory under appalling working conditions.

Yody Gladys Moran Trillo is the founder of El Mercurio, a cooperative of knitters in Huancavelica, Peru. Her family fled their hometown to escape the violence prevalent in the area.

Anahue and Moran sell their goods today through a network of fair trade organizations – businesses established to help market crafts and agricultural products for disadvantaged Third World artisans and farmers. Their direct contact is with Partners for Just Trade, a fair trade wholesale organization based in St. Louis.

The May 14th program is sponsored by fair trade stores of Sonoma County, Partners for Just Trade, and Green America. The fair trade stores of Sonoma County in partnership for this event with One Planet, Petaluma are: Kindred Handcrafts, Santa Rosa; One World Fair Trade, Healdsburg; and Baksheesh, which has stores in Sonoma and in St. Helena.

The program will be open to the public and free. The site is Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 7 pm, Saturday May 14th. Hear presentations from Partners for Just Trade and from the artisans. Guests are invited to speak with the artisans and purchase samples of their work.

For more information, contact Noelle Marshall at One Planet Fair Trade Store oneplanetfairtrade@ymail.com  (707) 766-8076