Boy, it's been a busy December. The round of our Southern Sonoma County community's varied and colorful holiday parties and open houses stepped up a notch or several this year as we've clearly grown tired of the austerity of the recent past few Decembers.
The economy's still dubious at best, though some of my favorite downtown Petaluma independent retailers tell me that sales have been up as much as 40% from this time in 2010.
If this is the new normal, then its heartening to hear how those with means have come out of the woodwork for donations and drives in support of so many of our wonderful, local, long-established and brand new organizations that exist to ease the dire circumstances of those most affected by the economy.
Gathering to celebrate the season with simplicity and giving thoughtfully have clearly been the themes for this year's holidays around the county.
And there's nothing I've enjoyed more than exceptional offerings of locally crafted artisan foods and wine, including last week's rollicking 5th anniversary of Joel Baecker and Naomi Crawford's hippest 'mom and pop' wood burning, farmer's market seasonal special Pizza Politana and a wonderfully warm and cozy gathering out at Pari and Kamal Azari's winery home on Spring Hill Road.
Still one of the Petaluma Gap's best kept secrets, the Azari's Pinot Noir from second label, Corkscrew wines pair perfectly with pasture-raised meats from Tara Firma Farms, Cowgirl, Point Reyes Blue and an expanding selection of additional, locally produced cheeses.
The Corkscrew philosophy is that: "Every so often the grapes ask us to try new things. We listen and obey." I think we could all live by that rule - especially as we approach a new year.
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