Southern Sonoma Country Life

Seasonal Race for Barrels - Shopping With the Winemaker at ReCoop

With a winemaker in the family, it's just not summertime without some head scratching as to figuring out the barrel situation for the oncoming harvest season.

Last year, with record harvests throughout Northern California wine country, there wasn't a barrel to be had without dropping around $1,500 for a brand, spanking new beast, be it premium American oak or from some fancy sounding French cooperage.

I don't doubt that there was some serious wheeling and dealing going on between wineries big and small in order to accomodate the premium juice from 2012. Small time winemakers were extremely lucky in scoring one or two recooped barrels from around the region, or simply made do with storing aging wine temporarily at least in stainless steel vats or old fashioned glass carboys.

Always one step ahead of the game, Timo the winemaker in my house had his order in for two beautiful, sustainable and affordable barrels from Sebastopol's Recoop, just in the nick of time. 

The 22-year-old company's Director of Business Operations, Lori Marie Adams expects to be swamped with lines as long as 20 multiple barrel-buyers at a time once August hits. 

"After turning so many customers away during last year's bumper harvest season, it was our main goal to put our locals at the top of the list this year, " said Lori Marie. "I call it eco-socio-economics - taking care of our community."

Good thing for Sonoma County wineries and small production winemakers, as thousands of Recoop's barrel stock are sent out of the State during peak demand.

During 2012's rush to crush record loads of fruit and during the post-harvest production period, many of the region's premium wineries were scrambling to find solutions to excess barrel needs. Several attempts were made to buy back the same barrels previously sold for recooping. 

Lori Marie explained how only the best barrels are bought by Recoop, doubling their useful life while ensuring the ability to produce excellent wine. Barrels that have housed white wines are the most sought after. Once recooped, a barrel sells here for $285. 

She predicts a similar scene with demand this 2013 harvest season. Nearby Russian River vineyards are ripening at a clip and flatbed trucks are already pulling in on site. "Harvest in this area is likely to be four weeks early," said Lori Marie. "Once its starts, its amazing to see the fruit stripped from vines 24/7 until its all off."

Though Recoop has purchased more barrels in anticipation of another bumper harvest, demand is more than likely to once again outstrip supply. Barrels must pass a strict inspection process to be considered worthy of the recooping process.

An early pioneer in the business, the small team at Recoop uses specially designed machines, planes the wood with the grain, removing a quarter inch of the interior to ensure that all wine-penetrated wood is removed while maintaining the wood's integrity and allowing the stave to once more contribute its flavor and oxygenation benefits. 

Recoop recommends completely filling the barrel with warm, clean, unchlorinated water for one to two days in order to hydrate it. After draining, a recooped barrel must be filled with wine straight away. 

Balleto Vineyards, Hanna Winery, Hart's Desire and Sebastiani Vineyards are amongst the many wineries in the region that have adapted to greening their practices and recooping barrels.

We took the country corners carefully, enjoying the scenery, while driving back from Sebastopol with a couple of barrels in the back of the old Suburban. Here's to be being prepared for whatever the 2013 harvest brings.

Recoop is located at Barlow Lane, Sebastopol. Call 707 829 7103 or email salesbarrels@gmail.com. 

 

All Sorts of Tasty at Tara Firma's Farm to Table Dinner - August 10th 2013

Photo: Tara Firma Farms

Farm to table dinners are the summer season at its best and you're not going to be disappointed with the spread at Tara Firma Farms annual al fresco dining extravaganza, Saturday, August 10th, 2013 from 5pm. 

Take a tour of the farm, on the border of Sonoma and Marin Counties, at I Street and San Antonio Road, outside of Petaluma. Dine on a feast of organic, fresh, farm-sourced goodness, grown, prepared and served on-site at rustic table settings. Hear the latest on the future of American food from the biodynamic farmer herself - Tara Smith. 

Cost is $65 per seat ($55 for farm members). Proceeds from events at Tara Firma contribute to the farm's innovative education programs. Click here for tickets. 

Trek With Llamas, Kayak At Sunset And Canoe the Mendocino Coast This August and September

Little River Inn, one of my favorite family-owned and operated boutique resort on the Mendocino coast, invites visitors to enjoy some typically gorgeous late summer weather with three overnight packages offering unique ways to experience the stunning Northern California outdoors: the Little River Inn Loves Llamas package, the Sunset Sea Kayak package and the River Dog package, available this August and September only.

For travelers interested in hiking and picnicking along the Mendocino coast accompanied by a llama, the Inn is offering the intriguing Little River Inn Loves Llamas package. Each hike/llama trek is led by experienced guides and accompanied by well-trained and friendly pack llamas, who are, apparently, amenable to carrying anything trekkers want to bring along.

Each trek may be tailored to guest’s specific needs or interest, with activities ranging from a picnic on the beach to a plein-air painting session near a waterfall.

The Little River Inn Loves Llamas package includes the following:

• One night in an ocean view room
• A llama trek for two in the Redwood Grove Reserve or on the Little River ocean bluffs with Lodging and Llamas
• Hors d'oeuvres and wine to enjoy while trekking
• A trekker's “survival kit” complete with two exclusive Little River Inn water bottles and pocket knives

Packages begin at $220, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Advance reservations are required for booking.

 The Sunset Sea Kayak package is ideal for travelers looking for the perfect combination of adventure and romance. A sunset ocean kayak tour for two includes a personal guide that will escort the couple to a secluded beach, accessible only by boat, where they will enjoy a picnic dinner and wine as they watch the sunset over the Pacific. 

 The Sunset Sea Kayak package includes the following:

• One night in an ocean view room
• A sunset ocean kayak trip for two to a secluded beach that is only accessible by boat, led by personal guide Craig Comen of Kayak Mendocino
• Three-course picnic dinner prepared by Little River Inn Executive Chef Marc Dym
• One bottle of wine to enjoy during the picnic or after kayaking     

Packages begin at $450, exclusive of tax and gratuity; sea kayak picnics are exclusively available through Little River Inn. Advance reservations are required for booking.  

Little River Inn has always been a pet-friendly property but this summer it is rolling out the red carpet for dog-lovers and their four-legged companions with the River Dog package. The River Dog package includes the following amenities especially for four-legged guests:

• One night in a pet-friendly room
• A three hour dog-friendly canoe excursion with Catch a Canoe
• An $80 dinner voucher which can be used anywhere at Little River Inn including the dog-friendly parlor, in-room dining or in the dining room (which does not allow animals)
• Free dog sitting while guests ride the Skunk Train
• A goodie bag containing dog treats and a fact sheet with information on where to hike, bike and boat with dogs 

Packages begin at $360, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Advance reservations are required for booking. Package does not include Skunk Train tickets.

For more information, or to make reservations, please contact Little River Inn at 707-937-5942. 

Blackberry and Apple Pie and (Brambly) Pimms Cup

Blackberry season is upon is in Sonoma County. Every July for the past few summers I've made a beeline out West to the peaceful ranch property of dear friends for a private blackberry bush wrangle far from the competitive crowds of road and hillside berry picker's foraging hot spots closer to town. 

A bunch of Brits, we've started a new tradition, this summer. Pimms Cup and berry picking in the early evening. I brought a bottle of this year's special edition Blackberry and Elderflower Pimms back with me from my recent expedition over the pond. I'm not sure what the group verdict was, but personally, I still prefer the original mystery potion that is the classic Pimms Cup. 

"You've got to go out on a limb sometime, because that's where the fruit it."

Will Rogers

Back home, sweet crust pastry for a double crust pie...Here's a good, step by step instruction if you need some encouragement in this department!

Apples (about six, peeled, cored and sliced) and blackerries are the bomb. Sprinkle in sugar, a few little chunks of butter and a squeeze of lemon. 

Once the pie was bubbling away in the oven, there were just enough blackberries left for me to make a start on the annual Torte di Mora.... 

Escape to James Joyce Country - Stay in Former School Master's House in County Galway

My favorite vacation rental company in the UK, award winning Sheepskin Life has, until this summer, mostly focused its meticulous attention on homes in England and Wales. The launch of its first Irish property, Glenlusk in County Galway is too breathtakingly beautiful a proposition for anyone thinking of holidaying in Ireland, not to post. 

Formerly a school master's house, Glenlusk is set in a stunning location overlooking Lough Corrib, just outside the village of Connemara in County Galway. 

Thoughtfully renovated to blend the property's rich history with all modern comforts, Glenlusk's contemporary interiors provide a boutique feel.  Muted tones and the use of materials such as original stone, slate and woodwithin the design complements its natural surroundings. 

Sleeping up to six people, Glenlusk is spacious and ideal for both family holidays - there is a children's den, tree house and traditional swing amongst the trees in the garden - and larger group gatherings with two double bedrooms and one twin bedroom. 

Guests can enjoy roll top baths, log burning stoves and a fabulous outside area that is perfect for al fresco dining and also features an open fire pit with seating area for cooler nights.  A highlight of the property is the sun room which offers remarkable views across the Lough and through to the surrounding hills - an ideal spot for relaxing. 

Set in an unforgettable location on Ireland's West Coast, Glenlusk is 60 minutes from Knock, two hours from Shannon and just a two and half hour from Dublin. With Joyce Country Mountain and the Lake District right on its doorstep, Glenlusk is the perfect holiday property for both active summer getaways as well as wild rugged winter escapes.   

It’s a place to sample classic Irish food and drink too with several great eating places within a 15 minutes drive; in Killary Harbour and Clonbur village you’ll find locally caught fish, views and an abudnance of Guinness!

Helen Shaw, director of Sheepskin, says:“We are delighted to offer guests more unique holiday options as well as a broader choice of locations to experience.  Our collection is, and will remain, deliberately small but in response to demand we are always searching for more distinctive homes.  We maintain strict selection criteria for our collection and only include unique homes that we would, and have, enjoyed staying in."

Sheepskin offers a truly personalised experience and, as with all Sheepskin stays, prior to their stay guests at Glenlusk receive a bespoke guide to the area that is tailored to their preferences, as well as a special welcome hamper on arrival and hotel comforts including fluffy cotton towels and bathrobes.  

A stay at Glenlusk costs from approximately $1,200 for three nights and from approximately $2,700 for seven nights for up to six people - (for Californian readers, that pretty comparitive with an upscale Lake Tahoe cabin rental cost).   

For bookings and further information, see the property on Sheepskin's website. 

Best of British City Escapes - A Week on Eel Pie Island

Stroll over a narrow footbridge across the Thames river, behind Twickenham High Street and you'll find yourself on a quiet little island of tree-shaded pathways leading to a secluded colony of bohemian artists cottages, boatyards and iron gated rows of mostly modest, though currently a few under architectural renovation,  riverfront homes.

The island takes its appealing and peculiar name from its 16th Century status as mud-flats favored by the insatiable King Henry VIII, who, by popular account, traveled by royal barge from Hampton Court to frequent the tasty wares of an early eel pie stall. 

Fish monger shops throughout London were supplied with inexpensive hauls of thick, slimy eels for hundreds of years. Chopped and boiled in a spiced stock and left to set, jellied eels were a cheap staple of Eel Pie & Mash Houses in London's East End from the 18th Century.

By the 1950s, the barge heavy Thames' eel supply had significantly dwindled. The UK Environment Agency has been working on improving the water quality of the river for decades, so, in time, it may be that eel nets are seen again around the island that takes its name from this slippery specimen. 

This oddest and most charming of small islands in the Thames is best known for its raucious musical heritage. In the 17th Century, the first pub on Eel Pie Island was known as The Ship (later the White Cross). The pub was replaced by a grand Eel Pie Hotel, with dance floor, bowling alley and bar. 

Charles Dickens visited by steam boat in the 1830s and immortalized the hotel in his 1839 Novel Nicholas Nickleby for eternity:

“It had come to pass that afternoon, that Miss Morleena Kenwigs had received an invitation to repair next day per steamer from Westminster Bridge unto the Eel-Pie Island at Twickenham, there to make merry upon a cold collation, bottled-beer, shrub, and shrimps, and to dance in the open air to the music of a locomotive band, conveyed thither for the purpose…”

Charles Dickens

From our scenic vantage point, during a week on the island's leafy riverfront, it was hard to picture the place in its derelict period, after World War I.

By the 1950s, though, a trad-jazz club was launched on the island in the long-forgotten hotel. 

Into the 1960s, the phenomenon of the post-World War II teenage beatnik was taking hold in Britain and America and Eel Pie Island was perfectly poised to house a social experiment of the early rock and roll music festival mecca.  

Seeking an escape from the norm, art students and musicians flocked to the island of shacks and old tin huts, nowadays home to around 120 private residents.  

A melting pot of musical talent until police closed the hotel down for its over populated commune of squatters, Eel Pie Island drew David Jones (Bowie), Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart (who reportedly was discovered playing harmonica outside of Twickenham train station!), Pete Townsend... 

The Stones played 13 dates on the island in 1963. 

We're pictured here in one of the island's limited private holiday rental homes, a modern, stylish, white-washed riverfront house that was a haven for my family's visit with my sister and her family in Twickenham. With sizzling, record breaking summer sunshine all week, it was the best of British get-aways and one that will be hard to beat.

Peter Watts of Time Out London wrote in his 2006 article on the Island: "If the residents could raise the bridge - they probably would." 

Intriguing for its peacefulness in such close proximity to the hustle and bustle of London (Southwest trains run every 20 minutes from Twickenham Station, arriving at Waterloo in a half hour), Eel Pie Island offered high street shopping within minutes by foot, riverfront trail walkability to Richmond and waterside pubs for pit-stops along the way. 

Buses run from Twickenham High Street to Kew Gardens and Hampton Court. Heathrow Airport is about 10 miles from Eel Pie Island, making this a convenient location at the start or end of an international visit. 

Having stayed in holiday cottages throughout the UK on numerous visits in past years, the appeal of an urban escape on Eel Pie Island proved utterly and delightfully unique. 

Peter Lowell's West Country Organic Eatery

The lovely Lara (pictured above) has introduced me to Peter Lowell's organic, Italian-inspired eatery in Sebastopol and future visits to the West Country will have to be timed around a convenient pit-stop to sample more of this fresh and tantalizing seasonal menu. 

Lunchtime sharing selections took the form of this fabulously tasty, colorful anti-pasti sampler platter combining marinated olives, local cheese, quiche, marinated beets, hummus, yellow beans, squash, baby carrots, baked garlic.... paired with pizza of the day and tall glasses of refreshing blackcurrant iced tea.

Open for breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch and dinner, this lovely, light and spacious dining spot champions biodynamic farming in the West Country for some of the best dishes and small production wines you'd expect from a community with such high standards for quality and simplicity of taste.

Owner Lowell Sheldon was raised in the Sebastopol area and his vision for a locavore's haven of hospitality hits the spot with discerning diners looking for authenticity and a relaxed dining environment. 

Lara and I looked on longingly at the baked goods, big, beautiful pies on display behind the counter to an open kitchen. Next time, if I haven't already overdone it on the main course menu, I'll not be saying a sorry 'no' to dessert. 

Located at 7385 Healdsburg Avenue heading out of Sebastopol, to the West, there is street parking in front and a small parking lot, with outdoor seating at the back of the restaurant. Reservations are recommended for dinner, though we didn't have any trouble finding a table for a weekend lunch. 

Farm Bounty and Artisan Food Center Takes Shape in Sebastopol's Old Apple Packing District

After five long years of the West Country's renowned civic and community deliberation on what best to do with an antiquated, starting-to-be delapidated apple packing warehouse district, walking distance to the east of the small city of Sebastopol's quirky little downtown, all eyes are on the wine country's most ambitious regional development in recent years. 

The 12-acre former Barlow Apple Cannery is busting out at the seams of a $23.5 million project touting itself a the first business community in the U.S. to focus on connecting customers not only with products and the people who make them, but also with the production itself.

This bold, expansive new adaptation of a warehouse district that provided work for generations  is not just a marketplace but a creative center for regional food, wine and art. 

Taylor Maid Farms is one of the first buisnesses up and running. All around, some 16 additional buildings are starting to take shape as breweries, distilleries, olive pressing operations, winery tasting rooms, bakeries and restaurants open their doors through in anticipation of The Barlow being fully bustling by fall 2013.

Owner Barney Aldridge clearly agreed to play ball with the people of Sebastopol after brief, original ideas for his substantial parcel of the old apple packing district were rejected. In place of a proposed multi-use development the likes of Santana Row in San Jose, or on a smaller scale, Theatre Square in Petaluma and Windsor Town Square and other suggested transformations of the site, community leaders and city council members tirelessly pushed for a wine and food destination in which local growers and producers could be accommodated while providing a regional draw for visitors.  

Closure in 2004 of Sebastopol's last major apple juice and sauce processor, the Barlow Company, left 54 acres of outdated warehouses and vacant land straddling Highway 12  along Sebastopol Avenue. 

Aldridge, a former mortgage executive and team haven't stopped at the leasing of this industrial-chic, new take on warehouse space. Wandering around the still-being-landscaped acreage, a bocce ball court, gathering spots and fire pits are taking shape in an environment designed for its business community and customers to gather and enjoy the bounty of the Barlow. 

There's nothing fake about Sebastopol and the Barlow is no exception. Farmers, foodies, butchers, bakers and brewers are able to pull up to the curbside of their new spacious facilities. 

Old signage has been preserved, commemorating the heritage of the district. Given that the population of Sebastopol is a mere seven-and-a-half thousand people, the Barlow is going to have to depend upon significant agritourism. A bold, brave move to redevelop on such a large scale, but, hopefully, the timing is right to attract food, wine, beer and organic product appreciators from neighboring communities as well as farther afield. Check it out yourself later this summer when more of these dynamic new attractions are open for business. In the meantime, if you're out and about in the Sebastopol area, take a stroll around the Barlow and be amongst the first to sample its tasty wares.   

Moos Makery - Bespoke Felt Footwear Fit for a Future Monarch

As the world (well, maybe not the entire world), but if the media would have it, at least a few of us loyal ex-pats patiently await today's news of a new royal baby for Britain's royal family, here's a nifty little number for warming the tiny tootsies of everyday little princes and princesses everywhere! 

Bespoke booties are hand crafted from recycled wool coats and custom stitched and adorned by the talented Rebecca P of Spalding, Lincolnshire. I have it on first hand report that Rebecca has shipped booties to Petaluma, CA from past orders at her international etsy storefront in previous months. 

It's a small world after all. And if the royal bootie's not your cup of tea, custom orders for all sorts of other one-of-a-kind designs are welcome. 

Footnote (pardon the pun) - And so it is, His Royal Highness baby Cambridge has finally arrived, putting an end to months of speculation as to boy or girl. Let's hope the world's press gives the family some space for these first few wonderful weeks of modern royal parenting,

An Elizabethan Sculpture Garden of Surprises

photos: Dominic Rivetti

A visit to the Garden of Surprises at Burghley House, while in the Stamford area, in my home county of Lincolnshire, England, was at the top of my list of things to do while visiting my parents, this summer.

Built and mostly designed by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587, the historic, fallow deer-studded parklands of Burghley House were laid out by Capability Brown. 

It had been several years since I'd last visited Burghley, famed today for its annual autumn horse trials. In keeping with the best of the National Trust's British stately homes, a stunning program of seasonal events have been more recently added to Burghley's roster, complimenting the most significant addition of an extensive, rambling, contemporary sculpture garden and its delightful, bordering Garden of Surprises. 

“This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.” - Thanks Mr. Shakespeare for this succint little encapsulation of my thoughts exactly, whilst stepping back into the bounty of Burghley. 

In the 16th century the 1st Lord Burghley was, by all accounts of history, a most passionate gardener and employer of naturalists, collectors, travelers, gardeners, the Tradescants.

Diarists of the day noted one of the original Lord Burghley's gardens as containing “divers conceits, obelisks of many materials and a lead pond which was pleasant for bathing in the summer, as well as Caesars heads contained in a circular building with a table made from ‘touchstone’”.

With this in mind,  Burghley's more recent addition of a Garden of surprises was inspired by this, much earlier Elizabethan garden, featuring a moss house, swivelling Caesar busts, basins of water, jets and a mirrored maze.

 “‎W. H. Auden once suggested that to understand your own country you need to have lived in at least two others. One can say something similar for periods of time: to understand your own century you need to have come to terms with at least two others. The key to learning something about the past might be a ruin or an archive but the means whereby we may understand it is--and always will be--ourselves.” Ian Mortimer, The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England - A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century.

“There, Clover found the "gardens and great trees and old cottages...so beautiful" that seeing them exhausted her. It was as if, she joked with her husband, "this English world is a huge stage-play got up only to amuse Americans. It is obviously unreal, eccentric, and taken out of novels.” Natalie Dykstra

Film Festival, Horse Trials, Fine Food Market, Big Fairy Picnic, Candle Light Tours bring visitors back to Burghley time and again, but it is the new Beastly Boring Tours  that I would have liked to have experienced, had time permitted.

I've toured many a National Trust property with kids in tow and this seems to me, a brilliant way to capture the attention and imagination of young visitors.Beastly Boring Tours take place at Burghley every day of the summer holidays at 10am  from Monday 22nd July to Saturday 31st August (excluding Fridays and Sundays). Families are guided around bycostumed guides to find out all the grizzly gruesome and horrible history associated with Burghley and the fascinating people who have lived there. Admission is free with a house and gardens ticket for the day.

Burghley is a mile from Stamford and 20 minutes north of Peterborough on the A1.

From the South:

Take the Carpenters Lodge exit on the A1 signposted to Burghley House, turn left on to the B1081 towards Stamford.

Follow the road alongside the park wall and the impressive Bottle Lodges entrance gates down towards Stamford.

Turn right just past the Bull & Swan Pub and continue for one mile along the Barnack Road (B1443). You will see the Visitors Entrance on the right.

From the North:

From the North follow the A1 south past Doncaster and Grantham.

Approximately 30 minutes south of Grantham you will reach the Stamford junction labelled Carpenters Lodge and sign posted to Burghley House.

Turn left towards Stamford.

Follow the road past the estate wall and the impressive Bottle Lodges entrance gates.

Just past the A43 on the left, turn right past the Bull & Swan Public House and continue for one mile along the Barnack Road (B1443). You will see the Visitors Entrance on the right.