“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
Anthony Bourdain
Well, I am definitely a romantic. And I invested more of my household staple budget and shopping time in cheese and wine during the past couple of years than ever, making sure as much of it as possible was local.
And I'm so glad that so many of you did too as we're coming through the other end of the long struggle for our regional farmstead producers who were so incredibly hard hit by the on-again, off-again shutting of restaurants and hospitality venues, their major source of income. It's heartening to see so many cheesemakers and artisan producers back at it in public, with tours, dinners and special events this Spring.
I was delighted to attend the 16th annual California Artisan Cheese Festival in Santa Rosa at the county fairgrounds on Saturday May 6th. It was lovely to spend the day with good friend Lynne Devereux, former Marketing & Public Relations at Laura Chenel's Chèvre & Marin French Cheese, who was instrumental in the cheese festival's early days at the Sheraton Petaluma. I haven't seen Lynne, who lives in the East Bay since long before the pandemic so it was terrific to catch up in-person on life, the universe and strawberry-infused cream cheese bagels at a bustling, real life, local festival.
Cheesemakers, beer makers, wine and mead producers, olive oil makers, you name it, the taste makers of the region were representing. It struck us that the lines of patient patrons waiting to taste have grown far more civilized given everyone's manners these days in not over crowding one another. It may be that there needs to be line hosts to keep things going in future years if we stay as sensible for the long term!
I hope next year to hear that the cheese tours will return. I've been on quite a few over the years and they're always so much fun. I love meeting folk from all over the world who come to explore the true flavor of terroir in and on our cheesemaking facilities, ranches and farms.
This cute crew had to be captured on film as they nibbled their way around some 60 or more vendors.
One of my favorite local cheesemaking families is Achadinha Cheese Company, just outside of Petaluma on Chileno Valley Road. I was delighted to see Donna Pacheco and family featured on Sonoma County's Life Open's Up videos. It really shows how beautiful it is in our part of the country. Look for Achadinha cheeses at your local California farmer's market and in regional stores.
Last week was a busy one. I was also lucky enough to attend a fantastic winemaker dinner at the new Montage resort nestled among 258 acres of rolling vineyards and oak tree groves, outside of Healdsburg.
Thank you dear friends Michael and Carla Carpenter for the invite. Michael co-founded The Redd Collection — a retail wine business primarily focused on fine & rare wines. He and his family live in Southern Sonoma County where he has his finger on the pulse of California wines as well as wines from around the world. If you're looking to start or expand a wine collection, Michael's your guy. And he makes the wine world fun in his down-to-earth approach to sourcing and explaining everything from great value every day wines to whatever amazing wine suits your personal pallet & wallet.
Every year, Michael participates in Sonoma County Vintner's annual spring Barrel Auction extravaganza that takes place each year in Sonoma Wine Country over several days and at multiple locations.
The intimate winemaker's dinner we attended featured a delicious menu served in a spectacular glass-enclosed, private modern dining room with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine pairings served by renowned Fisher Vineyards and Patz & Hall Winery.
It was my first time visiting the resort which features an 11,500-square-foot spa, a zero-edge resort pool, three signature dining options, including a seasonal poolside restaurant, inspired by our region’s culinary heritage and renowned wineries. It really is spectacular.
After the cheese festival I stopped by the Water Shed Warehouse in West Petaluma's riverfront neighborhood on 1st Street. Another friend, Wendy Owen, messaged me that she was going to be there with her sumptuous textile pillows and cushions for a pop-up that sounded intriguing.
Needless to say, this beautifully renovated 100-year-old former grain warehouse which neighbors Foundry Wharf is a place to watch in Sonoma County for upscale style and design. It's exciting to see what happens next in that neighborhood.
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