Southern Sonoma Country Life

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/

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]heeseTrail.org 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

 

New For Spring in Sonoma County — Life Opens Up

With awe-inspiring views, coastal redwood trees that are older than most buildings, and countless opportunities to immerse oneself in nature, the natural surroundings of Sonoma County invite us  to stop and pause. And it is within this pause that the magic happens. At that moment Life Opens Up and mindful travel, or for those of us who are lucky to live here, staycationing begins. For inspiration, ideas and itineraries visit Sonomacounty.com. 

New in Accolades for Sonoma County

• More than fourteen properties in Sonoma County made U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 list of “Best Hotels in the USA.” The list, which evaluated over 6,000 hotel properties nationwide, includes Timber Cove Resort (590), Vintners Resort (656), The Stavrand (842), Gaige House (849), The Farmhouse (850), The Lodge at Bodega Bay (1106), Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn (1216), Kenwood Inn & Spa (1250), The Madrona (1611), The Astro (1840), Graton Resort & Casino (2265), Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine County (4967), and the Flamingo Resort (5518). 

• TripAdvisor has unveiled its Travelers' Choice Destinations Award for the Top 10 Trending Destinations in the U.S. in 2023. Rather than relying on a cadre of tourism editors to tout what they believe are the best destinations worldwide for a vacation, TripAdvisor's rankings are based on insights from millions of real travelers who visited these destinations in the past year and left their feedback. Wine tasting through Sonoma Valley is among the top 10. 

• Slow Food in Sonoma County is an international program that recognizes food-related businesses that excel in sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, and business values. In addition to fourteen current businesses, the 2023 Snail of Approval awardees include Americana, COOKIE...take a bite!, Corner Project Ales & Eats, Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Petaluma's Lunchette, Maison Porcella, Sunray Farm, and Taub Family Outpost. 

New in Restaurants  

Chef Mark Malicki's pop-up dinners have launched at The Tea Room Cafe, Western Avenue, Petaluma, Tuesdays 5pm to 8pm. No reservations, get in line! See photo above. 

Little Saint Reopens with New Food Program  

Healdsburg’s Little Saint has reopened with a more casual all-day food program. Changes include a new menu from chef Bryan Oliver highlighting their 100% plant-based, vegetable-forward cuisine, driven by what is grown seasonally on local Sonoma County farms. The wine list has been transformed with emphasis on an expanded collection of small-producer wines. A new bar program offers a creative take on both spirits-based and non-alcoholic cocktails. 

The Roadhouse Collective 

The former Fork Roadhouse in Sebastopol has been reimagined as a food collective. The growing cast of food businesses at the renamed Roadhouse Collective include Fork Catering, Just Eat Some Plant-Based, Bayou on the Bay, Happy Cat Pizza, and SubHuman, a sandwich shop. The food collaborators will share the space as an event venue, commissary kitchen, and pop-up space for their concept restaurants. The Roadhouse Collective believes collaboration is key to a thriving and sustainable food business model. 

New in Hotels 

Astro Adventures 

The Astro has launched its inaugural season of weeklong “Astro Adventures” in partnership with chefs, master sommeliers, mixologists, and authors, and their restaurant, The Spinsters Sisters. Each week the adventure is hosted by a different expert who guides the group through Sonoma County. The Astro Adventure package includes lodging at the midcentury motor lodge, several meals at The Spinster Sisters tasting fees, transportation, and goodies to bring home.  

Extended Stay Promotion in Sonoma County 

The late winter-early spring months are far from sleepy in Sonoma County. In fact, it is an excellent time to feel like visitors are getting Sonoma County all to themselves, especially mid-week. Check out Sonoma County’s deals page for cool trip ideas. Or if visitors prefer more buzz balanced out by time to relax, they may consider extending their weekend stay and saving more. 

New in Wine 

WildWood Wine gives back to the community 

WildWood Wine is selling its wine in partnership with community-based non-profit organizations that improve lives and contribute to the well-being of people in the Sonoma County community. For every bottle they sell, WildWood Wine is donating 25% of the purchase price to one of the partnering non-profits to create a new funding stream for the non-profits. Customers choose online which organization they wish to support. WildWood Wine has four initial partnering organizations currently committed to the program. They include Food For Thought, Ceres Community Project, Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), and Forget Me Not Farm. 

Winemaker Dinner Series by Santé  

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn’s Executive Chef Jared Reeves, in partnership with some of Sonoma's most renowned winemakers, are collaborating for a 2023 winemaker dinner series at Santé at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Each experience begins with a sparkling wine reception commencing at 6:00 pm followed by a 4-course wine-paired dinner presented on the patio under the Fairmont’s famous water tower. The winemaker dinner series features: 

• April 26, 2023 – Dan Kosta, Convene Wines  

• May 31, 2023 – Michael Sebastiani, Highway 12 Winery 

• June 28, 2023 – Alison Smith Story, Smith Story Wines 

• July 26, 2023 – Erich Bradley, Sojourn Cellars 

• September 27, 2023 – Silver Oak Winery 

New in Events 

Early Spring Activities in Jack London State Historic Park 

A slate of outdoor events is taking place at Jack London State Historic Park this spring. Here are a select few: 

• Deborah Large, creator and keeper of the Jack London Park “Blooming Now” wildflower guide, will lead the “An Eye for Wildflowers” hike to locate the wildflowers featured in the current issue of the online guide. The distance will be determined by the location of the wildflowers on the day of the walk and should be one to three miles in length. March 18. 10:00 am.  

• A variety of uplifting musical selections will be presented by the Jack London Piano Club, a talented group of volunteers at Jack London State Historic Park, in its Springtime Piano Concert. The music will be performed on Charmian London’s 1901 Steinway piano, located on the second floor of the House of Happy Walls, Charmian’s former home and now the museum of Jack and Charmian’s life together. March 19. 2:00 pm. 

• Award-winning author, scientist, and nature guide Rebecca Lawton will lead a two-hour literary bird walk from Jack London State Historic Park along the trails of Sonoma Mountain. The group will take a leisurely stroll to the site of Jack London’s Lake looking for wild birds and musing on seasonal and long-term changes in water and wildlife. Lawton will also talk about writing on the mountain before, during, and after Jack London’s time. She will share samples of ancient and contemporary language about the mountain and wildlife (birds, specifically), in part exploring how London himself described them. March 25. 8:00 am. 

Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen is operated and funded by Jack London Park Partners, one of the first non-profit organizations to be entrusted with the management of a state park on behalf of the people of California. 

Transcendence Theater Company 

Transcendence Theatre Company is Sonoma County’s premiere live entertainment experience. With three original outdoor musical revues produced every summer, the company’s mission is to create extraordinary evenings featuring the best talents from Broadway and beyond. Evening performances begin with a picnic dinner surrounded by the lush scenery of Jack London State Historic Park. It culminates with an electrifying, fully staged evening of song and dance, set within the majestic ruins of a former winery, all against a moonlit, star-dotted night sky. Subscription and single ticket sales begin March 3. 

Sonoma International Film Festival 

Celebrating its 26th anniversary in 2023, the five-day Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) offers the best in film, food, wine, and fun in one of the most intimate, engaging, and inspiring settings on the film circuit. The festival is dedicated to promoting the best in independent film and filmmakers from around the world, inspiring savvy film lovers, and introducing the power of film to student filmmakers. March 22-26. 

California Artisan Cheese Festival 

Meet award-winning California cheesemakers, local winemakers, brewers, and distillers at the 17th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival. Sample and buy artisan cheese and other handcrafted products perfect for pairing with cheese; taste beer, wine, cider, and spirit. This year’s Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace will feature over 80 artisan producers showcasing their products. March 24-26. 

IPA 10K Brewfest & Beer Mile 

This one-of-a-kind celebration combines distance running, craft beer, and more.  The IPA10K and 3K start with a beer and cider toast before taking runners on a scenic loop course north of The Barlow. After the races, browse the Brewfest, which features local craft brewers plus wine, food, bands, and exhibitors. April 15. 8:00 am. 

Petaluma Butter and Egg Days Parade 4oth Anniversary April 22, 2023.  

The 2023 parade highlights 40 years of tradition in Petaluma and is an opportunity to celebrate our community, our history, and our great sense of fun!  This year  join in celebrating the Ruby Jubilee Anniversary and the theme “There’s no Place Like Home” which will incorporate artistic visions from the Land of OZ, Ruby Slippers, our amazing Earth (as it’s also EARTH DAY), and what makes Petaluma such a special Hometown.  This year’s parade should inspire and bring smiles to the masses.  The parade will showcase over 100 units with approximately 3,000 participants and 200 volunteers. The popular antique faire takes place the following weekend, Sunday April 30. 

Apple Blossom Festival 

The Apple Blossom Festival in Sebastopol is a quintessential Sonoma County event. The festival kicks off with a small-town Americana parade down Main Street featuring local participants celebrating the rich agricultural heritage and spirit of the community. At the conclusion of the parade, the crowd makes their way to Ives Park in Sebastopol for the festival. Bustling with activity, it includes live music, a children's play area, artisan crafts, and food booths. Two entertainment stages will feature a variety of musical acts. April 29 – 30. 

Costeaux French Bakery 100th Anniversary  

Costeaux French Bakery is commemorating its 100-year anniversary with various year-round celebrations throughout 2023. Programs include a call for personal Costeaux stories, a pop-up dinner, a family-friendly community event, an exclusive luncheon for wholesale accounts, and a 1920s-themed party. Each month, a Costeaux golden ticket will be placed in cakes and bread bags. The individual who finds the Costeaux Golden Ticket will receive complimentary baked goods and special commemorative items celebrating the 100th anniversary of this beloved Sonoma County bakery. 

Interfaith Relationship Spotlight — Jewish Decorative Paint Specialist and Design Consultant Ruby Newman Celebrates Three Decades of Creative Expression and Partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Petaluma

When a religious sanctuary in our modern age makes room to provide a place of spiritual worship, solace, commune and prayer for people of all peaceful faiths, beliefs and viewpoints, it is to be celebrated. After all, inclusion and open-minded conversation is a powerful magnet for bridging the divide within our diverse communities and it's a wonderful thing to behold when a different point of view on cultural and/or religious or spirituality is openly welcomed and respected.   

Building such respect for religious differences encourages communication and understanding, reduces prejudice, misconceptions, hatred and violence. Religious leaders of different faith in Sonoma County are increasingly called to come together in the most difficult of times during this era of wildfires and other natural disasters, sharing places of worship and other vital resources for their congregation and communities at large. And a religious sanctuary is capable of providing shelter and safe haven for even the most devout non-believer and all those in between. 

And so it is especially heartening to revisit the story of Jewish artist Ruby Newman's 30-year relationship and deep-rooted commitment as the decorative paint technique specialist and design consultant to historic St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church (circa 1927) in Petaluma. 

Photo: Frances Rivetti — Artist Ruby Newman in the entrance to St. Vincent de Paul Church on Liberty Street, Petaluma, CA.  Bullnoses of exterior columns have been re-gilded and gold-leafing refreshes and brightens the ornate design above the church doors. 

"The parish totally trusts me and embraces me," says Ruby, who was born and raised in a Jewish household in Northern New Jersey. "It's a lovely relationship."

Photo: Ruby Newman — The entrance to St. Vincent de Paul Church before Ruby Newman's faux marble finishing of the columns and decorative painting of the architectural details in 1993. 

"The exterior paint has held up well," said Ruby during my visit to the church this late February. I first met with Ruby 11 years years ago to write about church refurbishment and her remarkable work, in my former column in the Petaluma Argus Courier. Now in her seventh decade, she is still spritely enough to climb to lofty heights in the almost 100-year-old building in her mission to create and embellish beautiful spaces that open people's hearts.

However: "I do take the tower steps to get to the top of the 13-story-scaffold," she shared. Ruby has a sense of humor and wonder in her exuberant life's work, which she came to following an early career in theater arts after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. 

Ruby was inspired to paint and draw as a young child by her mother, Lucille, a graduate of Pratt Institute. During this early period she developed her skills in pen, watercolors and pastels.

"I was exposed to the galleries and arts museums in New York City throughout my formative years," Ruby shared. "My mother owned Lucinda Ltd, Fine Art Gallery . . . which gave me my first exposure to the inner working of the art world. She featured high-quality contemporary NY area artists whom I had the opportunity to meet when I accompanied her to their studios."

She also assisted in organizing and hanging shows in her mother's gallery. 

Ruby is no longer taking new commissions for decorative interior painting and faux finishings, in which she has a prolific body of work, including religious centers such as Spirit Rock in Marin, Victorian homes throughout the Bay Area, restaurants, wineries, spas and other commercial buildings, though her portfolio will forever burst with stunning skies, scenes and effects. She's happiest now painting abstract, plein air landscape, figurative and still life studies in her art studio in rural West Petaluma. And yet she's not quite ready to set aside her brushes and tools and trowels that she depends upon to upkeep her three decades of artistic devotion within the sanctuary of St. Vincent's. 

The artist, whose enthusiasm for her work shines through a broad smile when she  talks on the subject, studied classical figurative drawing with Charlie Mazussian (BFA Pratt). "This foundation has given me a strong ability to capture the human figure and nature alike. I delight in creating work from live models, candid portraiture of musicians in performance and listeners," Ruby explained. 

Faux painting, popular since classical times, when an artist apprenticed for a decade or more with a master faux painter, tricks viewers into believing marble and ancient stone work effect, especially, is real. Faux painting reappeared in commercial and public spaces in the neoclassical revival of the nineteenth century and the Art Deco style of the 1920s and in the case of St. Vincent de Paul's inner and outer sanctuary, completely transformed a cold, bland and colorless environment into one of warmth and texture and depth. 

"I was originally hired by an interior designer who had volunteered to work with the late Father George and the church," Ruby explained. "The faux finisher they were considering first wasn't available so they took a chance on a little Jewish girl. I believe they've never regretted it!"

It was board member, the late Don Ramatici who told her, years after the finishings were complete how much the Church appreciated and valued her work.

Ruby described the original "before" interior of the church as chalky, grey white. "It looked like a mortuary, it was very grim." Plaster had cracked in the arches and so she set about faux finishing ancient stone effects to disguise the fixed cracks as well as around the doorways and plaster surrounding the stained glass windows, rosettes and Stations of the Cross. Ten columns were transformed by a marbling effect that complimented the original marble in the Italian prayer railing. 

Boyd Meacham, now owner of Spurgeon Painting assisted the artist in execution of the color washes back in the 90s. "He's still so great to work with," she said.

Photo: Ruby Newman — Before photo in St. Vincent de Paul Church in the early 90s. 

Photo: Frances Rivetti — Interior of St. Vincent de Paul Church Petaluma Feb 2023

Photos: Frances Rivetti

 

Parishioners may remember the The Stations of the Cross in St.Vincent's before Ruby's color infusion brought the scenes refreshingly to life. The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ's last day on Earth as a man. According to Catholic.org, The 14 devotions, or stations, focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation. The stations are commonly used as a mini pilgrimage as the individual moves from station to station. At each station, the individual recalls and meditates on a specific event from Christ's last day. Specific prayers are recited, then the individual moves to the next station until all 14 are complete.

 

"The priests have helped me with the 14 Stations," Ruby recounted. She started with painting the sky at the top of each scene, beginning with sunshine and blue skies and progressively moving toward a stormy sky above the last day. Colors of the time depict the scenes in a vivid tableau of which the artist is especially pleased with from an art history perspective.

 

"Church goers experience the feeling of walking through Jerusalem," explained Ruby. "Embellishment really makes people stop and take a look. As a public works artist, my heart is focused on putting good things in the public eye, creating feelings of harmony and peace."

 

Stained glass windows made in Germany are being meticulously cared for and maintained as with the interior and exterior in general by the church caretaker Ignacio Romo, who sets up ladders for Ruby and keeps a loving, watchful eye on the entire facility.

 

When it came time for new altar furnishings at St. Vincent's five years ago, the now-retired Father Gary Lombardi turned to Ruby for advice. "I told him that we could do better than simply ordering from a catalog."

 

"I love being in the creative process and problem solving."  She designed the altar tables, chairs and holy water cabinet, sourcing Italian marble that complimented the original marble inset into the prayer railing and commissioned fellow Petaluman, master craftsman Andrew Jacobson of Design In Wood to build the individual, one-of-a-kind pieces with cherry wood, marble and burl.  

 

 

 Photos: Frances Rivetti - altar furniture designed by Ruby Newman and crafted by Andrew Jacobson of Design in Wood. Original Italian marble in prayer railing used as inspiration in the artists' faux work.

 

 

The print of a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe, Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed to have occurred in December 1531 and a venerated image on a cloak enshrined within the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, was sourced by the artist with support of the Parish to promote inclusion of the church's extensive Spanish-speaking community.

 

Even the glass of the chandelier lanterns has not escaped the artist's discerning eye. Ruby transformed the dark glass of the original fixture by donating her time for the faux marbling replacement glass for a softer light to shine over the congregation and choir. 

Ruby is also restoring the far-right column on the front entrance to the church since mold and calcification has occurred. "Next to it, I’ll also be repairing some major cracks in the small columns . . . probably due to little earthquakes and/or movement in the 100-year-old building in general.

At Carnegie Mellon University, Ruby majored in Theatrical Design under the direction of Cletus and Barbara Anderson. She received a B.F.A. and The Bess Kimberly Award for best costume designer of her class. She worked for the Santa Fe Opera, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the International Opera Barga in Italy.

To quote Ruby from her website: "I then turned my attention to public art and devoted over ten years to projects from the San Francisco Arts Commission. These included several public mural works and the restoration of the 1914 Golden Gate Park Carousel.  I oversaw the restoration process and personally hand-painted the 62 wooden menagerie figures, decorative panels and masks."

She received numerous awards and recognitions for this effort. Following this commission, she spent two years as a resident artist at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin County, where she had the opportunity to focus on her fine art work. 

Since 1977,  Ruby has used her talents to create an assortment of unique commercial decorative painting applications. The mastery of Trompe l'Oeil, custom murals and decorative painting has won the artist several national awards, including the decorative finishes for Petaluma's St. Vincent de Paul Church and the Reutlinger Mansion in San Francisco. Many custom size prints of her images have been chosen by the Healthcare Industry for hospital art because of their positive, uplifting energy. 

Ruby's advice for young artists: "Follow your spirit, believe in yourself. There will be rejections, but move on, you don't belong where you've been rejected. Knock on new doors, the worst they can do is say no." 

There have been many a 12-hour-day in the past when Ruby Newman has been so thoroughly immersed in her work within St. Vincent de Paul Church. When she first started, there were the major religious holidays to work around to deadline. At one stage she blew out her meniscus — knee cartilage torn by clambering up and down scaffolding and steps. These days she is much more aware of the physical demands on her body and is more mindful of her own self-care.

"It's been an extraordinary story in the length and breadth of our relationship," she said, as she lovingly checked to make sure the lights were off as we left the sanctuary of the church and headed back outside into the afternoon rain. Ruby was on her wayback to her studio to work on her latest fine art assemblage series "Paint Slices" until the weather warms and she''' be back at St. Vincent's to continue on the restoration of the main entrance.