Sonoma Discoveries, Nov.-Dec. 2016

this issue: $4.95 VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5 November-December 2016

taste+

eats+

fun+

holiday+

nature+

Chat with Liz Thach, MW; Wine & Food Affair: Tasting Along the Wine Road

Legacy of M.F.K Fisher, Panettone, Dried Persimmons, Cloverdale Crab Feed

Ice Skating, Chanukah Events, Christmas Caroling, Antique Toy Exhibit, Crafts Fairs

Theater & Ballet Productions, Tree Lightings & Parades, Art Openings & Gift Shows

Falcons in the Vineyards, Horseback Riding, Master Pruner Michael Alliger

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Spas for the Season Antiquing Wonderland

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FEATURES

36 - Leavin’ it all Behind…On a Horse

32

Wings Over the Vineyards

50

A Master Pruner’s Journey

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 DEPARTMENTS

10 Q&A: CHAT with Liz Thach, MW - Distinguished Professor of Wine, Sonoma State University

12 WELL-BEING Spa Day - Hands-on luxury and Zen-like treatment

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16 A DAY WITH THE EPICUREAN CONNECTION

44

The Legacy of M.F.K. Fisher

18 OUT TO EAT Scopa - Keeping it Simple

22 THE ITALIAN INFLUENCE

22

EDITOR’S LETTER

DISCOVERIES PICKS: PANETTONE

COMMUNITY: ON STAGE AND IN SONG

ART & ABOUT

EVENT CALENDAR

ONE LAST THOUGHT

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American drinkers waking up to ‘new’ Old World varieties

28 THE HISTORY OF ASTI Legacy of winemaking and Italian-American entrepreneurship continues

44 ANTIQUING: PASSION OR OBSESSION The more you look, the more you may be hooked

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Editor Patricia M. Roth Design & Production Brent A. Miller Managing Editor Sarah Bradbury Web Coordinator Laura Hagar Publisher Rollie Atkinson Associate Publisher Sarah Bradbury Sales Manager Paula Wise

Advertising Sales Cherie Kelsay Glenn Lurie Carol Rands Graphic Designers Jim Schaefer Denee Rebottaro

Visit our sustainably farmed vineyard to enjoy Sonoma County’s most breathtaking views, or stop by our downtown Healdsburg Tasting Room to taste our Double Gold Medal & 90+ point Estate wines.

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Estate Tasting Room & Picnic Area 9100 Skaggs Springs Rd. Geyserville Open Saturday 10 - 4

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Cover Photo Nonna’s Chicken at Scopa

By Loren Hansen

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5

EDITOR’S LETTER

I

have never been to Italy but I have a girlfriend who brought the flavor of Italy to me—and her passion for food, wine and tradition becomes magnified during the holidays. When she was growing up, weeks were spent in the kitchen preparing special foods that had been passed on from one generation to the next—and the celebration continued as those in her family and village paid homage to this very special time of year.

As my family rushed through the holiday season, her people knew how to partake in life’s important moments, often shared around a simple rustic table. One of my favorite Italian specialties that she introduced me to was the soft, golden bread called panettone. I like to tear off chunks and dip it in strong coffee—and think of my friend who taught me much about savoring life. In Discoveries Picks, read about our neighborhood bakers who make panettone only during the holidays right here in Sonoma County.

Continuing on the Italian theme, writer Abby Bard visited Scopa, a family-run restaurant whose owner/chef embraces the heart of tradition with every dish. You’ll feel nurtured by the simple yet delicious dishes prepared in the restaurant’s small kitchen; the recipes incorporate Chef Rosen’s family favorites with ingredients sourced from local farmers.

Our winery owners dedicated to growing Italian winegrape varieties—many of them rare—are also passionate about their creations. Holly Fox tells the stories of those whose deep love of Italian wines stem from personal experiences—from traveling through Italy, buying property with old vines or simply planting uncommon varieties. The flavors will win you over, and Holly provides information about where to track down these bottles.

Writer Samantha Campos dives into the rich history of Asti, a community between Cloverdale and Geyserville that carries the spirit of winemaking and Italian-American entrepreneurship. You will read familiar names: Pietro Carlo Rossi, Edoardo Seghesio, Louis Petri—and the list goes on.

Columnist, cheese maker and chef Sheana Davis recalls working at 15 years old with preeminent food writer M.F.K. Fisher. Sheana also reveals plans that are underway to remodel M.F.K. Fisher’s “Last House” and shares recipes inspired by the “lady in Glen Ellen.”

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In Wings Over the Vineyards, Bo Kearns tells the story of a teenager who fell in love with birds of prey, went on to build a successful career in the wine industry, and eventually circled back to become a falconer. John Hawley’s current sidekick is a goshawk, who helps manage starlings in a sustainable way at his own Hawley Cellars.

If you like looking for treasures, read Linda Loveland Reid’s story, in which she brings two antique shops to life. For many years a lovely woman named Joan welcomed my mom and me into the Antique Society, where we’d join others having a shopping experience unlike any other. Now her daughter runs the show, where dealers continue to bring unique wares from the past into the collective. In Healdsburg, also a hub for antique shops, Mill Street Antiques and Upscale Retail give new life to used and unusual merchandise.

November and December are good months to get away from it all—and horseback riding offers an outdoor adventure that will take you out of your head and into the moment. Writer Kimberly Kaido-Alvarez has been riding since childhood. Follow her lead and you may be filled with the same sense of freedom she has enjoyed from her lifelong association with horses.

Spas are the ultimate way to unwind. Laura Elise visited Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary and The Spa Hotel Healdsburg to share experiences she described as full of “peace and tranquility” and “utterly blissful.” A good way to visualize the treatments is to see the photographs captured by Loren Hansen.

Learn about the skills and journey of a master pruner in Abby Bard’s story, “The Right Cut.” Michael Alliger followed an inner calling to work outside, and this has led him to collaborations, teaching and a successful career as an aesthetic pruner.

Finally, we bring you Gayle Okumura Sullivan’s column on drying persimmons and Marie Butler’s piece on holiday performances. Check out the event calendar for seasonal fun and concerts, and the art calendar for shows and gift-giving ideas. Happy holidays!

Patricia Miller Roth Editor, Sonoma Discoveries patti@sonomadiscoveries.com

CONTRIBUTORS Abby Bard is a weaver who sells her handwoven clothing at local galleries and from her studio in Sebastopol. She is a member of Sonoma County Art Trails. She has a passion for growing food in an urban landscape. abbybardhandwoven.com Sarah Bradbury is the associate publisher of Sonoma West Publishers, Inc. and the managing editor of Sonoma Discoveries. She has had the opportunity to photograph the county and its people for Sonoma Discoveries for 20 years.

Marie Butler is a freelance writer and has been a full-time Healdsburg resident for more than 28 years. Her niche is observing and writing about the fascinating, quirky wine country and Sonoma County. She is the author of the children’s book, “Herbie–A Toy’s Adventures in Healdsburg,” plus other stories and articles.

Samantha Campos is a freelance writer from Maui, Palm Springs and Marin, now firmly planted in Oakland. She’s written about everything from dive bars to edible schoolyards, and Shrinky Dink art made by Russian royalty to the daily life of a coroner. A fourth-generation Californian, she enjoys frequent road trips exploring the state’s bounty.

Sheana Davis is a cheese maker, chef, caterer and culinary educator who creates edible experiences for food enthusiasts under the auspices of The Epicurean Connection, her gastronomic experience company. Learn more: theepicureanconnection.com.

Holly Fox is a Sonoma County native and an international reporter who has written for publications in Europe and the United States. As a writer, she is drawn to stories about food and drink and the places they’re from. She runs a small hotel and lives in Sonoma County with her husband and child.

Kimberly Kaido-Alvarez is a local freelance writer with a vast array of interests and a creative flair. Her most recent works highlight the “nooks and crannies” of Sonoma Countty historically and culturally. Raised in Sonoma County, Kimberly is a fan of “good food.” She’s the author of numerous pieces that capture the vibrant farming and restaurant scene in her corner of the world.

Bo Kearns is a writer, beekeeper and nature lover. He has written award-winning short stories and recently completed the manuscript for a novel set in Indonesia where he lived for three years. He enjoys hiking and running the trails in the regional parks.

Sonoma County native Linda Loveland Reid thrives on the cultural depth of Sonoma County. She is the author of two published novels, a director of theater in Sonoma and Marin counties, a figurative oil painter, and an instructor for SSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Linda has retired from an employee benefits firm she founded, now carried forward by her children.

Jeff Roth is a media guy who works with video, stills and sound. His winemaker videos have been featured on sonomadiscoveries.com and his musician photos and videos have been published internationally. As a sound designer, his work includes feature films, broadcast and cable TV. His home and studio are in Sebastopol.

Patricia Miller Roth is the editor of Sonoma Discoveries. She was previously a senior editor at Wine Business Monthly and has been a reporter and editor at various publications in California, from the San Joaquin Valley to the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a Master of Arts in Writing from the University of San Francisco and lives in Sebastopol.

Gayle Okumura Sullivan is co-owner and manager of Dry Creek Peach and Produce in Healdsburg, a boutique organic peach farm. With a background in marketing, she came to the farm in 2000, and has loved it since. During the summer you can find her at the market, in the farm stand, working with customers, or in the orchard.

Gary Ottonello is a photographer born and raised in Sonoma County concentrating in portraiture and action sports photography, specializing in off-camera lighting. He comes from a video background and enjoys playing the drums and skateboarding. garyomedia.com.

Loren Hansen is a photographer specializing in events and food photography. More of her work can be found at lorenhansenphotography. com.

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discoveries picks

Panettone: A Slice of Italy

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Beth Thorp, owner/baker at NIGHTINGALE BREADS in Forestville, said that panettone “is a wonderfully light, slightly sweet buttery taste of goodness.

With the subtle taste of fruit and vanilla, this Italian Christmas bread should not be mistaken for your grandmother’s fruitcake!”

Although Thorp is not Italian herself, 8

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photo by Samantha Mavar

anettone is a cylindrical Italian cake with origins in Milan, made from a rich yeast dough and traditionally filled with candied fruits and raisins. Some of Sonoma County’s best bakers make panettone during the holiday season. It’s not a simple process! Nor can it be compared to the boxed panettone you’ll find on supermarket shelves. Though steeped in Italian tradition, it’s Sonoma County-style, meaning made local and fresh, with only the finest ingredients. Here are our picks for where to find the best expressions of this traditional Italian specialty to give and savor during the holidays. Buon Natale!

“Our panettone, like all of our bakery items, are made completely from scratch and filled with love,” said Bobbi Burton, coowner with Warren Burton of BURTONZ BAKERY in Windsor. “We chose our recipe after a lot of trial and error, and tweaking the flavors and ratios of ingredients to our personal liking.”

An unusual aspect about making panettone is the cooling process: Burton suspends the baked loaves upside-down for four hours to keep the signature-domed shape from deflating.

Burton said that one of her family’s favorite panettone traditions is for their Papa Bill to make a delicious French toast during the holidays. This holiday season, the bakery will offer panettone for sale, baked fresh that day, on Fridays and Saturdays, December 2 through January 7.

BurtoNZ Bakery: 707-687-5455, burtonzbakery.com. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; or at Windsor Certified Farmers Market, Sundays 10 a.m.-1 p.m., April through December.

she happened to open her business “in a town rich with Italian immigrants.” After Thorp’s dear friend Lori asked her to consider making panettone one week after Nightingale opened in 1988, a tradition was born. Customers come back year after year for it.

Making panettone takes 36 hours from beginning to end. Thorp uses sourdough starter and “stiffens it up to make sure it is good and strong for the journey.” She uses golden raisins, candied lemon and orange peel, and orange zest, saying that these subtle flavors permeate the bread without overpowering it.

“Our panettone [pictured above] is wrapped in cellophane, tied with red and green ribbons and has a lovely label with a history of panettone on the back,” Thorp said. This year it will be available November 30 through Christmas.

Nightingale Breads: 707-887-8887, facebook.com/NightingaleBreads. Hours: Wed.-Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. 10a.m.-4 p.m.

DOWNTOWN BAKERY AND CREAMERY’s owner Kathleen Stewart has been selling panettone ever since her Healdsburg business was established 29 years ago. “My biggest customer, until 1½ years ago, was my landlord, an Italian man who died soon after 100th birthday,” she said. “Every year I would make him 25 to 30 panettone that we wrap in traditional

cellophane with ribbons and he would pass them out to his Italian friends.”

Stewart and one of her original partners Lindsey Shere were Chez Panisse alumni (Lindsey was one of the founders). “I suspect the recipe came from Lindsey,” said Stewart. “Knowing Lindsey and how we do everything here… it’s probably a panettone recipe from a baker in Milano.”

Stewart said just the making of the dough is a three-stage process. “The thing that probably makes ours the most special, we always make our own candied citrus peel— it’s a long process... We also use golden raisins, currents and pine nuts.”

The panettone at Downtown Bakery is a tall dome shape, about eight to 12 inches high, made with organic ingredients and available from the second week of December through New Year’s Eve. Downtown Bakery: 707-431-2719, downtownbakery.net. Hours: Weekdays 6 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

At COSTEAUX FRENCH BAKERY the work for panettone starts in October for selling in November and December. The panettone is handmade in small batches with no artificial preservatives.

Owner Will Seppi reveals that his recipe incorporates “real butter, fresh eggs, candied lemon and orange peel along with raisins, vanilla, rum and orange extract to develop our signature panettone.”

Seppi suggested that panettone can be sliced and toasted with butter or served with ice cream or mascarpone as a dessert to accompany an after-dinner cordial and coffee. Loyal Costeaux supporters can also share panettone with loved ones around the country; Costeaux French Bakery will ship the cakes, baked in festive brown and gold baking containers, wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with ribbon.

Costeaux French Bakery: 707-433-1913, costeaux.com. Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Also available at the Costeaux location inside Big John’s Market.

community

On Stage and in Song

by Marie Butler

T

winkling lights and twirling toes, carols, canticles and angels. ’Tis the holiday season in Sonoma County. So, bring on the winter cheer, live music, theater productions and sugarplum treats.

The Occidental Community Choir presents their evening winter concerts: “Sing the Long Nights,” directed by Andrew Del Monte on December 3, 4, 9 and 10 at Occidental Center for the Arts. On December 11 they will perform at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa. The delightful concerts will joyfully offer familiar and original songs of celebration and beauty and even include a not-to-be-missed choral romp through the ages. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” will cover the history of western music from sixth century Roman plainsong to 20th century marching band music in 12 movements. The Choir’s own composers have contributed several pieces, including a lovely lullaby, a song about juggling that has an enormous twist, a celebration song and another about how to keep warm in winter. occidentalchoir. org At the Raven in Healdsburg: “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” December 8-11 and 15-18. In this Raven Players’ production, the story line is the same classic but much of the pleasure is watching the show unfold as if you’ve stepped into a 1940’s radio station to see a taping. Carol Noack, the Raven Performing Arts Theater’s Marketing Director, remarks, “Seeing a technician create all the extra sound effects (doorbells, cars, horse hooves) is tons of fun.” raventheater.org Teresa Lubarsky’s Healdsburg Ballet performs “Twas the Night Before Christmas” December 3 and 4 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg. Any number of creatures and toys will be making merry and mischief while the family sleeps on Christmas night, including Santa, the Grinch and even the mistletoe. Performer

Laura Anderson says of the production, now in its eighth year, “It includes all types of dance: ballet, jazz and hip-hop.” healdsburgballet.com Ballet Folklórico de Sacramento’s Posada Navideña, a Sonoma County audience favorite, is returning for its 10th year at the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa on December 9. Families and audiences of all ages are invited to come and experience the folk culture of Mexico and its unique customs and traditions during this Christmas production and traditional Posada celebration. lutherburbankcenter.org The beautiful Weill Hall at Sonoma State University is the setting for saxophonist Dave Koz’s Christmas Tour 2016. Koz is one of the most recognizable and acclaimed figures in contemporary jazz. Joining him for his holiday spectacular on December 20 are R&B superstars Valerie Simpson, Jonathan Butler and Kenny Lattimore. There is a separate, cozy pre-show VIP meet-and-greet event, too. gmc.sonoma.edu/event The Healdsburg Chorus has been sharing the joy of music for more than 26 years. Their winter concert entitled “Carols, Canticles and Christmas Classics” will be held December 8, 9 and 10 at the Community Church in Healdsburg. They will also perform on December 4 at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa. Enjoy “Holly, Jolly Christmas,” “Here Comes the Light,” “Celtic Silent Night” and other tunes performed by “60 people who love to sing.” healdsburgchorus.com Led by conductor Randy Masselink, the Healdsburg Community Band will present its annual holiday show at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building on December 9 and at the Community Church in Healdsburg on December 11. Band member Nate Pile says, “Count on all the holiday classics.” healdsburgcommunityband.org Oh, Snoopy! Also at the Luther Burbank Center is the Santa Rosa Symphony Pops

performance, “A Charlie Brown Christmas Concert,” on December 11. This festive afternoon features songs from the 1965 classic Peanuts animated special, as well as other traditional Christmas favorites. Pianist and Steinway artist Jim Martinez, along with his quartet and vocalist Margie Rebekah Ruiz, join the Symphony in paying tribute to famous Snoopy songs, written or arranged

by Vince Guaraldi. lutherburbankcenter.org Hallelujah! Sing out at the annual SingAlong Messiah on December 10 at the Sebastopol United Methodist Church and sponsored by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Light refreshments are provided. This popular event is celebrating its 23rd year, per SCA Executive Director Linda Galletta. It is directed by John Maas and features local instrumentalists and soloists. There is even a rehearsal on December 4 at 4 p.m. at the Center, for those interested in tuning up ahead of time. sebarts.org Magic and wonder are at the heart of the Sebastopol Ballet’s annual performance of “The Nutcracker,” December 16 to 18, held at Analy High School in Sebastopol.

There are complimentary Sugar Plum Parties before each matinee, where young audience members can meet dancers in their costumes, get treats and buy pointe shoes to have the dancers sign. sebastopolballet.com Finally, ring out the busy season at the Healdsburg Kiwanis’ New Year’s Eve party, “Midnight in Times Square,” December 31 at the Villa Chanticleer in Healdsburg.

Expect a delicious dinner, live music by The Harvest Band, dancing, a champagne toast and entertainment by a special “surprise guest.” SD See websites for event details and ticket information. For more goings-on, see our Event Calendar.

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talk+

Q&A

Chat with Liz Thach, MW Distinguished Professor of Wine, Sonoma State University Interview by Patricia M. Roth

What drew you into the wine world—nature, science, art, business or something altogether different?

Nature, for the most part. I grew up with a love of the wild, most likely because my father is a wildlife biologist. So the beauty of a vineyard is very attractive to me, but I also am in awe of the trilogy of Mother Nature, science and art that come together in crafting a great bottle of wine.

How would you describe the main thread that weaves together your talents and interests— teaching, judging, consulting and writing?

The main thread is writing. Sometime I feel I cannot breathe without writing; however, it can be very frustrating when the words do not flow.

Teaching is also a great joy. Interacting with my students gives me energy and keeps me young.

Wine judging and consulting are nice benefits of

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being a wine professor, writer and researcher.

You have visited the major wine regions of the world. How does Sonoma County compare?

There are so many beautiful wine regions of the world. Some which stand out for me are South Africa, Argentina, Central Otago in New Zealand, Bandol in France, Piemonte in Italy, and the Kakheti Valley in Georgia. However, when it comes to pure beauty, friendliness and great wine, there is no place more beautiful than the Sonoma-Napa region of California.

What is one of your favorite memories in which wine was involved?

Most of my great memories with wine involve sitting down with friends for a long lazy meal with several bottles of wine. I still remember a 5-hour lunch in St. Emilion, France where we drank incredible red Bordeaux with stuffed

photo by Sarah Bradbury

About Liz Thach, MW Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Thach, MW is the Distinguished Professor of Wine and a Professor of Management at Sonoma State University. She has traveled to more than 30 countries and has taught hundreds of employees and students worldwide. In addition to teaching, she conducts research and is a consultant for multiple wineries and other local businesses. In 2011, she earned the title of Master of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine in London, making her the first female MW on the West Coast and the seventh woman in the US to achieve this honor. She is an award-winning author, an active member in community organizations and serves on numerous boards. She also serves as a professional wine judge at wine competitions. Married with one daughter, Liz lives on Sonoma Mountain where she spends her free time hiking, reading, bird-watching, and tending a hobby vineyard from which she makes Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc wine.

river eel—a specialty of the region. There is something about bringing together wine, too, and friends (even people you don’t know, who will become friends by the end of the meal) that can create the most sublime times in life filled with joy, beauty and living completely in the moment.

You are a full-time professor of Wine Business and Management at Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute. What is the most important lesson you have shared with your students?

I think one of the most important lessons of the global wine industry is that it truly is one big family. Where most of the world is six degrees of separation, wine is two.

You will always find someone who knows someone else who can introduce you.

Therefore networking is very important, and never burning any bridges. It is also important to recognize that wine attracts very passionate and talented people, but at the same time you must work very hard to make a profit.

You were also appointed the first-ever F. Korbel & Brothers Professor in Wine Business, and last year were awarded the first-ever CSU title of Distinguished Professor of Wine. How have these appointments furthered your department’s vision to be the global leader in wine business education?

Both titles have been a great honor, and I am very grateful for visionaries in our local wine industry, such as Gary Heck, CEO of Korbel, who have helped to propel SSU’s Wine Business program forward from a small local one to one that now has global recognition. As I write this, I’m in Europe visiting with wine professors from universities in France and Germany to discuss additional partnership opportunities. This is because part of my role as Distinguished Professor of Wine is to serve as a global wine business ambassador for SSU. Upon being awarded the Master of Wine title in 2011, you received the prestigious title of being the first female MW on the West Coast. Please explain the role of MWs to those who aren’t involved in the wine industry, and share how this designation opened your eyes to the global wine industry.

Obtaining the title of Master of Wine (MW) was one of the most challenging

processes I have ever completed. Considered to be the most rigorous wine exam in the world, taking four days to complete during which you must taste and identify 36 wines blind and write 13 wine essays, there are only 40 MWs in the US, compared to 147 Master Sommeliers (MS). Becoming an MW has provided many more opportunities for me, and it has allowed me to expand my global wine knowledge, which I can then share with my students and community.

What remains on your professional and/or personal “bucket list?”

Even though I have visited 37 countries to date, there are still new wine regions that I want to explore and new wines to taste.

This is one of the joys of wine—it never gets boring! For example, I still want to visit the wine regions of India and Thailand.

Tell us about your hobby vineyard and garagiste winemaking?

One of my life-long dreams was to plant a vineyard and make a little wine, so in 2002 I installed a small hobby vineyard of 120 vines on the foothills of Sonoma Mountain in the Petaluma Gap region. I make Pinot Noir, a rosé of Pinot Noir and a little Sauvignon Blanc. Several of my neighbors also have hobby vineyards, so we pooled our money and purchased winemaking equipment, which we share. The best part is the rotating dinners we host, where we tour each other’s vineyards and then sit down to a very fun and lively evening to try our different wines and share a potluck.

What recommendations do you have for wine and food to enjoy during the holidays?

I’m one of those people who believe people should drink the wine they love, and not get stressed over what food to pair it with.

According to Tim Hanni, MW, just add the right seasoning to the food and it can go with any wine.

One of my favorite discoveries upon moving to Sonoma was the tradition of having Dungeness crab with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I had never done this before, and I love crab, so now I always buy several crabs and make crab cakes as an appetizer, which I serve with local sparkling wine, and then also make crab bisque for one of the courses and serve this with a light Pinot Noir. Heavenly! SD

Bamboo Sourcery

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11

well-being+

Spa Day Hands-on luxury and Zen-like treatment

by Laura Elise Photos by Loren Hanson

W

about it?

For me, plenty of sleep, lots of exercise, and a healthy diet can do wonders… but there’s something else I consider to be a great stress buster, and it’s spelled: SPA DAY. Relaxed and utterly blissful might best describe the way I felt the last time a masseuse seemingly melted the tension in my body into butter, during a deep-tissue massage.

Similar sentiments come to mind when I recall the sense of peace and tranquility that came over me recently, when experiencing a cedar-enzyme bath at Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary. While a cedar-enzyme bath is not as commonplace as massage, particularly since it is not found anywhere else in the United States, this therapeutic body treatment from Japan is a unique and effective way to completely unwind.

And there are other routes that can take us away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, as most spas offer an array of services that pamper everything from the face to the feet—via facials and body treatments to pedicures—which not only can make us feel good, but are good for us, too.

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photo by Sarah Bradbury

e all experience some level of stress at some point in our lives.

It can be internal, external, temporary or ongoing. The question is what do we do

Warm river stones warm a guest’s muscles during a massage (left) and cool stones reduce puffiness during a facial (above) at The Spa Hotel Healdsburg.

The Spa Hotel Healdsburg

“Massage therapy offers a unique experience to the individual, ranging from healing to a relaxing escape from life’s hurried pace,” said Marjorie Sisneros-Smith, lead massage therapist at The Spa Hotel Healdsburg. “During a massage, tight muscles are softened and lengthened, lactic acid is reduced and circulation is improved.

Performance, clarity and sleep can also improve after a massage,” she added.

The setting alone at The Spa Hotel Healdsburg, where, through my eyes, luxury resides inside a secret garden, can add an element of indulgence to your experience.

In a courtyard, outside the spa and adjacent to a large swimming pool, I couldn’t help but notice the therapeutic sound of water cascading from a fountain and the charm created by an abundance of wisteria and an assortment of vines encasing a willow-bark fence, which acts as a natural screen, hiding the haven from passersby.

It is here that Spa Manager Leah Donner described what she thinks would be the ultimate spa day.

“If I could set up the ideal spa day for somebody, I’d start with a Signature Massage (essentially a Swedish-style massage, using a variety of techniques, including acupressure and hot rocks), which will warm up the body and loosen and relax your muscles, using

warm river stones. Then, after you are done with your massage and you are all relaxed, you’d enjoy our signature facial which uses cool stones around your eyes to reduce any puffiness and that tired look we’ve all experienced. And then, I’d finish with a pedicure, because then you’ve pampered your body, face and feet,” Donner said.

The Spa Hotel Healdsburg offers an entire menu of massages and also hand, foot, eye, lip, scalp and facial treatments. You do not need to be a hotel guest to indulge.

A gift shop at the entrance to the spa features, among other things, skin care products, including a line made each harvest by Michele’s Apothecary using wine pomace from Lambert Bridge Winery.

The antioxidant-rich wine pomace is what remains after the Cabernet grapes have been harvested for wine production at this local winery, Donner explained.

“We take the fresh wine pomace and deliver it that day to Michelle’s Apothecary where the pomace is dried and cured into a rich antioxidant powder. The antioxidant powder is then blended into our custom wine-sugar scrub and wine body-butter cream.

These products are used in treatments during our fall harvest season from September through November and each treatment is paired with a glass of Lambert Bridge’s Bordeaux-style wine,” Donner said. sonomadiscoveries.com

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A guest relaxes in the cedar-enzyme bath at Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary in Freestone.

Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary

Where The Spa Hotel Healdsburg exudes luxury, Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary in Freestone is nothing short of Zen-like.

The grounds here, too—in this case a palette of Japanese gardens—greatly enhance any treatment you partake in, whether it’s a massage or the Osmosis signature treatment, which consists of a cedar-enzyme bath followed by a sound therapy session in a hammock garden, or a combination of the two. Just for a little while, you can leave the outside world behind.

And Osmosis founder Michael Stusser wouldn’t want it any other way.

Stusser, who had a preexisting love of gardening and meditation when he decided years ago to study traditional landscape gardening in Kyoto, Japan, said he had an “epiphany experience” while visiting one of these gardens.

“I realized that a landscape garden could feed the soul, the way organic food feeds the stomach… It kind of changed my whole idea of what I can be doing with the garden,” he said, during our interview, following my first cedar enzyme bath and sound therapy session.

Strolling through the Meditation Garden, featuring a large koi pond, Stusser pointed out that the pond is in the shape of a heart.

“It’s symbolized by the Chinese character Shin, which means ‘heart,’ but it also means ‘mind,’ indicating there is no separation between heart and mind. It is said that the longest journey is from the head to the heart. It is our hope that we can help people make that journey,” he said.

From my experience—and his, the bath can definitely assist with this process.

But it starts with a cup of tea. Not just any tea, however, as this delicious brew is loaded with enzymes that aid with digestion and, while not advertised as doing so, it induced relaxation, in my case. Within minutes of sipping it, while sitting in a smaller, though nonetheless beautiful, Japanese garden, I noticed the stress in my body was taken down a notch.

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Soon after I was escorted to the bathhouse and while my bath attendant turned her back, I stepped into a tub filled with a soft, warm, fragrant, finely ground cedar mixture then sat down and buried my body up to my neck with the magical mix. Once I covered myself with the first layer, my attendant added several more inches of the concoction and then left me alone to take in the experience, checking in just often enough to hand me my glass of water, or put a cold wet cloth on my forehead, as the rest of my body peacefully fermented in the substance that reportedly reaches 140 degrees.

Ironically, it never felt too hot and I never felt buried, for lack of a better way to describe it, as I was able to pull my limbs out of the lightweight mixture at any time and, in fact, did remove my hand and forearm long enough to scratch an itch on my face. And then I buried it again, closed my eyes, leaned my head back on the edge of the ground cedar and attempted to stay focused on nothing other than being in the moment.

Stusser said he stumbled across the cedar enzyme bath while in Japan and found it to be not only a “profound healing experience” (he had sciatica at the time), but also a very “spiritual” one.

“Something really happened in the bath; it was very magical and profound. As part of that experience, I visualized the whole picture of the enzyme bath and the gardens. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, in that very moment, it was my calling to bring this back and make that happen,” he said.

“What makes the cedar enzyme bath unlike any other spa treatment is that the heat is generated biologically through fermentation. This finely ground mixture of fragrant evergreens and rice bran is alive with metabolic activity that penetrates gently into your body, as all your pores and cardiovascular system dilate to let it in,” Stusser said.

“It is a deeply relaxing and detoxifying process that cleanses your skin and casts you in a radiant glow. You could call it a full body compress that reduces swelling and joint pain, soothes the nervous system and aids digestion. The enzyme bath balances body chemistry, stimulating serotonin and melatonin production promoting a better

The meditation garden is part of the journey “from head to heart” at Osmosis.

night’s sleep,” he said, adding, “The benefits are many, but it can’t be understated how relaxing it is. It’s almost a crime to come to a place like this and then have to get in a car and drive away after your appointment is over.”

In all honesty, though, I am not sure if it was the bath or the sound-therapy session that followed that relaxed me the most, or resulted in my adult son falling asleep in a hammock at the end of his session.

“The sound therapy we administer at Osmosis was developed by the Monroe Institute in Virginia and is called ‘Hemi-sync’ because it balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This harmonizes our thoughts and

emotions,” Stusser said. “A slightly different subtle tone is made in each ear behind the music. This ‘binaural beat’ lowers brainwave activity down into the delta and theta ranges where we have our most restful sleep and connect with the creative energies of the unconscious. Following the deep relaxation of spa treatments we find our guests highly receptive to this form of sound therapy.”

Scientific explanation aside, however, the combination of the bath and the sound therapy session left me (and no doubt others) feeling beyond relaxed, more like Jell-O. I also felt a sense of joyfulness that wasn’t there before and left that day feeling very much at peace. SD

RESOURCES The Spa Hotel Healdsburg 707-433-4747 hotelhealdsburg.com/spa Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary 707-823-8231 osmosis.com

Additional Spas Spa Dolce, Healdsburg spadolce.com Elements On The Plaza, Healdsburg elementsskincarestudio.com Taste Of Tea, Healdsburg thetasteoftea.com A Simple Touch Spa, Healdsburg asimpletouchspa.com Bliss Organic Day Spa, Sebastopol blissorganicdayspa.com Jaiyen Spa, Sebastopol jaiyenspa.com Hotel Spa, Bodega Bay Lodge bodegabaylodge.com/pool-spa

The Osmosis experience begins with a cup of calming tea.

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food+

A DAY WITH THE EPICUREAN CONNECTION

The Legacy of M.F.K. Fisher Remembering an inspiring local culinary writer and hostess extraordinaire

by Sheana Davis

A

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serve as a private writers’ retreat and education center on the ACR Bouverie Preserve, 535 acres with forests, waterfalls, chaparral ecosystems and wildflowers. Visiting Bouverie Preserve is by appointment only on select Saturdays in spring and fall, where nature walks are offered by trained docents.

For the first phase of the project, ACR has set a goal of $250,000 to make necessary repairs to Last House, restore the interior with many of the furnishings and artifacts that belonged to Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, and provide initial funding for ongoing maintenance and administration of the facility.

For more information about how you can donate or be a part of this project, please contact John Petersen, ACR executive director, at 707-938-4554 ext. 304 or john.petersen@egret.org.

Date of fundraiser to be announced. SD RECIPES

In addition to my mentor Ig Vella of Vella Cheese Company, who recounted the luminaries M.F.K. Fisher served his cheese

Photos provided

s an aspiring young chef at the age of 15, I began a job with a lady in Glen Ellen, where each week I would take the bus, get picked up by her caretaker and brought to her home. Together we would prepare items for her week of entertaining. At the time, I didn’t know I was lucky enough to be working for M.F.K. Fisher—a true legend—who entertained guests about whose importance or celebrity I only learned later. I departed after a year with her for a job at a catering company, thinking I needed better work experience!

Mary Francis Kennedy Fisher, aka M.F.K. Fisher, was a premier food writer and a culinary treasure. She wrote many books that most chefs have referenced time and again. “How to Cook a Wolf” and “Consider the Oyster” are still my favorites to revisit.

Fisher resided in Glen Ellen from 1970 to 1992 at what she called “Last House,” which her friend David Pleydell-Bouverie built for her on his ranch. She had moved from St. Helena and chose Glen Ellen as it reminded her of France: the food, environment, vineyards and views of the hills. Over those 21 years, she wrote 13 books. M.F.K. lived a full life of writing and traveling, but was not solitary; she was widowed once, divorced twice and had two daughters, Kennedy Mary Friede and Anne Kennedy Parrish.

In Last House, she entertained many chefs and culinary stars including Julia Child, James Beard, Chuck Williams and Maya Angelou. The home was small yet rich in character, sporting bright red walls and filled with lots of pictures, books and copperware. The kitchen housed many jars of herbs and spices, bottles of unlabeled wines, Campari and gin, fresh produce—so many colors, flavors and essences.

M.F.K. Fisher passed away at her beloved home in 1992.

Although I actually did not know her personally, I felt honored to have worked for her and I credit her with inspiring me to this day.

Recently I had the pleasure of touring Last House on what is now Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Bouverie Preserve. The organization is beginning a remodel, planning to return the house to its original state when M.F.K. resided there. It will

M.F.K. FISHER’S WARM SANDWICH

2 pounds dried small cannellini beans, rinsed

By John Ash

Bouquet garni: 8 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs and

2-1/2 quarts chicken stock, divided 2 bay leaves, tied together with string

This is more a remembrance than a recipe.

I had the pleasure of knowing and often visiting M.F.K. Fisher at her house in Glen Ellen. I think that more than any other writer, she helped me see and understand how food was touchstone to everything else we do. Her books are the treasures of my bookcase and I encourage everyone to read her. Since her death, many of her books are being reprinted and, as a result, are easy to find at a good bookstore.

Back to the sandwich…Usually when I visited Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher I brought lunch, but on one particular day she said she would fix it for us. I arrived in the morning and as we chatted she busily took a loaf of crusty French bread, split it in half and slathered it with a bit of homemade mayonnaise and a generous amount of a good, coarse Dijon mustard.

She then proceeded to layer on slices of a tasty smoked ham and a nice Jack cheese from Ig Vella in nearby Sonoma. She then meticulously wrapped the loaf in several layers of plastic wrap and handed it to me to sit on while we chatted for the next hour or two.

At the end of that time, I stood up and unwrapped the loaf (which was now compressed and warm from my body heat) and we sliced it into nice finger sandwiches and enjoyed it with a glass of Pinot Noir, as I recall. She remarked that this warm sandwich was one of her tricks to get wild children to sit still for awhile. I’m not sure if I fell into that category or not!

Gin & Campari Inspired by MFK Fisher Created by Sheana Davis, The Epicurean Connection Yields 1 strong drink To an 8-ounce mason jar filled with ice, add 1/4 cup gin and 1/4 cup Campari. Top off with seltzer water and garnish with lime.

1 teaspoon Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup pork fat 1/4 cup duck fat 4 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick 2 white onions, cubed in 1/2 inch pieces 6 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 12 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1/2 pound ham hocks with bones 6 ounces ham, cubed into 1/4 inch pieces 6 ounces Prosciutto, cubed into 1/4 inch pieces 1 pound ground pork sausage 1 cup chopped fresh tomato 6 duck confit legs 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon chili flakes

Place beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse, place in large stock pot with 2 cups chicken stock, bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from heat.

(Beans may be made a day prior.)

In an 8-quart soup pot, heat pork and duck fat. Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic; sauté. Add ham hocks, ham, prosciutto and ground sausage and continue to cook over low flame for approximately 20 minutes or until ham and prosciutto are crispy and golden. Add the remaining 2 quarts of broth and bring to a boil. Add the beans (keeping bouquet garni) and tomato and continue to simmer over low flame for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place duck legs on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy on top.

Remove from heat and lay duck legs onto bean mixture.

Turn the oven down to 300°. Cover beans and duck legs. Place in oven and bake for 4 hours. Check hourly and add stock if dry. Remove from oven, allow to rest.

Sprinkle with bread crumbs, fresh parsley and chili flakes. Serve with a fine red wine and enjoy with great company!

Every Era & Style • Jewelry • Furniture • Fruit Labels

Created by Sheana Davis, The Epicurean Connection

• 100Dealers & a Cafe •

Oui! ¡Si! Yes! You’ll love what you find!

Antique Society on Sebastopol’s Antique Row 2661 Gravenstein Hwy So. (Hwy 116) • Sebastopol www.AntiqueSociety.com Open Daily! Cafe on Site!

707-829-1733

• Architectural Items •

MFK Fisher-Inspired Cassoulet

A Huge Place to Browse! • Toys & Dolls • Pottery • Art

to, I also learned about the importance of her books from chef John Ash when I was attending SRJC’s Culinary Program. Here is one of Ash’s memories of M.F.K. Fisher:

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Client: Mom’s Apple Pie

Run date: 10-27-16

food+

OUT TO EAT

Scopa - Keeping it Simple Traditional Neighborhood Italian Food

by Abby Bard Photos by Loren Hanson

S

copa is a somewhat hidden gem of an Italian restaurant tucked into a narrow space on the north side of Healdsburg Plaza. The walls of the building are rustic wood and rough cement made with gravel from the Russian River. In the middle of a row of upscale shops, it looks like a place out of time, from another century. If you’re looking for it, you’ll have to know where you’re going or stumble upon it because the sign above the door says Plaza Barber Shop. Just inside a tiny cement patio, where geraniums grow along a low wall, is a small chalkboard sign. The sign simply says ‘Scopa. Dinner only. Mon-Sat. 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.’ There’s a number to call for reservations,

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and you’ll want to make reservations, especially on the weekend, because the small dining room seats only 40.

Inside, Scopa has the ambiance of a neighborhood trattoria you’d find in towns all over Italy. And that’s what chef/owner Ari Rosen intended. “Scopa started as a neighborhood joint. I wanted a restaurant for locals.” Red velvet curtains just inside the door open into a narrow space with dark wood tables, devoid of tablecloths. One wall and the floor are rustic cement.

A banquette against the opposite wall is upholstered in dark red. And word of mouth keeps all the seats full.

Back in 1955, there was a barber shop there, and

more recently, a Thai restaurant. “The old building drew me to that space,” says Rosen. With help from a couple of friends, he removed layers of pink and purple stucco, and then old redwood siding. “We could feel plaster behind that. It was like looking through layers of time.” When he uncovered the old barber shop sign, he decided to leave it.

He opened Scopa on a shoestring budget; “I was just hoping to not close,” he remembers. The restaurant had two trial days before the official opening; when 40 seats filled up at once, he realized that he needed to take reservations to stagger seating in order to make it work. “The kitchen is small, only two people can work in there.”

Rosen grew up eating and loving the northern Italian food his mother prepared, often from recipes passed down from his grandmother. Then an old family friend, contractor John Chiarito, opened Rosen’s senses to the foods of southern Italy.

Chiarito would prepare the traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes each year; he also grew his own wheat, just enough to grind up for the bread he made daily, and he made his own olive oil from the trees he grew in Talmadge outside of Ukiah. “I always loved the quality of that lifestyle,” said Rosen. “He was like my godfather.”

After college, Rosen spent three years at a restaurant in Tuscany, and when he returned to California he worked at Geyserville’s Santi Restaurant, co-owned

by Franco Dunn and Tom Oden, cooking alongside a group of chefs he calls a ‘nexus of talent’—including Dino Bugica of Diavolo in Geyserville and Liza Hinman of The Spinster Sisters in Santa Rosa—who all went on to open their own restaurants.

Rosen learned the art of handmade sausage from Dunn, and honors Oden, who passed away in 2009, with a dish on Scopa’s menu called Tomasso’s Sugo Calabresi.

An incident with a food distribution company when he was about to open Scopa was pivotal in determining choices he made about how he would run his business. “Fortunately, just two days before opening Scopa, I had a huge falling out with the produce company I’d ordered from,” Rosen recounted. “They refused to deliver my order on schedule because of a ‘new delivery protocol.’” He told them he would be taking his business elsewhere, and “I got on the phone and called all the farmers I’d worked with at Santi. From the sonomadiscoveries.com

19

The Rosen Family

beginning we’ve been real farm-to-table—we just didn’t list all the the East Coast, they were part of the ‘back to the land’ movement, farms on the menu.” living in a converted trailer in Covelo when Rosen was born in 1977.

He has developed close relationships with local farmers who “They had a huge garden,” he says. “My mother was a stickler for will provide him with exactly what he needs. After cooking in organic and there was a huge emphasis on food. My dad loved to Tuscany, “I wanted to bring back Italian varietals of the produce bake—desserts, bread, pizza.”

I used there, in the same way an artist uses certain pigments.” He Later, the family moved to Ukiah, where Rosen and his younger became enamored of puntarelle, a chicory varietal from Catalonia. sister grew up. “Mom never cooked professionally, but she could “It produces a bizarre stalk, the size of a large romaine lettuce head, have. Her cooking was at a professional level.” Her methods were with asparagus-looking shoots and a Belgian endive strict and precise. Rosen would often help her in the flavor. It’s hard to grow, but Yael of Bernier Farms kitchen, channeling his boundless energy into making Scopa [one of Scopa’s main suppliers] agreed to do it. It’s homemade pasta and cutting up vegetables, and she 109A Plaza St, Healdsburg, CA real contract farming. I’ll order 20 pounds a week would supervise and correct his technique, telling him, (707) 433-5282 of a certain varietal. I’m able to facilitate exactly “Cut the carrots like this.” Her parents came from the scopahealdsburg.com what I want, and have my menu items based on Piedmont region of Italy, near the Swiss border. “They eat local farms. Everyone gets the most out of it—me, a lot of polenta there,” says Rosen. “One of my favorite the farmers, and the customers.” dishes growing up as a kid was my grandmother’s Rosen considers himself a gatekeeper for tradition. “Using chicken. At Scopa we do Nonna’s Chicken Over Polenta.” recipes from friends and family members embodies what I love to “Nonna Lillian liked dark meat, so we use legs and thighs, dusted do. When you land upon a recipe that your grandmother used to in flour and pan fried in olive oil. Then we put in carrots, celery, make, it touches the senses. This is what roots my heart to the craft. onions, garlic, rosemary, sage, tomatoes and white wine and bake it I wanted to focus on nurturing people with good food, making the in the oven for 3 hours. It has to sit overnight, so the chicken is made entire experience seamless and simple, really comfortable.” Scopa’s a day in advance.” In Northern Italy, the polenta kettle sits inside of menu does not offer trendy food innovations—you won’t find foam the wood stove which gives the polenta a toasted flavor. or molecular gastronomy on your plate. “Our food is recognizable,” To capture that flavor, Nonna’s Chicken is served on a hot cast says Rosen. “My mantra is ‘simple is better.’” iron pan; first the polenta, then the sautéed greens and finally the Rosen was raised on home-grown food. He refers to his mother chicken, with the sauce on top. Rosen makes sure to cook certain Karen and father Norm as California hippies; both originally from foods the way he was taught. When he worked under Lorenzo Torini

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in Florence, the chef would simmer octopus in white wine, tomatoes and aromatics, and he always threw the wine cork into the pot. Rosen wouldn’t do it any other way.

Superstition? Maybe, but for him, tradition and superstition go hand in hand. When you’re dealing with traditional methods, believes Rosen, “You don’t want to change it.”

Rosen also loved the Russian and Polish dishes from his father’s side of the family.

Nanny Helen made stuffed cabbage, and “the best mandel bread in the world!”

Mandel bread is a traditional twice-baked Jewish holiday cookie, made with ground nuts; it’s very similar to biscotti. Rosen’s father, Norm Rosen, who gets up at 6 or 7 in the morning to bake all the seasonal tortes for Scopa, jokingly shared his own mother’s advice about mandel bread: “She said you have to buy the walnuts on sale.”

At Scopa, espresso is served with a tiny biscotti to dunk, made with hazelnuts, almonds, fennel seed and butter. Or is it a tiny mandel bread? Who cares? It’s delicious!

Because homemade pasta is one of his family traditions, most of the time there will be a ricotta ravioli on the menu at Scopa with a simple light tomato sauce, and you’ll usually find antipasti with chickpeas, tuna or marinated anchovies, and housemade pickles of eggplant and zucchini in the fall.

Although it’s a good idea to make reservations to ensure a seat at Scopa, it’s still a neighborhood joint, so you can come in and put your name on the bar list, and you’ll get a call when a seat opens up. Or try Rosen’s other restaurant Campo Fina on Healdsburg Avenue with double the number of seats available.

Games are another family tradition and both restaurants have games as part of their theme. The name Scopa comes from a card game played in Italy (note the Piedmontese scopa game going on in the mural above the dining room), and playing cards are available to use at the restaurant. Campo Fina has a bocce ball court, another tradition for Rosen, who grew up playing the game with his Grandfather Bruno.

The food at Scopa is the real deal, so don’t be surprised if eating there brings up nostalgic memories of your own grandmother’s kitchen. For Ari Rosen, preserving those memories is as much a part of the richness of the experience as the food.

SD

Holiday Celebrations Begin at The Gift Horse

We have everything you need for your Holiday celebrations Offering hard to find gifts, home accent pieces, beautiful table linens, and unique decorations for the Holidays.

A Wine Country Boutique Open daily 9am-6pm 1340 Healdsburg Ave. Healdsburg 707-433-5593 Next to Garrett Ace Hardware

GH DM Holiday 2016 4.75 x 4.75 Wednesday, October 05, 2016 9:16:49 AM

Join us to experience Sonoma County Just south of the town of Healdsburg, our winery and tasting room are nestled in the sweeping vineyards of Russian River Valley. Taste our exceptional quality wines, take a tour or join us for one of the many events held throughout the year.

Open Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm

11455 Old Redwood Hwy, Healdsburg, CA | 800.678.4763 | RodneyStrong.com

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winefun+

Just-harvested Vermentino grapes; Mick Unti, co-founder of Unti Vineyards Winery, in their Healdsburg tasting room.

THE TASTING ROOM EXPERIENCE

The Italian Influence American drinkers waking up to ‘new’ Old World varieties

by Holly Fox

I

Photos by Sarah Bradbury

n a county where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon dominate, it takes guts to decide to make and sell a wine from Montepulciano grapes, a variety that not many Americans have heard of and that can be difficult to pronounce.

But in 2005, after success with other Italian grape varieties, including Sangiovese and Barbera, the Unti family decided the Dry Creek Valley could be a great fit for Montepulciano and grafted 1,200 vines of it at Unti Vineyards Winery on Dry Creek Road.

Like others in the area who have decided to hitch their wagons to Italian varieties, the Untis’ decision was based on a healthy mix of solid logic and a deep, irrational love of Italian wines.

Mick Unti, who co-founded his winery in

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1997 with his father, George Unti, describes the decisions to plant Sangiovese, Barbera and Montepulciano as “educated guesses” based on their travels through Italy and years of drinking Italian wines.

“It’s having a knowledge about those wines.

It’s also just having an intuitive knowledge that our climate is maybe not exactly like Tuscany or maybe not exactly like Piemonte or maybe not exactly like Campania or Abruzzo, but it’s not that far off,” he says. “It’s closer to those guys than our climate is to Loire Valley, Burgundy, Champagne. It’s not even close to Bordeaux, really. Bordeaux is a maritime climate. We don’t get that kind of rainfall.”

DaVero Farms & Winery on Westside Road draws that climate connection between Northern California and the Mediterranean with a bright red line on a map of the world

that greets visitors to both their tasting room and their website. The line is at 38 degrees 36 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and stretches from DaVero in southern Dry Creek Valley across North America, the Atlantic Ocean, then cuts through Spain and the boot of Italy. Layered onto that map are different colors that indicate whether the area has a hot and dry summer or a cool and wet summer. Just as Unti suggested, most of Europe sees a cool, wet summer. But not California and not most of Italy.

“For us, it’s about climate correctness and about the grapes being in a place that fits their most basic needs, if we’re growing them for flavor,” said Evan LaNouette, DaVero’s winemaker. “In the beginning we did what we did because we liked those wines,” LaNouette said. “Then over time we realized it was working because of climate correctness.”

Unti admitted that some of his planting decisions have been more on the capricious side. Several years ago, he travelled to Italy with his friend Kevin Wardell. Wardell now owns Bergamot Alley, a wine bar and shop in downtown Healdsburg. Then working as a sommelier in San Francisco, he was on a mission to get someone to make a California version of his favorite Italian wine: Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.

Unti says that he, his father and Wardell are all “very enthusiastic wine fanatics.” Wardell is also very “persuasive,” he says. “We thought it was hilarious because we were talking about this when we were in Italy at this wine bar in Verona drinking until 4:00 in the morning, and it was like, ‘Sure, sounds like a great plan.’”

The Untis eventually got Lacrima cuttings from Italy and grafted them to 400 vines in their vineyards. The vines have struggled, however.

The Untis are planning on re-planting the Lacrima on a different rootstock, but will also bottle 18 cases of 2015 Lacrima. “They should do well here, but to go through that painstaking process only to have mixed results is strictly because we love the wines,” Unti says. “It’s definitely a frivolous experiment. And it’s still a manifestation of why we do any of this stuff. It’s still a good example of how we got here.”

For Bill Nachbaur of Acorn Winery in the Russian River Valley, much of the pleasure of Italian varieties lies simply in doing something that few people are doing. When he and his wife, Betsy, purchased their vineyards in the Russian River Valley in 1990, there were already many old vines in place, including a block of Zinfandel, with a small amount of Sangiovese mixed in, planted by Americo Rafanelli in 1950.

This Sangiovese is considered to be some of the oldest in the county.

Acorn Winery scenes, including Mammolo grapes, one of the rare varieties grown by Bill and Betsy Nachbaur.

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DaVero Farms & Winery winemaker Evan LaNouette in the tasting room; Sangiovese grapes.

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Portalupi Winery, now makes a handful of Italian wine varieties and other wines, selling them through their wine club and their tasting room on North Street in Healdsburg.

“We decided to focus on our heritage, and really focus on Italian varietals. We wanted to source our fruit from some of the best growers of Italian varietals from the area,” Jane said. “That’s really how we developed our portfolio.”

Portalupi’s grandmother learned to make wine in the Piemonte region in Northern Italy before immigrating to the United States during Prohibition. Marina Portalupi had a grocery store in San Jose, and she bootlegged her homemade wine out of it in old milk jugs she collected.

“There’s a rich history in the family,” said Borges. “Old World over to the New World, through Prohibition, everything.”

The fruity, high-acid Barbera has become something of a flagship wine for Portalupi.

“Ironically, most Americans probably aren’t aware that Barbera was here well before, and in pretty big numbers acre-wise, up until the 1960s or so,” Borges said. “Predominantly it was just your jug wine, your Gallo Hearty Burgundy, what have you. Most of us old Italian families always grew Barbera because it was the wine of the motherland, wine we enjoy with Northern Italian cuisine.”

Following her grandmother’s lead, Portalupi and Borges do, in

Photos by Sarah Bradbury

“Whether he did it on purpose, I don’t know,” Nachbaur said, “because some field blending, I think, happens by accident.”

Either way, Nachbaur knew that the Sangiovese grew well in his location. In 1992 he decided to add more, taking budwood from the Rafanelli vines.

“I figured there was already plenty of Cabernet and Chardonnay.

I wanted to do something different,” he said. “But hardly anyone had Sangiovese and most customers were afraid to try and pronounce it.”

Following the lead of Rafanelli and the other growers who had planted his vineyards over the last century or more, Nachbaur interplanted Canaiolo and Mammolo, both grapes that can be included along with Sangiovese in Tuscan Chiantis. At the time, both Canaiolo and Mammolo were so rare that Nachbaur said he had to petition the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to get the varieties approved for use on his wine labels.

Because the Nachbaurs grow more than 60 varieties, many of their grapes are still not on the TTB’s official list.

Some local winemakers working with Italian-style wines are picking up where their predecessors left off, either in the Old World or the New World. When Jane Portalupi and her husband, Tim Borges, started making wine together in 2002, they knew right away that they wanted to focus on Italian varieties. Their winery,

fact, make an everyday jug wine, a red blend and a white blend that they sell in milk jugs and call “Vaso di Marina.” The exact varieties used changes from year to year, but the idea is to make a wine that can be drunk immediately.

When Marina Portalupi was learning to make wine in Italy, “every village had a village winery, and they make usually just a Bianco, a Rosso. A village white and a village red,” Borges said. “There might be multiple white grapes growing around the village, but they’d pick them all at once. It’s a field blend. It’s crafted to drink now, and the same holds true with the red varieties... they were crafted to be hearty, but drinkable now, your blue collar, agrarian, everyday, spaghetti bolognese, pizza wine.”

Fred Peterson began his career in the wine industry in the 1970s, and after stints as both a vineyard manager and a winemaker, he started his own winery in Dry Creek Valley in 1987. His approach has been low-tech but high-touch from the beginning, and that’s something his son Jamie has continued since taking over winemaking duties in 2006.

The Petersons make small amounts of several different varieties each year, including Zinfandel and Rhone varieties, at their winery Peterson Winery on Dry Creek Road, but Italian wines have long held a special spot for them. Fred Peterson said he first grew interested in Italian wines during his time in the Navy when he was overseas.

Now the winery produces two Sangioveses, a Barbera, and a white blend of Vermentino, Vernaccia and a third variety from Portugal.

While Peterson says that Barbera is a relatively straightforward grape both to grow and to make wine from (and one he’d like to see more of in the area), he recalls a steep learning curve with Sangiovese.

“I almost gave up on making it in the early ’90s, because young Sangiovese in the barrel is kind of nasty,” he says. “It has a lot of these bitter tannins.” The solution was to rack the wine frequently to let it work its lees and sediment out. With Sangiovese, Peterson explains, “You just have to be more patient and it’s one year to the next.”

While Barbera has always been an easy sell, he says, it was tougher at first to get customers to open up to Sangiovese. That’s changed in the last decade, but he says restaurants were always very open to his Italian wines. “We’ve always done well with the restaurateurs who appreciate wines that truly go with their food,” he says.

Combining Italian-style wines with food

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Winemaker Fabiano Ramaci, seen in Mora Estate’s vineyard, makes an Amarone-Style wine; the 2011 Valporone, with handpainting by Alena Ramaci.

might seem obvious, but there’s a reason they work so well together.

Many Italian varieties, and especially Barbera, have relatively high acid. This makes them easy to pair with food. Higher acid wines cause one’s mouth to produce more saliva, so the mouth is literally watering even before taking the first bite of food. For many winemakers working with Italian varieties, there is no separating the wine from the food it with which it will be drunk.

“For me, wine is more of a food than it is a stand-alone drink. It is a component to a meal at its best,” says DaVero’s winemaker Evan LaNouette. “There’s something that always is reflective of the people that are handling it, the climates that it’s grown in, the biology of its area. There’s something reflective about it. It connects people and it’s another food, food that forces us to pay attention to differences in flavor.”

Husband and wife owners of Mora Estate, Fabiano and Alena Ramaci, also grew up in Italian-American families with a predilection for good food and good wine. Alena was born in the United States, but spent plenty of time with her grandmother in Italy’s northern Veneto region. Fabiano was born in Sicily but grew up in his father’s Italian restaurant in San Francisco. Fabiano became a chef as well and a hobby winemaker, and then he and Alena decided to take the plunge and start making wine a little more seriously.

But Fabiano didn’t take the easy road. He decided to focus on varieties and techniques that no one in California was using,

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approaches he says date back to Roman times. He decided to make an Amaronestyle wine, which is made with Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and other red wine grapes from the Valpolicella region with which few Americans are familiar.

It was not easy at first to find a grower who would convert vineyards over to these unknown varieties, but eventually, about 10 years ago, they did find someone willing to take the risk.

“We had to take small steps, and it has been a long journey,” says Fabiano. Once he had convinced a grower to graft vines over to his pet varieties, he started in on his process. For Amarone-style wines, a

portion of the grapes are set aside to be slowly air-dried after picking but before fermentation.

Fabiano wants his fruit to have as long a hang time as possible. They pick late, usually October, but are looking for relatively low sugar.

“With hang time I get toasty seeds and I get brown stems,” he says. “Then we pick all the best fruit, we put them on tray... At that point winter is starting to kick in.

You can feel that cool breeze in the wintertime. It’s the end of fall. It goes into this place. It has fans blowing.

It’s cool. You have to keep it cool as much as possible.”

The idea is that the grapes will dry out very slowly, ideally over 120 days. Only then are the grapes crushed and allowed to go through fermentation.

“It’s been an extremely hard road because when you’re pioneering something, it’s not like at first you’re accepted. In fact, you’re judged,” Alena says.

Now, Mora Estate is finding its stride. Production is still tiny at under 500 cases a year and all of the wine is made at a custom crush facility in Healdsburg.

“At this point Mora already has her own momentum; it’s separate from us,” says Alena. “It’s an entity that exists on its own.”

That momentum is growing for Italian wines more widely as well.

“Italian wines have just kind of blown up,” says Kevin Wardell of Bergamot Alley. Wardell says that especially in the Bay Area and especially among those who enjoy paying attention to the wines they are drinking, familiarity with Italian wine varieties and an openness to try new wines is growing.

“I think that’s still changing and I think there’s still a ways to go. I think it starts at the customer base having that knowledge. Armed with that knowledge that when they go in and see a Vermentino on the list and say, ‘That’s actually a California Vermentino. I’m going to really like that,’” he says. “That’s something that’s becoming more commonplace and has leagues to grow as well.”

Wardell has focused exclusively

on European wines at his bar and wine shop since it opened four years ago. But he’s also been involved in spearheading what he and his compatriots calls the Seven % Solution, a movement that celebrates and explores the lesser known varieties grown in California. It started when they realized that just a handful of varieties made up 93 percent of the wine grapes planted in California. They wanted to celebrate those rarer varieties. Now, for the first time, Bergamot Alley is going to be selling and serving California wines—those that fit the Seven % Solution criteria—and that means California Sangiovese, California Barbera and maybe even California Lacrima—that rare, aromatic favorite of Wardell’s.

“It’s a movement that I really believe in, which is perpetuating varietal diversity in California,” he says. “We really want to be able to carry these wines and to be able to help build these local businesses.

To stand on that platform and put our money where our mouth is by representing what we want to see in the California market. If we’re not setting that example, then we’re not being fully honest.”

Because Bergamot Alley is all about education, including these California wines also means sideby-side tastings comparing Old World and New World versions.

For example, Wardell says, a Montepulciano from Marche and one from Dry Creek Valley and made by Mick Unti.

“I think some people who think they only like American wine might find some loves on the other side, and vice versa. You never can tell what people are going to see in it, but I think that no matter what, it’s worth doing,” he says.

As American wine drinkers’ tastes expand to encompass more esoteric wines, those in Sonoma County who’ve devoted their vineyards and their fermentation tanks to Italian varieties stand to reap the benefits of their hard work and choices that sometimes seemed irrational but were driven by passion. SD

RESOURCES Acorn Winery 12040 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg AVA: Russian River Valley Buy through wine club, website and tasting room by appt. only. acornwinery.com

Bergamot Alley 328A Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg bergamotalley.com DaVero Farms & Winery 766 Westside Road, Healdsburg AVA: Dry Creek Valley Buy through wine club, website and tasting room 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday; reservation required for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. davero.com Mora Estate AVA: a range Wines for sale at Healdsburg Emporium and Oliver’s Markets, served at some local restaurants; planning to start wine club soon. moraestate.com Peterson Winery 4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg AVA: Dry Creek Valley Buy through wine club, website and tasting room 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. petersonwinery.com Portalupi Winery 107 North Street, Healdsburg AVA: a range Buy through wine club, website and tasting room 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. portalupiwine.com Unti Vineyards Winery 4202 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg AVA: Dry Creek Valley Buy through wine club, website and tasting room (visits by appt. only), Oliver’s Markets, Bottle Barn, Big John’s Market and many local restaurants. untivineyards.com

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winefun+

The History of Asti Legacy of winemaking and Italian-American entrepreneurship continues

by Samantha Campos Photos by Sarah Bradbury

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T

he unincorporated community of Asti is a village rich in history. Located in the Alexander Valley AVA between Geyserville and Cloverdale, alongside Russian River and just off Highway 101, Asti is home to a winery founded in 1881 by the epochal Italian Swiss Colony. By the mid1950s Asti was the second most visited destination in California after Disneyland, and its winery introduced the first tasting room in the state. Although Asti’s winery has since undergone several changes in ownership, its town’s legacy of winemaking and Italian-American entrepreneurship in Sonoma County continues to this day.

In 1881, a Genoa-born, self-made businessman from San Francisco, Andrea Sbarboro, decided to develop a cooperative agricultural colony in Sonoma County.

He then purchased the Truett sheep ranch 80 miles north, renaming it after a city in Piedmont, Italy, and forming the 1,620-acre community of the Italian Swiss

Agricultural Colony with nearly a dozen families. Although the Italian and Swiss immigrants he employed were opposed to investing a portion of their wages for a share of the profits, Sbarboro raised capital from his prosperous Italian friends— including Pietro Carlo Rossi, a chemist who pioneered some early winemaking techniques.

As chief winemaker, Rossi incorporated high-quality Charbono, Mourvedre and Zinfandel grapes, with help from Dr. Giuseppe Ollino, the Colony’s vineyardist who’d purchased cuttings from famous wine districts in Italy. When production reached 2 million gallons of wine per year by the late 1800s, Rossi developed temperature-controlled fermentation and became the first recorded winemaker in the state to use sulfur dioxide as an antioxidant. Although predominantly utilizing Zinfandels at first, the Colony eventually specialized in a dry red wine similar to Chianti, with bottles they encased in raffia and labeled Tipo Chianti,

which grew to be quite popular. In the 1890s the winery was also known for its award-winning Monte Cristo champagne.

Around that time Edoardo Seghesio of Piedmont came to work at the Colony, saving his pay to buy his own vineyard land—which he did in 1895. He built a winery on those 56 acres in 1902, closing temporarily during Prohibition but ultimately becoming renowned for its Zinfandels and Italian varietals. The Seghesio family still operates the Seghesio vineyard and winery at the old Chianti Station, along with their Healdsburg winery.

The Colony entered the 20th century as the largest dry wine vineyard in California, with a 3-million-gallon-capacity winery turning out 400,000 gallons of wine annually, and a 500,000-gallon concrete cistern. It also launched into full expansion mode, acquiring Fulton Winery near Healdsburg, Cloverdale Winery, Sebastopol’s Juilliard Winery, and Mt. Diablo Winery and vineyard in

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Contra Costa County to increase dry wine production. The Colony then purchased a large vineyard and winery at Madera in the San Joaquin Valley, and built two more wineries in the San Joaquin Valley to specialize in dessert wine and brandy production. Additionally, the Colony expanded its champagne production facilities and produced California’s most widely distributed champagnes, Asti Sec and Asti Rouge, followed by Golden State Extra Dry. They soon opened new headquarters in San Francisco, along with three large warehouses— one of which, a three-story brick building at the southwest corner of Battery and Greenwich, housing its main office and two million gallons of wine, which miraculously survived the 1906 earthquake.

Soon the Italian Swiss Colony operated nine winemaking facilities with a total capacity of 12 million gallons and about 10,000 acres of vineyard. By 1911, reportedly one of every five gallons of California wine came from the Colony.

A couple years after Pietro Rossi died in a tragic horse-and-buggy accident, and with the 18th Amendment looming, the California Wine Association took control of the winery. Edoardo Seghesio then purchased Asti in 1919, before being taken over by Asti Grape Products—a Prohibitionproof venture formed by Seghesio, Rossi’s two sons, Robert and Edmund, and longtime Colony employee, Enrico Prati.

With the Repeal of Prohibition, Asti once again operated as a winery, and a public tasting room—California’s first—opened in 1934. Rossi’s sons also installed a “wine garden” at the World’s Fair at Treasure Island in 1939, and the Colony became the third largest winery in the nation.

In 1941 the leading Colony families agreed to sell to the National Distillers Corporation, who operated the winery and vineyards until 1953, when the property

was sold to Louis Petri of United Vintners.

By the late 1950s, Asti became the largest tourist attraction in Sonoma, with a quarter-million visitors each year intent on seeing the “world’s largest wine vat” and Madonna del Carmine, a church built in 1907 from staves and the wood of old wine vats.

Meanwhile, Allied Grape Growers (AGG), a newly formed association of 1,300 farmers led by Petri, took over the winery, whose popularity continued through the 1960s, thanks in part to popular TV ads featuring a little old bespectacled man in Alpine shorts and suspenders, Sonoma resident and actor, Tony Cappasola, and the winery’s revered manager, Joe Vercelli.

In 1968 AGG merged with Heublein, which owned Beaulieu Vineyard and Inglenook in Napa Valley, until Heublein took full control of Asti in 1978. A few years later AGG bought it back. By the late ‘80s it was acquired by ERLY (The Beverage Source) followed by Wine World Estates (a division of Nestle), transitioning the Asti facility into an industrial wine factory and shutting the winery’s doors to the public.

Beringer Wine Estates operated the winery in 1996, until Australia-based beer company, Foster’s Group Ltd., acquired Beringer four years later. Chateau Souverain moved its production to Asti a decade later, and in 2009 the winery reopened to the public under the brand, Cellar No. 8, named after one of the original Colony cellars where Sbarboro aged his barrels of red wine.

A couple years later Treasury Wine Estates, a subsidiary of Foster’s, operated the winery before it was purchased in 2015

by E. & J. Gallo Winery, the world’s largest family-owned winery. SD

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Falconer Monte Kiren with Nike

John Hawley, falconer, winemaker and founder of Hawley Cellars, with Happy Emma Hawley, John Hawley’s granddaughter

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WINGS

OVER THE

VINEYARDS

By Bo Kearns John Hawley, winemaker, falconer and founder of Hawley Cellars in Healdsburg, sits on the deck of his home overlooking Dry Creek Valley. A goshawk perches on his gloved fist.

Still young, the bird’s black eyes will eventually turn a piercing red, its wings shades of blue and gray. Goshawks fly silently though the forest pursuing smaller birds or mammal prey.

“They are aggressive. Falconers tend to give them names like Godzilla,” John says. “I call my bird Happy. That’s how he makes me feel.” John takes a sliver of meat from a cloth bag and places it next to the bird. Happy rips it to shreds, and consumes it.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOMAS REYNOLDS “When I was a teenager my mother gave me an Audubon book.

I was captivated by the birds of prey and got my falconry license from California Fish and Game,” John says. “But college and my winemaking career didn’t allow the time the sport requires so I set it aside for awhile. Now my sons have taken over the business.

Paul is general manager and Austin’s the winemaker. So I’m back with the birds.” John’s mornings are spent training; evenings the hawk is taken to an open field and flown free. John has worked with different types of raptors—a kestrel, red-tailed hawk and a cooper’s hawk. Prior to Happy the goshawk, he spent three years rehabilitating a peregrine with a broken wing.

Falconry is an ancient art that originated in the Far East thousands of years ago. In medieval times it made its way to the Middle East and Europe. Falconry is hunting with a trained bird of prey—hawks, falcons and even owls. “It’s a close partnership between bird and man,” John explains. The key to success is the

feeding and careful management of the bird’s flight weight measured in grams. Too heavy and the bird won’t return to the fist. “For many, falconry seems like a glamorous sport,” John says. “But it’s time consuming and highly regulated by US Fish and Game. A two-year apprenticeship is required. And it takes seven years to become a master falconer.”

Throughout the 20th century, peregrine falcons verged on extinction. East of the Mississippi the falcon vanished entirely and only 39 pairs remained in the West. The cause of their demise was the widely used pesticide DDT. Peregrines absorbed the poison through their food chain causing eggshells to thin. In 1972, DDT was banned in the US. Two years later The Peregrine Fund was formed.

The first two dollars came from two young supporters in California who wanted “to help save the falcon.” Thereafter donations poured in and the arduous task of captive breeding and reintroduction to the wild began. In 1999 the peregrine was removed from the Endangered sonomadiscoveries.com

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Photos by Sarah Bradbury

Species List. And now, symbolic of an amazing conservation success story, these iconic creatures can be seen in skies throughout the country.

In the vineyards falcons are an effective means of bird abatement.

Sweet, ripening grapes draw hordes of starlings that descend in mass. The loss of fruit can be significant. The European Starling is not indigenous to the US. Eugene Schieffelin introduced the blackcolored bird with iridescent wings into North America in 1890. A man on a mission, he wanted the US to have all the birds mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. Starlings are prolific breeders.

They nest 2-3 times per year with about five eggs per clutch. From the original hundred Schieffelin released in Central Park, there are now over 200 million in the US. They can cause problems for agriculture, airports and deprive less aggressive native birds of nesting sites. “Our vineyards are at elevation,” John says. “Up here starlings eat the insects. They go to the valley floor for grapes.”

Keeping hungry birds from devouring the grapes is a big issue.

Mylar tinsel, noisemakers and predator birdcalls are some of the techniques tried. But the birds are smart and quickly become habituated. Netting is used on larger properties. It’s an expensive proposition, difficult to install and even more difficult to remove.

At the end of the season the netting has to be stored. Sun and the elements take their toll and the nets require replacement every 3-5 years. “As an alternative many vineyard managers use falcons for abatement. The birds tend to be more efficient and cost effective,” John explains. “And falcons are a sustainable humane solution.”

The mere presence of a raptor overhead is enough to send flocks of starlings fleeing. Soaring to heights of 1,500 feet, the falcon streaks down at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. It’s no wonder the starlings take off. And they never become habituated to their fierce natural predator.

In addition to being a licensed falconer, those who provide falcon abatement services are licensed by the federal government. Four or more falcons are usually required to do the job. The raptors are in the air for 4-6 hours. When one comes down, another goes up.

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Abatement contracts typically go from veraison, when the grapes turn color, to harvest, a period of about 70 days.

Barn owls are another vineyard-friendly raptor. But unlike starlings their population is on the decline, mainly due to lack of habitat. Fortunately, barn owls like cozy cavities, and nesting boxes in a vineyard can help control rodent population—pocket gophers and voles in particular. Owls are nocturnal and fly quietly through the night, their highly tuned hearing guiding them to the prey. A single family can devour up to 3,000 rodents over a four-month breeding cycle. Red tail hawks take over during the day. For them, ground squirrels make a tasty treat. Installation of a perch at a height of 20-25 feet can attract a hawk and help control a pesky squirrel population.

In 1977 John and his wife Dana, a local artist, purchased their 18acre property from her uncle. Five years prior a fire ravaged parts of upper Dry Creek Valley. The uncle couldn’t imagine the area would ever return to its former glory. John was completing his studies in fermentation science at UC Davis and envisioned vineyards and a winery rising from the ashes. But that dream would have to wait. He joined Clos du Bois as their first winemaker. A small operation, the winery offered an opportunity to try novel winemaking techniques Back then not many producers used barrels for fermenting. John was convinced that barrel fermentation would produce a richer Chardonnay. And he was right. Ten years later the California wine industry adopted the age-old tradition of fermenting in barrels. In 1990 Kendall-Jackson hired John to be their chief winemaker. The 600,000-bottle production was mainly Chardonnay. John improved and expanded the red wine output, as well as the white. By 1995 the winery was producing more than 2.5 million cases of wine annually from six locations. A year later John left to start Hawley Cellars. He has never looked back.

John’s love of nature and birds is reflected in the vineyards and in the Hawley Cellars wine. In 2006 he transitioned the vineyards from conventional to organic. “Since then we’ve noticed a shift in the ecosystem. Lizards take care of the not-so-good insects, wild

strawberries grow under the vines, and a pair of red-shouldered hawks nest nearby.

We’re convinced that organic grapes make better wine.”

Paul and Austin took over from their dad in 2015. Having grown up in wine country and working with John for 10 years to learn the business, it was a seamless transition. On graduation from college, the brothers spent time in New Zealand and Australia working a harvest and researching winemaking techniques. Attracted to these countries’ renowned Sauvignon Blanc, their first vintage as winemakers was a gold medal-winning Sauvignon Blanc. When not in the cellar or vineyard, Austin runs the Wine Barrel Workshop crafting furniture from used wine barrels. Paul’s other passion is photography and film. He co-wrote and co-produced a full-length spoof about the Sonoma County wine industry called “Corked!” It was released in 2009 to favorable reviews. A moving video by Paul of his dad rehabilitating an injured peregrine can be viewed on the winery website hawleywine.com.

The winery tasting room, opened six years ago, is located off the plaza at 36 North Street in Healdsburg. It is a relaxing welcoming place to try the Hawley Cellars full range of wines—Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Viognier, Chardonnay and Merlot. Artworks

by Dana Hawley hang on the walls. Dana trained as a biological illustrator at UC Davis. Her style is impressionistic with paintings in vivid colors. “My lifetime of painting evolves from a foundation of drawing, discipline and a love of my subject matter—the redwoods, the vineyards and rural Dry Creek Valley scenes,” says Dana.

Symbolic of John’s passion for birds, the Hawley winery crest depicts a red, blue and gold emblem with one of the smallest falcons, the merlin, on either side. It is prominently featured on the wine labels. A visitor favorite is the 2013 Zinfandel, Raptor Rescue, Russian River Valley. The wine has tastes of black cherry, wild strawberries and hints of caramel. The elegant berry aroma and lingering acidity make this zin the perfect food compliment. A portion of sale proceeds of the wine go to the California Raptor Rescue Center.

Stop by the tasting room and enjoy the nature-inspired wine and art. You won’t be disappointed. SD

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The Baxes Family of The Ranch at Lake Sonoma

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By Kimberly Kaido-Alvarez Photos by Jeff Roth and Gary Ottonello

L L A T I ’ N I V A E L …

D N I H E S BE R O H A N O Trail rides for the timid to the adventurous

I

n front of us were two wide-open lanes split only by an aisle of short green grass. Apple trees, sometimes blooming but often not, lined the perimeter of the dirt road and when the hilltop beckoned, I’d gently double-tap my heels against the horse’s warm belly and bend forward to whisper, “Let’s go.”

Starting out with a bouncy trot, it didn’t take long before the wind was blowing through my hair, taking any troubles on my mind along with it. The full gallop unleashed a deep sense of freedom rivaled only by the thrill of multiple spins across the dance floor later in life.

Horses were a big part of my childhood and I didn’t have to be running them through the local orchards to enjoy their company, although that was certainly a highlight. I think I was about 12 when I took a four-day trail ride/ camping trip with my uncle in the Sierras. Looking back, it wasn’t exactly safe on the narrow trails at high elevations (frankly I’m lucky to be alive) but I’m grateful for the unique experience that certainly colored the woman I am today and the trust I have in horses.

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Surrounded by horses in a pasture one day, my uncle summed it up the best, I think: “Horses are good for the soul,” he declared in his simple matter-of-fact way with a gentle knowing smile. After years lacking horse time, I once again have regular connection with my equine friends. Like the majority of the population, I don’t have a horse to call my own—perhaps someday soon a truck, trailer, hay and land will fit into the budget and the schedule, but for now I rely on others for the equine adventure I crave.

“Horses should be available to everyone. It is a timeless adventure and takes us back to the early days,” said Nikki Baxes of The Ranch at Lake Sonoma, LLC. She’s well aware of the hard work and expense of keeping a horse or two—even 20. “It’s a lifestyle and if you love animals, it’s easy to do.”

Coming from a long line of horse lovers, Baxes has been riding horses since she was a young girl. Her background includes showing horses (dressage, western, jumping), training horses and riders, building a 30-horse boarding facility in Petaluma, and now along

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with her husband, David Baxes, opening The Ranch at Lake Sonoma (in September 2016). Their outfit features a collection of trail rides, designed for a multitude of riders at various levels—even the timid.

“I can’t think of anything more rewarding than working with horses,” she said.

A horse’s way of teleporting a human back into the world of nature rapidly is becoming more appreciated in today’s fast-paced world. That “get-away” feeling so many office folk yearn for after a week surrounded by phones, computers, stress and other distractions is often achieved quickly in the presence of a horse, whether one rides or observes them grazing peacefully in a pasture. Although there are those who fear these large and powerful creatures, others find them to be the most gentle of giants and experience a biological bond that they didn’t know existed if they’ve never ridden before.

“Horses make it easy for people to enjoy the park and add an element of excitement,” said Baxes, whose outfit is conveniently located near the private marina and campground. The ranch features

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a panoramic view of the lake and bridge below, and a ride on an elevated trail offers additional exceptional views from various angles.

“When we created the trail rides I knew that I wanted one to feature a view of Dry Creek Valley,” said Baxes, who took me on that trail.

Starting out with a glimpse of Lake Sonoma’s picturesque snaking roads hugging the hillside, it eventually opened up to a sprawling view of the Dry Creek Valley. As she pointed out various vineyards and wineries, I made a mental note to return after harvest for the show of fall color that I’m sure is stunning. Only in Sonoma County is it possible to walk just another 10 strides and become magically surrounded by an insulated grove of redwood trees and then a bright spacious meadow adorned with wildflowers, but that’s exactly what this trail delivered.

Each season in Sonoma County promises its own unique delights but layering up in long johns, a flannel, jeans and boots to enjoy the fresh crisp air of late fall and early winter is invigorating and a great way to embrace the great outdoors. After the first rains, the scents of trees and soil come alive. The trails at Lake Sonoma drain really well, making them well suited for year-round trekking.

The Ranch at Lake Sonoma also plans to offer educational rides

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with a ranger, nature rides highlighting various flora and fauna, and a history of the Warm Springs Dam Project ride, where people will have an opportunity to learn more about the park’s rich history and its plethora of geological and biological wonders, such as serpentine rock outcroppings.

“Horses can carry you deeper into the wilderness than you might go on your own two feet,” explained Baxes. Sometimes a hike might be cut short due to fatigue, a disability or a number of other reasons.

While riding a horse still requires the use of muscles it doesn’t demand the body the same way as hiking. Those lucky enough to bond with a horse know that the relationship can be deep and generous. These powerful large creatures will lend you their legs (all four of them), ears and noses. Personally, I find it fun to watch them when I ride; the way they move their ears, the sounds they make blowing out their nose and stepping with their hooves are all interesting factors that add to the experience and pull me into the present moment.

Horses and humans have been partners in the most exciting of expeditions since the inception of our relationship that dates back in America to the 1500s or so. Sonoma County, in particular, has a long history of equine attraction and employment. Cattle ranching and farming no doubt played a role.

“Back in the day that is how the vineyard was worked, with horses and mules,” said Rafael Hernandez of Wine Country Trail Rides. During harvest, horses helped bring in the grapes and were also used to move barrels of wine. It’s no secret that plenty of local winemakers and vineyard owners still have a soft spot for horses. Taking an afternoon ride to gather a vineyard sample or assess the vines is still done today.

Hernandez was one of the first to offer the experience of riding through the vineyard to the public about 20 years ago. Working out of the stables and equestrian pavilion at Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Healdsburg, he offers rides year around. “People can see first hand what is going on in the vineyard.

We can talk about what the workers are doing, and the different varietals,” explained Hernandez. Wine Country Trail Rides features views of the Russian River and Alexander valleys and often ends with a wine tasting.

In a Sonoma County deed book, a document recorded in 1862 lists the names of the mules and horses belonging to Alexander Skaggs (the founder of Skaggs

3244 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472 707.823.9125  www.harmonyfarm.com

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Photo by Sarah Bradbury

Springs Resort, once located in the Lake Sonoma area). Clipper, of weight they carry in their packs, horseback riders find themselves Lucy, Fly, Yankee, Kit, Muggins, Dolly, Peggy and Snip were all part able to haul more with the help of a horse, so they can really set up of the historic crew that played a key role in the lives and success of camp with a few extras on the load. the settlers.

Another really special place to ride in Sonoma County is along the As a reliable mode of transportation for hundreds of years, it’s Pacific coastal waters, preferably at sunset. Last year I had the honor no wonder that the horse and human connection lives on today in so of doing this on New Year’s Eve. Better than any black tie event (in many forms throughout Sonoma County. But as lifestyles evolve, a my opinion), it was an uplifting way to ring in the New Year. The trail ride might be a first-time experience for locals and those visiting weather during the winter months is surprisingly agreeable in the from out of town or country. area and the crashing waves and wide-open sea add another level of Then there are those who’ve been riding for generations in the beauty and inspiration to the romanticism of this timeless treasured area and would like to see that tradition pastime. Hitching posts to tie the horses and plenty RESOURCES continued and shared with others. of room for parking a trailer make the trip easy at Working to keep Sonoma County’s Doran Beach in Bodega Bay. Guided beach rides are Horse N Around Trail Rides wilderness accessible to riders is the also offered year round through Horse N Around at Chancelor Ranch Backcountry Horseman of California Trail Rides at Chancelor Ranch in Bodega Bay, where Horsenaroundtrailrides.com (BCHC) North Bay Unit. Whether one seasoned trail horses lead the way and a portion of 707-875-3333 takes a trail ride or brings his or her the proceeds benefit horse rescue efforts in Sonoma own horse, Lake Sonoma is a popular County.

The Ranch at Lake Sonoma, LLC place to ride and a favorite of this Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol is Nikki Baxes group. BCHC Northbay President Thor another favorite riding location for locals in Sonoma theranchatlakesonoma.com Bodtker not only enjoys riding at Lake County. A gravel parking area is spacious for parking 707-494-4449 Sonoma, but he also horse camps there trucks and trailers and there is water on hand for the at the Falcon’s Nest site. Equipped horses. Old twisted oak trees pose as artwork here, North Bay Unit with horse corrals, it’s a gem for those and there are plenty of trails to choose from including Backcountry Horseman of California interested in a long ride and then a hilltop trail overlooking the watershed toward northbayunit.com camping overnight.

Western Sonoma County and a nature trail that leads Offering priceless memories, horse to Atascadero Creek.

Wine Country Trail Rides camping is a one-of-a-kind experience.

I often hike through the park and occasionally Rafael Hernandez “Sonoma County has lots of great parks vineyardrides.com pass riders on horseback who are enjoying the and places to ride but very few places trails and it makes me smile. The neighboring apple 707-494-0499 to camp (with a horse),” said Bodtker, orchards, powdery dirt trails, scents of the creek, who values the activity that tightens his sloping meadow hillsides and songs of the birds are bond with his horse and allows him the all so familiar on the land that borders the places opportunity to see more wildlife. “If you are quiet, the other animals that I used to ride when I was a little girl—and even though I’m on see you as an animal and not as a person,” explained Bodtker. He foot, those memories on a horse still manage to ignite a deep sense of also pointed out that while backpackers are limited in the amount priceless freedom and well-being. SD 42

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Antique Society owner Lorie Silver and staging decorator Karen Klimak (l-r) look at merchandise at the popular Sebastopol-based collective, where shoppers can spend hours browsing vintage items and fine antiques, seen here and on page 45.

Antiquing: Passion or Obsession The more you look, the more you may be hooked

by Linda Loveland Reid Photos by Sarah Bradbury

W

hether you are a collector of vintage vinyl, a stagehand seeking the right theatrical prop, a homeowner looking for atomic-age modern, shabby chic or fine antiques, or a bargain hunter, antiquing at two of the hottest hunting grounds in Sonoma County might just be your thing.

Two of Sonoma County’s most popular antique collectives, located in Sebastopol and Healdsburg, are too fun to resist. In fact, your challenge is to come up with something not sold in these nostalgic hot-spots.

Whether you are a serious shopper, an interior designer or a tire kicker, you are welcome to browse for hours. You’ll discover antiques (defined as anything over 100 years old), collectibles (defined as being over 50 years old), and every article of anything you can name.

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Antique Society

Your senses are romanced with each turn down a new isle: a beaded purse, redwood slab table, ceramic cactus, salad mold, doll house, fireplace screen, vintage cowboy boots and copper pots. It’s called the Antique Society, but it is so much more.

Located on Gravenstein Highway—also known as Antique Row—along with 17 other such businesses, the Antique Society is the largest. When asked how many items the 20,000-foot space might hold, proprietor Lorie Silver is nonplussed for an answer, then laughs and says, “Millions for sure!”

Upstairs, in Lorie’s cerulean-blue office, she tells how her parents began the store in 1989. They leased a portion of what used to be Henderson Furnace Co. Today the building front looks exactly the same, a nice touch of nostalgia. Eventually Lorie, a graduate of Sonoma State University, left her teaching job at Oak Grove School in Sebastopol to run the business full-time.

Lorie still uses a photo of her mother on the store’s postcard.

There are 125 dealers at the Antique Society. They rent a space, Lorie explains, and bring in their particular collection.

Her dealers do not “sit” in their spaces.

Instead, a staff of 10 employees handles customers’ questions as they ferret out treasures. Knowing where to find that #10 Griswald iron skillet or a vintage thimble takes dedication. Lorie says one of the favorite parts of the job is her relationship with the dealers, “an eclectic, artistic group of people who love beautiful things.”

The turnover of dealers is low, she offers proudly, and many have been with the store from the beginning. For some being a dealer is a vocation, for some it’s a hobby, and others do it to fill a special interest in their lives.

When asked about so much inventory, Lorie says, “There is a buyer for everything—we just need to wait for someone to come in and fall in love with it.” Her oldest customer is 90 years of age. A nine-year-old girl had a birthday wish to shop at the Antique Society and spent two joyful hours selecting prized objects. From year to year, there are trends in what’s “hot,” Lorie explains. Right now folks are interested in record albums, manual and electric typewriters, and rotary telephones—things that are retro. Lorie also engages a full-time store decorator who helps dealers arrange their spaces sonomadiscoveries.com

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Mill Street Antiques and Upscale Resale co-owner Liz Slendebroek (left), surrounded by treasures waiting to be discovered in Healdsburg.

Antique Shops Resources Antique Society 2661 Gravenstein Hwy. Sebastopol antiquesociety.com 707-829-1733 Open every day of week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mill Street Antiques and Upscale Resale 44 Mill Street, Healdsburg 707-433-8409

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attractively, and decorates a ‘show area’ each month to fit a theme, such as linens and china, or dolls and baby carriages.

These stores are not thrift shops, but the deals can be as good. “If you enjoy ‘thrifting,” Lorie smiles, “you will love antiquing.” Shopping for quality usedmerchandise is an inexpensive form of entertainment, she says. “Buying a special item that you carefully searched out can lift your spirits.” Lorie observed this during 9/11 and the 2008 economic turndown.

Christmas, of course, is always a big sale time, but she notes that traffic is generally steady throughout the year. In an article that appeared in “Antique Collective”, a prestigious industry magazine, their store was referred to as “a social gathering spot.”

When you come in or leave the Antique Society, you’ll pass the small Bumble Bee Café where baker Denise offers coffee and bakery goods that send aromas wafting through the air. “We need more kindness in the world,” Lorie says as we part. “We try to instill this here: making happy memories.”

Mill Street Antiques and Upscale Resale

“I learn something new every day,” says Liz Slendebroek of Mill Street Antiques and Upscale Resale. “Sometimes we’ll get something in and I’ll leave it up on the counter to ask people if they know what it is. We generally find out.” The building, one block off Healdsburg Avenue, has been active as an antique shop for more than 25 years. Liz and her partner Anne Williamson became the owners eight years ago and were both former dealers. Anne had worked with eBay and the Press Democrat. She takes care of the promotional side of their business; Liz does their bookkeeping.

Relaxing in an antique rocker, Liz greets a group of four customers, all male. “We keep a ‘man cave’ area in both of our stores,” she explains, so men feel welcome. These four are digging through a stack of army surplus backpacks. Many shoppers are looking for originality, maybe something repurposed that is distinctive. Originality is harder to find in today’s conventional stores, with their mostly homogenous styles. Old things, used but still usable, often have a certain flair that sets them apart.

Anne says that success in this business depends on offering a broad spectrum.

One of their top dealers makes tables from bowling alley material and lamps from tin and wire. Another focuses on 1950/1960’s floral dresses, another on wedding items, such as tea cups and handkerchiefs. “We are recyclers,” Anne adds. “Our industry is

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A dealer’s copper collection at the Antique Society, a vintage leopard furniture piece at Mill Street Antiques.

‘green.’ We give new life to someone’s loved They are proud of their mention in a House lamp.”

Beautiful article about the “50 Best Small Instead of hiring employees, their dealers Towns for Antiques.” Los Angeles dealers share duties, each working at the store three come here to buy and then resell in L.A. days a month. “This allows us to offer “Fine by us!” says Anne. excellent prices,” Anne says. Mill Street The partners’ newest venture sits just Antiques has 10,000 square feet; Upscale across the parking lot. A beer and wine bar Resale is a much smaller space and allows called FLO: For Locals Only, soon to include for selected items to be displayed with a food service. more concentrated focus. Both women relish When asked what advice they’d give to a what they do. Anne says the best part for dealer or buyer, they both agree, “Take the her is meeting clients. Some are friends, dive!” sometimes newly married couples who are Looking Forward furnishing their first home, and many are We know about the past through antiques, locals who don’t have to leave Healdsburg but what about the future? While antiques to find what they need. Buying local equals make up 40 percent of “used” items sold in no shipping charges, unlike eBay and other the United States, there is a trend away from online stores. antique furniture. Where there used to be “We have never stopped being dealers hundreds of shops near the Louvre in Paris ourselves,” Anne says as Liz shakes her head or stores along London’s “Brown Mile,” in agreement. “The hunt is the adventure. a road known for antique furniture shops, After years of collecting, you run out of now there are many less. Kentshire in New space. Having a store to sell the stuff you York sold its eight-story gallery of furniture. love to collect, well… it allows you to collect Auction houses like Bonham’s, Christie’s and more!”

Sotheby’s have cut back on furniture and “It’s great therapy,” Liz chimes in. “Way instead focus on contemporary art, jewelry cheaper than a shrink!” and wine.

A look through these two spaces shows a This is why shops like Antique Society huge array of merchandise. They also offer and Mill Street Antiques are so popular; an interesting outdoor section with wood, Dallas Saunders, owner of Dallas A. Saunders Artisan Textiles iron and plaster items for your yard or patio. they have it all… antiques, collectibles, 48

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retro clothes and furniture, and everything sideways and in between. And so, may I suggest a trip—a lovely afternoon when life slows down and you can appreciate the beautiful and interesting artifacts of history.

Of course, you can’t see it all in one visit.

But, definitely go—because here in Sonoma County, antiques are flying off the shelves.

You will be recycling in the most pleasant way while finding that perfect something or better yet, you might find a surprise that you didn’t even know was waiting for you to cherish. SD More Local Antique Shops Antique Society Food For Thought Antiques Sebastopol 707-823-3101 fftantiques.com / fftfoodbank.org Ratto’s Uniques and Antiques Cloverdale 707-894-6315 Oat Valley Vintage Antiques Cloverdale 707-894-4814 Robert’s Relics Windsor 707-823-0208

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The Right Cut A Master Pruner’s Journey

by Abby Bard Photos by Sarah Bradbury

A

esthetic pruning is a living art form combining the skill of the pruner, the science of horticulture, and the essence of a tree. While the emphasis is on beauty, maintaining the vitality of the tree is just as important; aesthetic pruners make the right cuts for the right reasons. For Master Pruner Michael Alliger, this art is a balance between the present and the future.

In the 1980s, Alliger was eager for change from a career in retail; he felt an inner calling to work outside. “I thought you had to be a gardener to do that,” he explained, so he enrolled in a plant identification class at Merritt College in Oakland. “I found I had a facility for it.

My passion just exploded! I had never been happier.”

He had grown up in the suburbs, surrounded by lawns. “I hated mowing the lawn, so it was such a surprise to me.

I found a whole new world to walk into.

Suddenly the streets of Oakland came alive as I got to know the plants—the world went from two dimensions to three dimensions, from black and white to color.”

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Master Pruner Michael Alliger

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In 1986, while studying horticulture at Merritt, Alliger met Dennis Makishima, a Japanese-American student from El Cerrito.

Wanting to connect with his Japanese heritage, Makishima went to bonsai clubs to learn that art, and realized that he could take elements of bonsai and apply them to landscape pruning. One day, Alliger watched Makishima prune a Japanese maple. “I was transfixed. I knew that was what I wanted to do. It felt like home. I asked if I could follow him around and watch him work.”

Their relationship evolved into a formal apprenticeship.

“Dennis is brilliant,” Alliger said.

“He’s a visionary, a brilliant organizer and strategist and leader.” Makishima suggested to Merritt College that they offer classes in aesthetic pruning and asked Alliger if he would like to teach. “I taught an Introduction to Aesthetic Pruning for a half-day each month, and Dennis unfurled this whole series of classes.” The classes that Makishima organized and taught explored plant material, pruning for the focal point, pruning for the big picture, Japanese maples, pines and conifers, flowering trees, pruning as a career, and finding the essence of the tree. A year later, Makishima offered those classes to Alliger, who would teach most of them for the next 20 years.

The two men organized an informal pruning club that continues to this day at Merritt. “People could drop in or drop out any time. We would volunteer at schools, churches or parks. It was mutually beneficial. The students would get experience and the trees were cared for,” Alliger said.

Makishima also envisioned a professional organization for aesthetic pruning, similar to the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA); and he and Alliger were among the founders of the Aesthetic Pruners Association (APA), a non-profit that promotes the craft of aesthetic pruning and supports professional pruners in their work.

This group sets the standards for aesthetic pruning.

Alliger explained the focus of the APA. “Our school of pruning is in the lineage of Japanese garden pruning, which is distinct from European pruning. Principles of the Japanese lineage are pruning to the human scale, size control and containment. The artistic model is based on nature as you see it, nature in essence. We seek both containment and natural expression. The overarching factor is garden design: to have the tree or shrub fit the garden design and still honor the natural form. Our approach

C

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(7 (707) 07) 836-1315

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works on fruit trees, too, but it’s different from pruning skyline trees, like redwoods and oaks.

“Unlike most animals, plants and trees have the ability to regenerate lost parts.

Follow-up pruning requires consistency and has the potential to give the tree longer life.

In order for pruning to be structurally sound, it needs to be continually applied—you can’t just do it once.” Some bonsai trees in Japan are 500 to 600 years old. Because these trees outlive human beings, their care has been handed down from generation to generation.

For Alliger, “It’s all about love and all about care.

“While the school of thought comes from Japanese pruning, we are not pruning Japanese gardens—we are pruning California gardens, American gardens. But the principles are universally applied,” said Alliger, who is exploring working with native

materials to find their potential. The idea of containment and structural pruning has not happened before with our native woody plants.

“I’m experimenting at home with buckeye—how old do they have to be before they flower? How small can they be and still flower? It’s so exciting to think about! The Japanese have been working with landscape plant material in their gardens for 1,100 years. Here, we’ve been doing it for only 75 years, and we’re in the baby stage of realizing the possibilities and finding out which ones are going to be functional in gardens from the point of view of beauty and containment. The more we use our own plant material, the more comfortable we feel.

That sense of context is salubrious.”

A powerful part of Alliger’s exploration is in joining the stream of people who have been doing this work for centuries; now he

is able to pass it forward. After moving to Sebastopol in 1992, he took on the aesthetic pruning of the Japanese-style gardens at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone.

While he continues to maintain those trees, most of his work is done in private gardens around Sonoma County. Retiring from teaching at Merritt in 2011, he currently offers an annual one-day, hands-on class in Aesthetic Pruning for the Master Gardeners of Marin County. He also writes a garden blog for the Osmosis newsletter (osmosis. com) and has a brief video demonstrating “Aesthetic Pruning of Maples” on YouTube.

A more extensive tutorial on that subject is available for purchase from GardenTribe. com.

You can contact Michael Alliger by email at twigchaser@earthlink.net. Learn more about the APA by visiting their website AestheticPrunersAssociation.org. SD sonomadiscoveries.com

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ART&ABOUT

original artwork by established and emerging Bay Area conceptual artists. The passion of Hammerfriar comes together with ongoing exhibits, in which selected artists show new work.

Open Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 132 Mill St., Suite 101, Healdsburg. hammerfriar.com

Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery

The CAA Gallery is operated by local artists as a CAA program.

A variety of original artwork is offered by the resident artists and invited guests. The gallery also hosts jazz, blues and other music performances on selected evenings. Open Fri.Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 204 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. cloverdaleartsalliance.org

Hand Fan Museum

The nation’s first museum dedicated solely to hand fans, displaying a core collection of more than 500 fans from around the world. Open Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. handfanmuseum.org

Dallas A. Saunders Artisan Textiles

Contemporary jacquard tapestries by internationally established artists in a casual wine country setting. Open Fri.Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or by appt.

275 Highway 128, Geyserville. dallasasaunders.com

Healdsburg Center for the Arts

Dovetail Collection Gallery

Handmade furniture featuring traditional craftsmanship and the beauty of fine woods, home décor and art from American artists and master craftsmen. Open Thurs.-Mon. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and by appt. 407 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. dovetailcollection.com

daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Wed. by appt. 324 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. ericksonfineartgallery.com

Erickson Fine Art Gallery

Graton Gallery

Representing the best of Northern California painters and sculptors: Bobette Barnes, Joe Draegert, Finley Fryer, Chris Grassano, Susan Hall, John Haines, Ken Jarvela, Jerome Kirk, Donna McGinnis, Michael Mew, Tom Monaghan, Jean Mooney, Jeanne Mullen, Bob Nugent, Carlos Perez, Sam Racina, Carol Setterlund, Jeffrey Van Dyke, Paul Van Lith, Antoinette Von Grone and Kathleen Youngquist. Open 56

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Entranced by Teri Sloat/Sebastopol Gallery

Through Nov. 6: “What You See…,” with guest artists Matt Proehl, Clair Fenlon May, Delisa Sage and Jennifer Whitfield.

Open Tues.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

9048 Graton Rd., Graton. gratongallery.net Gualala Arts Center

In the Dolphin Gallery through Nov. 10: David Comfort, wood furniture; Tim Windsor, intarsia wood sculpture. Burnett

Gallery, Nov. 4-19: “Hidden Treasures,” multimedia works of multiple artists interpret the tide pools of the Mendonoma Coast. Reception Nov. 4, 5-7 p.m. Concurrently in the Elaine Jacob Foyer: “Harmonies: A Celebration of Connection & Communion,” by Jeanie Dooha.

Dec. 2-Jan. 1: 4th Annual Gualala Salon & Salon des Refusés, North Coast Artists Guild juried and judged exhibit.

Reception Dec. 2, 5 p.m. Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, noon-4 p.m. weekends. 46501 Gualala Rd., Gualala. gualalaarts.org Hammerfriar Gallery

The gallery regularly features

Through Nov. 20: 3rd Annual Emerging Artist Show. Ten of Sonoma County’s premier, upand-coming artists assemble their work at HCA. The collection ranges from functional pottery to paintings to contemporary sculpture, photography and more, showcasing the vitality of Sonoma County’s art community.

Closing tea Nov. 20, 2-4 p.m.

Nov. 25-Dec. 31: 15th Annual Gift Gallery, a month-long fundraising event for the Center, featuring curated arts and crafts perfect for gift-giving. Reception Nov. 26, 5-7 p.m., closing tea Dec. 31, 2-4 p.m. Open daily (except Tues.) 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

130 Plaza St., Healdsburg. healdsburgcenterforthearts.com Kitty Hawk Gallery

Fresh new hotspot for local and global emerging artists.

Contemporary and conceptual

Sears Point Wetland Restoration

IN THE FUTURE! JOIN Sonoma Land Trust

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GALLERIES

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work and rare finds. Open Mondays and Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 125 N. Main St., Sebastopol. kittyhawkgallery.com Occidental Center for the Arts Gallery

“Art & Gifts Toute Petite,” Nov. 18Jan.15, a gift gallery of art in miniature, paintings, handmade books, sculpture, jewelry and more. Reception Nov. 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m. with a reading of haiku

by John Miatech. Accessible to people with disabilities. Open Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and during OCA events or by appt.

3850 Doris Murphy Ct., Occidental. occidentalcenterforthearts.org Paul Mahder Gallery

Introducing new works by represented fine artists along with new artists and collections. All artwork is original and exclusive to the gallery. Visit the website for current exhibitions. Open Wed.-Mon. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 222 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. paulmahdergallery.com The Ren Brown Collection Gallery

Healdsburg Printing, Inc.

Not just newspapers...

• flyers b/w or full color

• programs • newsletters • brochures • calendars • post cards • spiral bound books • direct mail printing

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Showcasing contemporary Japanese prints, handmade ceramics and jewelry, Japanese antiques, along with California artists and sculptors. Open Wed.-Sun.10 a.m.5 p.m. 1781 Coast Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay. renbrown.com Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Through Nov. 7: “Your Landscape,” juried by Sukey Bryan, a collection of beautiful traditional landscapes and also wild or unexpected interpretations of the concept of landscapes. Concurrently in Gallery II & III: “Urban Landscapes” by Bill Taylor. A painter for over 60 years and a Santa Rosa resident, Taylor has been painting urban scenes while sitting in his car in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Occidental. This retrospective of his work, oils and acrylics on board, feature many iconic buildings and nightclubs along Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard.

Dec. 2-30: “Small Work, Big Deal” 2016 Members’ Show. 300 pieces of small but beautiful artwork by local SCA artist members. Reception Dec. 2, 6-7:30 p.m.

282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Open Tues.Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1-4 p.m. 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. sebarts.org Sebastopol Gallery

Through Nov. 20: Robert Breyer, featured artist exhibit, printmaking, painting, drawing. Nov. 21-Jan. 8: Teri Sloat, featured artist exhibit, pastel landscapes,

birds, still life, folk art. Reception Dec. 3, 4-6 p.m. Fine art and craft by 15 local artists. Open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

150 North Main St., Sebastopol. sebastopol-gallery.com The Passdoor

The Passdoor is a love child from the Mother of Modern Art and the Father of Iconic Design, conceived in 1999 and coming to life in 2014. You will find a uniquely curated selection of functional products and artworks from local artisans and international craftsmen for your home space, workspace, lifestyle and life’s special occasions. Open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or by appointment. 6780 McKinley St. #150, Sebastopol. thepassdoor.com The Sculpture Trail

This is a year-round outdoor art display in the Northern Sonoma County communities of Cloverdale and Geyserville. Discover quality works by sculptors from California and beyond. The current exhibit features 34 sculptures on Cloverdale Blvd. and Geyserville Avenue. These contemporary sculptures range from the humorous to the thought-provoking, and some contain a message or story. The exhibit changes yearly the first week in May. A sculpture location map can be found at 101sculpturetrail.com.

Towers Gallery

Presents local two- and three-dimensional fine art, unique gifts and artisan foods.

New shows and receptions held throughout the year. 210 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. 894-4331 (call for hours). towersgallery.org Upstairs Art Gallery

A premier fine art gallery showcasing local art by local artists. Through Nov. 27: “Joie de Vivre,” oil paintings in a soft, impressionistic style by Cynthia Jackson Hein, celebrating the beauty and vitality of life in Sonoma County. Reception Sat. Nov. 12, 2-5 p.m. Nov. 28-Dec. 24: A showcase of artisan crafts and jewelry featuring functional and decorative ceramics, Raku pottery, fused glass, wood bird sculptures and a wide selection of jewelry just right for holiday gifts. Jewelry gift wrap is complimentary. Open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 306 Center St., on the Plaza, Healdsburg. upstairsartgallery.net

sonomadiscoveries.com

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CALENDAR LIVE MUSIC + FOOD + WINE + ART + KID FUN + GARDENS + FESTIVALS + SONOMA FUN

Veterans Day so thank a vet and see the largest collection of original Peanuts artwork in the world. You can learn about cartooning, see a re-creation of Schulz’s art studio and watch animated Peanuts specials and documentaries. 11 a.m-5 p.m.

Charles M. Schulz Museum. schulzmuseum.org NOVEMBER 15

Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience NOVEMBER 2

Tony Bennett

No one in popular American music has recorded for so long and at such a high level of excellence than 19-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett. In the last 10 years he has sold 10 million records. He continues to be embraced and loved by audiences of all generations. 8 p.m. Person Theater, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. lutherburbankcenter.org

You’ll witness some of the most incredible stunts and behaviors ever performed by dogs. Tricks, acrobatics, big air stunts, back flips and more! 6:30 p.m. Person Theater, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. lutherburbankcenter.org NOVEMBER 16

Cloverdale History Museum Speaker Series NOVEMBER 5

Patrick Ball: Celtic Harp & Story

Modern day bard and premier Celtic harpist Patrick Ball weaves the old Irish tales of wit and enchantment together with ethereally gorgeous harp melodies into a warm and magical performance that will leave the audience spellbound. 8 p.m. $20; fine refreshments for purchase. occidentalcenterforthearts.org NOVEMBER 7-8

Wine and Food Affair: Tasting Along the Wine Road

Visit wineries in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys and enjoy wine and food pairings created for this popular event. Tickets, maps, winery locations and recipes are online so you can plan the perfect 60

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day. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Designated drivers receive alternate beverages. Wine Road-Northern Sonoma County. wineroad.com NOVEMBER 10

Literary Salon

Janelle Hanchett, author of the irreverent blog “Renegade Mothering,” in conversation with novelist/memoirist Lisa Michaels. A chance to talk with the author will follow.

Wine and cheese included.

7 p.m. Suggested donation $10. No one turned away for lack of funds. Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. cloverdaleperformingarts.com NOVEMBER 11

Charles M. Schulz Museum

Admission is free in honor of

The SMART Train: When is it coming to Cloverdale? Speakers: Matt Stevens, Community Relations Manager for Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District and Allan Hemphill, Board Member North Coast Rail Authority. 7 p.m.

Cloverdale History Museum. cloverdalehistoricalsociety.org NOVEMBER 25

Healdsburg Downtown Holiday Party

Downtown merchants invite you to their annual open house. Music, carolers and the Healdsburg Community Band keep the mood festive.

Santa arrives at 5 p.m. at the Healdsburg Plaza, taking a seat under the gazebo to visit with kids. Retail shops stay open late tonight and offer

their own holiday cheer. 4-8 p.m. Downtown Healdsburg. healdsburg.com NOVEMBER 25-26

Bodega Christmas Crafts Faire

The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department holds its annual fundraiser at McCaughey Hall, Bodega’s fire station for 64 years. Shop local at this annual crafts fair. Buy meal tickets at the door. McCaughey Hall, 17184 Bodega Hwy., Bodega. bodegafire.org FRIDAY, NOV. 25-26

Gualala Festival of Trees

Kick off the holiday season on the Mendocino Coast. The Gualala Arts Center transforms into mid-19th century Gualala with booths of handcrafted wares, from quilts to woodcarvings. Kids will marvel at the magical gingerbread house and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus on their reindeer-driven sleigh and The Grinch. Festive snacks, hot drinks. Free. Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 46501 Old State Highway, Gualala. gualalaarts.org NOVEMBER 25-JANUARY 8

Zoom: Toys on the Go, Healdsburg Museum

This year’s annual holiday exhibition showcases toy trains, cars, trucks, bikes, trikes, motorcycles and pedal cars from the past 100 years. See a running O-scale model train by Wayne Padd and spectacular vintage toy vehicles from the Castelli family and the Museum collection.

Free admission. Open Wed-Sun 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through the Christmas season. Healdsburg

R

Museum and Historical Society, 221 Matheson Street. healdsburgmuseum.org NOVEMBER 26

Starcross Christmas Faire

The 1902 farmhouse will be filled with fragrant Christmas wreaths, delicious driedfruit trays, wild blackberry jam, Summer Spice Apple Butter, Muscadine grape jelly, homegrown Italian seasoning, lavender sachets and other treats, all sustainably grown and produced on site. Come and taste Sister Julie’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, including the just-pressed “Olio Nuovo” prized by chefs and gourmets. 10 a.m.-5 pm. Starcross Community, 34500 Annapolis Road, Annapolis. starcross.org

ALL ABOARD FOR GREAT TASTE! Find out why we’re more than just the “Best Breakfast in the North Bay”

My Father’s Touch COMPLETE TREE CARE

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DELICIOUS FOOD!

DECEMBER 1

Sebastopol Tree Lighting

The Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center presents this annual holiday event that brings residents togther for the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree and the celebration of the holidays. Popcorn, hot chocolate, coffee and more are served. Santa arrives by firetruck at 7 p.m., and before the night’s end, everyone holds lighted candles and joins a soloist in the singing of Silent Night. 5-8 p.m. sebastopol.org

112 4th Street Santa Rosa 525-1690 M-F 6:30-3, Sat & Sun 7-4

150 Windsor River Rd. Windsor 838-6920 M-F 6:30-3, Sat & Sun 7-3

Timo Alli • 707-433-1327 Cell: 707-495-3768 CLS #792251 – TCIA #67028 myfatherstouch.com

DECEMBER 1

Holiday Celebration, Windsor Town Green

Family-friendly event with activities for kids, elementary through high school choir groups, horse-drawn wagon rides on McClellan Street, free crafts inside the gymnasium, gingerbread cookie decorating, and stage performances. Tree lighting, 7:30 p.m. 5-8 p.m. Downtown Windsor. townofwindsor.com DECEMBER 1-31

Windsor’s Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove

Trees decorated with personalities reflective of the community groups that created them are lit at sunset, followed by the main tree lighting at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy train rides in the gym parking lot and myriad activities for families. A special mailbox enables kids to send letters to Santa (and receive responses).

Food vendors, hot chocolate, coffee and more. Rain or shine. 5-8 p.m. Windsor Town Green, Windsor. people4parkswindsor.org DECEMBER 2

Tree Lighting and Skating Exhibition

Snoopy’s Home Ice kicks off the holiday season with its 12th Annual Tree Lighting and Skating Exhibition. Free admission, but tickets are required. Stick around after

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CALENDAR

DECEMBER 10

Redwood Arts Council Chamber Music

Violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Adam Golka are consummate soloists in their own right, but you can hear them as a dazzling duo as they perform a program that includes Mozart, Messiaen, Schubert, and Brahms. 7:30 p.m. $30. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Sebastopol. redwoodarts.org DECEMBER 10-11

Goddess Crafts Faire

NOVEMBER 26

Geyserville Tree Lighting and Tractor Parade

Santa arrives at the Geyserville Visitor Plaza at 4 p.m., followed by the tree lighting and caroling at 6 p.m. and the colorful, fun tractor parade at 6:30. Warm up with chili and cornbread at the firehouse or hot dogs at Odd Fellows Hall. 5-8 p.m. geyservillecc.com

The Goddess Crafts Faire celebrates the coming of winter through women’s art, music and dance and is produced

by Katrina Weaver and Kris Freewoman. Don’t miss this exquisite collection of handmade gifts by local and regional women. Kids free. 11 a.m.7 p.m., Sebastopol Community Center. goddesscraftsfaire.com DECEMBER 10-11

the show for $5 public skating session; all ages and levels welcome. Redwood Empire Ice Arena, Santa Rosa. Full details at snoopyshomeice.com.

DECEMBER 2

Bob Burke Fundraiser

Looking for more calendar events in the area?

All proceeds go to Bob Burke’s Kids, an activities program for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. During winter there are bowling and trout fishing trips, pizza and holiday parties, a Thanksgiving party and a Christmas social. Union Hotel Restaurant, Occidental. unionhoteloccidental.com bobburkeskids.org

DECEMBER 3

Hospice Tree Lighting Ceremony

Healdsburg Plaza. Sponsored

by St. Joseph Hospice. 5-6 p.m., Healdsburg Plaza.

DECEMBER 3

Kiwanis Cold Crab Feed

Cloverdale’s first crab feed of the season! Buy tickets ahead of time. For more information, contact Laurie: 894-3222. facebook.com/ CloverdaleKiwanis DECEMBER 3

Guerneville Parade of Lights

Visit our website for a complete listing of area events. sonomadiscoveries.com

62

DECEMBER 2-3

Cloverdale Winter Festival

This two-day event features festive Winter Markets at the Trading Post parking lot and the lot adjacent to Plank. Enjoy food, wine, music and crafts on both days. Dec. 2 is the annual Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa and caroling. On Dec. 3, there is a holiday tour of the Gould Shaw House at the History Center and Gingerbread People Decorating at Plank Market. cloverdalechamber.com

sonomadiscoveries.com

Walk on the wild side, enjoying colorful floats, live music and the community. 5 p.m. Downtown Guerneville. russianriver.com DECEMBER 7, 8, 14 & 15

Strolling Dine Around

Three-course progressive feast at Healdsburg restaurants.

Reservations required. healdsburg.com

Occidental Holiday Crafts Faire

Original gifts by local artists, delicious lunch, raffle and baked goods. Come join the activities, and take a stroll through town.

Proceeds serve community programs funded by the Occidental Community Council, an all-volunteer non-profit organization. Saturday 10 a.m.5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Occidental Community Center, Bohemian Hwy and Graton Rd., Occidental. occidental-ca.org DECEMBER 12

Virgin of Guadalupe

Walk 9 miles to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe, starting at midnight at St. Rose Catholic Church in Santa Rosa and ending at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Windsor. olgwindsor.org DECEMBER 17

Guitar Virtuoso Peppino D’Agostino

Internationally renowned acoustic guitarist and composer D’Agostino will present a

CLOVERDALE

dynamic concert covering folk, Irish, Italian, Brazilian, flamenco and jazz compositions. With eight awardwinning albums, this is Peppino’s third concert at OCA. 8 p.m. $25 general. Fine refreshments available. occidentalcenterforthearts.org DECEMBER 17

Aaron Neville: A Christmas Celebration

Grammy Award-winner Aaron Neville applies his angelic falsetto to Christmas carols, R&B favorites and some classic pop tunes, as well as songs from his latest recording, “My True Story.� 8 p.m.

Person Theater, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. wellsfargocenterarts.org

Great gifts, perfectly priced, in gorgeous gift packaging, too...

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November Janelle RBooks un fon orStage Your-W ife - Sep10t.at273PM , 24, , 30 aHanchett nd Oct.author 1, 7 & of the irreverent “Renegade Mothering� blog. .mPM .

8Announcement at 7:30 p.mParty/Chamber . and Sept. 2Mixer, 5, OcNovember t. 2 & 9 a17t at2 p5:30 Owhen ct. 6our- B2017 ookseason s on Softaplays ge, 7willp.be m.revealed! maand ke18 r estiand valDecember 2016 Fil4,m11, ADecember lexande2,r3,Va9,10,16, alley Fi17lmatF7:30 at 2 PM, the family musical The Adventures of Mr. Toad.

Panel, Oct. 22.

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707-894-2214 Advertising sponsor County of Sonoma-Board of Supervisors

DECEMBER 21

Annual Union Hotel, Occidental Christmas Caroling

Join your neighbors and friends for an evening filled with holiday songs, cookies and hot cider. The thousands of freshly baked ginger bread cookies that enhance the holiday feel are famous! Festivities start at 7 p.m. Union Hotel, Occidental. unionhoteloccidental.com DECEMBER 26

Montgomery Village Chanukah Festival

Festive music, fun prizes, latkes, 9-foot tall Menorah and performances. 4-6 p.m. Village Court, Montgomery Village, Farmers Lane, Santa Rosa. mvshops.com

Paula Wise 707-888-7455

Shop online at:

www.stelladot.com/paulawise

Give the Gift of Your Local Newspaper!

DECEMBER 27

Chanukah Celebration, Healdsburg

Come take part in this annual event for both locals and visitors at Oakville Grocery, right off the plaza. “The night is beautiful, latkes are hot, and everyone holds a candle for the menorah lighting and sings along with the band. There’s dancing and special prizes for the kids,� said Rabbi Mendel. 5 p.m. 124 Matheson St. jewishsonoma.com

Ratto’s

DECEMBER 31

Uniques & Antiques

Geyserville’s Annual Black and White Ball

Christmas Gifts • Furniture And so much more!

Fun, dancing, food and wine. Oddfellows Hall. Tickets: moreinfo@Oddfellows Hall

Give Us A Call Give Grace a callToday! today!

124 S. Cloverdale Blvd. • Cloverdale 707-894-6315

823-7845

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63

one last thought+

Dried Hachiya Persimmons or Hoshigaki

Brilliant, Tasty Persimmons

by Gayle Okumura Sullivan

P

With the pulp, my favorite is persimmon pudding, which I enjoy during the holidays.

The pulp is also great frozen and can be used later, when you may have time. Persimmons are also excellent sliced and dehydrated, turned into persimmon chips.

Here is something else that is wonderful to do with your hachiya persimmons—dry them!

It is a Japanese tradition called hoshigaki, to let them dry naturally and then enjoy them throughout the year. Don’t be in a rush for this though; it can take months. I first made them with Colleen McGlynn (DaVero), and then last year I made them with another friend Betsy here in the valley. We dried them in her home over Thanksgiving and enjoyed them in April. Yes, April. So, let’s get started! SD

Gayle Okumura Sullivan is the co-owner and manager of Dry Creek Peach and Produce in Healdsburg.

64

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Here’s to a happy and persimmon-filled holiday season!

photo by Sarah Bradbury

ersimmons. This time of year, they are ubiquitous in Sonoma County.

It seems every other home has one type or another. I love the trees; and as the season progresses and the end of year approaches, the leaves fall, yet the bright orange fruit is left, hanging on the branches like beautiful ornaments.

Before that time approaches, I’ve got some suggestions for persimmons. If you have the fuyu variety, the flatter squatter type, then you can just slice and eat, as you desire. But if you have the hachiya, like we do here at the farm, the larger more oblong-shaped fruit that ends in a point, then you have a bit of work to do to enjoy them. You cannot eat them firm, for they are too astringent, so they must either ripen and soften naturally, or this can be expedited in the freezer.

Before you start, please have the following ready: string cut to three feet or so, small knife, vegetable peeler, pruning shears.

1. While the fruit is orange but firm on the tree, cut at least two persimmons and be sure to include small amounts of branch on both sides of the stem, so the stem forms a “T” for hanging the fruit later.

2. With the small knife, remove the top green stem part of the fruit.

3. With a peeler, starting at the top of the fruit, remove the peel to the bottom in one even stroke. Work around the entire fruit so there is no remaining peel. There must be no cuts or openings.

4. Attach the two peeled and prepared persimmons with the string. The persimmons balance one another when hanging. You can do this over and over again.

5. Hang the pair of persimmons indoors in a dry area where there is excellent air circulation and so they hang freely, not touching each other or anything. There should be no moisture.

Let them stand for one week, until an outer skin forms.

6. Continue to keep the fruit in the dry area with good circulation. They say you should massage the fruit to break down the pulp, but I just let it dry.

7. Give it a few months. The fruit will turn dark, and much later a white sugar bloom will form, and then you know they are ready. When you slice into the dried persimmon, it will be incredibly sweet, chewy and delicious!

This is a treat that can be enjoyed throughout the year. I keep a bunch hanging in the kitchen, and take one or two down at a time, and slice and serve with other sweets for dessert.

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Client: Windsor Golf Club Run date: 11-27-14 Ad title/slug: 1/2 page color Returned approval due by: ASAP Scheduled to run in: Disco Winter 2014

Experience Wine Country Golf at its Best.

Windsor Golf Club is a perfect setting for your favorite foursome or yearly tournament. After your game, relax and soak in the view at Charlie’s lakeside bar and restaurant. Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, Charlie’s features great food, fine wines and beers on tap.

For tee times, call 707.838.7888 or visit www.WindsorGolf.com.

For reservations and special events at Charlie’s, call 707.838.8802.

The Holiday Season brings the makings for good times and warm memo with friends and nd ffamily amily Our wish for all in the New YYeear is happiness, health, joy, and prosperity.

Finest service deli, prepared meals to go, choice quality meats, fresh produce and gourmet grocery department plus an expansive selection of local wine w s & cheeses.

1345 Healdsburg Av Avenue at Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg 433-7151 • www.bigjohnsmarket .com Openn Monday through Sunday 7am -8pm