Inside Sonoma

Just when you thought the Sonoma food and wine scene couldn’t get any more exciting, along comes Artisano, bringing a Saturday chock full of foie gras and fine wines.

Touted as a “celebration of small production, locally handcrafted wine, food and art,” the inaugural event takes place Nov. 14 from noon to 5 p.m. on the lawn of the Geyserville Inn.

If you’re still gorged on Halloween candy and are contemplating curbing calories before Thanksgiving, think again. Because first and foremost, Artisano means food. You’ll graze your way through delectables from top Sonoma restaurants like Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Dry Creek Kitchen, Zazu, Diavola, Manzanita, Bovolo, Costeaux French Bakery, and Zin.

Likely, there will be a bit of a friendly pizza war going on between the two artisan pie purveyors, Rosso and Diavola. Dueling wood fired ovens? You be the judge.

If meat’s your thing, you’ll munch on locally raised specialties from the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club, and pick up some information on how to join the protein-based CSA-style group.

There will be artisan cheeses from local cheese producers like Cow Girl Creamery, Bellwether Farms, Delice de la Vallee, Point Reyes Farmstead and Redwood Hill Farm. You can belly up to bacon from Black Pig Meat Company, olives from Skipstone Ranch, and high-end nibbles from Sonoma Foie Gras and Sonoma Chocolatiers. For gourmet groceries, browse the offerings from Jimtown Store, Dry Creek Peach & Produce, Terra Sonoma, and Sensuous Farms (purveyor of marvels in mustards, BBQ sauces, rubs, mostardas, preserves, jams, marmalades, vinegars, pickles and salumi).

The celeb chef factor will be out-and-about, too, in the form of cooking demonstrations and book signings with Josh Silvers of Syrah and Jeff Mall of Zin.

To wash it all down, there will be wine. Plenty of wine, from more than 20 small-production, up-and-coming, ultra-premium wineries. Sip and savor the best from Garden Creek, Foursight, Montemaggiore, Kelley & Young, Verge, Duxoup, Skewis, Palmeri and MacPhail.

MacPhail, in particular, is a Sonoma rising star – read all about him.

While you’re resting between bites, you can explore paintings, ceramics, fused glass, sculptures, and other original works of art from several of the region’s premier artists like Clay Vajgrt, Linda Schroeter and Michael Coy, set to the backdrop of live music from the Steve Pile Band.

Besides looking like delicious fun, this inaugural Artisano is for a good cause. A portion of proceeds benefit Slow Food Sonoma County North, for the convivium’s School Garden Project in elementary schools in Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor, and Santa Rosa.

Snag your tickets now – admission is $75 per person in advance and $90 at the door. To purchase: visit travel.sonomacounty.com and enter FRIENDS at check-out for a discount or call 800-914-7511.