Author Archives{secretlocal}

Bellwether-Ricotta_feat

Bellwether Farms Ricotta Blintzes with Smoked Salmon

1 week ago in Chefs' Recipes, Recipes.0 Comments

From Tom Schmidt, Executive Chef, John Ash and Company One of Sonoma County’s yummiest events is the California Artisan Cheese Festival. This year’s event included a full weekend of cheese tastings, trips to local farms, conversations with cheese makers, and seminars on how to pair cheeses with beer, wine and other beverages. Local chefs are huge supporters of the festival, {…}

walk_feat

Explore Sonoma County for Earth Day

4 weeks ago in Green.0 Comments

Celebrate Earth Day by getting out in nature and exploring a corner of Sonoma County you haven’t visited before. With more than 1,500 square miles, there’s bound to be something new to discover. Located 30 miles from San Francisco, Sonoma County is America’s premier wine, spa and coastal destination, featuring more than 350 wineries, over 100 organic farms, and 55-plus {…}

Windsor and its popular Town Green is also the starting point of a variety of bike routes.

Tour of California and other Bike Rides Through Windsor

1 month ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Windsor is not only a family friendly place to visit, it’s a cyclist’s dream – easy, moderate, and strenuous routes can challenge all riders, even the best. The beauty of the area and several difficulty levels show that’s why Windsor will be featured in the Amgen Tour of California on May 13. Diana Gilbert recently reviewed five routes that are {…}

johnashheader

Q&A with John Ash

1 month ago in Chefs' Recipes.1 Comment

John Ash is one of Sonoma County’s local gems. He is the pioneering visionary who came to Sonoma County in the 1970s and started the movement of building relationships with local farmers, cooking with their ingredients, and pairing his food with the wines that were being produced in the area. Today John is an award-winning chef, culinary instructor, cookbook author, {…}

inspiration

Inspiration Vineyards – Russian River Valley

1 month ago in Wine, Wine of the Week.0 Comments

There’s an old saying in the wine business: You can make mediocre wines from great grapes, but you can’t make great wines from mediocre grapes. You can, however, make exceptional wines from excellent grapes. The wines from Inspiration Vineyards epitomize this philosophy. Since the turn of the century (the 21st century, that is), Jon and Barbara Phillips have been creating {…}

Liz Jahren and David Templeton in the final scene of "Pinky." Photo by Eric Chazankin.

‘Pinky’ Wows Audiences in Sebastopol Venue

2 months ago in Art.0 Comments

Young love can be brutal. This is the premise of “Pinky,” now playing at Main Stage West in Sebastopol. The play is written by journalist/playwright David Templeton (“Wretch Like Me” and inside-sonoma.com arts blogger) and is directed by Sheri Lee Miller (6th street Playhouse’s “Death of a Salesman,” Cinnabar Theater’s “Crimes of the Heart”). David also stars in play with {…}

the-buena-vista-logo

Wine Tasting with the Count at Buena Vista Winery

2 months ago in Wine.0 Comments

California’s oldest premium winery offers a chance to experience this historic property while mingling with the “father of California viticulture,” Count Agoston Haraszthy. Actually, the role of the colorful count is played by local history actor, George Webber. The Hungarian-born Haraszthy founded Buena Vista winery in 1857, and today it’s a California historic landmark just outside the town of Sonoma. {…}

pancakes

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes Recipe

2 months ago in Recipes.1 Comment

These wonderful pancakes are a favorite of Christine Cole of Full House Farm, using their farm-fresh eggs.  She especially loves to make them for guests and serve with her homemade lemon curd. Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes makes 8 1 cup ricotta cheese 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar pinch salt 3/4 cup milk 3 eggs, divided {…}

sneakaway

Sonoma Sneakaway – Spataneous Deals!

2 months ago in Deals.0 Comments

Sneak away to Sonoma Wine Country for a spatacular getaway. You can be enjoying dinner in a world-class wine region in less time than it takes to drive to the airport and get through security. For a limited time, Sonoma County lodging, wineries, spas, and attractions are offering hot deals to fans in the Bay Area and Sacramento. In no time, {…}

JVineyards-3474CanfieldVineyard-feature

J Vineyards Now Certified Sustainable

2 months ago in Green.0 Comments

Sonoma County just got a little greener. J Vineyards & Winery, specialists in Russian River Valley sparkling and varietal wines, has achieved certified sustainable status through the California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance (CSWA). The sustainable certification covers all vineyard and winery operations. J Vineyards & Winery, located minutes south of Healdsburg, owns 10 estate vineyards sprinkled throughout the Russian River Valley, {…}