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Insider’s Guide to Sonoma

WhiteSheep_SPLASH

Truett Hurst “White Sheep” Pinot Noir

by jamesknight1 month ago in Insiders Guide, Wine of the Week.0 Comments

The White Sheep is not a little lamb, anymore. When Virginia Lambrix sent me off from the tasting room last August with a bottle of her just-released Pinot Noir, it was with this admonition: Don’t open until February! The 2010 was tasting just fine back then: bright raspberry and vanilla, a fitting contrast to the Black Sheep Pinot’s duskier hue {…}

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A Sneak Preview of Sonoma Gay Pride 2012

by TravelAndrew1 month ago in GLBT, Insiders Guide.0 Comments

The fabulous, hard-working Russian River Sisters’ Pride Planning Committee has announced a few details about Sonoma Gay Pride this year, which takes place just two-and-a-half months from now, on Sunday, June 3, in the inviting village of Guerneville. The festival commences at noon and runs until 6 p.m., and it takes place on the grounds of Guerneville Lodge (15905 River {…}

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Fort Ross 2012 International Bicentennial Conference

by careysweet1 month ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

The events that led up to the birth of Fort Ross 200 years ago and the magical place it is today have been remarkable. So much so, that the Fort Ross Conference being held in late April in Santa Rosa spans five full days, with hundreds of participants coming together for presentations on the settlement’s many challenges and impacts. Yet {…}

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Gouda News: 6th Annual Artisan Cheese Festival Takes Over Sonoma March 23-25

by careysweet1 month ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Author and lecturer Laura Werlin has found that the world indeed loves cheese. An expert in American artisan cheeses, Werlin received the prestigious James Beard award for “The All American Cheese and Wine Book,” which was the first tome to focus entirely on the now classic pairing, and a James Beard award nomination for “Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials” book. Then, Werlin {…}

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Best Laid Plans For Fresh Eggs This Spring

by careysweet2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

My pet chickens – Chick and Dee – just laid their first eggs after their winter hiatus. The first time I heard that tell-tale, thundering “squaaaaw-yawk” from their nesting box, I knew it was official: Spring is here. While across the nation, the idea of keeping chickens in urban backyards has become something of a fad, for hundreds of years, {…}

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Tour of California Gala Kicks Off Event

by tina2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

I wouldn’t last a block, much less the Cazadero climb, of the Amgen Tour of California. But, there’s one event that I have the perfect stamina for – the kickoff gala. For the first-time ever, the party will be held at a winery. Sonoma-Cutrer Winery will host the event from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 11. The event will {…}

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Sonoma Cheese Map Now Available Online for Extra Cheesy Convenience

by careysweet2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Q: How many goats does it take to make a pound of goat cheese?  A: Two can easily get it done in 24 hours. Larger goats like French Alpines produce an average of nine pounds of milk per day (8.6 pounds = 1 gallon), and it takes about ten pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese. If such {…}

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Sonoma State’s Green Music Center to Open in September

by secretlocal2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

Music will ring out on Sept. 29, 2012, as Sonoma State University’s Donald and Maureen Green Music Center marks its grand opening. The inaugural season boasts an incredible schedule, including orchestra in residence, the Santa Rosa Symphony. The Green Music Center’s acoustical perfection has already attracted renowned musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma, to experience its architectural and acoustical wonders. The {…}

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Sonoma Winter Artisan Cheese Fair Feature 60 Artisans – Feb. 26

by careysweet2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

There’s Cheez Whiz, and then there’s “gee whiz,” as in, who knew Sonoma had so many spectacular cheese crafters? Certainly the organizers of the Winter Artisan Cheese Fair know, as they have pulled together more than 60 renowned local and national food artisans to sample their best wines, craft brews and artisan cheeses Feb. 26 at MacArthur Place in Sonoma. {…}

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Sonoma International Film Festival is a Solid Two Thumbs Up

by careysweet2 months ago in Insiders Guide.0 Comments

The 15th annual Sonoma International Film Festival always brings plenty of headlines (it’s about the newest, most exciting film debuts in the world, after all). Yet this year, the event adds a little extra star power and glittery glam. The festival, running April 11-15, pays tribute to legendary filmmaker John Waters, and more than just a cinematic salute, Waters himself {…}