But the long and gentle road belies the complexity of its viticultural heritage, and doesn’t reveal its secrets to the casual Sunday driver. This weekend, an event hosted by the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance offers participants a variety of fresh looks at what this valley has to offer, with an appealing twofer: No crowds, and the driving is done for you.

This is a valley that starts in Pinot Noir by the cool Carneros in the south, grows Zinfandel in the middle, Cabernet Sauvignon in the hills above, and ends again in Pinot at its very northern terminus.

Where can I find the best Pinot? Or Chardonnay? How can I get an appointment with the limited-production family wineries tucked in between, and where, indeed, is my personal sommelier to help me to catalogue all of this good wine?

The folks behind Sonoma Valley Reserve seem to have anticipated all of these questions, responding with a menu of 10 wine tours to four destinations each, each chauffeured in motor coach and including a wine country lunch.

The Wine & Food Pairing Tour takes you to one of the valley’s newest food pairing destinations, Ram’s Gate Winery – oysters prepared three enticing ways; a charcuterie board; chanterelle and goat cheese tart; Carneros lamb albondigas, and so much more – while the All Access Tour reveals Annadel Estate Winery, a seldom-seen gem of the northern valley that’s being renovated by an enterprising couple on the site of the historic winery that gave renowned Annadel State Park its name.

On the Sommelier Tour, Sonoma County’s sommelier to the stars Christopher Sawyer shares his insights at Beltane Ranch, an off-the-beaten-path ranch and vineyard founded by a San Francisco African American businesswoman in the 1890s, now making a name for its Estate Grown Sauvignon Blanc.

“This is definitely one of my favorite SBs made in Northern California,” said Sawyer. “The fruit was previously sold to Cakebread and other top producers until the family decided to make their own … I’m glad they did!”

Meanwhile, on the Family Winery Tour, step up to the Little Vineyards’ dinged-up old, wooden tasting bar where author Jack London knocked back a few in 1916 – so says the saloonkeeper’s plaque, which owner and musician Rich Little (rocking a juicy, Stratocaster-labeled Band Blend of Cab, Zin, and other red grapes) bought from a neighbor’s barn.

It’s stories like these that connect the Sonoma Valley wineries of today with its past, which you can savor while enjoying the fruit of some of its old Zinfandel vines that are literally history reborn, each and every spring.

If that isn’t enough, the event offers round-trip shuttle service from San Francisco and Mill Valley for $30.

Sonoma Valley Reserve, Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. One-day pass, $95. Two-day pass, $150. Call 707-935-0803 to book a tour, or at www.reservesonomavalley.com.

Right now, in spring, you’ll find baby artichokes, red-and-white striped beets, young garlic, small favas, tender lettuces, colorful cauliflowers, broccoli rabe, a bevy of herbs, and a whole lot more.

Then the apples come in, starting with Sebastopol’s famed Gravenstein. Before you know it the berries are plentiful, and then the stone fruits: apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums … Then you’re drowning in zukes and cukes, sometimes marrying them to tomatoes that might be red or yellow or green or even black …

Just as this cornucopia runs out, another spills over: squash and melons and corn and pumpkins, nuts and grapes and beans. And even in the darkest days of winter you’ve got local broccoli and bok choy and lettuces, chard and endive and mushrooms.

Although the farmers markets center around food,  they offer far more. People come to buy a juicy peach or a mouth-watering tomato, sure. But they’re also there to meet their friends and hang out, hear a few tunes, devour a chocolate-chip cupcake or a Venezuelan Cachapas, or just watch the world go by.

Some markets operate from spring and into fall, but a few run year-round. Aside from fresh produce, most also include artisans and their wares, flowers and plants, and takeaway food from trucks or booths. There’s usually entertainment of some kind, too, which can range from a simple guitar soloist to a swing band.

This year there has been one big change on the market scene: the Santa Rosa Farmers Market has moved. (It lost the lease for its former location at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Hall parking lot.) The new location: the south parking area of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, just off Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa.

Here’s a list of the farmers markets in Sonoma County, with all dates, times and addresses updated for 2012:

Cotati Farmers Market

• Thursday (June-September): 4:30-7:30 p.m., La Plaza Park, downtown (Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Avenue).

Gualala Farmers Market

• Saturday (May-November): 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Gualala Community Center, 57950 Center Street.

Healdsburg Farmers Market

• Saturday (May-November): 9 a.m.-noon, one block west of the Plaza on Foss Creek.
• Wednesday (June-October): 4-7 p.m., at North and Vine Streets, two blocks northwest of the Plaza in the Purity/Cerri parking lot.

Occidental Farmers Market

• Friday (June-October): 4 p.m.-dusk, downtown Occidental.

Petaluma Farmers Market

• Saturday (May-November): 2-5:30 p.m., in Walnut Park.
• Wednesday (June-August): 4:30-8 p.m., on 2^nd Street between B and D Streets.

Rohnert Park Farmers Market

• Friday (June-September): 5-8 p.m., at City Center Plaza (next to the library), 600 City Center Drive.

Santa Rosa Farmers Market

• Wednesday: 8:30 a.m.-noon, in the south parking lot of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (off Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa).
• Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., in the same location as the Wednesday market.

 Sebastopol Farm Market

• Sunday (Year-Round): 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., in Sebastopol Plaza on Weeks Way in downtown Sebastopol.

Sonoma

• Tuesday (May-October): Valley of the Moon Certified Farmers Market, 5:30 p.m.-dusk, behind City Hall on Sonoma’s Plaza.
• Friday (Year-Round): Sonoma Valley Certified Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., in the Arnold Field parking lot at 241 West First Street, Sonoma.

Windsor Certified Farmer’s Market

• Sunday (April-December): 10 a.m.-1 p.m., on Market Street in Old Downtown.
• Thursday (June-August): 5-8 p.m., same location as Sunday.

That’s because the 1970s saw a wine boom unlike any since the 1870s, and the wineries that stuck around are, at age 40, the veritable graybeards of the industry.

Take Jordan. In June, Jordan Vineyard & Winery celebrates its 40th anniversary by holding a charity fundraiser event. Giving Back at Jordan will feature wine tasting stations, hors d’oeuvres by Jordan executive chef Todd Knoll, and live entertainment. Ticket sales go to benefit three charities chosen by winery owner John Jordan.

The funny think about Jordan is, it’s been around so long, it’s almost a trend-bucker all over again – in a manner of speaking. While the fashion among high-end wine brands has been to release single-vineyard designates, or to seek out the next hot varietal, Jordan has stuck resolutely to the original lineup: One master blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (and one Chardonnay, the prom queen of California wine), in the manner of the old chateaux of Bordeaux that founders Tom and Sally Jordan were so enamored of.

Tom Jordan, who made his fortune prospecting for oil in the Far East, originally wanted a chateau so much, he sought to buy one outright. But the French government wouldn’t allow it. Turning to the west, he asked the experts to find him the next best thing – the gravelly soils of Sonoma County’s own Alexander Valley – and build his own darn chateau.

Covered with walls of ivy, fronted by a stand of poplar, Jordan is a stately facility, to be sure. But until just a few years ago, it was also off-limits to all but a few visitors.

When second-generation owner John Jordan (who also turns 40 this year) took over in 2007, the winery had been coasting along as a ubiquitous restaurant wine. Seeking to refresh its image, Jordan put and end to the “velvet rope mentality,” opening up the castle to tours, tastings, and special experiences available to purchasers of Jordan wines through “rewards points.”

Tastings include amuse-bouche style food pairings, and library wines dating back to 1977 are available for sale. Good to know that the 30-something wines, at least, are not over-the-hill … and among formerly stodgy wineries, there’s life after 40.

Jordan Vineyard & Winery’s 40th anniversary party will be held 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg. Tickets must be purchased in advance at Causes.com; $75 per person, benefiting Bay Area charities Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, and Spark Program.

Tours and tasting available daily at Jordan, by appointment. 800-654-1213.

The idea was to keep the crowds coming in during recession-weary times for what Silvers called “A nosh, a nibble, a full dinner, whatever they want … and not just a special occasion.”

Yet Silvers is finding his customers still have an appetite for bigger plates, and still crave more elaborate dining experiences, and so his new menu just unveiled offers larger entrees, plus seven- to nine-course tasting menus. Remarkably, prices remain reasonable.

Previously, our most hearty option might have been something like strips of Balinese long pepper-crusted New York steak over mushroom reduction with a side of potato-mushroom croquettes ($16). Yet now, we can indulge in a full, grilled hanger steak over a ragout of cippolini, carrots and potato, in green garlic puree and black garlic jus ($24), or pan-roasted Liberty duck atop creamy polenta with spinach, spring onion, endive and cherry Port reduction ($25).

Also tempting are the new five-course daily prix fixe dinners, which for $49 per person (add $30 for wine pairings) bring feasts like crudo of market catch, a salad of 63°egg, pan roasted scallop and short rib hash, grilled hanger steak and a mint ice cream and chocolate brownie sundae.

If the entire table is in the mood to test Silvers’ and chef de cuisine Ben Davies’ skill, the tasting menus offer a gourmet adventure. Seven courses cost $75 per person (add $40 for wine), while nine courses run $110 per person (add $50 per person), and feature “chef’s whim” dishes.

It’s like a taste of the award-wining, full style Syrah all over again. Delicious.

Details: Petite Syrah, 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-568-4002, petitesyrah.com.

But it seems it’s been worth the wait for this stylish destination that just debuted from owner from Nino Rabbaa. He also owns Rendez Vous bistro in Santa Rosa, and this isn’t your typical burger joint, all sleek and jazzy, outfitted with a spacious patio accessed by slide-away glass walls and set with couches.

The full bar overlooks the kitchen action where cooks present waffle fries in cute little steel fryer baskets set in paper-lined trays, and craft house-made gelato for the banana splits.

Burgers, naturally, are the star of the menu, fashioned of grass-fed prime Kobe that’s ground fresh daily, yet don’t overlook the dogs, either, such as a Kobe beef hotdog stuffed with cheddar cheese and wrapped in bacon. And the fried pickles, jalapeño poppers and truffle fries on the side? ’Da bomb.

The advance of summer heat is looking more inviting, too, thanks to hand-dipped milkshakes like a Campfire recipe that’s chunky with s’more chocolate and Graham crackers, and topped with house-made marshmallows blackened with a torch. The waitresses wear black t-shirts emblazoned with “shake it,” and it’s good advice.

If you’re even hungrier, check out the larger entrée menu, including a pile of pork ribs with onion rings and truffle mushroom mac ‘n’ cheese.

Details: Flipside Bar & Burgers: 630 Third St., Santa Rosa, 707- 523-1400.

This year Gay Wine Weekend takes place from Friday, June 15, through Sunday, June 17. It’s a great opportunity to hobnob with like-minded fans of vino and the stunning Sonoma Valley countryside that produces many of the world’s most celebrated wines.

Highlights of the event-packed weekend include a Wine & Dine OUT dinner at which local winemakers pair wines with delectable treats from three of the area’s top restaurants, a meal and wine tasting at beautiful B. Wise Vineyards and Estate Restaurant, a cabaret night featuring drag-tastic “Russian opera diva Katya Smirnoff-Skyy” at Sebastiani Vineyards, a Winery Vista Tour at Gloria Ferrer and Nicholson Ranch Winery, a Twilight T-Dance to benefit the Sonoma County AIDS Network, the Big Gay Wine Auction & Brunch, and several more events. You can purchase tickets to events here, and I wouldn’t waste any time, as a few have already sold out.

Accommodations for the big bash are throughout  Sonoma Valley, including the retro-cool Flamingo Resort and Spa with one of the largest swimming pools in Wine Country.

Special rates starting at $169 for Gay Wine Weekend June 15 -17. For reservations call (707)-545-8530 and mention Gay Wine Weekend For more information about The Flamingo Resort & Spa visit www.flamingoresort.com

Check out the write-up on last year’s event to get a further idea of what this great celebration is all about.

Pssst

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend is coming up soon, over this Labor Day weekend – Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.

It’s three non-stop days of food, wine and reveling at fabulous venues across Sonoma County. Every year, the lengthy line-up of winemaker dinners, lunches, winery barbecues, grand tasting and auction sell out their tickets quickly.

Yet because the event is all-things Sonoma County, its organizers have set aside something extra special. There are a limited number of tickets available exclusively for Sonoma residents, and they have just gone on sale, a full month before tickets are offered to the general public. Not only that do Sonoma-ites get first dibs, but the tickets can be snapped up for as much as 50 percent off regular price.

That means that if you’ve got a Sonoma County zip code, and act quickly, you might get your hands on coveted tickets for Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch for just $75 ($150 general public) and the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Chateau St. Jean for $350 ($500 general public). The key word is quickly, since only a limited number of tickets are being set aside.

“Last year our events completely sold out,” said Maureen Cottingham, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend co-executive director. “We recognize that some of the events on the schedule tend to sell out rather early. The chance to purchase tickets early is also a nice benefit for, and one way we can thank, the people in our community who support us year after year.”

To obtain the special pricing, residents of Sonoma County can go to www.SonomaWineCountryWeekend.com and use the promotion code “LOCALS” and their Sonoma County zip code at checkout. A maximum of four specially priced tickets is allowed per address.

“We recognize that Sonoma County residents deserve a special opportunity to support both our local beneficiaries, as well as the Sonoma wine industry,” said Honore Comfort, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend co-executive director. “Visitors, as well as locals, are always a huge part of our full weekend of events that celebrate the very best of our region.”

Regular tickets, which range from $85 to $500 per person, will be opened up to the public on June 1. Yet even if someone doesn’t have a Sonoma zip code, there’s still great deals to be had from presenting sponsor Visa Signature. Cardholders can get event perks and savings, including access to an exclusive ticket presale; check it out at www.visa.com/signature.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come at the 2012 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend:

Friday, Aug. 31

• 12:30 p.m. – Winemaker Lunch Series at wineries across the County, $85/person
• 6:30 p.m. – Sonoma Starlight Supper Club at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, $95/person or $175/person Patron
• 6 p.m. – Winemaker Dinner Parties at wineries across the County, $150/person

Saturday, September 1

• 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch, $150/person (General), $195/person (Grand Reserve)
• 6 p.m. – Winemaker Dinner Parties
• 6 p.m. – Chairman’s Dinner Party, $175/person

Sunday, September 2

• 12:30 p.m. – Winery Barbecues at wineries throughout Sonoma County, $85/person
• 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Chateau St. Jean, $500/person

Besides being an international sensation (guests fly in from around the world for this spectacular gathering), the weekend makes a huge difference to the County. Proceeds from Sonoma Wine Country Weekend support Sonoma County non-profit organizations, including at-need children. To date, more than $11 million has been donated directly to Sonoma non-profits by the local wine community through this annual event.

For tickets: SonomaWineCountryWeekend.com.

It’s partly the periodically rainy spring weather that puts me in the mood, and primarily the good news that Mister Hof-Brau has reopened in Santa Rosa.

It’s that same Hof-Brau that for decades reigned supreme in Coddingtown Center, owned by Narsi Samii and his brother, Sam Samii, until it closed in March of 2010. It’s now occupying shiny new digs in the former SRJC Culinary Cafe space in the Brickyard Center at B and Seventh streets.

All it takes is one look at the massive hunks of meats, waiting for a sharp knife behind the counter, or certainly one sniff of the intoxicating aromas of slow-roasted turkey, beef, pastrami and corned beef, or baked ham.

Those are Hof-Brau hallmarks, as are hearty rib-stickers like sausage and sauerkraut, and mile-high sandwiches such as French dip, and a Black Russian stuffed with corned beef, roast beef and cheddar on dark rye smothered in tangy Russian dressing.

This being Wine County, there are some lighter eats – you can dive into an albacore tuna or hummus sandwich. But let’s be honest. We’re all really craving the belly fillers, aren’t we? Bratwurst and red cabbage, turkey enchiladas the size of small sleeping bags, capped off with a towering piece of all-American chocolate cake served with a big, cold glass of milk.

Welcome home, Mister Hof-Brau. We missed you.

Details: Mister Hof-Brau, 458 B St., Santa Rosa,  707-545-6237, mrhofbrau.com.

Planning the most romantic and special day of your life can be exciting and daunting. When it all comes to the big day, put the planning behind you and let someone else take the reins so you can enjoy yourself.

Bertoli Bridal is offering a $300 discount for their Day of Coordination Package, which is a significant incentive for the support and relief the service provides. You’ll get help with all of the work that makes all of that planning come together. From the fun stuff you’ve dreamed about and organized: the ceremony, music, and décor to the nitty gritty of paying the caterer and dealing with any day-of crises.

The Day of Coordination Package includes:

• Three meetings. The initial consultation to review contracts and details and set timeline, a meeting at your location, and a details meeting one month before the wedding
• Help and direct setup and cleanup the day of the wedding
• One hour Rehearsal to coordinate the ceremony
• Make sure the marriage license is signed
• Set tables with favors, programs, place cards, menus, sign in table, gift table, and candy table
• Onsite coordination and management of entire wedding day
• Work with DJ to establish timing for important events.
• Cue music for wedding party
• Meet and direct Vendors
• Distribute final payments and tips to vendors
• Take care of any wedding day emergencies that may arise

You can also look to Bertoli Bridal for a hand with the planning, event invitation, and floral design. The Emerald Package offers all of the Day of Coordination plus unlimited email and phone correspondence, diagramming the floor plan, and establishing the colors, theme, and design concepts.

You could even let them take you through the entire process with the Diamond Package, which includes the aforementioned help and vendor leads, set up and attendance of vendor meetings, discount on Bertoli’s floral and invitation design, use of Bertoli’s rental items, discount on vendor rentals, and an assistant.

Contact:

Leah Bertoli
Wedding Consultant
Bertoli Bridal and Design
707-291-8002
bertolibridal.com

Seriously, it’s 20 minutes from my house (no two-hour commute to the Big City), we park literally next door to the terminal, then waltz in to check in with a real, smiling person.

There’s a restaurant right there, including a patio overlooking the tarmac. Comfy seating with free Wi-Fi inside the intimate terminal, too. I was so relaxed, I actually forgot to go through security. When I remembered, it took less than a minute to pass through, with no lines, and two more smiling agents guiding the way.

If the Sonoma County Airport remains a best-kept secret for Wine Country travelers, here’s another juicy goodie that I discovered while leafing through the in-flight magazine. Free wine. And beer.

Truly, for Alaska/Horizon flights out of Sonoma County, all legal-age passengers are offered a complimentary glass of local wine or microbrew. The selections change, but you can count on exciting varietals and vintages, and seasonal craft brews. In case anyone misses the promo in the publication, the stewards come through the cabin, offering the free drinks and information about the winery or brewery.

Golden.

Keeping the theme, my flight attendant let me know that Alaska also offers incentives to sample more of that favorite Sonoma County wine. Anyone visiting a local winery doesn’t have to be up in the air over their purchase, wondering how to get that precious package safely home, since when you fly Alaska Airlines from Sonoma County, your wine flies free, up to a full case.

Then, there’s a new service called WineFlight. It’s a website offering special deals for Alaska ticket holders, from “jet lag relief” treatments at Osmosis spa, to savings on lodging, to your very own private dinner with a local winemaker.

Well, then. I’ve got a flight to Seattle next week. Instead of dreading the time at the airport and in the air, I’m actually looking forward to it. Cheers!

Details: inside-sonoma.com/wineflight/

You’ll learn a lot about both at the seventhannual Sustainable Enterprise Conference, which takes place on May 11 in Rohnert Park. The day-long event is all about helping North Bay business, academic, government, and non-profit organizations transition to economic, environmental and social sustainability.

The conference will be held at the event center of 200-acre Sonoma Mountain Village. A sustainable, mixed-use community – the first in North America to be endorsed by the International One Planet Communities Program – Sonoma Mountain Village is an environmentally-conscious redevelopment of a former technology center.

The conference’s footprint follows green event production practices, which include encouraging ride sharing, using ceramic dishware, maximizing waste diversion through recycling and composting on conference day, calculating the event’s carbon impact and offsetting it by donating to a local creek restoration group.

Conference objectives include understanding the definition and opportunities of sustainability; identifying successful strategies for economic resilience in a global economy; how enterprises can prosper from environmental policies; networking with like-minded organizations and people; offering practical tools; and much more.

The program includes workshops and panels, including case studies, organizational tools, and best practices—all presented by leaders who have benefited from sustainability strategies.

A sampling of speakers and topics:

• Joey Shepp, Sustainable Programs Director at Dominican University of California, will speak about living in grace with technology by reframing how we work. Topic Title: “Sustainable Work: Stay sane, increase productivity and live longer in the Information Age.”
• Lisa Mitchell, co-chair of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3), will speak on the topic “Impacts of Climate Change in Sonoma County: How can we build climate resilience into our local communities?”
• Three local business leaders will hold a panel discussion offering suggestions on how you can put sustainability to work in your own enterprise. Topic Title: “Green Business Showcase: Best practices at work.”
• Jasmain Ansar, an economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, will tackle “AB 32, California’s Climate Legislation: A catalyst for innovation.” She’ll talk about AB 32 and explain the cap-and-trade program (one of the strategies the state will utilize to reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions).

Other speakers include Assembly member Jared Huffman, California Energy Commission Deputy Director Panama Bartholomy, Sonoma County Supervisors Efren Carrillo and Mike McGuire, and Presidio Graduate School Interim Dean of Faculty Ed Quevedo, Guayaki CEO Chris Mann, Infineon Raceway President & General Manager Steve Page, Research Director at Institute for the Future Tracey Grose, and Sonoma State University Business Administration Dean Dr. William S. Silver and Professor Robert Eyler.

The conference includes a continental breakfast, a local and sustainable/organic lunch by Sally Tomatoes, and a wine reception at 5 p.m.

Tickets range from $69 to $249. Various discounts are available. Register online at sustainableenterpriseconference.com.

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, and many donate their time and efforts to share recipes inspired by these delicious cheeses.

This year’s event included a demonstration by Tom Schmidt, executive chef at John Ash & Co. restaurant  in Santa Rosa.  Like many chefs, Schmidt is a fan of the light and creamy ricotta cheese made by Bellwether Farms  in Petaluma. Schmidt created golden blintzes stuffed with the luscious ricotta, then nestled them into a pool of vivid green chive sauce, topped with a sprinkle of purple chive flowers for garnish.

It’s a perfect dish to make for your friends and family this spring.  Bellwether Farms’ Ricotta Cheese can be found in specialty markets throughout the Bay Area, and may also be ordered from their website .

If you’d like to find your own cheese inspiration, mark your calendar to attend the seventh annual California Artisan Cheese Festival, March 22-24, 2013.  See you there!

Bellwether Farms Ricotta Blintzes with Smoked Salmon
Serves 8

Crepes
4 eggs
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt

Crack eggs into a stainless steel bowl. Add flour and mix with a wire whip until smooth. Add milk & salt, then mix. Let stand 30 minutes.

Filling
16 ounces Bellwether Farms Ricotta
2 egg yolks
Zest 1 Meyer lemon, about 1 teaspoon
freshly ground white pepper, to taste

8 oz sliced Atlantic smoked salmon, brown fat removed, julienned

With a wooden spoon, mix all together in a stainless steel bowl adding pepper and salt (if needed). Chill.

Chive butter sauce
2 bunches chives, chopped fine
1/4 pound butter
¼ cup cream
½ cup white wine
2 shallots, chopped fine
Juice 1 Meyer lemon
salt, to taste

In a small food processor fitted with a steel blade, chop chives with softened butter until bright green, scrape into a bowl and set aside.  In a non-reactive sauce pan, reduce white wine with shallots until 1 tablespoon remains. Add cream and reduce by half. Mix in chive butter slowly, being careful not to break the sauce. Adjust flavor with lemon juice and salt. Strain and keep warm.

Assembling Blintzes
Using a 5- to 6-inch crepe pan (non-stick), make the crepes. Allow about 3 tablespoons of batter per crepe. Have the pan well heated before beginning. Using about 2 tablespoons of the oil, brush the pan with a little of the oil before adding batter each time. Cook each crepe on one side until lightly browned, then turn and cook just a few seconds on the other side. Remove to waxed paper to cool.

Lay the crepes out on a work surface, 4 at a time. Place about ¼ cup of in the middle of each crepe. Fold up envelope-style, by first folding the bottom to cover the filling, then folding over the two sides. Allow the seam to be in the bottom of the blintz. Blintzes can be made to this point ahead of time and refrigerated

In a 10-inch skillet heat one tablespoon each of the butter and oil. Sauté the blintzes over medium heat allowing them to brown nicely on both sides. Add more butter and oil to the pan as needed. Keep warm in a 200° oven while completing the batches.

Pour a pool of sauce on the pre-warmed plates. Set blintzes in the middle of plate, garnish with snipped chives and chive blossoms. Serve warm.

Yet here’s a thought. The bachelorette party can be celebrated a night or two before the wedding. With the right arrangements and accommodations, joining for that special evening can be just another incentive for guests and bridesmaids to look forward to.

Any resort or nice hotel will have ample room for guests, plus venues like restaurants and bars in which to throw the party. Perhaps guests arrive on a Thursday for a Saturday wedding, and the party takes place Thursday night to give everyone a little R&R time to catch up on Friday.

Winery tours are always popular party paths for daytime events in Sonoma, as are spa and salon visits. Yet here’s another thought, why not combine all the events in one convenient place?

At the Main Street Victorian house, guests can rent an entire two-story Victorian vacation home complete with its own salon and spa, located right in the heart of downtown Cloverdale (population 8,618).

Amenities include complimentary bottles of wine upon check-in and certificates for discounts at area wine tasting rooms, making a gathering a one-stop luxury.

Located on Main Street, the picturesque property epitomizes quaint Wine Country, surrounded by the rolling hills of Healdsburg, Geyserville, Alexander Valley and the Russian River. With three bedrooms plus a den and two baths over 2,100 square feet, it comfortably sleeps eight, and is furnished with luxury bed and bath linens including custom-made soaps.

All guests are welcomed with fresh flowers as well as a complimentary bottle of wine, and the original copper countertop-clad kitchen is stocked with accessories for cooking (another great bachelorette party idea, with ingredients from Sonoma County’s lavish farmers’ markets). Enjoy the meal al fresco, too, with a balcony, lanai, deck and patio with a barbecue grill.

One of the most unique charms of the home is that it situated directly above a full service day spa, so the party – or the wind-down after the party – can include beauty treatments and massages.

A stay in the home can feel like a trip back in time, accented with gleaming hardwood floors throughout, a spacious covered porch, and spacious private living and dining areas. Yet there is plenty to do in surrounding downtown Cloverdale, too, including the famous free Friday Night Live events every Friday all summer long, featuring the downtown farmers’ market, plus all the things you could want for the perfect bachelorette party: live music, dancing, and more wine.

Details: Main Street Victorian, (707) 894-5630, vrbo.com

Get your kitsch on at the Flamingo Resort & Spa with their Spring in Sonoma Special.

The Santa Rosa historic landmark has 1950s’ resort appeal with contemporary amenities and recently renovated rooms. You’ll know it by the revolving pink flamingo towering above the lobby.

The hotel was modeled after the original Las Vegas Flamingo and has a glamorous past complete with movie-star stories to really kick up the nostalgia.

When you’re not out exploring Sonoma County, relax by the pool, imbibe at The Lounge, and enjoy poolside dining at The Terrace Grille. Don’t miss the health club and full service spa either.

Just reference “Spring” for rates starting from $99 Sunday through Thursday. Single/double occupancy includes breakfast buffet, two adult-admission passes for the health club, and wine tasting passes. Memorial weekend is from $159 a night, three-night minimum.

The spring offer, which includes $50-plus of added value, is good through June 7 and must be reserved by May 11. This offer is subject to advance reservations and availability. Not applicable to groups, discounts or other promotions. (Not valid: May 27.)

Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa
2777 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(800) 848-8300
flamingoresort.com

It all comes together May 5, for a daylong festival at Petaluma’s historic Mystic Theatre. Starting at 2:30, it’s Saturday Afternoon Shorts, followed by the 7:30 p.m. World Shorts Showcase, and then a special screening of Midnight Shorts.

All-day passes are available for $25, bringing more than two dozen viewing opportunities such as The Pulsera Project, created by Santa Rosa High School student Fiona Becker and chronicling a student initiative to support children in Nicaragua. Through interviews, music, and photo montage, her five-minute documentary demonstrates how service to others brings a sense of purpose and unity to her high school class.

Some films are poignant, like Bottle, which follows two lonely figures engaging in transoceanic conversation via objects sent in a bottle. Created by American filmmaker Kirsten Lepore, this stop-motion adventure uses sophisticated animation technique to tell a simple story about the sacrifices made for love.

Others celebrate comedy, like The Holdup, an eight-minute long battle of wits captured by American filmmaker Aprile Ruha, in which that “unusually cheery criminal” engages in a battle of wits with a convenience store cashier until a feisty old woman spoils his plans.

Each film takes flavor from its homeland, be it Australia, the UK, Japan, France, Canada, Norway, Germany or Spain. And for Bay Area film maker Bobby Young, it’s a message that surely will resonate with agriculture rich Sonoma, where seemingly anything can grow:

When a farmer who’s down on his luck can’t pay his mortgage, he happens upon some magic squash seeds that seem to be the answer to his problems. The Squash is a comedic allegory of greed and true fulfillment, taking a unique spin on an age-old tale, but at the end of the 16-minute film, and indeed, the entire day of film watching, there is sure to be plenty of ripe, animated discussion. We can discuss among ourselves, and also with the filmmakers themselves, after all shows.

What would we do if we discovered magic squash seeds? Hide them from an unusually cheery criminal, for one.

Details: 2012 Film Fest Petaluma, Saturday, May 5, starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Mystic Theatre, 23 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma, (707) 765-2121.

Tickets are $25 for all-day passes, and individual program tickets are available at Copperfield’s Books and McNear’s Restaurant in Petaluma. Purchase online at petalumafilmalliance.org/filmfest-petaluma/

No, I was altogether surprised when I turned to see a pod of pelicans silently overtake me, several yards away. Hewing to the cut of the cliffs, the great birds banked and coasted with perfect discipline, and immeasurably more grace and gravitas than man’s metal-winged imitations.

It’s moments like that when we want to have a camera ready, right? Or that we want to blog about, say. Sure, a moment can’t be done justice by either picture or thousand words, like a wine can hardly be known through a wine review – I’m not kidding myself.

It may be useful to know that Kortum Trail on Sonoma Coast State Beach is a nicely maintained trail and more fascinating still on a cool, foggy day, or that Freestone Vineyards makes some excellent Pinot Noir. But a really good wine is like a stirring moment, when all thoughts of picture-taking, self-obsessing, and blogging fall right away.

OK, so on to my wine blog. By the way, the person in the other track? Turned out to be me, heading back from the end of the trail to enjoy a 2009 Fogdog Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($35).

Aromas are spicy, smokey, incense-like, perfumed with strawberry, raspberry and sandalwood. Orange peel and cherry fruit leather flavors stay for the high-toned, astringent finish. With time out in the air, cool, cherry jelly aromas move in, but the flavors never flatten out. Complex, refined, and more like the 2007 than the 2008. 13.5 percent alcohol.

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Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese
Recipe by Stephen Pavy

Serves: 24 in a buffet

2 lbs. Fresh red beets
2 lbs. Fresh gold beets
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar to drizzle over red beets
Chardonnay vinegar to drizzle over gold beets
Olive oil to finish
8 oz. log     Laura Chenel goat cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400°F

Place beets in roasting pan in a single layer. Add water to cover bottom of pan to ¼ inch depth. Cover pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes (longer if beets are large) or until the beets can be easily pierced with a fork.  Remove pan from oven, uncover and cool. Peel beets and cut into wedges, being careful not to mix red and gold beets (the red beets will “bleed” on the gold ones). Toss red beet wedges with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste. Toss gold beet wedges with salt, pepper, and chardonnay vinegar to taste.

Beets can be kept at room temperature for several hours or can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours. (Bring chilled beets to room temperature before serving.)

Arrange beet wedges on platter. Drizzle olive oil over beets. (It is important to delay adding olive oil until just before serving.) Spoon crumbled goat cheese among beet wedges.
Hint: Leftover beets may be saved for several days in the refrigerator.

Here are two great examples of Sonoma County’s certified Green lodgings:

The Case Ranch Inn in Forestville: Built in 1894, the Case Ranch Inn may be a century old but manages to keep ahead of the times: it was the first B&B to make it through the Sonoma Green Business Program and become certified. The Inn produces 40 percent of its own power via solar, provides guests with an electric car-recharging station, practices rigorous recycling and water conservation, and lots more.

But this place has a lot to offer besides eco-friendliness. For starters, there are the three luxury guest rooms and a garden cottage – all with private baths; the wrap-around porch; the lush gardens complete with gazebo, delish breakfasts made with organic ingredients. If you can tear yourself away from the serene landscaping (a registered National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat) you’ll find a limitless range of things to see and do nearby.

Read a recent article about the Case Ranch Inn.

MacArthur Place in Sonoma: A few short blocks from Sonoma’s historic 19^th century plaza, this luxury hotel and spa was originally a working ranch (some rooms are located in the original 1850s Victorian residence).

Expect in-room fireplaces, king-sized beds, designer furnishings, original art, seven acres of sculpture-filled gardens, a heated pool, and a full-treatment spa (many using flowers and plants grown on the grounds). The resident steakhouse, beautifully set in the original barn, was named “Best Beef Restaurant in California” in 2011 by the California Beef Council.

All this, and Green too. MacArthur Place takes being a steward of the environment seriously, as the downloadable “Green Mission Statement” on its website makes clear.

Among many other things, the hotel installed a solar heating system for the pool and solar hot water panels in the laundry, spa and restaurant; uses lighting motion sensors in public area restrooms; limits hosing of walkways/patios in favor of sweeping; recycles used cooking oil to be used for alternative fuel; composts yard waste, coffee grounds, kitchen fruits and veggies; seeks vendors that offer environmentally and socially conscious products; formed an employee sustainability committee; places “The Green Book” in all guestrooms; and supports the nonprofit Sonoma Ecology Center. Read the entire list here.

Stay on the lookout for future profiles of hotels in the Sonoma Green Business Program.

Anyone familiar with great coffee knows that Flying Goat is beloved for its fresh roasted beans and house made chai served at its stores in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. Morisette and Dupere, meanwhile, own the popular 14feet modern vintage home furnishings store in Healdsburg. Now, the groups are coming together to open Plank Coffee, debuting May 1 on Cloverdale Ave. at E. 2nd St.

According to Dupere, the new business was inspired by a craving for caffeine. She and Morisette live just above downtown Cloverdale on Pine Mountain Road, and were looking for an easier way to get their daily Goat fix.

Voila, Plank will serve French press brewed coffee, classic espresso drinks and signatures like Aztec mocha, plus a secret “Clever” pour-over, and housemade sparkling Italian-style sodas crafted with freshly squeezed seasonal juice.

All that buzzing makes a body hungry, so to go-with, there will be pastries from My Flour Girl, baked daily on-site from Flour Girl’s Shannon Moore of Healdsburg. Alongside the croissants, scones, muffins and such will be vegan and gluten-free options such as vegan orange cake and vegan Mexican chocolate cake. Customers can slather their scones with jams, homemade by Kenneth Rochford (he is general manager of Medlock Ames winery in Healdsburg, which offers its own jams, too, at its Alexander Valley Store and Bar and tasting room).

So why the Plank name? The décor, inside and out, is primarily wood. Morisette and Dupere gathered wood from their own property, in oak, Manzanita and pine, and cut them into rounds to form a back wall, while the front of the building is clad in hundreds of pieces of scrap and salvaged wood the duo has been collecting for the past year, in a design executed by Healdsburg artist Ray Degischer.

A centerpiece is the community table, a ten-foot long, 875-pound welding table salvaged from the Healdsburg High School metal shop, while vintage hog leg 40’s classroom tables have been repurposed with vintage reclaimed walnut shelving to serve as singles tables.

“Wood” you like some coffee? Why, “plank” you very much!

Details: Plank Coffee, 227 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-894-6187, plankcoffee.com.

Hole-in-the-Wall Brings Global Cuisine to Sebastopol

Everyone has their favorite little hole-in-the-wall place to eat. Sometimes it’s hard to remember its name, though – “that place with the great tacos,” or “you know, that amazing burger place” might have to suffice.

Perhaps that’s why the owners of this joint in Sebastopol named their eatery Hole in the Wall Restaurant. Easier all around, and it sums things up perfectly for the architecture of tiny spot stuck in an easy-to-miss corner of a tiny Sebastopol mall on Gravenstein Ave. at Fellers Ln., just north of the Fircrest Market.

Except it’s hardly everyday eating. Opened last summer by chef Adam Beers, the space may be small, but the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu goes on for pages, and efforts are ambitious, reflecting Beers’ training as a sautee chef at French Garden and savory chef at Village Bakery. You can see him working in his expo kitchen, putting together pretty plates like his “FunGuys” seasonal mushroom omelet decorated with spinach and chevré ($8.50).

So what makes it a HITW, besides the location? Rock-bottom pricing, and comfort food, albeit with delicious international twists.

Standouts on the A.M. line-up include the N’Orleans Scramble ($7.75), spiced with andouille sausage, caramelized onions and peppers and a zap of cayenne, or the Challah French toast ($7.75) gussied with orange zest and candied pecans.

Short rib hash ($9.50) is topped in poached eggs alongside a homemade biscuit, while the mushrooms in the in the gravy atop the biscuits vary depending on the season and what’s fresh-picked.

Throughout the day, the offers go global, from French quarter gumbo ($3 cup, $7.50 big bowl) based on a smoky, dark flour roux and plump with andouille, chicken and crawfish (add prawns, $4.50), to a peasant-style Russian borscht ($9.50) crafted of red and golden beets, cabbage, chunks of potato, a hearty hunk of short rib and dollop of sour cream.

Burger lovers will love the options, in patties like beef, lamb, turkey, marinated Portobello and black bean ($7.75-$9.75), and crepes are creative, stuffed with goodies like lox, tomatoes and capers in a gluten-free buckwheat crepe ($9.25), or classic Nutella studded with bananas or strawberries ($6.50).

Yet one of the best dishes is the coconut curry pasta ($8.50). Picture toothsome penne coated in creamy curried coconut milk reduction sparked with cranberries, carrots, broccoli, crisp snow peas and juicy tomatoes under a dusting of toasted almonds and

Parmesan. It’s hardly hole-in-the-wall cooking, but a whole new spin on flavors well worth making a regular destination.

Details: 972 Gravenstein Hwy. S,, Sebastopol, 707-861-3777, holeinthewallsebastopol.com.

Tucked within the confines of the North Bay’s largest city, Santa Rosa, the 350-acre Spring Lake site offers an amazing diversity of activities for individuals and families alike. It’s a lovely place, guarded over by rising hills and generously endowed with a lake, ponds, oak woodlands, grasslands and meadows. In spring it’s ablaze with wildflowers.

One of the unique aspects of Spring Lake Park is that it’s home to the Environmental Discovery Center, which offers interactive displays and activities geared to kids 6-12. They’ll touch sea creatures in tide pools, marvel over an aquarium of fish from the lake, view taxidermied mountain lions and coyotes, learn about the earth in the storytelling cavern, and come away with an idea about earth stewardship and earth science.

The Center’s “Science Saturdays”—the first Saturday of each month at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.—lets the whole family join in on fun science experiments that explore the world around us. Family hikes take place with Center naturalists on the third Saturday of each month at 1 and 3 p.m. Learn more about the Environmental Discovery Center.

Much of the happenings here are centered around 72-acre Spring Lake:

• Boating: Spring Lake is open for boating—canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, windsurfers—all year long. Bring you own boat up to 16’ in length to the boat ramp, or rent a craft at the concession stand from May-September.  No gas-powered engines are allowed, but electric motors are fine. Approved life jackets must be worn while on the lake.

• Fishing: Catch your own lunch or dinner (sunfish, catfish, large mouth bass). If you’re over 16, you’ll need a California fishing license.

• Swimming: The lake offers an appealing 3-acre swimming lagoon with a sandy beach, and from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day the area maintains lifeguards.

Another popular activity here is camping. The individual campgrounds is open seven days a week from May 1-September 30 (the rest of the year it’s only open on weekends and holidays). A group campground is available, by reservation only, throughout the year. Learn more about reservations for an individual or group campground.

Hiking is excellent. Spring Lake Park’s 2.5-mile partly-paved loop trail is well-liked by hikers, runners, and families with baby strollers. Even better, trails connect with adjacent parks, so you can go on fairly even terrain for miles. And for the really rugged, Spring lake connects to the fabulous trail system at Annadel State Park.

Bicyclists, especially kids, enjoy the 2.3 miles of paved bicycle trails. Mountain bikers have access to many more miles of unpaved trails. Speed limit for bicyclists: 15 mph.

There are even trails for horseback riding at Spring Lake. Equestrian trails circle the lake, and it’s easy to connect to a trail into Annadel State Park and go for  hours. No mounts are available, so bring your own.

And of course there are plenty of picnic tables—200 of them, with barbecues! This is where to grill those large mouth bass you catch. If you’ll be with a crowd, you might want to reserve one of the park’s four group picnic areas, which can hold from 8 to 20 people (call 707-565-2041 to make a reservation).

Spring Lake Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Entrance is free, but a $7 parking free applies (free with a Regional Parks membership).

Download a map of Spring Lake Regional Park

BBQ Smokehouse is the “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” gem in a tiny porch-style building on the edge of a movie theater parking lot in downtown Sebastopol.

Vito is the chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, and since opening his eatery in 2009, has been wowing fans of his work with meats cooked in an enormous industrial smoker stocked with apple, oak and nut wood.

The only challenge with his operation has been fitting in all his fans, who take over the half-dozen or-so seats at lunch and dinner daily. Yet problem solved. Thanks to several newly planted picnic tables, diners can now relax under shade trees hung with twinkling white lights in front of his café.

There are more reasons to visit, too – Vito has been ramping up his menu to include weekly specials like roasted red pepper, tomato and corn soup with toasted cumin, filet of smoked trout with baby lettuces and greens and poppy seed tartar sauce, and hot pastrami that’s marinated and smoked, then piled on rye with whole grain mustard, slaw and homemade pickles. Vito can even offer drink pairings, such as Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc with the trout, or Anchor Steam Porter with the pastrami.

Details: BBQ Smokehouse, 6811 Laguna Park Way (near North Main Street), Sebastopol, 707-575-3277, bbqsmokehousecatering.com.

First, they bring the bike to you. Second, they’ll be arriving with high-quality, super-comfy folding bikes.

“People can just pop them in the trunk of their rental cars and take off exploring up the coast, along the Russian River, or through the redwoods,” says Smith. “They can go wine tasting or exploring tide pools with the bikes safely concealed in the trunks. And once they hop on our bikes they’ll have a quality experience.”

Smith isn’t just talking through his helmet, either. He’s been a cyclist most of his life. As a boy growing up in Santa Rosa, his family was involved in the Santa Rosa Bicycle Club.

In high school he rode long-distance touring bikes, and in college he was founding manager of the U. C. San Diego Bike Shop. Over time he became proficient at leading group cycle outings, bike repair, customer relations, and more.

Smith and Armstrong – his wife, business partner, and cycling companion – are now the sole proprietors of BikePartners.net. The company rents only Bike Friday folding and travel bicycles, which are hand-made in the U. S. and enjoy an international cult following.

“We’re the only company in the country that rents Bike Fridays,” Smith said. “Others sell them to you, and we can do that too – but you can only rent them from us.”

Smith and Armstrong rode traditional bicycles for years. “We’d always had a whole stable of full-sized riding, touring and tandem bikes,” Smith said.

But in 2004, planning a bike trip through Europe, the couple balked at the notion of boxing up a big touring tandem bicycle for shipment. Looking around at alternatives, they heard good things about Bike Fridays and purchased a used Tandem XL.

The result? “We were sold,” Smith says. “We love the way these bikes feel and ride—not to mention that they’re big conversation starters because of the way they look. These days I’m hard-pressed to use my other, full-sized bikes.”

BikePartners.net rents both single and tandem bicycles by the day (a 24-hour period), with prices ranging from $50 for a New World Tourist single bike to $100 for a Tandem Two’s Day.

Bike racks are not required, since the bikes fold down to fit even a small trunk. “I put a tandem bike in the trunk of my 2000 Honda Insight,” Smith said, “and there’s room left over for other things.”

Delivery is free within 10 miles of Santa Rosa, and $1 per mile for further distances.

“We’re a customer-oriented concierge service,” Smith said. “We’re happy to meet customers at a coffee shop or their hotel to deliver the bikes.”

Smith’s favorite bike renters so far are a retired couple from Arizona, “probably in their late 60s. They were vital, vibrant, and in good shape.”

They rented a Tandem, which he delivered to their hotel, and they “ended up riding the Joe Rodota Trail out to Forestville and back. The gentleman kept texting me about what a great time they were having. He’d done a lot of riding in his life but was thrilled to death to be riding this bike. They kept riding, went on the Santa Rosa Creek trail. They rode 50.5 miles all told.

“They were planning to buy a Bike Friday when they returned to Arizona.”

Contact BikePartners.net at 855-483-3732, rentabike@bikepartners.net, or  facebook.com/BikePartners.net.

With the recent nourishing rains, wildflowers are in particular abundance right now, in all colors of the rainbow with their glorious bonneted faces reaching towards the sky in a salute to the sun.

But so many other fantastic flowers flourish here, too. Here are some opportunities to broaden your riches and explore even more beautiful blooms. Pause, and take time to smell the roses this season, and because some of these gardens are at some of Sonoma County’s finest wineries, you can enjoy the bouquets of fine wines at the same time.

Edible Flowers
You can spend an entire afternoon at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, exploring its two-and-a-half-acre Eden. Sip some wine and stroll the culinary gardens, the sensory garden showcasing plants with aromas found in wine, and the Blooms of Bressingham flower palace. Be sure to savor the edible flower collection, too – you may never look at those delicate blossoms the same way again, after you’ve realized how tasty they can be on the tongue.

Complimentary, self-guided Garden Tours are offered daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (weather permitting). Private garden tours and wine tastings are available for groups of 10 or more at $10-$20 per person.

5007 Fulton Rd., Santa Rosa, 707-571-7500, kj.com.

Ten Thousand Tulips
Ferrari-Carano Winery features five acres of diverse gardens that, in 1987, took founder Rhonda Carano 16 months just to plan and complete the initial planting. Each area has its own mood, starting with the Italian/French parterre style of the master garden showcasing classic, geometric shapes.

The Enclosed Garden at the front of the Estate has a more relaxed park-like setting abundant with trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. You can spend hours leisurely strolling the meandering paths and foot bridges along a rippling stream, waterfalls and fish-filled ponds, discovering more than 2,000 species of trees and shrubs conveniently marked with identification tags. Enjoy bronze sculptures from world-renowned artists, and don’t miss the full acre show garden with massive flower plantings in the fashion of Butchart Gardens in British Columbia.

Just in time for spring: more than 10,000 tulips and daffodils burst through the earth for a lavish carpet of color. There’s even a Tulip Hotline (707-433-5349), to track the best bloom times.

8761 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg, 707-431-1742, ferrari-carano.com.

A Rose by Any Other Name
Originally planted in the 1880’s, the Korbel Rose Garden at Korbel Champagne Cellars explodes to life in the spring with the blooms of hundreds of bulbs, then continues into summer and fall with more than 250 varieties of antique roses.

Some 1,000 types of other flowers capture the senses, too, set in mini micro-climate gardens specially designed to celebrate different areas of the world. For a full day, you can grab a picnic lunch at the on-site deli.

The Garden Tour is offered daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, mid-April through mid-October.
13250 River Rd., Guerneville, 707-824-7316, korbel.com.

This Bud’s for You
Seeing the gardens may inspire your green thumb. It’s the May Day Plant Sale to the rescue, held May 6 at Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa. Starting at 10 a.m., would-be florists can purchase plants propagated from the gardens or grown from seeds related to world-renowned Burbank creations.

Stock up on a variety of perennials and annuals, most in four-inch pots ranging from $2 to $9. You can also explore the beauty at your leisure, since Garden tours begin each year on April 1, offered every half-hour between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., bringing a 45 minute tour of the Gardens, Home & Greenhouse for just $7 (children under 12 are free).

204 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-524-5445, lutherburbank.org.

Sowing the Seeds of Love
For ideas on how to plant and cultivate those baby flowers, sign up for the “Through The Garden Gate” tour of seven breathtaking Santa Rosa gardens. The event, held as a benefit for LifeWorks of Sonoma County and other non-profits selected by the Sonoma County Medical Association Alliance and Foundation, takes place May 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The self-guided walk offers unique access to seven private properties, and the chance to discuss gardening inspirations and techniques with the gardeners themselves. Just one location is a Spanish style home with an exquisite multi-level garden showcasing large native oaks, many fruit trees and hundreds of blooming bulbs; another is a countryside estate in a wonderland of potted succulents, colorful flower beds, rhododendrons and charming garden structures shaded by towering redwoods.

Tours are by reservation, available at alliance@scmaa.org. Ticket price is $45; discounted to $40 until April 30th.

Flowers and Fashion
Once you get those flowers, you might wonder what to do with them (Vases everywhere! Blooms tucked behind your ears!). At McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, one of the largest U.S. producers of estate-grown olives, the annual Orchard and Garden program includes some ideas. New this year is a floral arranging workshop and the first-ever public viewing of Nan McEvoy’s outdoor sculpture collection, featuring many celebrated twentieth-century American sculptors.

First, start with the McEvoy Ranch’s Garden Walk and Lunch, for an in-depth tour of the 550-acre ranch’s fruit orchards and certified organic gardens brimming with heirloom flowers and vegetables.

McEvoy Ranch’s head gardener Margaret Koski-Kent and her expert garden staff will discuss organic gardening techniques and give helpful tips on seed-saving, crop rotation and composting.  The tour concludes with a sensory evaluation of the olive oil and a seasonally inspired lunch.

Then, enjoy the Floral Arranging Workshop, perfect for novice or floral experts, as a hands-on workshop in the art of building bouquets and envisioning centerpieces. All materials are provided and participants leave with their handcrafted arrangements.

McEvoy Ranch Garden Walk and Lunch ($90), held June 22 and July 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Floral Arranging Workshop ($85), August 11, 9:30 a.m. to noon.

5935 Red Hill Rd., Petaluma, 707-778-2307, mcevoyranch.com.

Choose from creek-side and waterfront rooms, suites, and cottages for a relaxing getaway. If you stay any Sunday through Thursday, you’ll receive a 15% discount on the first night. Stay two nights and the second night is a 25% discount. This offer is good through May 15, 2012. The Lookout Vacation Home and Rosewater Cottage are excluded.

From leisurely beach strolls, to wildflower hikes, whale watching excursions to mountain biking, there is adventure for everyone. Soak up some history during the Russian Bicentennial Festival, beginning now in early April and running through the summer, celebrating the 1812 Russian landing and founding of Fort Ross.

Restrictions: Cannot be combined with any other offer including other specials, packages, gift certificates or discounts. Breakfast is only served on the weekends, so it’s not included with this offer. Valid on new bookings only and holiday and special event weeks are excluded. Reservations are based on availability.

Jenner Inn and Cottages
10400 Highway 1
Jenner, CA  95450
800-732-2377
innkeeper@jennerinn.com
www.jennerinn.com

Somewhat anomalously appearing on the label of Iron Horse Vineyards’ Ocean Reserve cuvée, this would seem to be some cheeky koan. Surely, “I am limited” and “I am the ocean” are a paradoxical pair of affirmations? No, even the vast riches of the ocean have a limit. And that’s precisely the point.

The Forestville sparkling wine producer,  a State Department and White House favorite, has lately been energetically releasing special cuvées. A collaboration with National Geographic’s Ocean Initiative, Ocean Reserve helps support sustainable fisheries by donating four dollars from the sale of each bottle.

This Earth Day, Iron Horse pops the cork on their 2007 vintage, served up with fresh Tomales Bay oysters (Saturday, April 22, noon to 2 p.m., 9786 Ross Station Road, Sebastopol. 707-887-1507).

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The 2006 Iron Horse Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs ($40) is a pale, platinum-gold hue, and has light, spritzy aromas of grapefruit – Fresca? – with hints of yeast in the background. A sip starts crisp, then gets lively: roiling bubbles curl upward on the palate like, power of suggestion be damned, high surf on the beach. A sweet aftertaste of old-fashioned cream soda bobs up, then dips back down into the fresh, lean but not completely dry finish. A really enjoyable sparkling, with distinct personality.
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A QR code on the back label leads smartphone users to recipes by National Geographic Fellow Barton Seaver, including Broiled Oysters with Smoked Paprika and Peach, and Grilled Clams with Lime-Oregano Butter. Sounds great, but I wanted to kitchen-test this for myself.

A simple cheese plate, with a local fontina-style cheese? Not quite. Oysters Rockefeller (store-bought, but of good quality)? Hmm, the fishy, briny aftertaste of the oyster would better suit a more severe sparkler. Let me introduce an absurdly simple recipe mash-up that, so far as I can tell, has been until now altogether un-googleable: Caesar salad with fish stick croutons. I know, it’s scandalously low-brow in the company of an Iron Horse, but the pairing is excellent: The acidity cuts through the oily dressing, and the toastiness of the breaded stick compliments Ocean Reserve’s latent hint of caramel. And presents a tidy solution to the crunchy but somewhat useless crouton, vs. the protein-enhancing but unfortunate trend of piling cold chunks of chicken meat on a hapless caesar.

Not so tidy is the question of fish stick sustainability. I used Trader Joe’s brand, made from Alaska pollock, which the Marine Stewardship Council lists as a sustainable fishery on their handy website, although it’s not without controversy.
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Caesar Salad with Fish Stick Croutons
By James Knight

Makes 2 side salads, or one large

1 head romaine lettuce
6-8 frozen fish sticks
3 tablespoons caesar dressing, preferably fresh/cold case (or consult your own recipe)
1/2 ounce parmesan cheese
salt, pepper to taste
habañero hot sauce

Cut head of romaine in thirds lengthwise, turn 90 degrees and cut through middle. Chop horizontally in 1 1/2 inch increments. Rinse, spin, and toss with dressing, salt, pepper, grated cheese (I like to add a drop or four of habañero hot sauce to add a smokey, spicy dimension). Bake fish sticks until browned, and quite crisp: let cool a minute, and cut into thirds, or 1-inch pieces. Toss with salad while warm. Check it out!

Today we’ll focus on Santé Restaurant, located at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma Valley.

Recipient of a prestigious Michelin star, a AAA Four Diamond and numerous other awards, Santé has a well-earned national reputation for its elegant and simple California-French cuisine.

In its 2011 review, Michelin pointed to “cutting edge cuisine … the artistry … the smiling staff,” and praised numerous dishes. In summing up, the reviewer noted that “the dishes are simply perfect. Even the bread basket, which showcases the talents of a local bakery, is beyond compare.”

It’s the word “local” that really makes Santé special. Overseen by Chef de Cuisine Andrew Cain, Santé uses only the freshest local products – meats, seafood, poultry and produce – and places great emphasis on the words “organic” and “sustainable.”

Chef Cain is a veteran of some of the nation’s top restaurants, including The French Laundry, Citronelle, La Folie, and Michael Mina’s. He notes that Sonoma County “is truly one of the only places in the United States where fruits and vegetables are picked in the morning, delivered to the restaurant, and on the plate that same afternoon.”

One example of the restaurant’s local approach includes its wine list. A recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, it features more than 500 local wines. That’s not easy to do, even when local means Sonoma and Napa counties.

Two other examples include the honey beehives installed on the property that help sustain the Sonoma Valley bee population (and provide home-harvested honey for use in Santé’s cuisine), and the on-property herb garden that provides fresh seasonings to the kitchen.

Santé Restaurant is assisted in its efforts Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ Green Partnership Program, which is geared to reducing the impact its properties have on the environment. Many improvements are in areas such as energy and water conservation, or waste management. But Fairmont’s Green Partnership Program also directly targets the culinary side of things. Under its “Green Cuisine” initiative, Fairmont hotels commit to purchase local, organic, Fair Trade and sustainable products whenever possible.

Read more about Santé restaurant, see a sample menu, or make reservations.

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 miles of stunning Pacific coast.

Hike, Bike, or Paddle at Jenner-by-the-Sea
EcoRing has planned several Earth Day events, slated for Saturday, April 21, making it easy to explore. However, making a choice will be the hard part. All of the events take place in Jenner. There will be music, entertainment, speakers, barbecue and more. For more information and to register for any of the events, visit ecoring.org, or register.

• Learn more about wildflowers and plants at the seminar and by Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. 9 a.m.-noon.
• 28-mile bike ride: Round trip ride from Jenner to Occidental, via Willow Creek Road. This is good for beginners and intermediate mountain and road cyclists – includes hills. $15 in advance, $20 day of the ride. Admission includes lunch. Ride starts at 10 a.m. in Jenner.
• Mini Rush Kayak Race: Race around Penny Island in the Russian River estuary in this race sponsored by Watertreks Eco Tours. 10 a.m., $20 registration fee.
• Longboat Rides: Ride a historic Russian longboat in honor of Fort Ross’ Bicentennial (1812-2012). 10 a.m.-2 p.m., $20. At 3 p.m., enjoy a Russian history presentation by John Middleton.
• Guided Hike: This two- to three-hour hike of Jenner Headlands will offer breathtaking and panoramic views. It’s put on by Sonoma Land Trust. 11 a.m.
• Electric Car Show: Noon-2 p.m.
• “Shark Water”: One-time viewing of this movie. 3:30 p.m.

Audubon Canyon Ranch Nature Walks
The spring guided nature walks at beautiful Bouverie Preserve, a 535-acre, private non-profit nature preserve, range from two to five miles. All ages are welcome. 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 21. Admission is free, but a $15 donation is appreciated. Bouverie Preserve, 13935 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen, Calif. More information.

Celebrate Earth Day with Rodney Strong Vineyards
Explore sustainable vineyard practices with Ryan Decker, Rodney Strong Vineyards’ sustainable viticulture specialist. Walk with Ryan through the estate vineyard to explore soil management, water conservation techniques, cover crops, pest management, and how to work with nature to achieve quality. Optional winery tour and tasting immediately following. Call for reservations, limited to 20 people. Weather dependent, will be cancelled in the case of rain. 10-11 a.m., Saturday, April 21, free admission. Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, Calif. More information.

Earth Day and 10th Anniversary Party at the Environmental Discovery Center
Check out all that the Discovery Center in Spring Lake Regional Park has to offer – eco-crafts, hikes with naturalists, a tide pool with touchable sea creatures, wildlife exhibits, nature games and much more. There will also be face painting and other special fun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, April 21. Admission is free; parking $6 or free with Regional Parks Pass. Enviornmental Discovery Center at Spring Lake Park, 391 Violetti Dr., Santa Rosa, Calif. More information.

Open House at Luther Burbank’s Experiment Farm
Free docent-led tours of Burbank’s historic farm and cottage, Burbank’s and other plants for sale, refreshments, Master Gardeners, apple blossoms and lilacs in bloom. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, free admission. Luther Burbank’s Experiment Farm, 7777 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, Calif. More information.

Earth Day at Dutton-Goldfield
Learn about Dutton-Goldfield’s sustainable farming and eco-friendly winery practices while enjoying their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a new release. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, April 21-22. Tasting fee waived with wine purchase. Dutton-Goldfield Winery, 3100 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, Calif. More information.

Santa Rosa Hosts Earth Day Celebration
The City of Santa Rosa is hosting its third annual Earth Day celebration. This day-long event starts off with a park clean-up, e-waste recycling station and ends in Courthouse Square to celebrate community, health and the environment.  Come join us at the City of Santa Rosa’s Earth Day noon-4 p.m. on April 22 at Courthouse Square

This event will feature live music, local food vendors, kids’ activities, games and information from vendors about a variety of green programs and rebates. A panel of local experts will present throughout the day on solar power, energy efficiency options for homeowners, and financing and rebates.

There will also be art projects created from recycled materials including ZFA Structural Engineers’ display of a sculpture created from cans of food which will be donated to the Redwood Empire Food Bank. Donate one can of food and receive one raffle ticket. Those who participate in a scavenger hunt will be entitled to receive one raffle ticket.  Win a bicycle or other great prizes.

Global Materials Recovery Services will be hosting an e-waste recycling event as part of Earth Day held at the City Hall parking lot, corner of Sonoma Avenue & D Street from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Recycle computers, phones, car batteries and anything with a cord.

Bike parking is available or carpooling is encouraged. Join us on April 22 for this celebration of community, health and the environment. For more information about the park clean-up activity, to volunteer or to sign up as a vendor visit www.srcity.org/EarthDay.

Adding Sparkle to Spring
Celebrate Earth Day in Green Valley. Friends and fans of Iron Horse Vineyards are invited to toast to Mother Earth from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, with the new vintage of Ocean Reserve 2007 Blanc de Blancs and freshly shucked Tamales Bay oysters.

This is the third release of Ocean Reserve. This wine is a limited-edition sparkling created in partnership with National Geographic to benefit the ocean. For every bottle purchased, Iron Horse donates $4 to establish marine protected areas and reduce overfishing around the world.

In the first two vintages, Iron Horse has contributed $56,000 to National Geographic’s Ocean Initiative, establishing Marine Protected Areas and supporting sustainable fishing practices around the globe. More information.

Earth Day Concert: Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet will perform a special Earth Day concert from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, for an intimate crowd at the Gualala Arts Center – “One Earth, One People, One Love.” Admission is $45 general, $95 sponsors, and $5 more the day of. Gualala Arts Center, 46501 Gualala Road, Gualala, Calif. More information.

Taste is a matter of opinion, so sure, why not? Is it possible that it could taste the same, or similar? Life is full of surprises, and I’m not keen on going on the record as saying otherwise.

But is there any significance to the fact that this cuvée of Pinot Noir hails from this specific, shallow, foggy little valley within the Russian River watershed?

Well. Although Green Valley Pinot was not the hot property it is now, when the appellation was federally recognized in 1983, over time, it’s earned distinction. While the debate over further divisions of the Russian River Valley still rages, this wine’s local flavor reveals itself over time, too.

I first tasted De Loach Vineyard’s  2008 Green Valley Pinot Noir ($45) at the winery in August, 2011, and my tasting notes from March, 2012 match, at first: A perfumed aroma of potpourri, dried red fruits and sandalwood; red rhubarb fruit and stewed strawberries.

Over a few glasses, however – which is the only way to get to know a wine, you understand – the spice comes out: cloves and cola. The tannins are firm, the acidity quenching, and my overall opinion of the wine grows with each sip.

Definitely a fine Pinot prototype of the, er, southern region of Russian River Valley, let’s just say.

____________________________________________________

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers
from De Loach Vineyards

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. blue cheese
4 large whole wheat buns
(Add desired condiments: Onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise)

Directions:

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill

In a bowl, combine the beef, garlic, salt and pepper and mic gently but thoroughly. Divide into 8 equal patties.

In a separate bowl, crumble the cheese and form into 4 equal patties. Place one cheese patty on each of 4 beef patties. Top with remaining 4 beef patties, pinching the edges under to seal the cheese completely.

Place the stuffed patties on the grill and cook to desired temperature, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Place the buns on the grill, inside down, until just warmed through, about 30 seconds. Remove the patties and buns from the grill and place on serving plates. Garnish with condiments.

Hotel La Rose has partnered with its in-house Iron Stone Restaurant and the nearby, award-winning theater company, 6^th Street Playhouse for “A Rosie Deal: Dinner for Two – Date Night Getaway.”

The “Rosie Deal” package for two includes two tickets to a main stage show or studio theatre production at the 6th Street Playhouse; a $50 gift certificate good at Iron Stone Restaurant; and a one night stay at Hotel La Rose in a Standard Queen or King Size Room. The all-inclusive price is $197 to $229, depending on selection of a matinee or evening performance.

“A Rosie Deal” is offered in conjunction with upcoming 6th Street Playhouse main stage productions of “The Marvelous Wonderettes” (April 20 to May 13, 2012); and “The Producers” (June 15 to July 15, 2012) or its studio theatre production of “Souvenir” (May 11-27, 2012).

“A Rosie Deal” package is also being offered in conjunction with 6th Street Playhouse 2012-2013 season main stage and studio theatre presentations including “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “The Full Monty,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Great American Trailerpark Musical” and “Moonlight and Magnolias.”

Allow a seven day advanced notice for “A Rose Deal” reservations for the best priority reservations for theater and dinner reservations. For more information about Hotel La Rose packages and 6th Street Playhouse theater productions visit hotellarose.com.

For reservations or more information call Hotel La Rose reservation desk at 707-579-3200.

Another couple posed atop a tractor, with baskets of heirloom apples all around and an orchard in the background.

With America’s return to locavore lifestyles and agricultural pursuits, more wedding partners are being lured by the beauty of the rustic outdoors, rather than formal, fancy churches and reception halls. Yet far from sacrificing high style, they’re discovering new expression, and breathtaking backdrops for their ceremonies and portraits.

One of the most popular settings for wedding events and portraits at Santa Rosa’s Gables Wine Country Inn is in front of its weathered barn, the well-worn wood dressed in patina gray and in lovely contrast against the formal gowns and tuxedos of the people standing in front of it.

To be sure, the barn has competition with another beloved landmark, the beautifully restored historic Victorian mansion that is the Inn itself. Nestled on three lush green acres with magnificent Sonoma County vineyard, mountain and valley views, the Inn stands in gracious repose with rose colored clapboard, dark cherry shutters, white trim and towering gables resplendent enough to still be a fine old estate of the 1800s. Some parties hire a classic green Model T car to park at the front porch for the perfect picturesque cap.

Receptions can take place on the manicured lawns, in the dining rooms trimmed in lace and heavy carpets, or on trellised verandas.

Yet then there are the playful couples, who choose the groomed gravel and grass lawn fronting the towering barn for their gathering, and a relaxed but oh-so-sophisticated reception party inside the barn, as it is transformed into a rustic-chic dining room lavished in draped tables, ornate rugs and glittering chandeliers.

Setting the theme is simple, thanks to the Gable’s onsite personal event coordinator Janis Garrigus, who can recommend the best way to mix old countryside style with modern day elegance.

Wildflowers in the bride’s hair? Simply stunning.

Details: The Gables Inn, 4257 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa, 707-585-7777, thegablesinn.com. For weddings, contact events@thegablesinn.com or 707-338-0626.

Head to Sebastopol’s three-block-long Florence Avenue for a free sculpture tour of “trashy works” jointly made by Patrick Amiot and his wife, Brigitte Laurent. Amiot creates the sculptures and Laurent bestows their bright-hued paint jobs.

Back in 2001, Amiot placed a large sculptural piece that he’d made for fun – an outsize fisherman fashioned from an old water heater – on his front lawn. Neighbors loved it, and the nearly every Florence Avenue front yard sports at least one Amiot-Laurent sculpture. So do quite a few local businesses.  Map for a Patrick Amiot Sculpture Tour in Sebastopol.

Sebastopol’s Renga Arts carries not only Amiot-Laurent sculptures, but works by other artists who specialize in using reclaimed, salvaged and recycled materials.  Among them are Santa Rosa’s Monty Monty, who transforms cast-off objects into complex assemblage pieces; Occidental’s Josef Szuecs, who transforms reclaimed wood into furniture; and Rio Vista’s Jim Bauer, a creator of robot sculptures made form vintage metal objects such as coffee pots.

Another good destination for junk art: Swede’s Feeds, located on Highway 12 in Kenwood (between Sonoma and Santa Rosa). The works here, more artisan than art, are one-of-a-kind, useful, and attractive additions to gardens and homes.

Consider, for example, the metal multi-story bird houses, fountains, and garden stakes. They’re fashioned by artisans in Mexico and made from old cars, oil barrels, signs, machinery gears and other discards.

And then there’s the selection of beautifully made items crafted from wine barrel staves: wine racks, chairs, tables, and more. “They’re made by two guys who work at a winery,” said owner Mike Scheffer. “They do excellent work.”

And if you’re joining the growing ranks of backyard chicken farmers, you might like Swede’s nearly-indestructible coops made from reclaimed redwood, or the recycled redwood line of bluebird, bat, owl and other avian-specific boxes.

Last year, the boutique limoncello producer introduced a delicious version of their Southern Italian-style liqueur but, instead of lemons, this delicious quaff is made with fresh figs straight from Sonoma Valley.

The concoction is crafted of black Mission fruit blended with citrus, 14 secret botanicals, and a brandy of distilled Wine Country grapes for 30 percent alcohol.

It’s delightful, a bit like port, and not overly sweet with beguiling notes of anise. Yet FigCello di Sonoma was available only at the girl & the fig in downtown Sonoma, a lovely place to be sure, but not entirely convenient unless I happened to be in, well, downtown Sonoma, and with time to stop in for a cocktail.

Then Lady Gaga made the news last month for her visit to Sonoma County, and my passion for the fruity liqueur was reignited. The pop star stopped in at girl & the fig, where she enjoyed a Fig Kiss cocktail and, thinking about it, my mouth watered again.

A little exploring unearthed some happy news. Apparently, I’m not the only one going Gaga over the figgy drink. FigCello is now available at other locations around Sonoma, including restaurants like Estate, Carneros Bistro, and Carneros Inn, plus retailers like Sonoma Market, Historic Plaza Liquors, Bottle Barn, and Valley Liquors. Prices vary and supplies are limited, but I’ve seen it for $36 at leading liquor shops.

As for that Fig Kiss, now I can make it at home, too. The recipe is simple – 2 ounces cranberry juice, 1.25 ounces FigCello, and 5 ounces St-Germain elderflower liqueur.

From mouthwatering … to lip-smacking.

Details: FigCello di Sonoma, hellosonoma.com.

But when Red Car owners Carroll Kemp and Mark Estrin released their first wine in 2002, they went straight to the top, selling all 50 cases of their inaugural Syrah to big-time restaurateurs including the wine director of The French Laundry.

That first wine came from Santa Barbara County grapes, not too surprising considering that Kemp was a film producer and Estrin was screenwriter, and both were based in Beverly Hills.

Soon, however, the Sonoma County bug bit (better grapes, naturally) and the duo moved to the Sonoma Coast, making a 2002 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. In 2004, Kemp and Estrin purchased Red Car Estate Vineyard on a Fort Ross mountaintop, making all wines from the 2009 vintage-on with Sonoma fruit.

Ah, but the Hollywood vibe is still alive and well in their newish tasting room, opened about a year-and-a-half ago in what was formerly a tractor sales space next to the Dutton-Goldfield tasting room on Graton Road just west of Gravenstein Highway.

Witness the jackalope skulls hung with necklaces designed by Kemp’s wife Pade Vavra, a well-known L.A. designer who has made baubles for stars including Charlize Theron and Gwyneth Paltrow. Much of the décor came from local antique shops – a green velvet couch and plush orange armchair-footrest combo, a stuffed fish – and in fact, it all feels a bit like a set design with a motorcycle seat complete with foot pedals and antique wood swivel stool for seating at the glossy black bar.

Estrin passed away in 2005, but Kemp continues as the winemaker, using grapes from local vineyard management celebrity Ulises Valdez.

And what of the wines? Total production remains small at about 6,000 cases a year, featuring Syrahs and Pinot Noirs in three tiers called Boxcar, Trolley, and Reserve.

There’s also a Chardonnay ($23) and reserve Roussanne, with all the wines drawn from an array of boutique vineyards including Fort Ross, Occidental, Freestone, and Bennett Valley.

We’ll let the eclectic labels do the talking, too, since they’re works of art all in themselves. The 2009 Dreamland Pinot Noir label was licensed from Mark Ryden, who designed Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album, while the 2009 Aphorist Pinot Noir is a study in a swirling bulls-eye graphic.

Red Car: 8400 Graton Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-8500, redcarwine.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

All because she hadn’t given enough time or thought to the importance of a pre-wedding salon consultation.

While such a result would be rare – professional stylists are professionals for a reason, after all – it’s an act of kindness to both your salon artist and yourself to plan a visit well in advance of your actual wedding day hair/make-up/nail appointment.

Perhaps you’re a bride considering an elaborate up-do, festooned with baby’s breath sprigs, glittering jewels, a tiara and flowing veil. But your dress is an elaborate lace trimmed high-neck number. Your stylist may suggest a simple coif instead, one that lets the dress and your lovely face take center stage.

It might be that you’re having your wedding on a romantic coastal bluff, serenaded by crashing waves, and you’re envisioning your long, flowing locks hung loose. Except imagine coastal winds, and photos of you with your hair standing straight up in the gusts or whipping across your groom’s eyes.

By sharing your plans with your stylist, you can avoid such mishaps, including wrong hair dye color choices for your complexion, allergic reactions to cosmetics, acrylic nails you don’t have time to get used to and can’t lift your cake fork with, or spray-on tan lines that don’t match your dress’ plunging angles.

At Le Carré Salon & Spa in Santa Rosa, owner Maria Shahi offers pre-wedding day consultations for not only brides, but grooms and wedding party members. With her shop located in the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel, she caters to parties hosting events on-property, as well as at other sites, and encourages her clients to customize their services from a long list of options ranging from massages to even bikini waxes.

Yet one of the more important appointments involves a trial hair consultation and design with headpiece, and a trial makeup application. It can be part of a “dress rehearsal” package that also includes the actual wedding day hair and makeup styling.

Men should consider advance appointments, as well. Le Carré’s Groom’s Day package features a signature massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut and finish, and breakfast or lunch. For the most relaxing experience, and the most natural look, it’s a good idea for the groom to schedule his visit a day or two before walking down the aisle.

Such planning ensures that all eyes will be on the bride and groom, and in only the best way.

Details:  Le Carré Salon & Spa, 170 Railroad Street (the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel),
Santa Rosa, 707-636-7300, lecarresalonspa.com.

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

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 favorites among cyclists. Below, we’ve mapped out the routes.

1. Arata / Hembree Loop

Distance: About 4.5 miles

Best for: Families or beginners. The route features bike lanes and nothing but right turns.

Best time to ride: Anytime except rush hour, as there is often heavy traffic in the Lakewood shopping center area.

Map:
View Arata / Hembree Loop in a larger map

2. Mark West Station / Starr Road Loop

Distance: About 8 miles

Best for: People looking for a shorter ride and views of wine country.

Best time to ride: Midday. Avoid mornings and afternoons because of high school traffic along Windsor Road.

Map:
View Mark West Station / Starr Road in a larger map

3. Eastside / Westside Loop

Distance: About 22 miles.

Best for: Anyone, from tourists to recreational riders and enthusiasts, on any bike with gears.

Best time to ride: October, when fall leaves turn color. Summer weather is great, but the roads are more crowded.

Map:
View Eastside / Westside Loop in a larger map

4. Alexander Valley / 128 / Chalk Hill Loop

Distance: About 26 miles

Best for: Experienced riders comfortable with hillier terrain. Shoulders are generally wide except on Chalk Hill Road.

Best time to ride: Good any time of year. Because there is no paved shoulder on Chalk Hill Road, it’s best to ride during the day when there are fewer cars on the road.

Map:
View Alexander Valley / 128 / Chalk Hill Loop in a larger map

5. Tour of California Loop

Distance: Approximately 10.5 miles

Best for: Cyclists who are interested in checking out the route Tour racers will travel on their way through Windsor.

Best time to ride: Either spring or fall. At this time of year, afternoons are warm but without the traffic of later in the day.

Map:
View Tour of California Loop in a larger map