Category Archives: Farm

Farm, History, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Varietal, Video, Virtual, Vlog, Wine

Featuring Beauregard Vineyards On THE VARIETAL SHOW!

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THE VARIETAL SHOW climbs the Santa Cruz Mountains to visit Beauregard Vineyards. We learn that wine has been here for a long time from Winemaker Ryan Beauregard, representing the farm’s fourth generation, which dates back to 1945 AND is one of the oldest continuously farmed vineyards in California!

Together we taste these amazing wines: 2022 Chardonnay Bald Mountain Vineyard; 2023 Pinot Noir ‘Carbonica’ Coast Grade Vineyard; 2021 Pinot Noir Coast Grade Vineyard & 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beauregard Ranch.

LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @11am PST! Email me about featuring your winery on #THEVARIETALSHOW

Farm, Food, Garden, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Video, Virtual, Vlog, Wine

Partaking In Pennyroyal Farm On THE VARIETAL SHOW

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You have to admit, they have it all! Nestled along the scenic Hwy 128 drive through Mendocino, rolling into Boonville, is Pennyroyal Farm in Anderson Valley. Proprietor Sarah Cahn Bennett shares the wines & cheeses (of goat and sheep) with THE VARIETAL SHOW for the ultimate pairings. And we learn a little “Boontling”.

The Wines: Pennyroyal Farm 2023 Pinot Trio; 2021 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ; 2021 Pinot Noir, Monty In; 2020 Pinot Noir, Eye of the Needle Vineyard

The Cheeses: Pennyroyal Farm Laychee, Velvet Sister, Bollie’s Mollies, Boont Corners


LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @11am PST! Email me about featuring your winery on #THEVARIETALSHOW

Event, Farm, Festivals, Food, Sommelier, Wine

Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience! May 16-19, 2024

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The Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience is a weekend-long celebration featuring the best of Sonoma County and world-renowned food and wines. Showcasing the region’s makers – farmers, growers, winemakers and chefs – alongside globally recognized wines from the greatest wine regions of the world.

Lots of exciting events to choose from, I will be at the Bollywood Night at La Crema! Choose your favorite from the TICKET site. Cheers! Chris

Farm, Sommelier, Tasting, Varietal, Video, Virtual, Wine

A Saini Vineyards Visit On THE VARIETAL SHOW

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In Dry Creek Valley, THE VARIETAL SHOW sits down with John and Mike Saini, of Saini Vineyards. This old family farm started in 1917, originally growing prunes, apples, pears, walnuts, and just planted grapes where soil wasn’t so good. Now all 300 acres is grapes with the winery label debut in 2018. Join us to slow down in nature, discussing farming, Italian heritage and the Golds they won from North Coast Wine Challenge: Enjoying 2023 Nonno’s Bianco, 2021 Angelo’s Paint Brush & 2021 Olive Block Old Vine Zinfandel!

LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @11am PST! Email me about featuring your winery on #THEVARIETALSHOW

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Appellation, Event, Farm, Food, Garden, History, Sommelier, Tasting, Travels, Wine

Get Your PASSPORT To Dry Creek Valley! April 29-30

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Join 35 wineries for the 32nd Passport to Dry Creek Valley April 29 & 30, 2023. Enjoy amazing wine, delicious food, vibrant entertainment and a fun-filled spring weekend within the backdrop of idyllic Dry Creek Valley.

TICKETS with the special Sawyer Somm pricing are available at this link! How does it work?

  • Choose your starting winery and go at your own pace with no reservations necessary
  • Fabulous wine & food pairings
  • Access to countless wines that you can’t find on the shelf
  • Interactions with the winemakers and growers
  • Coveted spots in wine clubs
  • Entertainment all weekend
  • Skip the line with check-in option Friday in Healdsburg (info at checkout)
  • OPTION to purchase Friday evening (April 28) Winemakers welcome dinner at The Madrona
  • Hope to be seeing you in DCV! ~Chris
Farm, Food, Wine

Outdoor Dining & Take-Out at Gravenstein Grill starts on Wednesday June 3rd!

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After long anticipation, given the recent easing of SIP restrictions, it is time to announce that Gravenstein Grill is reopening their Patio as well as beginning Take-Out for dining beginning Wednesday, June 3rd!

While the menu and hours will be slightly limited, they are making sure to bring back everyone’s favorite dishes ASAP! Chef Bob Simontacchi has been hard at work in the kitchen, working on fantastic seasonal dishes featuring ingredients from their amazing local farm partners. Be sure to select a little something from my sip-tacular wine list, and get a little preview here of the OPENING MENU!

New hours will be Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30am-8:30pm (with an hour break between 3pm-4pm), in hopes that if Sonoma County stays safe and continues to show positive signs of recovery, that hours and menu can be expanded as soon as it is safe to do so.

Reservations are highly recommended!

Gravenstein Grill is fortunate in that they have a large open patio where people can dine in the fresh air of West Sonoma County, at 8050 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol. They are also debuting online ordering beginning June 3rd, at www.gravensteingrill.com. You will be able to pre-pay, and pick up the food with minimal interaction.

Cheers & Bon Appetit! Christopher

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Charity, Farm, Food, Wine

October 7th: A Biodynamic Farm-to-Table Feast!

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Experience this fundraiser at DeLoach Vineyards for Demeter USA and their critically important Biodynamic Farmer Education Initiative, including both silent and very live auction items: To feature incredible Biodynamic wines, products, and experiences. Live music by Sonoma County’s favorite band the Cahoots, playing their own blend of “Sonomacana” country blues and rockabilly. And of course featuring the award wines of DeLoach Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery, and Raymond Vineyards.  RSVP online!

The Demeter Biodynamic Education Initiative supports the education of farmers and others to expand the practice of Biodynamic agriculture, and the production of Biodynamic food and wine, across the country. Last year, Demeter increased Biodynamic acreage by more than 16% to 22,000 acres, advised more than 350 farmers and brands, and hosted 20 farmer workshops that provided Biodynamic training for 1,155 farmers. Your support of this work is vitally important for the quality of our farms, our food, and our planet. Thank you for joining with Boisset and Demeter in our vision to help heal the planet through agriculture.

Farm, Food, Wine

Bounty of Yamhill County: August 25-27

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And now for another extraordinary event originating in Oregon this week!  Bounty of Yamhill County (BOYC) in the Willamette Valley is a three-day annual event that celebrates the vibrant community of famous wineries, celebrated chefs, and sustainable family farms. No other locally sourced food and wine event can boast such nationally-recognized participants.

Check the schedule of events and get tickets HERE!

Farm, Food, Holidays, Wine

Giving a Local Edge to Holiday Cheer!

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As the sixth largest economy in the world, it is safe to assume California residents are already going local.  This vintage article in the New York Times Eat Local; Drink European reminded us of how far we have come in doing just that,  supporting the amazing assortment wineries in of our great state.

shopsmallWhile this isn’t possible everywhere in the nation there are alternatives to wine when the aim is to support the local community.  Maybe a side dish at Thanksgiving?  Holiday shopping on Small Business Saturday?  Dishing out Christmas dinner at the local shelter?  Whatever you can contribute not only strengthens the local economy, but can give a well deserved warm fuzzy to liven up your personal celebrations!

Cheers & Happy Holidays from the Sawyer Family!

 

Event, Farm, Food

A marvelous National Heirloom Expo 2016

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0908161134Sorry if you missed this one, but put it on the calendar for next year! What beautiful, and yes BIG, food was on display at the
6th Annual National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, Sept 6-8. What wine lover would not be impressed with the amazing assortment of vegetable varietals in an abundance of colors? Makes you wonder what to pair it with. . . and the tower of gourds is definitely a display to be witnessed first hand.

Great to see some local schools sharing their gardens projects, including some very interesting botany-based displays.  There was also a mass pasta making seminar for kids with Chef Gino Campagna. And of course the educational speaker series was for the adults in the crowd, so hopefully you can join me at some of those in 2017!

Yummy yum yum!
Yummy yum yum!