Category Archives: Food

Sonoma Burger is Now OPEN!!!

Chef Bob Simontacchi believes the best burgers are simple. Rather than rely on gimmicks, Bob has sought out the best ingredients, sourced from right here in beautiful Sonoma County.

Sonoma Burger is brought to you by the team from Gravenstein Grill, the award winning farm to table restaurant in Sebastopol, CA. They’ve partnered with Sonoma Mountain Beef, a small ranch in Bodega, CA directly off of the Sonoma Coast to bring the best hamburgers & hot dogs you can find anywhere.

Try it out today! Open Every Day , 11 am – 8 pm

Dine In, Take Out or Delivery: Order Online
Sonoma Burger @173 Pleasant Hill Ave N., Sebastopol, CA 95472

Contact: (707) 827-8817 & contact@sonomaburger.com

Son-burger3
Son-burger1

Passion For Pinot at Gravenstein Grill on Sept 30th!

Enjoy an outdoor Sonoma County Pinot Noir wine tasting paired with light appetizers by Chef Simontacchi & Chef Garcia at Gravenstein Grill, located at 8050 Bodega Ave in Sebastopol.

Passion For Pinot/Thursday September 30th/ 5:30-7:30/$55 per guest

The stellar wine guests include Trombetta Wines, Marimar, Belden Barn, Keller Estate, Balletto Vineyards, CalStar Cellars, Carpenter Wines, Emeritus, Thomas George Estates, Freeman Vineyard, Bricoleur Vineyards, Halleck Vineyards, Hartford Court, Moshin, Papapietro-Perry, Radio Coteau, Rodney Strong, Joseph Swan Vineyards, Benovia, Bacigalupi & MORE!

GET YOUR TICKETS!


#GoMendo All Over The Place On The Varietal Show!

With the recent return of The Varietal Show to Mendocino Wine Country, I want to revisit and share the episodes from my previous visit! After you watch the current episodes at Navarro Vineyards and Drew Family Cellars, then scroll down to really #GoMendo!

Get Your Tickets To Telluride Wine Festival: Sept 23-26!

A little delayed this year for safety but IT IS ON! Check out the details at Telluride Wine Festival and join the 40th Anniversary celebrations throughout the week of September 23-26.

I am hosting four spectacular seminars with amazing wines from Acumen, Felix Solis Avantis, Davis Bynum, Rodney Strong, Chehalem, Stoller, Three Wine Co., The Lineage Collection, Chappellet, J. Lohr, The Storm Cellar, Santa Ynez Valley, Kind of Wild and more. . . WINERIES, it is not too late to register and come along! Email me back to find out more.

WINE LOVERScheck the schedule and join my seminars for delicious wines and lively discussions including:

  • Red Wine Heaven! Pinot Paradise
  • What’s a Rhone? The Art of Blending
  • New Altitude! Pure Mountain Wines
  • Exploration Tour of Secret Varieties

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Christopher

Throw back to a pre-pandemic year, still loads of fun but without the crowding this time!

Tasty Talk At Trelio on The Varietal Show!

Cruising along Hwy 99, on my early May road trip I stopped in at the spectacular restaurant oasis Trelio, in the central valley town of Clovis, for some double somm time on The Varietal Show with my friend Chris Shackelford, and his dad Jim: Off the spectacular wine list we share a bottle of Claudio Vio 2019 Pigato (Riviera, Ligure di Ponente, Liguria, Italy), so join us for a good talk and delicious tasting!

Visit TRELIO Restaurant in Clovis, CA: Located at 438 Clovis Ave #4: Call for details 559-297-0783!

Trelio-Website-7848
trelio1
trelio5
trelio4

#HWC2021 – The Video Collection!

We had a grand old time at the Home Winemakers Classic in support of Mt Veeder Fire Safe Council! For details and photos check out my previous post, but scroll down here for two of my spectacular winemaker interviews, featured on The Varietal Show, and a replay of the entire HWC event from July 17th!

You can also watch my Instragram interviews (@sawyersommelier) with Shari Staglin: Staglin Family Vineyard, Steve Sando: Rancho Gordo Beans, Angelina Mondavi: Dark Matter Wines & Walter Hamlin: Oakville Wine Merchant!

#HWC2021 Raises Funds To Protect Mt Veeder From Fires!

Fantastic results for a noble cause!

For more than 30 years, the Home Winemakers Classic has generated funding in support of fire safety for the Mount Veeder neighborhood in Napa Valley via a silent auction and a raffle. The virtual event was filmed at The Hess Collection Estate to raise critical funds for the Mt Veeder Fire Safe Council.

Mark Ibanez, Sports Director for KTVU Channel 2, and I discussed of some of the amazing Wine Auction Lots up for grabs, showed several short documentaries I did with my good friends at Lagier Meredith Vineyard, Judd’s Hill and MicroCrush. Concluding with announcement of the winner of the prestigious Nathan Fay Award for the 37th Annual Home Winemakers Classic!

Fabulous photos and Instragram interviews (@sawyersommelier) with Shari Staglin: Staglin Family Vineyard, Steve Sando: Rancho Gordo Beans, Angelina Mondavi: Dark Matter Wines & Walter Hamlin: Oakville Wine Merchant, are up now: Videos from our show will be here in a few days so plan to come back soon!

HWC2021b
HWC2021e
HWC2021j
HWC2021i

Chardonnay Classic: On Site In Napa Valley! May 20-22

The 2021 Chardonnay Classic, from May 20-22, 2021 will reunite wine enthusiasts’ minds and palates to celebrate the greatness of Chardonnay. One of the world’s most beloved, dynamic, and delicious grape varieties. This inaugural gathering will feature some of the finest domestic and international producers of Chardonnay and will take place at the Meritage and Vista Collina Resorts.

A weekend of indulgence curated by master sommeliers and acclaimed winemakers set in the beautiful Napa Valley. The program features iconic wine country experiences, gourmet lunches, luxury dinners and 22 unique tastings that culminate in a Grand Tasting of Chardonnay. Vintners, industry experts, and enthusiasts alike gather together to celebrate the incredible range of Chardonnay!

Purchase your full weekend ticket before 5/8 and save $300 with Early Bird pricing! Use promo code CHARD15 to claim the savings. To purchase your Chardonnay Classic ticket(s) click “TICKETS”.

Acumen Wine & Chili Davis on CellarPass TV! Thursday March 4th

This week on CPTV, as always, more delicious wines! Join Sarah & me with two special guests to talk about getting out the grill: Diana Schweiger of Acumen Wine, and NY Mets Batting Coach Chili Davis will be swinging in to share their expertise.

Find out more on Thursday March 4th, 6-7pm. FREE registration & pre-show wine package available online!

Delicious Grub Everywhere — Go Get Some!

Perfect timing with many places reopened to outdoor dining, or continuing with take-out & delivery. Whatever suits your preference this Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2021, which starts February 19, keeps going until February 28th! You have plenty of time so get some good #SOCO eats and support a local biz!

GGavo
100985368_3084671178282850_7020113973613690880_o
99094344_3084673621615939_2692843983767339008_o

While not on the list this year, just a few examples to help whet the palate (all from delicious menus at Gravenstein Grill)!