Columns

Fairmont to buy SVHS Ag hogs; VinOlivo gets bigger; Big “0” birthdays; Nibs & Sips

January 30, 2012

Michelle Heston of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that the Fairmont San Francisco and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn will purchase two student-raised hogs from Sonoma Valley High School Agriculture Department this year. The hogs “will be proudly served in the hotels’ signature restaurants, cafés and employee cafeterias,” according to Heston.  Heston has also offered [...]

Olive Season seasons; Santé dinner to benefit High School Ag and School Garden; Benziger’s new winemaker; SVVGA Gingerbread results

January 16, 2012

While Sonoma Valley Visitors’ Bureau and Saddles’ “Martini Madness” is sold out for tonight, Olive Season fans have an opportunity to sample fine foods at the Feast of the Olive dinner on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Ramekins Culinary School.  Guests can look forward to many courses prepared by 18 of Sonoma Valley’s top chefs including [...]

Donum Estate sold; Domino’s falls; Cary’s Sports Grill to open; Moore’s Landing changes

January 2, 2012

Late breaking: The German Racke Group has sold The Donum Estate to the Danish Winside Inc., a group of five friends who met Anne-Moller Racke when they purchased a Donum Estate lot “at a Hospice of Sonoma auction” four years ago.  According to North Bay Business Journal, the sale includes the Donum and Stemmler brands, [...]

Crab boats are in; Fiorini bakes at Sonoma Market; Horse ****; Fat Pilgrim; Dangerous nibbles; Food and wine happenings

December 10, 2011

Finally we can enjoy that west coast delicacy of the sea, Dungeness crab. While those of us who grew up around San Francisco think Dungeness is our proprietary brand of crab, you should try its sweetness from off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  Crabbers compromised with distributors about 10 days ago [...]

Occupy Spann Vineyards; Local college students pack bars on break; Blessing of the Olives; SVVGA Wine Market; McDonald’s skirts S.F. law

December 4, 2011

Betsy and Peter Spann’s “political belief” is that “Great wines should be available to all, and not just to the one percent.  Both the Left and the Right are welcome to ‘camp’” at their new Spann Vineyards tasting room on East Napa Street in the space shared with Saret Gallery Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 [...]

Pat Kuleto selling ranch and vineyards; Sonoma Thanksgiving outings

November 21, 2011

We hate to see any local business have troubles, which some are these days. But the well known family of Tony and Alina, who have been the most recent owners of the historic Little Switzerland in El Verano, need the community’s support, and they deserve it.  The Garcia family has made great contributions to Sonoma [...]

Fairmont pledges $10K and more to High School ag garden

November 16, 2011

Fairmont CARES, a charitable foundation of Fairmont Hotels, including the Sonoma Mission Inn, has committed to “partnering” to the tune of $10,000 to Sonoma Valley High School’s Agriculture Department for development of the school’s agricultural programs, including the vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard, and animal husbandry programs.  The money will be paid over the next two [...]

Fairmont pledges $10K and more to High School ag garden; Arnold Drive diner attracts new hopeful; Sunflower’s new yummies; Holiday in Carneros

November 16, 2011

 Fairmont CARES, a charitable foundation of Fairmont Hotels, including the Sonoma Mission Inn, has committed to “partnering” to the tune of $10,000 to Sonoma Valley High School’s Agriculture Department for development of the school’s agricultural programs, including the vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard, and animal husbandry programs.  The money will be paid over the next two [...]

Benziger group buys Saffron; Michelin Wine Country results; Flowery turkeys and Soroptimists’ lobsters; Nibs & Sips

November 8, 2011

 Mike Benziger and a group of family members, including son-in-law Ari Weiswasser, have purchased the Saffron restaurant site at the corner of Arnold Drive and Warms Springs Road in Glen Ellen.  Married to Mike and Mary Benziger’s daughter Erinn, Weiswasser will be chef at the new Glen Ellen Star, having a great cooking and business [...]

Happy Halloween and Sugar Day; Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomato recipe; Café 522

October 30, 2011

 Some of us live in neighborhoods where vans of kids arrive to trick-or-treat on Halloween, some of us live remotely and drive kids to those neighborhoods, and some of us live in places where no one shows up at all. Unfortunately it is no longer cool to make cupcakes or popcorn balls for visiting Darth [...]

Mondavi home to be auctioned; Battle of Bartenders results; Don Sebastiani & Sons win; Nibs & Sips

October 15, 2011

If you are interested, or even if you aren’t, join me and the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation at Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club today at 11 a.m. for a fun time with kitchen history, including old radio food commercials assembled by radio host and crooner Jeff Gilbert. Free. 574 First St. East, Sonoma. (Thanks to [...]

Engagement City; Harvest Fair results; B. R. Cohn breaks fundraising record; The Weekend That Was

October 5, 2011

During some recent shopping therapy we ran into Catherine Venturini (family name of Catherine Driggers) of Olive & Vine restaurant and catering, who proudly waved her new sparkling diamond engagement ring from musician, sommelier and restaurant manager John Burdick.  There they were on Moon Mountain, having ventured to their “favorite secret spot” when John pulled [...]

Sonomans take over Chronicle; Deep fried Twinkies at Infineon; New carnicerias tour; New chef at The Red Grape; Artisan Bakers originals resurface

September 3, 2011

Sonoma seemed to have taken over last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle’s Sunday “Food & Wine” front page featured Morgan Twain-Peterson in full color in jeans with a stylish brown t-shirt to match his brown curly locks. A Vassar graduate and son of Ravenswood Winery founder Joel Peterson, Twain-Peterson owns Bedrock Wine Co. and [...]

Carniceria tour coming up; Chef Charles Holmes helps Jaycee Dugard

August 10, 2011

 Those wonderful cult wineries crafting their seductive beverage in square industrial buildings on Eighth Street East will hold an open house on Saturday, Aug. 6 where you can taste from current releases, library offerings and barrels, along with food from local restaurants and caterers. Check out Anaba, MacRostie, Parmelee-Hill, Stone Edge Farm, Talisman, Three Sticks, [...]

Shirley Muldowney races in; Catalan Festival at Gloria Ferrer; Film Festival food hopeful; Breakaway Beltane Burger back; Bronco buys Carmenet; Rumor Dept.

July 24, 2011

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards celebrates its 25th Anniversary Catalan Festival Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24. Travel to Catalonia with heart stomping Flamenco dancers, Eric Symons’ classical Spanish guitar, Spanish foods and paella, pottery, gourmet delights, and Gloria Ferrer’s sparkling and still wines.  Alsina Station Grill will grill beef, chicken and sausage sandwiches [...]

Trader Joe’s rumors again; Glen Ellen Firefighters’ Dinner Dance; Out in the Vineyard’s Gay Wine Weekend a huge success; Olive & Vine hits home run; Ig Vella’s fabulous funeral; July 4th dinner and fireworks

June 28, 2011

Rumors abound again about Trader Joe’s coming to Sonoma Valley. As you may remember, I conducted an informal poll through my column three or four years ago asking whether people preferred Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods to fill the Marketplace market space. The results favored Trader Joe’s 15 to one.  So I asked everyone I [...]

Ig Vella moves on; Taylor Maid Coffee & Tea closes; Where’s the Ox Roast beef?

June 21, 2011

Hopefully Ig Vella, gentle friend of many, is enjoying all the cheese tastings in heaven. His funeral is today at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Solano church on West Napa Street.  Tons has been written in many newspapers about Vella’s accomplishments as County Supervisor, head of the county fair, and as cheesemaker with multiple national [...]

“Chew, Spit & Scratch;” Ladies Tea Room at Infineon Raceway?; Farmers Markets everywhere; High School Culinary Final, finally; Plating the Food Pyramid; Rescheduled events

June 11, 2011

Having joined Jerry in watching what must total hundreds, maybe thousands, of San Francisco Giants baseball games on television, and thinking about the ballpark’s garlic fries that I don’t replicate at home, I have decided what my next book should be called: Chew, Spit & Scratch..  As we all know, baseball is a rather, ahem, [...]

Buena Vista sold again; Mary’s dressing distressingly undressed; Ledson brings Paris to Sonoma; Honda films at Sonoma’s Best

May 17, 2011

Continuing to unload wines from their portfolio and website, the previously ascending Ascentia Wine Estates recently sold Buena Vista Carneros, Sonoma’s first winery, to Jean-Charles Boisset of St. Helena’s Boisset Family Estates.  A native of Voujeot, France in the historic vineyards of the Côte de Nuits, Boisset also owns DeLoach Vineyards and has also partnered [...]

Prince William drives on wine; Little Caesars pizza chain to replace Gramma’s; slight Sebastiani Food Truck Friday kafuffle; Oak Hill Red Barn re-opens

May 9, 2011

Royal wedding dribbles: In case you missed it, the rare Seychelles Blue Aston Martin MKII Volanté convertible in which Prince William drove Kate to Clarence House following their wedding runs on biofuel made from “surplus wine,” chugging at about 10 miles per gallon. Given their reputation, the royal family probably doesn’t have too much surplus [...]

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Kathleen Thompson Hill © 2012

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