SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Summer season is in full swing in Sonoma County, with visitors and locals alike enjoying its natural beauty, award-winning wineries, farm-to-table restaurants, and vibrant arts communities.

There are many new offerings available, including new events, tasting rooms, restaurants, services, and shops. Here's a quick look at what's new in Sonoma County in July 2018.

For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call 707-522-5800 or 800-576-6662. For a complete calendar of upcoming events, visit www.sonomacounty.com/sonoma-events.

EVENTS

Celebrating apples, cider in Sonoma Wine Country
Plans are coming together to highlight the role of apples and cider in Sonoma Wine Country at the inaugural Sonoma County Cider Week, with a series of events set for Aug. 3-12, and culminating at the 45th annual Gravenstein Apple Fair, Aug. 11-12.

In the spirit of community and camaraderie, Sonoma County cider makers have banded together to create cider-centric celebrations in locations countywide. Learn about this area's rich apple heritage and discover the extraordinary quality and diversity of ciders made in Sonoma County.

Cider Week events include tap takeovers, orchard tours, collaboration cider releases, cider and food pairings, and joint retail displays, winding up with a grand tasting at the Craft Cider Tent at the apple fair. A portion of the proceeds from the 10 days of Sonoma County Cider Week events will be donated to the North Bay Just & Resilient Future Fund, helping those recovering from the October 2017 wildfires.

Sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Trails, the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair is held in the shade of the majestic oaks in Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County. Enjoy apple pies, apple fritters, apple juice, caramel apples, and, of course, local ciders. There's also live music on two stages; arts and crafts vendors; children's activities; farm demonstrations; pie eating, pie baking, and other contests; an artisan tasting lounge; and excellent local food, wine, and beer.

Sonoma County Cider Week
Various Locations
Sonoma County, CA 95401
www.sonomacountyciderweek.com
Media Contact
Ellen Cavalli, Tilted Shed Ciderworks
707-483-5485
ellen@tiltedshed.com

WINERIES

Schug adds Sonoma Plaza tasting room
There are now two tasting rooms featuring the wines of Schug Carneros Estate Winery — its winery in the southern Sonoma Valley and its new tasting room on the historic plaza in the town of Sonoma.

The new tasting room is a joint venture with international artist Kat Romine of the Kat's Meow Sonoma gallery and art studio. Romine creates custom pet portraits in oils.

The pet-friendly Sonoma Plaza tasting room is open daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to general tastings, wine is also available by the glass. Founded in 1980, Schug Carneros Estate Winery is the showcase and lifelong dream of one of California's most celebrated winemakers, Walter Schug. He and his wife Gertrud built the winery to focus on graceful and elegant Pinot Noirs. Sonoma native Mike Cox joined the team as winemaker in 1995, with Walter Schug overseeing the business as winemaster.

Schug Sonoma Plaza
452 First St. E.
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-343-1255
www.schugwinery.com
Schug Carneros Estate
707-939-9363
info@schugwinery.com

Meadowcroft adds wine-blending experience
Learn the art and science of winemaking by blending your own wine on the new A Perfect Blend experience at Meadowcroft Wines in Sonoma, in eastern Sonoma County.

Start with a stroll through the vineyard for a firsthand look at the vines. Return to the tasting room to sniff, swirl, and sip the blending components. Experiment putting together Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot to create your own classic red Bordeaux-style wine, then label and cork your own 750ml bottle to take home. ($80 per person, $64 for wine club members, offered daily, advance reservations required.)

Vineyard specific and limited in production, Meadowcroft wines express both European wine heritage and California creativity. Its tasting room is located in Cornerstone Sonoma, a garden, culinary, and boutique center in the southern Sonoma Valley.

Meadowcroft Wines
23574 Arnold Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-934-4090
www.meadowcroftwines.com
Media Contact
Deanna Holzapfel
707-318-8786
Deanna@meadowcroftwines.com

Ram's Gate taps Joe Nielsen as director of winemaking
After a decade of experience making world-class wines, Joe Nielsen is overseeing every aspect of the winemaking team at Ram's Gate Winery in the Sonoma Valley, in eastern Sonoma County.

A Michigan native with a bachelor's degree in horticulture, Nielsen also completed the Ag Tech program in enology and viticulture at Michigan State University. He is slated to complete an executive wine master's degree in business administration from Sonoma State University in fall 2018.

After working at Merryvale Vineyards in Napa, he joined the team at Donelan Family Wines, working his way first to assistant winemaker and then to head winemaker during the past nine years. As head winemaker at Donelan, he received more than 50 90-plus ratings from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, as well as from other leading critics. Nielsen's acute attention to detail recently earned him a rare 100-point wine score from reviewer Jeb Dunnick for a 2013 Knight's Valley Syrah.

Located in the Carneros winemaking region and opened in fall 2011, Ram's Gate focuses on small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Ram's Gate is a Certified Sustainable Vineyard and certified for Fish Friendly Farming.

Ram's Gate Winery
28700 Arnold Drive
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-721-8700
ramsgatewinery.com/
Media Contact
Ram's Gate Winery
707-721-8700
info@ramsgatewinery.com

Bruce Cohn launches new Trestle Glen Vineyards label
Long-time Sonoma Valley vintner Bruce Cohn re-enters the wine business with his new Trestle Glen Vineyards (TGV) wine label, from grapes farmed on his 21-acre Trestle Glen estate in Glen Ellen, in eastern Sonoma County.

The first wines will come from the 2017 vintage and include an award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon followed by a Zinfandel next year. The Cabernet will be aged to 24 months in 100 percent French oak, and the Zinfandel will be aged 18 months in French and American oak. The first vintage, a Cabernet, will be offered exclusively as a futures offering and released in fall 2019.

Approximately 1,500 cases of Cabernet and 250 cases of Zinfandel will eventually be produced by Cohn and longtime friend and winemaker Tom Montgomery (formerly winemaker at B.R. Cohn Winery). The TGV wines will be available direct to consumers.

Trestle Glen Vineyards
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-938-4144
www.trestleglenvineyards.com/
Media Contact
Michael Coats
707-935-6203
michael@coatspr.com

BREWERIES, BEER PUBS & BARS

Sip and savor at Barrels, Brews and Bites in Healdsburg
The new Barrels, Brews and Bites — also known as B3 or B Cubed — offers an all-in-one experience of local craft beer, “hidden gem” wines, and savory food in a cool, loungey space in downtown Healdsburg, in northern Sonoma County.

The menu of “California comfort cuisine” includes “bitty bites” like crispy prosciutto cups filled with whipped goat cheese, berry compote, and jalapeño, and “bigger bites” like the Taco Trifecta of street-style tacos, Crab Croquettes with a trio of sauces, or the Lite Flight of endive cups with blue cheese, balsamic and bourbon pecans, and Mexican Caesar or quinoa and kale. The savory food pairings were developed by Megan McDonald, officially known as the lead Bite Baron.

Barrels, Brews and Bites
335 Healdsburg Ave.
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-395-0487
www.barrelsbrewsandbites.com
Media Contact
Barrels, Brews and Bites
707-395-0487

RESTAURANTS & EATERIES

Tips Roadside serving Wine Country comfort food
Enjoy farm-to-fork Wine Country comfort food inspired by Southern cuisine at the new Tips Roadside eatery in Kenwood, in eastern Sonoma County.

The family-friendly restaurant is a labor of love by owners Andrew and Susie Pryfogle, who also own the two Tri Tip Trolleys that have been serving delicious tri tip sandwiches and other goodies at local farmers markets and events since 2009.

Drawing on his 30 years of experience, executive chef Thaddeus Palmese has crafted a comfort-with-Wine-County-style menu for the restaurant that includes gluten-free fried chicken and a vegetarian “true grits” dish, as well as a grass-fed burger, a slab of bacon and short ribs, and other hearty choices. Dessert options include authentic New Orleans beignets with Meyer lemon dipping sauce.

The 90-year-old restaurant building has been extensively remodeled, with several nods to its history, including old photos and an original gas pump from when the location served as a 1930s-era filling station. Several pieces of art commemorate the October 2017 wildfires that ravaged the area, including an original painting by Glen Ellen artist Tom Rice and a commissioned art installation by Sonoma artist Helena Donzelli.

Tips Roadside
8445 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, CA 95452
707-509-0078
www.tipsroadside.com
Media Contact
Susie Pryfogle
707-509-0078
Susie@tipsroadside.com

Gerard's Paella opens Santa Rosa restaurant
After earning a loyal following at local farmers markets and with a calendar full of catering gigs, Gerard's Paella y Tapas now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant home in downtown Santa Rosa, in central Sonoma County.

Owner Gerard Nebesky — winner of the paella challenge on the Throwdown with Bobby Flay television show— and his team have created a fast, casual, counter service eatery focused on good food that is hot, healthy, quick, and with delicious flair. The menu features Spanish paella and tapas (small plates) made with Sonoma County sensibility.

Paella is a Spanish dish of rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, and more, cooked in a large shallow pan over an open flame. “Paella is a social food as well as a nourishing food,” Nebesky says. “It reaches across borders from rich to poor. It contains exotic spice and basic sustenance. It's a food as an agent for change, a food that changes lives.”

The 64-seat restaurant offers 13 beverages on tap, including an interesting selection of Sonoma County beers, wines, and ciders, and a nice selection of wines by the bottle or glass, as well as crafted beverages (shrubs and more). More than 80 percent of the menu items are gluten free.

Gerard's Paella y Tapas
701 Fourth St.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-708-8686
www.gerardspaella.com
Media Contact
Sherry Huss
sherry.huss@gmail.com
415-902-2050

The Naked Pig moves to Mendocino Avenue
Known for its ever-changing menu of local seasonal ingredients, the popular brunch restaurant The Naked Pig Café has relocated to new digs on Mendocino Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa, in central Sonoma County.

Owned by Santa Rosa natives Jason Sakach and chef Dalia Martinez, The Naked Pig supports local sustainable trade, farming, cooking, and eating. The menu changes every two to three weeks. Sample menu items include fluffy whiskey caramel waffles; a green onion biscuit with honey, poached egg, and bacon; and cheddar, chive, and ham savory bread pudding.

Martinez and Sakach also own the nearby Flower & Bone, which features clay-oven-cooked local pasture-raised meat, handmade dumplings, and bone broths.

The Naked Pig Café
544 Mendocino Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-978-3231
www.flowerandbonerestaurant.com/naked-pig-home
Media Contact
The Naked Pig
707-978-3131
jsakach@gmail.com

TOURS

Mystery Missions offers Wine Country challenges
Solve riddles, uncover hidden treasures, and decipher puzzles while spending time with friends on Mystery Missions by The Sonomist in northern Sonoma County.

Mystery Missions are clue-based, scavenger-style hunts that reveal historical facts, pop culture quirks, and fascinating finds. They can be played in collaborative groups or as competitive teams. Each mission can be played at the group's own pace, with plenty of time for shopping, wine tasting, and dining, if desired.

Currently, The Sonomist offers Healdsburg Mystery Mission One and Healdsburg Mission Two, both set in downtown Healdsburg. Plans are for a Downtown Sonoma and a Windsor Kids' Mission to be available by the end of summer. Missions come in a self-contained folder with rules, clues, a map, answers, and a pen; each takes about 90 minutes to complete without stops.

Mystery Missions are family-friendly, but players under the age of 16 will have more fun with adults. For more information, an instructional video, and to buy Missions online, visit thesonomist.com.

Mystery Missions by The Sonomist
Various Locations
Healdsburg, CA 95401
707-235-9773
www.thesonomist.com
Media Contact
Bethany Browning
707-235-9773
info@thesonomist.com

THE ARTS

Schroeders Collection features art, fine jewelry, apparel
Not a typical art gallery, the new Schroeders Collection offers modern and psychedelic art, fine jewelry, and unique apparel in downtown Healdsburg, in northern Sonoma County.

Owned by Angelica Schimara and Alexander Schroeder, Schroeders Collection features work by Sonoma County artists, including Dom Chi, Fat Freddy, Asher Katz, Toeknee Pinatelli, Jonathon Solter, and Eachone Teachone. Schroeders is the place for one-of-a-kind finds, from complex original paintings and watercolors to awesome sunglasses, amazing wire-wrap jewelry, and more.

Schroeders Collection
44 Mill St.
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-843-1627
www.facebook.com/SchroedersColletion/
Media Contact
Schroeders Collection
707-843-1627
aschimara@gmail.com

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Find your passion in Sonoma County, located only 30 miles north of San Francisco and featuring more than 425 wineries, 100-plus organic farms, and 50 miles of stunning Pacific Ocean coastline.

For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call 707-522-5800.

Birgitt Vaughan
Public Relations Manager
Sonoma County Tourism
400 Aviation Blvd., Suite 500
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-522-5826
bvaughan@sonomacounty.com

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