Patrons and friends often ask us, "What should I do in Wine Country that's off the beaten track?" We've created a day's itinerary of fun things to do in Geyserville in Sonoma County. We share places to eat, wine taste, shop and hike. We always love helping to make trips more memorable, so hopefully you will enjoy a few of these places. Watch for future itineraries in other Sonoma County towns.
Choosing wine from a restaurant list can be hard and intimidating! We asked our friend and favorite sommelier Alexis Iaconis if she might have some tips about how to do that. Currently, Alexis is the Wine Director at Barndiva in Healdsburg and a sommelier at The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley. She is also studying for the Master Sommelier exam, so needless to say, she knows a thing or two about restaurant wine lists. Here she shares three tips on selecting a wine while dining out.
As many know, we were evacuated on Friday, October 13th, due to the looming Pocket Fire. While we were preparing to leave, my husband, Martín, suggested I set our game camera at the entry of the winery. That way, when we returned, we could see if any firefighters came or any wildlife fled the hills for safety in the vineyard. Upon our return a few days later, I promptly forgot about the camera. Instead, I left it rolling for the next week. The camera continued to roll and captured life at Hafner Vineyard. I was struck by the routine that resumed. Read more to see some of the photos.
As many people now know, our community has been affected by a number of fires that broke out on the night of Sunday, October 8th. Since then, each day keeps us on our toes. We are situated between the Pocket Fire to the north and the Tubbs Fire to south. We have been monitoring them hourly, if not more frequently. We are using this blog has a way to share daily updates to what is happening. Please continue to check in and learn what is happening. We are so grateful for the thousands of firefighters and public service employees who have rushed to our area to keep us safe.
Our Grandmother (Mary) taught us the fun of shopping local and “eating with the seasons”. She shared her love of the farmers’ market with us, so this Spring when the market opened, we found ourselves continuing the tradition. Kate (who works at Hafner Vineyard and lives nearby) visits the market most every Saturday, while Grace (who lives in San Francisco) shops at many markets - the Ferry Building, Fort Mason or her neighborhood one. With the bounty of produce, we are inspired to create dinners with as much from the market as we can, just like Grandmother did. We thought it would be fun to share how we both build a meal around the farmers’ selections.
