Martorana Family Winery: My Dry Creek Adventure
I head out West Dry Creek at the very end of January 2013 to visit Martorana Family Winery; I want to learn more about their plans for offering picnics by their bocce court near the Dry Creek with cool baskets and blankets, paired up with delicious Martorana wines. And don’t forget Gio’s olive oil- I love it and the sweet ceramic bottle it comes in….have it right on my kitchen counter as we speak…. Click here for more Martorana information and to make a reservation to taste. Martorana Family Winery 707-433-1909 5956 West Dry Creek Road Healdsburg , CA 95448 Visit Our Website Reserve a beautiful picnic basket for two, filled with sandwiches, salad, olives, dessert, a chilled bottle of water, a delicious...
Read MoreMadrona Manor Gatsby Garden Party
Visiting fabulous Madrona Manor, Wine Country Inn & Restaurant, just one mile off the Healdsburg Plaza, feels like a step back into the days described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his THE GREAT GATSBY; filmed years back with Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, the Don Draper of his day, it is now coming again soon by Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the enigmatic self-made and self-destroyed man, in a large, bright “Moulin Rouge”/”Australia” style. Playing Daisy Buchanan is like playing Betty Draper…you just gotta look good…. I and my Plus One (daughter) are at the Madrona Manor Garden Party celebrating all things Gatsby. Food and drink are inspired by the novel (Mint Juleps and Gin Rickeys) and ditto...
Read MoreColagrossi Wines
Small, personal, careful, hand-crafted, food-friendly, exquisite wine production- in a Santa Rosa hip urban garagiste setting- Rhones and more; welcome to Colagrossi Wines! 650 delicious cases annually: Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Franc & more. Salute! Craig Colagrossi I stop on in January on a cold, clear late afternoon, and Craig is working away at his labor of love, his wines. He is newly setting up for visitors in his shared digs in Santa Rosa. His enthusiasm is palpable and contagious, as he shows me different tanks and barrels, expertly and gracefully climbing up and over barrels to thieve me special tastes, ditto tank samples, describing intricately and passionately just how the fruit was sourced, how it was crushed, what sort of...
Read MorePartake by K-J
Partake by K-J is here! Let’s start with a wee bit of a dictionary visit- as do they, on the wall, where you enter: Definition of PARTAKE intransitive verb 1. to take part in or experience something along with others. 2. to have a portion (as of food or drink) 3. to possess or share a certain nature or attribute-as in: “The experience partakes of a mystical, special quality.” And so it does…. Click here for pronunciation and complete definitive stuff. The Approach. The Gallery. My Gallery: Visiting on a very hot, muggy, slightly overcast spring day, I am amazed at the cool, crisp, comfortable oasis of the interior space: Kendall-Jackson is all about taste – with the quality wines, sensory...
Read MoreSpring Skinny Healdsburg: K-J, Murphy-Goode, Stonestreet
Kendall-Jackson Healdsburg has moved just south of their former digs to 241 Healdsburg Avenue and is transformed into Partake by K-J. Blog to follow with my detail on Friday. So: whowhat will be moving into this now empty space? Drum roll please: Stonestreet will be moving into this space, targeting opening day near 1 July 2013. Stonestreet will be welcoming guests at both at the Estate and here in town. Moseying down the street, I turn west on Matheson to check in on Murphy-Goode. Amazingly hot day today- for April- and though the outdoor area looks inviting, with flowers and comfy furniture, tasters are inside with A/C, seated at spiffy tables, enjoying the brand-new Wine and Cheese Pairing- so new, even Wine Time TR does not know all...
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