I’m here at my gym since my power is out at my house. We are experiencing another Atmospheric River in Northern California with high winds and torrential rains. I’ve been sick for a week with who knows what? Headache, ridiculous sore throat, constant wet cough and achy body are just a few of the symptoms. As you might remember, I had covid in January. This last test was negative, but I sure feel like crap.
I’d love to run away and escape to the wine country, but I don’t drink while I’m sick. I guess I will write about our special day in Sonoma last February with our friends Elaine and Craig Cowie. The weekend began with me cooking a feast on Saturday evening when the Cowies were about to arrive for their first overnight at Smyth Family Farm. They moved to Eldorado Hills three years ago, and now we have to plan outings and sleepovers to make sure we stay in touch.
Our friendship began 30 years ago, after we moved to our second house on Rosewood Dr in Concord. The Cowies lived across the street and we would frequently have dinner together. Our children Curtis and their son Andon would play basketball and baseball in front of our houses. Eventually, their daughter Leslie and our son Andrew would play at the park or in our backyard. She was a little older and was very sweet with Andrew. Mutual friends Ray and Kinds Faulkenberry would join us for weekend meals. Ray and Linda had two kids named Wes and Meg. We even attended weddings with these families over the years. Ray was our son Curtis’ Taekwondo teacher, and Linda and Elaine met in College at Chico many years before. We were excited to have new friends and we raised our kids together.
Elaine is quite the planner, so we had scheduled this overnight date months before. It was nice to have the six of us together again for a roasted chicken dinner. We had many courses including a minestrone soup, green salad with beets, pistachios and goat cheese, and of course a decadent carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert. It was a lovely evening and we are grateful for long lasting friendships.
Elaine and Craig had graciously hosted us at their home in Eldorado Hills in July of 2020, and took us wine tasting at Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley the next day. We tasted at Iron Hub Winery and Vineyard. The tastings are only $10.00 each and are free if you buy a bottle of wine. It was a beautiful day.
This time, it was our turn. We began at the bar at Stanly Ranch in Napa for a cocktail and tasted their sourdough bread. We had a huge quiche and sausage and fruit breakfast before we left our home, but you have to try their bread with nasturtium butter. This place is not to be missed and is right off highway 29. Elaine imbibed in their fancy Pink Tejana Cocktail made with lavender, infused gin, rosemary and pomegranate, lillet rose and lemon garnish. It was very pretty, almost too pretty to drink.
Next we stopped at Hansons of Sonoma Distillery which makes flavored vodkas out of grapes.Our friends tried the sampler to make sure they didn’t miss out on the vodka tasting experience. I had the espresso martini. Of course I had to buy a couple of bottles to take home- the seasonal pink grapefruit vodka for me and the habanero vodka for Elaine and Craig. There isn’t food offered here unless the pizza oven is in service on the patio. The weather wasn’t great that day, so we stayed inside and practically had the place to ourselves. Too bad more people don’t know about this precious gem of Sonoma. It’s good stuff.
My husband and our designated driver Ken, drove us to Cornerstone, a wine country marketplace. This place has changed over the years, but we were pleasantly surprised with what we stumbled upon. Folktable Restaurant looked casual and inviting. It was busy, and there was a line, but we ventured in. To my surprise, I was greeted by Chef Casey Thompson from Top Chef! I was in awe, since I have loved watching her for many years. She was running the place like a pro and graciously made a table available for the four of us. She was also meeting with someone who is interested in making that area the new “OxBow of Sonoma.” Wouldn’t that be awesome?
We ordered the Avocado Hummus with Pumpkin Seed Pesto, the Wild Rice Salad with Quinoa, Lentils,Roasted Squash, Candied Pecans, and a Citrus-Feta Vinaigrette, and the Dungeness Crab Roll with Drawn Butter, Spicy Giardiniera, Cabbage, Trout Roe and House Chips. The waiter agreed to let us bring in our own wine and glasses (which I always have a few of in my trunk just in case). We shared the fresh farm to fork seasonally inspired cuisine and thoroughly enjoyed it. They gave us the best food and the price was right. The hospitality was top notch and I can’t wait to go back.
Next, with our tummies all full and our bodies nourished we walked into Ram’s Gate Winery. They were closing for a private event unfortunately, but we were able to walk around and see the beautiful grounds and property. Here is the blog I wrote when I first discovered Ram’s Gate Winery in July of 2017 when taking our Spanish Exchange Family to the wine country.
Our last stop and quite possibly the best glass of the day was spent at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma. Founded in 1857, California’s first premium winery had been reinvented by Jean Charles Boisset and the Boisset Family Estates.The place is breathtaking and the wine is superb. Our friend Craig purchased a special bottle of zinfandel, and the three of us polished it off while visiting with the locals at the bar.
We drove our friends to Costco in Fairfield where we dropped their car off. It made their commute back to Eldorado Hills a little easier. It was a great day exploring Sonoma and experiencing the good food and wine of the region. We are so lucky to live in the Bay Area where we can skip over to the wine country at the last minute. We love it there. Life there seems a little quieter and slower, which we can all use these days.
Here is the last photo taken in February when we all had dinner together.
Many thanks for reading along and finding a little joy in my blog. I sure love sharing my recipes and stories with you.
Have you been anywhere special lately? Be sure to leave a comment below and tell us.
Teri
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