Sonoma County Harvest Fair, the annual event that signals the start of gold-medal boasting season (as well as fall), is upon us.
The grape-stomping, scarecrow-stuffing fun will run from October 2-4 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. For more info, click here.
But for the food and wine-obsessed (and really, that’s most of us), the Fair’s Awards Night Gala is the real event. All wineries entering the 1000+ Sonoma County wines in the Fair (the largest regional wine competition in the nation) pour wine at the Awards Night Gala along with many of the foods entered in the Professional Food Competition by local
restaurants, professional chefs, caterers, bakers and deli’s.
Plus, there’s that big public announcement of all the medal winners, you know, in front of your friends.
Everyone gathers on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 7-9:30 at Grace Pavillion. Tickets are $65 per person. Click here for ticket info.
BUT here’s how you can be part of the action…
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SARAH IS THE BIG WINNER. Thanks for entering.
BiteClub is giving away two tickets for the 2009 Harvest Fair Awards Night Gala. All you need to do to enter is tell me about your perfect fall day in Wine Country for possible inclusion in an upcoming Press Democrat article. (Food & Wine activities to just plain enjoying Wine Country.)
Winners will be chosen from comments entered between 4pm Wednesday, Sept. 23 and 10am, Friday, Sept. 25. Make sure to use your real email when entering the comment, because that’s how we’ll contact you on Friday morning. MUST BE 21 to enter. Tickets must be picked up by 5pm Friday, Sept. 25, 2009. Click here for all the rules.
Fall in Sonoma County means the vineyards are changing hues of colors. Fall is food extravaganza: thanksgiving turkeys, pumpkin pies and all the trimmings. Fall is for the kids, trick or treat in our friendly neighborhood. Go out and experience the beautiful sights and delicious food. Walk, bike, drive, whatever. I’ll never leave this town and venture somewhere else.
My perfect Fall day begins in the Calistoga, St. Helena Valley. It’s a brisk morning and I’m driving through all the many vineyards and wineries, anticipating a day of wine tasting with friends. After living in Sonoma County for almost 40 years, I still marvel at how wonderful a place we live. Wine, cheese, grapes and good friends, what could be better than that ?
As someone who recently returned to Sonoma County after going to school out of state for the past four years, I recently realized how much I took our beautiful community and environment for granted. My favorite fall day would be when the days are warm enough for a bike ride along the vineyards and wineries of the Russian River, and the evenings are slightly chilly, perfect for walking outside around my neighborhood, watching the little kids play together, waving hello to strangers and friends and breathing in the fragrant air, scented with firewood and fall foliage. A perfect fall day would be simple and peaceful, spent with loved ones and friends.
This is my favorite time of year in wine country. The farmers market’s are just starting to sell pumpkins and beets and tomato’s are the best.
My perfect day would involve a good friend, wine tasting in Dry Creek Valley, tasting Zins and picnicking at Michel-Schlumberger with sandwiches made at Big John’s. It is still too early for the fallen leaves to make the best cracking noise when jumping on them, but it is still fun to do. Then to top the evening off — Racer 5, a cheese plate and watching the sunset with locals at the Dry Creek General store.
Fall is the perfect season here in this beautiful place. It gives Us hot and cool both in one perfect day. Awake to a delicate sunrise over the sleepy towns we call home. Head over to the local Farmer’s Market to savor the bountiful harvest that this area provides so richly. Grab a delicious breakfast at Omelette Express while chatting up what to do on this glorious day. So many choices – hiking, biking, kayaking, wine tasting, shopping, the beach, country drive, pumpkin patch and corn maze or a local fair. My favorite is the Harvest Fair because I love the Grape Stomp! No one could ever be bored in this Land of Opportunities. We choose to go Wine Tasting but on our bikes – Do Not Drink and Drive. We head out over Highway 12 and savor not only the wonderful wines that this county has to offer but we also drink in this glorious vista with its rolling hills covered in the multicolored leaves that Fall in the Wine Country provides. A picnic lunch made of local goodies gives Us sustenance for the rest of this perfect afternoon. Dinner with friends at the favorite hangout “Flavor” a marvelous local restaurant. We all head off to the beach to see the most outrageous sunset ever produced. Later off to a night of primo entertainment at The Wells Fargo Center. We truly have it all here in Sonoma County and I would NEVER live anywhere else but here!
Not sure if I’m in time as there are two deadlines posted, but I’ll go for this one — Winners will be chosen from comments entered between 4pm Wednesday, Sept. 23 and 10am, Friday, Sept. 25.
As a farmer, my perfect fall day in wine country is sipping coffee freshly brewed with beans from our local coffee company in Tomales, lightened with fresh cream from the local dairy. As I watch the fingers of fog dissipate into a bright, clear morning, I head out to the chicken coop, feed the chickens, gather some eggs, grab a handful of new potatoes from the barn, and savor breakfast.
Because this is a too-infrequent day off, it is time to get off the ranch (always something to do) and head off in any direction. I pass the little farm selling beautiful cut flowers and herbs, the huge farm that planted an antique apple orchard to supplement their dairy business, the cattle ranch where the third-generation kids run an organic butter business to keep the ranch in the family. I stop at the farm producing award-winning cheeses and buy a few. I swing by the local bread bakery and get a loaf of my favorite pumpkin seed bread.
I now have to pick a direction: Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek, Russian River, Alexander Valley. I choose the latter, only because I want to stop at the quirky and oh-so-Sonoma County Jimtown Store for a few things, say hi to Carrie, and head over to one of the wineries who rent my miniature sheep to weedwack their vineyards. I buy a bottle, find a big oak tree, and sit down to enjoy the beauty of the changing colors of the grapevines while I eat my locally sourced meal. And I give thanks for all those like myself toiling for countless hours to keep Sonoma County an agricultural mecca that offers everyone the opportunity to enjoy a perfect fall day in wine country.
Picnics, bike rides, pumpkins, wine tasting, late season farmers markets, horseback riding, day trips… And then great spas to finish off the adventure. I like to just get in my car and pick a direction…. A bike might be better but there is so much to do and so little time.
a perfect day is a round of golf at windsor and lunch at cricklewood and a high school football game
Perfect Wine County Fall Day – Menu:
-PG Tips tea, Steal Cut Oats w/Flax Oil & Brown Sugar, berries from garden or local patch on walk
-Local Organic Rosie Chicken Salad on Village Sourdough with garden greens
-Apple Spice Cupcakes with Orange Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (to drop off at winery & neighbors)
-Dry Creek Eggplant Mousaka with garden tomatoes, local mushrooms and wild rice, Willy Bird Turkey filling
-2002 Arrowood Sonoma County Unfiltered & Unfined Merlot
Wake while world is still wrapped in fog, remain quiet and soft, dress in layers, sigh, inhale the peace and calm, drink tea.
Walk until fog lifts on trail by Berry Farm, Ross Station Rd, Sebastopol or the one by the laguna (or our favorite spot?)
Back home to work in the garden until it’s too warm outside, then make something from the bounty to share.
Deliver baked goods to local wineries working through crush. Drop some off for friends that might need a lift.
Shop local market, fruit stand or farmers market and make something yummy from local bounty for family, friends, neighbors. Do the dishes in the morning!
“Another beautiful day in paradise”
The perfect Fall day is when Indian Summer hits and you can still kayak down the river smelling the Russian River Pinot on it’s journey to the glass. On these days, my wife, daughter and I wake up and enjoy breakfast and coffee before setting off on our adventure. We drive to our launching spot and get ready to go. Our daughter who has become a big fan of the river will ride with my wife or I. We push off and take in all the river has to offer. The world through the eyes of my 4 1/2 year old is something my wife and I get a kick out of. We end up checking out the herons, egrets, osprey, fish, dragonflies in great detail. The best part of the trip is when our daughter has snuggled up with her back against my stomach relaxed and tired, but not wanting to close her eyes fearing she’ll miss something.
Fall means craving for comfort food. Sonoma Co is the winner for having the best pumpkin pie bakery in the whole wide world-Mom’s Apple Pie in Sebastopol, best turkey for Thanksgiving-Willie Bird, and has the best affordable and gourmet turkey dinner package for non-cooks with fine taste-Oliver’s. I’m so proud to live in this region. Oh, don’t forget the local wines to pair these. I’m already hungry.
A perfect Fall Day in Wine Country is any Fall day where the leaves are vibrant hues of cranberry red, flame orange and sunny yellow dance ever so slightly in the breeze. The Fall days remind my husband and I of our wedding which was planned on Harvest Fair weekend so out of town guest could sample wines of the region under one roof. On this weekend every year we set out for a local hike maybe to the top of Fitch Mountain or the top of Mt St Helena, the location of our first date. To fuel up for our hike we enjoy goodies from the Downtown Bakery and coffee from Flying Goat while sitting under the enormous old growth oak and Madrone trees in Healdsburg Plaza or we stop for a hearty breakfast at Cafe Sarafornia in Calistoga where if you have more than one cup of coffee you hands will be shaking! At the top of the hike we pull out the wine, cheese and crackers that we have packed. We sit, take in the views and make a toast to ourselves & our 4 yr old daughter who is drinking juice, not the wine but celebrating with us (yes…she does hike part of the way). We make sure to leave enough time so we can stop at a couple of our favorite wineries on our way home trying to find the perfect bottle of wine to purchase for the dinner we will enjoy that night with dinner.
Perfect Fall Wine Country Day:
Once you are refreshed and ready to eat again, have a nice evening out at Syrah.
1) Start the day out right with a hearty breakfast from Dierk’s Parkside Café
2) Enjoy the fresh autumn air with a walk around Spring Lake
3) On the way home stop by Town & Country for afternoon picnic supplies, grab a fresh loaf of bread from the Village Bakery, then pop into Pacific Market for salami, cheese, olives, grapes, pears, water and don’t forget the Just Dessert Date Bars.
4) Clean up at home, and then head out to Dry Creek Valley for wine tasting and picnic lunch.
5) Wine taste at Timber Crest Farms, which offers 10 wineries (5 different buildings) and an olive company to taste from (I particularly enjoy Kokomo Winery and the Family Wineries).
6) Head over to Lambert Bridge, buy a bottle or two of their 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay and relax in their garden as you enjoy your picnic and Sonoma County wine. Dining out in Sonoma county does not get better than this, with a view of fall colors on the rolling hills, vineyards and redwoods surrounding you, good wine and food to enjoy, what more could one ask for.
7) Find your way home for a nap.
There’s no place like home, especially in the Fall!
The perfect fall day in Sonoma County begins with a dear friend, watching the sunrise through the coastal fog, while reading the Press Democrat, sipping a cup of Thanksgiving tea and eating a buttery oven roasted cinnamen bun at the Freestone, Wildflower Bread Bakery in their public garden. It would continue with a drive to Occidental to shop at Hand Goods for local artist’s items. Then onward up Coleman Valley Rd., breathing deeply the scent of redwoods, noticing the changing colors and feeling the sea breeze as we come up over the hill to the ocean’s vista. The afternoon would be spent lounging, laughing, hiking, sleeping, reading and listening to the waves roll in. As the sunsets, we will be savoring the picnic dinner we packed, including a fine bottle of Sonoma County Gewurztraminer and sandwiches that we lovingly made at home with veges from our garden.
My perfect fall day would be to start at the Sebastopol farmer’s market and get breakfast from Mateo Granado (huevos espanolas. Yummm!) Then my wife and I would go to the oakville grocery in healdsburg, pick out some tasty treats for lunch. Drive to Sbragia winery at the end of dry creek rd. Buy a bottle of Ed’s wine and have lunch on the deck overlooking the Dry Creek Valley. After lunch we would drive out Stewert’s Point Rd and drive to Bodega Bay, stopping for a couple of walks along some secluded beaches (kiss,kiss!) Then have dinner at the Duck Club, Blue Water Bistro or the new St. Rose if Chef Patrick has it open.
Fall = our anniversary. This year is different for us as both my husband and I were laid off. We wish we could journey out to nice restaurants and enjoy the fall like we use to – but this fall we are enjoying our wonderful sonoma county wines that we have at home, the views from the valley gazing to the vineyards, the changing of the colors of nature, a nice home cooked meal and each others company.
My very favorite Fall day involves driving through the countryside with my husband in his little red convertible, with the top down of course. We visit various art studios during one of the Open Studios weekends and then find our way to the Willow Wood Market Cafe in Graton for lunch. Then, it’s more art studios or maybe an antique store or two!
On a crisp fall day, we love to drive through the Dry Creek Valley and stop at a couple of wineries for wine tasting and a picnic. The serenity and beauty of the region make it the perfect retreat from a hectic week in the office.
These are great. Makes me want to cut out of work a little early today!
My perfect fall day is when I wake up in the morning and it’s foggy outside. I get excited because I know summer is comming to and end, and Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner. I can smell fall in the air, it’s crisp and clean. I can’t wait to pull out my Halloween decorations to create a scary haunted yard, knowing I’ll scare the screams out of a lof of people… I think I’ll go bake some pumpkin bread. Yum!
Fall in Sonoma is the most beautiful time of the year. The leaves turning colors from yellow to golden tones to burgundy/brown and the vineyards being harvested of the long awaited wine grapes. The cool breeze and the light fog during the fall season is awesome. We like to go driving around the county visiting wineries and going to the coast and having clam chowder. You don’t have to live in the East Coast to experience the wonderful effects of the fall season; to me this is the best place on earth to be.
There are so many perfect fall days in Sonoma County! One of my favorites is heading out to the Bodega coast, stopping along the way at a couple of wineries for some wine tasting, enjoying a bowl of clam chowder and sourdough bread once out at the coast, and then heading back through Guerneville and hitting the TripleR for kareoke!
A perfect fall day in wine country may start out getting some fresh apples at Walker Apples. I love taking the kids to various pumpkin patches. We found the Spring Hill Jersey Cheese pumpkin patch last year, and it was fun for everyone. I make a lot of gazpacho since we seem to have tomatoes all during fall.
Hi Heather, Please enter me to win tickets as my perfect fall day includes going out to breakfast at 3 Cook’s cafe with my family, then migrating to the Corn Maze to burn off all the calories. Then watch my daughter pick out pumpkins. Ending the perfect fall day is carving the pumpkins while watching the sun set over the vinyards sipping a local Merlot with with family and friends.
Driving home in a fall rain, after a hard day at the office. My plan is clear, straight to the hottub and a nice glass of Sonoma County Zyn. My body slips into the 101 degree water, as the days stresses slip away. It’s 6pm and I finaly notice, what a beautiful place the world is. The leaves are turning radiant colors, the rain drips off my porch, the air is clean and I take my first sip of wine…I love Sonoma County in the fall!
Getting up early, driving from Santa Rosa over Calistoga Road to Calistoga, having breakfast at Sarafornia, stopping for chocolates at Woodhouse, and maybe a visit to a winery or two, driving back over Oakville Grade and up 12, grab some strawberries from the roadside stand in Kenwood, and back to Santa Rosa for pumpkin buying at Punky’s and dinner at Willi’s. Oh yes, the perfect day.
Fall in Sonoma, the leaves are all turning
It’s the best time of year; I’m quickly learning
Pumpkins, haunted houses, and, of course, the corn maze
At a winery is where I choose to spend most of my days
A nice picnic by day, warm apple cider by night
Nothing compares to Sonoma’s autumn delight!
One of my favorite memories as a kid is of going for a bike ride with my dad through Dry Creek in the cooler fall weather and ending up at Preston Winery for fresh baked bread and bocce. The ride is so beautiful because the vines are turning and the sun is still warm enough to shine on them and light up the valley. Now as an adult, I also get to enjoy a nice glass of wine as a reward for my ride!
Fall means pumpkin patch. I love visiting the Adobe Farm, and Peter Pumpkin at Spring Hill Jersey Cheese. We are so blessed to have this farm in our neighborhood.
Spending Saturday morning at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market.
While away the afternoon at a plant nursery or two.
Round out the relaxing day with beer, beet salad and Bocce ball at Underwood restaurant with my sweetie.