Food + Drink Bites for April 16
The latest food + drink news, events and calls for your participation in and around Sonoma Valley.
As the legendary James Marshall Berry says… “If your gig isn’t in my column, you didn’t tell me about it.” Send your news to our Food + Drink editor, Sarah Stierch, at [email protected].
News
Benziger Family Winery wins first annual California Green Medal for sustainable winegrowing. They won the Green Medal Environmental Award for demonstrating Environmental Stewardship “through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices.” This award was created by a group of Calfornia-based winemaking industry organizations. Congratulations Benziger and thanks for making Sonoma County wine look green and taste good! greenmedal.org
Divewalk Cafe is now open on Sundays so you can get their awesome Banh Mi sandwiches, the best crepes in town, and fresh organic vegetables four days a week now. Check out my feature about the Divewalk Cafe here. 933-3740, 19449 Riverside Dr., Sonoma, divewalkcafe.com
Whole Foods donating to Sonoma Valley High School Boosters from now until July 5. When you bring your own bag, be sure to donate your 5 cents (instead of getting a credit on your bill). 938-8500, 201 W. Napa St., Sonoma, wholefoodsmarket.com
Uncle Patty’s to become upscale pizza restaurant in the Springs. It’s owned by Karen Waikiki of El Molino Central. Read more about it here and check out the comments on Facebook.
Sonoma’s Best offering new $10 wine deals in their new Wine Bargain Corner. They’re offering up over two dozen wines that cost $10 or less. A great opportunity to drink cheap and avoid arsenic, right? 996-7600, 1190 E. Napa St, Sonoma. sonomas-best.com
Olive Press wins Gold Medal at “most prestigious olive oil competition in the world” for its Olive Press Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They also won two Silver Medals for their Picual and Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil. These olive oils get added to the esteemed list of the “Best Olive Oils in the World for 2015”. Congratulations!! theolivepress.com
Gloria Ferrer will be closed April 24-May 3 in order to put the final touches on their new tasting room. The new tasting room features a new pagoda for more shade on sunny days and a larger terrace. Track the details on their blog.
Events
April in Carneros is this weekend. For $45 you can enjoy a taste of 16 participating wineries, including food and wine pairings, cheeses, olive oil tastings, and discounts at Carneros based restaurants and businesses. Proceeds benefit the viticulture scholarship funds for Santa Rosa Junior College and Napa Valley College. carneroswineries.org
Tomatomania 2015 at Cornerstone will be April 18 & 19. It’s been described as the “tomato freak’s Woodstock” by the New York Times and is the world’s largest tomato seedling sale. There will be tons of heirloom tomatoes for sale (including one named the Michael Pollan), a tomato tasting, and workshops by tomato specialists. The event is free (not sure about the workshops though). Learn more here.
Punchline Palooza is every 3rd weekend of the month at Palooza in Kenwood. Technically this isn’t a food or drink event, but, you can drink one of the many awesome local brews on tap while laughing your head off. I went a few weeks ago and it was a hilariously fun time – they have a bunch of great comedians from around the country come and perform under the stars in the courtyard. Plenty of food and drinks are served. Tickets are $20. This months headliner is Myles Weber, he’s been on Comedy Central’s “Up Next” and performed in the World Series of Comedy in Vegas. Learn more here.
