Fort Ross is still open –– visit, please

With the looming specter of scores of state parks around California being permanently closed in 2012, I was shocked on Saturday to witness so few visitors at Fort Ross State Historic Park, on the Sonoma County coastline. It was a gorgeous day, warm and without wind (in fact, the weather was better coastside than 30 miles inland), and yet the parking lot had only a handful of cars at any one time, though it has space for more than 100. 

I can only assume that the local population was Christmas shopping, spending their leisure hours cooped up inside malls and discount stores. What a pity. Perhaps they think Fort Ross has already closed. Well, it hasn't. The days and hours of operation have been cut drastically, but it's still open weekends and some holidays, and for special events and educational sleepovers for groups of schoolchildren.

We had the park's ranger, Hank, almost to ourselves, as he conducted a short program about the Russian history of the fort and let us handle otter furs and other relics. He was not allowed to shoot off a cannon on this particular day, but at other times of the year the boom of the cannons is part of the experience.

Hank told us that the Russian Consulate in San Francisco is working on securing funding from benefactors in Russia that would help keep the park open more days. After all, it's part of Russia's rich history as well as our own.

Please visit Fort Ross soon and allow a couple of hours to enjoy the grounds and the visitors' center. Bring a lunch to eat at one of the many picnic tables. Time your visit to include a look inside the Call house museum, which represents one of the only "coastal ranch era" homes still standing. The wealthy Call family lived on the property for more than a century.

Where have I been? Writing.

Lately I've been bad, neglecting my blogging duties for several months. But my excuse is good: I was writing the manuscripts for two new books about food in wine country.

The first edition of "Food Lovers' Guide to Napa Valley" will be available soon in major bookstores, and it can also be pre-ordered on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, among other online booksellers.

Following quickly on the heels of the Napa Valley book will be the companion book called "Food Lovers' Guide to Sonoma," for the best places to dine in Sonoma County, along with an in-depth chapter about farmers' markets, farm stands, produce growers, cheesemakers, and the other food purveyors that make Sonoma County such a desirable place to visit. This book can also be pre-ordered at the major online bookseller sites.

Both are published by Globe Pequot Press, also the publisher of the "Insiders' Guide to California's Wine Country," which I've written for them for many years.

Book signings are likely in my future, and I will announce them here when I know more.

While I was working on the new books, my article about two ambitious women and their start-up company appeared in the Napa Valley Register. Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/44mg8e7

Why do YOU visit –– food or wine?

Most visitors to Napa Valley are interested in dining on our world-class cuisine, and wine tasting is a secondary attraction. I've been saying that for years in my books, and it's no secret among those of us who live here and cover the area's tourism industry. Now the latest market research out of Napa Valley backs it up.

Results of a survey presented recently at a Napa Valley Destination Council's marketing conference revealed that 80% of potential Napa Valley visitors cited restaurants and dining as the primary reason for a visit, while far fewer –– 67% –– mentioned wine tasting. Of those same survey respondents, 63% are interested in culinary demonstrations, too.

I just completed a book about food in Napa Valley, and my own research revealed there aren't enough opportunities for cooking classes and chefs' demos in Napa Valley as there should be, given the number of visitors who apparently want this type of attraction.

At least one event taking place for the first time this fall will offer those visitors another opportunity to concentrate on our cuisine. "Flavor! Napa Valley –– A Celebration of Wine, Food & Fun" is a four-day food-centric happening scheduled for November 17-20. Most of the activities take place at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, and tickets are selling fast for the chefs' demonstrations.

The Napa Valley celebrity chefs pictured above will be the stars of the show, and some are also CIA grads. Flavor! Napa Valley is a benefit for CIA's financial aid for students, so it's for a good cause, too: the training of more world-class chefs.

This DOES amount to a hill of beans

Living in Napa, or just visiting? Either way, you don't want to miss the Rancho Gordo bean store (more precisely called Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food). Doesn't sound very sexy for an area known for its gourmet dining, but several of the finest restaurants in Napa Valley source the beans in their cuisine from this business, and you can, too.

Rancho Gordo's owner Steve Sando is the entrepreneur behind this successful venture, selling dried heirloom beans and other cooking items at a storefront location at 1924 Yajome Street in Napa. It's a few blocks from downtown, off Main Street. Most of the beans are grown not far away, in the Delta region of the Bay Area, and are some of the freshest you'll find. The rest are grown in Mexico through a project Steve founded to revive the planting of heirloom beans while helping bring income to the farmers there.

The beans are packaged in one-pound bags, or ask about getting a larger quantity, if you desire. Recipes are scattered around the store, too, for ideas in using specific varieties of the beans. It's a fun, friendly place to browse –– and check out those old Mexican movie posters on the wall. You can't leave without experiencing the "touching beans" tub (see photo). It's many varieties of loose beans, crying out to be caressed.

The store also sells cookbooks (including Steve's own), heirloom popcorn, dried prickly pear cactus, dried chilis, and Mexican chocolates. Rancho Gordo also does a booming online business at ranchogordo.com.

America overtakes France

It's official: For the first time in history, Americans drank more wine than the French last year. A leading wine industry consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area reports that Americans are now the world's top wine consumers by volume, besting the French by many millions of bottles.

In 2010, Americans drank 3.96 billion bottles of wine to France's 3.85 billion bottles. Drinking wine has become increasingly popular among the millennial generation of Americans: the 21- to 32-year-old demographic.

Still, to put this all in perspective, the average Frenchman consumes 12.2 gallons of wine per year, compared to only 2.6 gallons for the average American. Vive la différence!

Best Actress decompresses in Napa Valley

After walking away with the Academy Award for Best Actress on Sunday night, Natalie Portman was spotted this week dining with her fiance at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. It's another example of how A-list celebrities, even those who've just been seen by millions of people the world over receiving acting's highest honor, enjoy fleeing to Wine Country to decompress, partake in world-class dining, and –– in Natalie's case –– celebrate in a low-key fashion away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

Say goodbye to the recession

If last week's Premiere Napa Valley midwinter trade auction is any indication, the U.S. economy must be on the upswing. Two records fell at the event: the price paid for a single auction lot ($125,000) and the total proceeds of the day ($2.4 million). Optimism about fine wine sales being on the increase apparently lit up the room. As one observer said, "You could feel the buzz from the time the doors opened."

So what does this all mean to the casual wine drinker? Why should you care that wine retailers, restaurateurs, and other wine trade folk from around the world are snapping up cases and cases of great Napa Valley wine at record prices? Think of it as Fashion Week in Paris or New York – the colors, the fabrics, the textures being paraded on the runway today will trickle down into the apparel you'll see before long at Target and Abercrombie & Fitch.

It's the same with the wine market: higher prices for fine wine and higher profiles for certain wine producers will help set the trend for what appears in wine shops, on wine lists in restaurants, and eventually impact prices in the wine aisle of your neighborhood Safeway or Hy-Vee grocery store.

But back to those auction prices. A New Jersey retailer with three wine stores was the top bidder, spending half a million dollars on 300 cases of wine from more than 30 producers. A Japanese importer wrote a check for $125,000 for five cases of a single wine: 2009 Scarecrow cabernet sauvignon. That certainly raises the profile of that particular producer. The vines that yielded those cab sauv berries are 66 years old.

Approximately 1,530 cases were sold at the auction at an average case price of $1,546. That's an increase of 37% over prices at the 2009 auction, and 20% more than the average case price at the 2010 auction. Clearly, those in the industry have put the recession behind them.

Book a class to cook with the best

In some circles, Wine Country is revered more for its food than its wine. And many visitors come here specifically to learn about the relationship of food to wine, and to see for themselves how great meals are made. There is no shortage of opportunities to take cooking classes for that very reason, and the fees are affordable. You'll make new friends, adapt some tried-and-true chef's secrets for your own kitchen, and end the class by feasting on your work.

If you're planning a trip to Wine Country this year, try to build in time for a cooking class. Advance reservations are almost always required, but it's easy to arrange online.

In my latest article for the Napa Valley Register, some of the class options available this spring in Napa Valley are detailed. Read it here:
http://napavalleyregister.com/inv/lifestyles/article_2972eca6-3af5-11e0-890f-001cc4c002e0.html

Town of Sonoma called "worth visiting"

You don't have to tell me twice that Sonoma is worth visiting. Just read my latest post about the town by scrolling down a bit. But now it seems Sonoma is definitely, officially "worth visiting," according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The private trust has released its list of 12 American cities that offer "an authentic visitor experience" that includes a strong commitment to historic preservation. Judges called Sonoma one of the most historic towns in the West, citing the Blue Wing adobe and the hand-carved wine barrels and redwood tanks at Sebastiani Winery (the largest in the world is pictured here). There's much more to see, of course, around the historic Plaza and nearby at Lachryma Montis, the name given to the Gothic revival home of General Mariano Vallejo, built in 1851. You can read all about the historic town of Sonoma on pages 26-27 and pages 151-152 of my book "Insiders' Guide to California's Wine Country."

Cork recycling, revisited

There's an earlier posting on this site about recycling wine corks, but you might be interested in an update. At the Grammy Awards ceremony last weekend, the corks from all the wine bottles opened for music's biggest stars and the assembled industry titans were recycled. Footwear manufacturer SOLE teamed with ReCORK, a cork recycling program, to collect all the discarded Grammy corks, which will be made into shoes sold by SOLE. So if the company is to be believed, you can soon buy footwear crafted with cork that came from a Grammy winner's table.

Don't accessorize your wine, please

I suppose a serious wine lover can't have too many accessories for partaking of the grape, but a couple of items spotted recently in windows in Calistoga made me stop and wonder what I've been doing with my life. Clever ideas, perhaps, but are they really necessary to enjoy wine?

For total slackers, there's the wine glass holder on a stick, designed for stabbing into backyard turf or ocean sands like tent poles. Well, if you don't have to board an airplane with these and explain to the TSA that they aren't weapons, they might be useful in a drunken party situation. I found a similar product online that supports the entire wine bottle. When did just sitting the bottle on the ground at your feet (or in an ice bucket) become so passé?

A friend also alerted me to these ways to attach the glass to your person –– around the neck or strapped to a belt –– apparently freeing up your hands to gesture dramatically, swat flies, and eat standing up. There's at least one problem with these, besides looking geeky: you don't want that nicely chilled sauv blanc or chardonnay warmed by heat from your own body. Do you?

And file this under OMG: knitted hats and scarves for wine bottles. I can't get behind this one at all, particularly because on the day I spotted these it was a balmy 70 degrees.

I've never understood the compulsion to "dress" wine bottles in cozies, clothing, beads, decorative stoppers, cork cages, and all that other nonsense. Just because you paid 50 bucks for a good bottle of red doesn't mean you have to buy it a wardrobe too. Open it and enjoy it. Avoid cute.

Coppola combines winemaking and filmmaking in Sonoma County

The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Tucker, Marie Antoinette.... the Coppolas (Francis Ford and daughter Sofia) are filmmaking royalty. Francis also makes wine, and has for several decades. When he bought the former Chateau Souverain property north of Healdsburg a few years back, he envisioned turning it into a fun experience for families and visitors of all ages. It's taken a couple of years to really get it humming, but it's now the coolest must-see winery between Healdsburg and Cloverdale.

Sure, the wines are good (two tasting bars), and the restaurant, Rustic, is collecting favorable reviews. But the real draw is the movie memorabilia. Much of what's on display was once housed in Coppola's Napa Valley winery. When he took that property more upscale to focus on his pricier wine labels, he put treasures such as Vito Corleone's desk and chair into mothballs while renovating the Sonoma County property, now known as Francis Ford Coppola Winery (he took his time coming up with the final name, too).

The Academy Award statues, Golden Globe trophies, and numerous other honors from his filmmaking heyday are here –– along with Vito's desk and chair, other props from the Godfather movies, iconic wardrobe pieces such as the hat and boots worn by Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"), the red, sinewy armor Gary Oldman inhabited in Dracula, and the 1948 Tucker automobile used in the movie Tucker. Sofia's work is also represented by furniture, paintings, and the miniature ships seen in her movie, Marie Antoinette. It's part museum-part retail store, with books, tableware, and much more for sale.

Outside, it feels like Europe, with a line of colorful and elegant cabanas facing a huge swimming pool and four bocce courts. When the weather warms up, pack your bikini to take a swim for a modest fee, and bring the whole family. There's also a covered outdoor stage patterned after the Lake Tahoe pavilion that appeared in The Godfather, Part II. A round outdoor cafe, still wrapped up tightly against winter rains on a recent day, will supply the snacks.

This truly is a destination winery that's worth your time, just as Francis intended. Did I mention the FIVE Oscars on display? Take the Independence Lane exit off Highway 101.

Gentlemen, start your instruments

Is there enough sidewalk to go around in downtown Santa Rosa for a couple dozen street performers? We may soon find out. At least 21 musicians and performers recently received free permits to perform for tips on city streets. A new law went into effect to lighten up on the restrictive noise ordinance.

There are conditions, of course. The sound they make can't be heard 50 feet away, they must be at least five feet from the door of an open business, and performance times are limited to 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, slightly later on weekend nights.

For number and variety of street performers, Santa Rosa is no San Francisco. But it's a step in the right direction to coax more people downtown to shop, dine and enjoy a bit of free street entertainment too.

New stores, old mannequin

For me, a trip to Sonoma isn't complete without saying hello to the ages-old mannequin in the vintage ticket booth in the lobby of the Sebastiani Theater on the east side of the Plaza. She's a little rough around the edges (literally... check out that nose, and those lips!) and her best days are definitely behind her. I suspect she was dropped a time or two in her former life as a department store model. Some might say she's even a tad creepy. Nonetheless, she's always there to greet moviegoers ("The King's Speech" was playing inside), and sporting the occasional fashion update. On my last visit she was wearing these jaunty new specs and looking quite regal.

During my stroll around the Plaza, I uncovered a new store called Kingston Ellis. It opened late last year before the holidays, and is doing a brisk business in collectibles, gifts, home decor, jewelry, clothing, ribbons, and interesting odds and ends. The color scheme is black, white, and ivory (or cream?). Apparently there is no Kingston and no Ellis –– the owner just likes the sound of the names together.

Kingston Ellis occupies what used to be the humor and costume store called Laughing Queen, where I could always count on finding dirty greeting cards and other goofy items, and have a smile on my face the whole time I browsed. Laughing Queen called it quits after many years and the new shop opened soon after.

Claypot cooking enthusiasts, take note. On the west side of the Plaza is bram, devoted to claypot vessels. Stop by to admire the beautiful craftsmanship of the pots and learn how to use them in your kitchen.

She shakes! She bakes!

Mary Jo gets ready to bake bread

One of the "little" people who keep Napa Valley on the forefront of greatness is Mary Jo Geitner. She represents Trinchero Family Estates, probably most famous for marketing White Zinfandel to the world in the 1980s. But don't hold that against them. The company also has an impressive stable of high-end labels, some in Napa Valley and some elsewhere.

Sutter Home Victorian Inn south of St. Helena

Mary Jo bakes lots of goodies and greets visitors at the company's Sutter Home Victorian Inn, south of St. Helena on Highway 29 in Napa Valley. No, sorry, you can't rent the property for your wedding, and you can't check in like a regular visitor just passing through. The inn is exclusively for invited guests, most working in the wine industry. But you can still stop and smell the roses in the garden (or the other flora flourishing there). And if you follow the link below, you can prepare one of the many luscious recipes Mary Jo whips up for breakfast for the inn's guests.

Read about Mary Jo and the Sutter Home Victorian Inn in my article that appeared on Christmas Eve in the Napa Valley Register: http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/article_2750140c-0eff-11e0-ae52-001cc4c002e0.html