Fried Green Tomatoes

Well, not actually the middle of summer- worse than that, it’s the gosh darned end of summer.  Gosh darned, by the way, isn’t something that I actually say.  Here in the heart of the gorgeous, temperate, Russian River Wine Valley, my vines and vines of heirloom tomatoes are well, green.  Mostly anyway.  And, starting to shut down.  Those bushels of ripe red, yellow and green (you know the ones that are deliberately green) tomatoes that we gorge on daily until we can’t stand the sight of them anymore, just haven’t materialized this year.  So, what’s a girl to do?  Pick ‘em green and fry them, pickle them, turn them into relish…. or get her Michelin starred chefs to do it for her…. (are you guys reading this?).

One Big Fat Green Tomato

I’ve been trying out all kinds of recipes for green tomatoes.  And, funny, this is my first year ever to do that.  Usually we just sit back, stay patient, and sometime around mid-July, presto, tons and tons of juicy ripe tomatoes.  Why start with the green ones?  Well, turns out that you start with the green ones because they’re fabulous.   Really, I never knew. 

Here’s one that I’ve been making regularly it’s from Cooks Illustrated (my favorite resource of all time, thank you Christopher Kimball) – it’s amazing with a slow roasted pork shoulder- perferably one that’s totally biodynamically raised and finished by your neighbor on wild herbs…  But if you can’t get one of those, shoot for organic…

Green Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

Directions

• Bring tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, coriander, salt, and red pepper flakes to simmer in medium saucepan. Cook until thickened, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours or overnight. Stir in lemon juice just before serving.

These Fried Green Tomatoes have become an absolute favorite of ours this summer.  Don’t cut the tomatoes thicker than 1/4 inch, or the tomato to crunch ratio gets askew.  And, don’t use coarse corn meal or they’re just too crunchy and kind of bitey.  We’ve been eating these with grilled local halibut or, yes I’ll admit it, fried chicken- once you’ve got the skillet going…

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 4 large green tomatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
3. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.

I’d love to hear about what you all are doing with your green tomatoes.  And, if you’re having a summer chock full of  ripe, juicy tomatoes, no need to tell us….We’ll talk next year.

Including our kids (who don’t help, but still count…) we’ve been farming grapes, apples, prunes and the occasional chicken, in the Russian River Valley’s Wine Country for six generations now.  That’s a pretty long time – especially by American standards.  And, believe it or not, we’ve never made our own wine.  Well, actually we have.  Pretty disgusting stuff, too.  Yes, we do drink it anyway.  But, we’ve never made a commercial wine from our own vineyard.  We’ve grown the grapes and sold them to such fabulous producers as Davis Bynum and Red Car Wine Company. 

Red Car Wine Company Logo

 They were both kind enough and enough enamored of the grapes, that they put our name on the label.  Lovely, but not the same as having your own wine company.  But now, with Farmhouse’s Master Sommelier, Geoff Kruth, and our fabulous Sommelier, Megan Glaab, Joe and I are going to pick a ton of grapes (well, technically Ulises’ guys are going to pick a ton of grapes, but we’ll be there with cameras acting like we’re helping…) haul them over to C. Donatiello Winery, and make some wine. 

If you’ve read many of my other posts, you’ll know that I’m always talking about the “organic nature” of evolution at Farmhouse and in my own life.  I love to explore opportunities and talk about grand ideas, but generally sit back and watch and wait for the right, organic (meaning natural, where the pieces just fall into place and make sense), path forward.  We find that when we push forward, we often find ourselves someplace we aren’t happy to be….Joe and I have been talking about starting a “winery” or “brand” for some time now.  You may or may not know that that’s generally a lengthy, risky and very expensive process.  Often ending up in a mediocre product that’s hard to sell and a lot of bills on the table.  Pretty easy to put off getting started on that idea….  But, we kind of threw it out to the universe- meaning our winemaking friends and staff at Farmhouse- with the idea that something interesting might come back to us. We needed the exact right team, with the exact right credentials and an understanding of how to work with our finicky fruit to produce a wine we were going to love and be proud to sell at Farmhouse…. And, low and behold, we think our dream situation is coming together as we speak. 

Megan Glaab has been with Farmhouse, in the position of Sommelier, for a few years now.  She comes from a restaurant background; her parents own the wildly popular Passionfish in Pacific Grove, CA.  Megan grew up in restaurants, but developed a passion for wine- and more specifically wine making.  Megan received her bachelors in viticulture and oenology at the University of Adelaide in Australia, then came back and worked for such legendary pinot noir producers as Peay and Marcassin.  She and her husband Ryan, have their own small label, RyMe, specializing, not in pinot noir, but lovely and somewhat obscure varietals.  Megan came to Farmhouse for a little “part time” thing, while she was getting her label launched.  But, as so often happens here, part time becomes full time and then some.  But, she seems happy enough….

Recently Megan came to us with a proposal.  She wanted to make wine for us!  Just a little to start, one ton of fruit, translating to about 60 cases of finished product.  Geoff was completely on board and thinks Megan is the perfect winemaker to turn our fruit into a wine worthy of our program at Farmhouse…  So, we’re contracting with C. Donatiello Winery to use their equipment and a bit of space in their cellar, buying a couple of one-year-old French oak barrels, and off we go.  Megan’s been sampling the fruit.  She’s found the block of pinot noir, clone 16 that she wants (The Jackson Clone- not a common clone, but gorgeous- more on that later…) on a lovely little slope in the middle of our vineyard.  We sustained a bit of sunburn or sun damage in the crazy heat wave earlier this week, but all in all it’s looking good. 

Joe and me in front of the "chosen" vines

 Here’s a link to a great page Red Car Winery created to showcase our vineyard.  And, here’s an article in our local paper, the Press Democrat,  talking about the trials and tribulations of this particular growing season….  Agriculture would be so glamorous if it weren’t for the actual FARMING component…

The process is just beginning.  I’m going to chronicle the whole thing as we go along.  Get ready for some flips of kids stomping grapes….

Over the past two weeks, we’ve had some really exciting news- One new restranteur has been born in the opening of Bar Agricole  in San Francisco and the US Sommelier Competition held at San Francisco’s Hotel Monaco, has crowned a new TopSomm…  Well, if they have to leave our little corner of Sonoma County Wine Country, they could end up worse places…

One of the best things about owning Farmhouse is our amazing team.  From top to bottom, each individual is not just capable and qualified- they’re entreprenurial, bright and visionary.  Joe and I have the incredible fortune to share our vision with each and every member of our team.   To a person, they not only get it, they drive it.  And the coolest part is that most of them come on board, grow with us, and stay put.  We’ve had Farmhouse almost ten years, and most of the original team is still here, (minus some very scary housekeepers and dishwashers, but that’s another story).  The team has grown and grown, but very few have left.  And those who have gone have moved on to such exciting ventures!

The two most recent are Andreas Willausch and Matt Stamp.  Andreas was our Restaurant Manager and Maitre d’.  He was an incredible asset to us- urbane, sophistocated, well traveled and great at a party (that’s important to us…).   Andreas left two years to pursue his own venture in San Francisco.  And, as of Monday, his vision is open for business!  Bar Agricole is an incredible concept- Leed Platinum certification in the works, superstar Thad Vogler behind the bar and concept and Brandon Jew (from our favorite Quince Restaurant) in the kitchen.  Andreas has the front of the house.  

The Soon-to-Be Leed Platinum Certified Bar Agricole

 Already a favorite with the SoMa (South of Market) crowd and we couldn’t be happier for Andreas!

Matt Stamp, who moved out to Russian River Valley Wine Country, from Omaha Nebraska, last year, recently left us to join the famed, Michelin THREE star,  French Laundry over in the Napa Valley. 

TopSomm 2010, Matt Stamp (the tallest gentleman)

Matt’s wine knowledge, genial disposition and poise made him a tremendous asset to the Farmhouse team.  Matt was recently honored with the title of US 2010 TopSomm, during the innagural US Sommelier Championships.  Competing against nine of the best sommeliers in the United States, in a “grueling” contest of both tasting and service, Matt took the title.  Number one in the whole US.  Said Guild of Sommeliers President Fred Dame, MS.  “Mr. Stamp is one of the most gifted sommeliers I have ever encountered.  He beat the best of the best in the United States and is truly deserving of winning the inaugural U.S. Sommelier Championship and the title of TOP|SOMM.”  Go Matt!

While we never like it when they leave- we do love it when they thrive and achieve new successes.  And, we like it best, when we get to visit them in their great new diggs!

Ok, so maybe not the biggest mouth in the entire Russian River Valley, but I sure do get myself into some interesting situations.  (Shut up Joe!)  In this case, I find myself in the position of the Chair of the “Food Procurement Committee” for the Russian River Valley Winegrowers annual Grape to Glass Event- specifically the Hog in the Fog Festival of Plenty.  How, you might ask, do I find myself in this oh-so-auspicious position?  Because I complained about the food last year (technically I complained about everything, depending on who you ask) and was told to put my “money where my mouth is”.  So ok, here I am.  And actually, it’s been a blast- well parts of it anyway. 

The Grape to Glass event is in its fifteenth year.  It’s really a unique event, showcasing not just our absolutely spectacular wineries and vineyards, but also our incredible farms, ranches and geography.  It’s a collaboration between all of our multi-generational farming and wine making  families, our local schools and farms and all of those who’ve more recently joined our community.  And it really is an incredible event.  So, you might be asking what I had to complain about?   I just think that sometimes an event needs some fresh eyes.  What’s worked for years can get a little tired and need some attention.  And, boy did this event get some fresh eyes this year!

This year's new Grape to Glass Logo

So, first thing after last year’s event, the Board of Directors decided to look for some fresh energy to get behind the whole event.  (No, I’m not on the board).  The super-creative team of Creative Furnace was brought on board to produce the Grape to Glass 2010.  They have a fantastic background, having worked with groups like Wine Brats to create really cutting edge, fun and sophisticated events. 

I won’t go into all of the details about what’s gone and what’s stayed, but I’ll tell you that I’m attending every bit of this weekend event this year.  Historically, the event has had a Friday night component.  It’s now an al fresco wine tasting and live outdoor concert by Nick Palance (If you haven’t heard of him, click the link and check him out- he’s being compared to Andrea Bocelli). 

Nick Palance, who will be preforming Friday evening

 Saturday’s events include a morning Kayak tour led by Guy Davis of Davis Family Winery and starting where the Russian River meets his vineyard, or a bike tour around the Russian River Valley, all leading to the famous Hog In the Fog BBQ.  The weekend ends with a fantastic vineyard brunch on Sunday. John and Duskie of Bovolo and Zazu Restaurant fame (can you say best salumi in the Russian River Valley- probably all of Sonoma and Napa Wine Countries) are now supplying the farm-fresh lunches those hungry athletes.  But, the Hog in the Fog event is what’s got me most interested.  Because now I”m behind the scenes. 

Chef/Owners Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Bovolo and Zazu

 The Hog in the Fog has always been about bringing guests in, from all over the US, to experience a real Russian River Valley Community BBQ.  It’s cooked and served by actual members of our community, who share their produce, time and family recipes.  Most of them are growers or winemakers and everyone brings out special bottles of their most prized wines to share.  Steve Dutton of Dutton Ranch and Dutton-Goldfield Winery is in charge of the NY Strip station- he provides the meat and his popular Dutton Family recipe.  Dutton Ranch also donates the organic Gravenstin apples for Pam Martinelli’s, of Martinelli Winery, famous Gravenstein apple pies (the Gravenstein is what the RRV is known for.  We’ve all grown them for generations and they’re just delicious).  Armand Azevedo, a prominent local grower, heads up the rest of the grill stations.   One change that we are making this year is a commitment to locally grown meat.  The pulled pork is coming from Gleason Ranch (theirs is a really great story of a family who is working to save the family farm and stay in agriculture), the grilled chicken is coming from Fulton Valley Farms and the beef is locally raised.  Another great change is that Mateo Granados (I could go on and on about him and his incredible farm-fresh Yucatan Cooking and secret restaurants…) is going to prepare all of the salads and side dishes for us.  He’s making a Yucatan-style bread salad and a bean and squash salad with a Meyer Lemon vinaigrette, which will be served family-style alongside a melon salad and some incredible sauces – Romesco and Roasted Tomato.  I’ve been in charge of sourcing the incredible list of produce that Mateo needs.  

Here’s the list of the organic produce we’re sourcing from our astounding neighbors:

200 pounds of heirloom tomatoes from Kelley Parsons

60 pounds of Romano Beans, 40 pounds of summer squash and 5 pounds of basil from Tierra Vegetables

20 pounds each of cucumbers, squash, carrots and beets from Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm (it’s my kids school and is probably the coolest school in the world.  Check it out)

10 pounds of red torpedo onions, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and herbs from Quivira Winery

50 pounds of eggplant and 20 pounds of beans from MIX Garden (Mick farms for Farmhouse, and some of this is coming off our ranch)

100 pounds of assorted melons from Love Farms

Artisan olive oil and pomegranate vinegar from The Dry Creek Olive Company

Doesn’t that just make you want to jump up and come out for the weekend?  Farmhouse is full (sorry).  But there are still tickets available for the event click here for a link to purchase tickets and find participating lodging.

Once your little Russian River Valley Wine Country Get Away has come and gone, wouldn’t it be nice to have more than just memories, and a few flip videos, of your romantic escape?  Well, you can- Farmhouse Inn and Wine Country Shipping can make sure you have “bottled memories” to last as long as you’d like.  Pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet, zinfandel…from Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley… you name it.  You can experience a wine country memory every evening of the week. 

The Wine Country Shipping Van, All Refrigerated and Ready

You visit the wineries, purchase a bottle here and there, a case here and there, whatever you like.  You bring them back to Farmhouse, fill out a little form, and voila.  A whole future of memorable evenings is on the way to your door. 

Our guests put together such fun combinations (we always peek, I have to admit that).  We have people that have a theme- all pinot noir from small producers for example.  We’ll see twelve different bottles from twelve different wineries (Copain, Lynmar, Porter Creek and Hartford Court seem to be some big Farmhouse guest favorites- this week anyway).  Some go with all white or all big heavy reds…  I’ve been seeing a lot of that fantastic Martinelli Zinfandel… Or visit each of our eleven Winery Partners and have one slot to spare…Some guests want to make sure they won’t run out of that tiny production wine they’ve fallen in love with- they’ll ship home a case or two of each.

And, if guests want to mix the Wine Country Take Home up just a little- they can even include olive oil, jams and other non-wine memories… They tuck right into those fabulous- eco-friendly, recyclable shippers!  No extra cost to mix it up a little.  We love Preston Olive Oil, Kozlowski Jams and absolutely everything up at Quivira! 

Kozlowski Farms Jams, Russian River Valley Wine Country

You purchase it, leave it with us, and they pick it up and do the rest for you.  They’ll hold it for you if you’re not headed home right away (they’re holding some for guests who won’t be home unitl October).  They package it and they ship it to you under perfectly controlled conditions.  Oh, for those of you on Horizon Air, you can carry one case back with you for free.  Then Wine Counry Shipping willl ship the rest for you…

When you get here, don’t hesitate to ask me or my brother or our fabulous concierge team for recommendations for your own specialized take home box.  We love to help create fun, exciting vacations followed by really wonderful (and tasty) evenings at home.

While Catherine’s on a romantic getaway with her hubby, I’ll be manning the helm of the blog machine this week – stand back…  Chatting with our guests each morning at breakfast about their many adventures exploring Northern California, I can’t help but notice that I’m hearing so many of our guests rave about so many of the same activities.  And, not just adventures here in the Russian River Valley, but out on the Sonoma Coast, in the towns of Healdsburg and Sebstopol, up in the Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley, and even over in the Napa Valley – all easy drives from us and all chocked-full of great discoveries.  Now, here’s the catch, everyone knows about our fabulous wines, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah… but did you know that there is so much more to do than drink wine in wine country?  Of course, you can’t come to the Sonoma Wine County without drinking some wine, and in no way am I suggesting you skip the wine.  I’m just saying there’re lots of great finds in addition to tasting all of our fantastic wines!   So, I’ve polled our guests and I’ve polled our concierge team and – are you ready? –  we’ve come up with a list of the Top 10 Things to Do in California Wine Country (imagine reading this with a drum roll in the back ground!) other than WINE TASTING (gasp!)!  Here goes…

1. Blackberries – It’s blackberry season.  They grow everywhere and they taste so good.  Pull over on the side of the road and pick a few handfuls.  You won’t be sorry.  They taste like summer. 
2. Live Music Sundays at C. Donatiello Winery – Yes it’s a winery and yes you can drink wine.  But, in addition to their stellar portfolio of wines, they manage to pull in some of the best acts in wine country for their FREE summer concert series. 
3. Zip-lining through the Redwoods – They’re big, they’re beautiful and you can see them from an all new vantage point – 100 feet up in the air!
   

   Zipping through the Redwood Trees

4. Overlook at Lake Sonoma – Take in one of the most majestic views in all of wine country form the overlook at Lake Sonoma located a the north end of the Dry Creek Valley.  And, if you happen to be there on a Sunday morning, enjoy a Ranger led bird walk.
5. Olive oil tasting at Dry Creek Olive Company – Some of the best olive oil to be found, no designated driver required!
6. Walk the lakes at Riverfront Park – Just a few miles down the road from us, this park is a nesting site for the great blue heron, North America’s largest wading water bird.  Their nests can be spotted high in the trees.
7. Windsor’s Thursday Music on the Green and Farmers Market – Great local produce and great bands.  Bring a famous Farmhouse picnic or pick something up from one of the many vendors.
8. Safari West – Home to over 400 wild and exotic animals. This 400-acre wildlife preserve is part zoo and part jeep safari adventure. Get up close and personal with a giraffe or cheetah.
   

   Getting up close and personal with a giraffe!

9. Segway Tours of Healdsburg – Great itineraries and a travel speed where you can really enjoy the scenery.  Added bonus, you get to brag to all your friends back home that you segwayed your way through wine country!
10. Oysters Hog Island – Have an oyster picnic at a real live oyster farm.  Never mind the fact that these are some of the best oysters to be found anywhere and the view is amazing! 
    

    Have an oyster feed along the water's edge.

Have a great adventure! 

Post by Joe Bartolomei

Wine grapes are fabulous.  Heaven knows we love what they turn into.  Wine!  (Ok, that’s stating the obvious…)  But, one of the many things that makes our lovely Russian River Valley, and Sonoma County as a whole, unique, is our incredible diversity of agriculture and artisan produce.  We farm- and our farming really speaks to the old world traditions of using the land for a variety of different crops, livestock and native habitats.  More and more, we’re seeing the farmers and ranchers expand from one crop or one animal on the land to a variety of uses on one property.

On our ranch, where we’ve farmed for five generations, we have chickens for eggs and meat, antique apple trees, vegetable gardens, bee hives for honey and polination, prunes, plums, cherries, peaches and berries scattered about the property and lovely creeks with riparian habitats.   

Lettuces and Heirloom Shelling Beans

This kind of farming is wonderful, because it’s year-round.  We have produce, eggs and meat every month of the year.  But, I have to admit that this month and the next few months are just amazing and so incredibly bountiful! 

An heirloom squash and its delicious blossoms

Late July in the Farmhouse Inn gardens is something to see! Sonoma County Wine Country is in full bloom, and the gardens at Farmhouse Inn are exploding with color, variety and wildlife.  Our gardner, Jana Mariposa, has provided the following account of who, what and where, all around our beautiful Russian River Valley property.

Many of our mid-summer flowers are in their full glory now, and we are all enjoying the mild weather.  We are seeing many kinds of Butterflies:  Swallowtails, California Sisters, and I’m hoping for some Monarchs, now that we have our Milkweeds for their dining pleasure.  Some Butterflies, such as the Swallowtails and Monarchs, are very specific about which plants are suitable for their ‘children’;  Monarch larvae can only feed upon Milkweed (Asclepias sp.), and the Pipevine Swallowtail larvae can only feed upon the native California Dutchman’s Pipe, which is growing happily inside the large yellow-flowering St. John’s Wort (Hypericum sp.) shrub on the West side of the Restaurant.   If you are lucky, you may see the striking Blue-Black caterpillars with bright red spikes….but they are elusive, and like to stay in the shade. 

The Tiger Swallowtails prefer plants in the Parsley (Umbelliferae) family; I am leaving many of the Parsley plants in the Culinary garden to go to flower and seed; the flowers attract dozens of kinds of beneficial insects, and the seeds are medicinal; and perhaps the Swallowtails will lay their eggs there and we will be able to see the stunning black/white/yellow/green striped caterpillars.

California Sister host plants are the various local Oak (Quercus sp.); Coast Live Oak, Valley Oak, and Black Oak are present on the Farmhouse Inn property.

West Coast Lady, Red Admiral, Lorquin’s Admiral, Mourning Cloak, Buckeye, and some Skippers have been seen in our Habitat Garden. Their palates are much more varied, as their larvae can feed on many kinds of both native and ornamental plants.

Of course our Hummingbirds think they are the ‘bosses’ of all the flowers in the garden….and they very generously share their territory with the Butterflies and other Pollinators.   It takes a lot of variety to keep everyone happy.  

It is a sad task to have to take out the ’spent’ Sweet Peas, that perfumed the air for 4 or more months…….but happily the Summer Vines are blooming and will continue to bloom until the frost.   On the West Pool fence, the Scarlet Runner Beans are already providing nectar for the Hummers and other pollinators, and the Honeysuckle(Lonicera sp.) Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia sp.), Morning Glory (Ipomoea sp.),  and Purple Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos sp.) are all making their way up the fence for privacy and beauty.

Come and sit for a while in the Habitat Garden, and see how many kinds of flying gems will keep you company!

Here are a few of my favorite resources for this time of year:

The Natural Gardening Company will ship organic seeds from Sonoma County to you.

Creating an Organic Hummingbird habitat can be fun and easy with a little know-how.

The Halberg Butterfly Gardens are the perfect place to learn more about butterfly gardens, and you can visit when you’re in Sonooma County.

The folks at Beekind keep the bees on the Bartolomei’s Ranch.  But their site has a wealth of information about bees, habitats and organic practices.

Doesn’t eveyone just love the idea of a Wine Country picnic?  You and your sweetheart tucked  in amid the vineyards and the rolling hills of Sonoma Wine Country, or out on the Sonoma Coast, toasting your everlasting love with Russian River Valley sparkling wine (or maybe pinot noir), nibbling bites of locally made Laura Chenel cabecou cheese, hand-crafted salumi and Farmhouse cured olives…  Well I do.   Throw in some lovely Russian River Valley spring or summer weather and nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon and I don’t think there’s much that can beat it.

For some time now, I’ve been asking our fabulous team of chefs to come up with the “Perfect Wine Country Picnic”.  Which, now that I look back, is sort of a lot of pressure.  Not just the “Ok” or “Fine Wine Country Picnic”, but perfect.  Definitive.  A brown tote bag filled with a lovely selection of delectable foods, all prepared by us or our friends.   And, easy to prepare, maintain, tote and enjoy.  So, ok, a little pressure.

We’ll they’ve finally pulled it together.  We offered our first picnics to guests about two weeks ago.  And, the feedback’s been worth the wait.  I’ve even packed one off to the beach myself- and loved it!  The picnic changes with the whims of the chef, but always includes salumi, olives, local cheese, house-made hummus or something similar, fresh greens and a vinaigrette, seasonal fruit from our ranch or a neighbor, flatbread and the most amazing desserts from Patti (right now it’s a decadent chocolate brownie).  We offer some great wines that you can purchase to take along, or, if you’ll be picnicking at a winery, pick up wine there.

Copain Winery

Our concierge team is equipped with a list of our very favorite spots.  From Copain Winery, up on a hill overlooking the Russian River Valley, to Quivira Winery, deep in Dry Creek Valley, where you can picnic in the biodynamic vegetable garden overlooking their vineyards, to the Armstrong Redwood Forest

Armstrong Woods, Redwood Forest

or, my favorite, out on the Sonoma Coast… we can send you in a million great directions.  Oh, last Monday, we packed up and headed down to Marshall to Hog Island Oyster Company where we added briny, fresh sweet water oysters to the mix. 

Oysters at Hog Island

 (If you visit their website, download their clam chowder recipe.  I brought home 5# of clams and made their chowder with carrots and celery from my garden….So crazy good!  But that’s another post…) 

Summer’s heating up, the produce coming in from our farm is incredible, the winery gardens are in full bloom or full swing, and, doesn’t a picnic just evoke magical images of timeless, laid back, romance and good old fashioned fun? 

I’d love to know some of your favorite picnic ideas and locations- around here, where you are now, or around the world. 

When you look Farmhouse up on  Trip Advisor, or visit us on Facebook, you’ll find a common thread among many of the posts.  Why are guests loving Farmhouse?  Our location in the heart of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley?  Sure.  Great Michelin starred food and comfy rooms?  Definitely.  But, the thing that keeps guests raving about their stay (check, they really are…) is the incredible level of service that our team provides.  Through every department, we absolutely love to exceed expectation.  From the delightful young men who will escort you to your room and provide a little property information on the way, to our amazing team of concierges (six of them, on staff to arrange anything your heart desires) to our restaurant team and its devotion to creating not just meals, but incredible experiences, to our spa, filled with passionate therapists and all the season’s bounty, Farmhouse strives to evolve and improve constantly.

I love that about this place!  Almost ten years into Farmhouse and the guest experience gets better every single day.  Our newest, and perhaps most exciting, program has just launched.  So far, the feedback is incredible. You know how we’re always talking about a Farmhouse stay being “experiental”?  Well this new program really speaks to that goal.

We call it our “Winery Friends” program.  Clever, huh?  We’ll, if you have a better name, send it our way…  But, here’s how it works.  We’ve collected information, over the last year or so, on the Russian River Valley wineries that our guests just rave about.  Then, we polled Geoff, our MS, and Megan, our sommelier, on their favorite local wines.  Then Joe and I sat down and thought about the actual people that we like the best at the tons of wineries around us.  Where all of those criteria converged- great experience, great wine, great people- we circled the winery.  Then, we made a bunch of calls. 

Basically, the premise was simple.  When Joe and I and our staff show up in your tasting room, you roll out the red carpet.  We want you to do the same for our guests.  That reserve wine you open for us, open for them.  That impromptu tour, or grape tasting, or sample from the barrel, offer it to them.  And, just about everyone we approached was incredibly enthusiastic.  So, you might be asking, “What do the wineries get in return?”.   Ha! Another win, win.  They get to come over a couple of times a year and have their wines featured during a private tasting for our guests.  Plus, we promote their events and promotions to our guests.  So, we send them our fabulous guests to taste and maybe buy their wine, and then they get to come over to Farmhouse to meet them again. 

These wineries are all open to the public.  No appointments required (that was another critical point in being chosen to participate)  They’re all nearby.  And they’re all treating Farmhouse guests like old friends.  Just like we think it oughta’ be. 

Here’s the list of wineries.  You night like to peruse them before you visit.  Some are little,  some are bigger, some are in their second or third generation, some are quite new, but they’re all really  special. 

Arista… C. Donatiello…Copain… Hartford Winery…Iron Horse… J Vineyards… Lynmar…Porter Creek… Russian Hill Estate…Thomas George… Woodenhead