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Posts from the ‘SCL's Thoughts & Notes’ Category

May 13

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WHY HELLO THERE GORGEOUS

{ taps fingers nervously on keyboard }

Well hello there stranger. Good to see you. How ya been? Who me? Well, yes, I admit. It’s been a while. Quite a while. Quite a looooooong while. { grimace }  i know i know i know. All might have seemed lost and perhaps you even thought I’d checked out completely, but nope. I was around. Checking back in every once and while. Never getting past the nervous finger tapping thing. What have I been up to you ask? Where did I go and why did I leave? Well, you see, it’s actually quite the story. See, first there was this:

And well, somewhere between running to the bathroom to be sick yet again and all the crazy preparation that comes with being a first time parent, i lost my blogging mojo. Sorry about that.

But then apparently, after all that baby growing, you get this:

Insert 2 first time parents into this picture, just trying to keep all 3 humans alive, and well, the blogging mojo never really came back. Not so sorry about that.

But THEN, apparently they become this:

And you find yourself 5 months in wondering where in the world that portion of your life just went.

But we’re back! And we’re coming up for air! And we’re actually starting to get things done! And isn’t he the cutest little thing you ever have seen?! Doesn’t that make up for a year’s hiatus at all?? Hopefully you’re the baby-loving, forgiving type.

And so after much encouragement from many corners many times, it’s been decided that Sonoma County Line is alive and well. You’ll see. We just hope you stuck around for the second act.

In the next few weeks I’ll be doing some housecleaning around here. Adjusting the format, deleting obsolete material, fine tuning the new direction which will be a little more personal, a little less review based, a little more ‘window into the daily life of sonoma county living’. So put SCL back on your RSS feed/Google Reader/bookmark whatever and check back in soon. Spring has sprung around these parts and Sonoma County Line is ripe for the writing. Vines are a’blooming, farmers markets are a’starting, summer fests are a’nearing. It’s going to be a great time. Hope you’ll stick around for the ride.

xo

eve + 1

Oct 29

WINE ROAD PHOTO CONTEST

The Boy & his PinotWine Road, Northern Sonoma County (a wine alliance group) is hosting a photo contest through their Facebook Fan Page. Sonoma County Line has entered – have you?

Photo entry deadline is this Saturday, Oct. 31. There is a public voting option which ends Oct. 31 (hint, hint), as well as a judging portion for those of us with fewer FB friends or more procrastinating natures than the guy who already has 200 votes. SCL is holding out for the judging portion. The prizes are pretty fun, including tickets to WRNS events next year, a wine weekend getaway and more.

Don’t forget to join Sonoma County Line Facebook Page if you have not already done so. And if you also enter the contest, let us know and we’ll share the voting love with you. Cheers!

Oct 2

Syrah Grapes
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HAPPY HARVEST SONOMA

If you have the time and the pleasure, do yourself a favor in the next week or two, and wake up a little earlier than perhaps is your usual. Grab a steaming latte (or other caffeinated beverage of your choice), jump in the car and head out to your favorite winding back road in Sonoma wine country. It’s now chilly these mornings, so wear a scarf or fleece, crank open the sunroof and of course, don’t forget to tune your radio to the KRSH.

You see, Sonoma is in the thick of harvest right now and it’s the absolute best time to drive through wine country in the early morning hours and watch the world of wine wake up.

Syrah Grapes

Thick white fog still hugs the vines of the valley floor early in the morning, allowing you to only see a few feet deep into the vineyard. The sun is rising, but obscured by the blanket fog, casting a rich, yet muted, golden glow on all you see. Vineyard workers are at the front of the rows, working feverishly to pick their grapes while the morning air is still cool. You’ll be amazed at how fast they move – as if someone forgot to let off the fast forward button. A large, open-top grape truck creeps alongside the pickers, while another worker stands above the open bins spreading out grapes and picking out debris. Up walks a picker with his fully loaded grape bin hoisted over his head. Up and over, he dumps his grapes into the truck, quickly rushing back to the next section of vine. On and on they’ll go, fast and furious, until all the grapes are picked and on their way to the winery, hopefully before the fog burns off and the temperature starts to creep up for the day.

Onward to the winery, which you’ll sometimes smell before you see. An olfactory haze permeates the air around the winery, equally as thick as the fog still burning off in the vineyards: thick, sweet, fermenting grapes. The winery is already bustling with energy and life, the winemaker and cellar workers probably having been there before the sun was up. Loud music plays full blast over the cellar speakers – a welcome addition, as the morning caffeine still works its magic on what was probably a late night before of filling tanks and barrels, washing grape bins, hosing down equipment, getting ready for the next morning’s grape deliveries. Crusher/destemmers move fast, grapes are sorted, presses hum in the background and tanks are filled. Sweet, sticky, fermenting grapes.

It’s harvest time. You can feel the energy.  My favorite time of year.

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This weekend is the Sonoma Harvest Fair, actually starting today. I haven’t ever been, but it seems like a great time for those wanting to get into the harvest state of mind. Wine tastings, art receptions, live music, grape stomping, barnyard scrambles. What more could you ask for?! Plenty of fun activities for both adults and the little ones. Oct. 2-4 and you can find the full schedule *here*. Have fun!

Sep 27

GET CONNECTED

And we’re back.

Whew. Sorry, about that. That was one hell of a week. Many apologies for the prolonged delay, but we should now be back to your regular scheduled programming.

To kick off the week, SCL has big news: we’re now on Facebook and Twitter, so come join the fun. All the cool kids are doing it.

Links to both the Facebook Fan Page & Twitter feed are listed below. Of course, these won’t be taking over the Sonoma County Line website in the least, but if you’re a Facecrack addict or a tweeting guru, come join us over yonder to get a little bonus SCL action. There will be some fun contests/giveaways in the near future with these applications, including some delicious Sonoma County wine, so don’t say we didn’t give you a heads-up.

Coming up this week on this site: dining at Central Market (hello Parisian macaroons!), Harvest happenings around the county, some wine & wax Wednesday and a little Sonoma Grown action as well. Cheers!

Facebook Fan Page

Sonoma County Line Twitter Feed

Sep 4

2 Comments

PARTING SHOT: SONOMA SUNSET

DSC02488

Enjoy your holiday weekend. Drink many Sonoma County wines, have fun and be safe. See you on the other side…

Aug 13

Vines & Signs

INTRODUCING: SONOMA GROWN

Recently inspired by The KRSH’s ‘Sonoma Grown Music’ spotlights, SCL is getting its own Sonoma Grown column, to be centered around my second most favorite topic (which just so happens to pair quite perfectly with my first favorite topic, wine,): F.O.O.D.

Perhaps best known for its wine production to those not intimately familiar with the county, Sonoma locals have long been keeping a great secret from the rest of you: with its rich agricultural heritage that extends well beyond viticulture, the SC is home to some incredible Sonoma grown food products.

Vines & Signs

Just take a meandering drive through the county and you’re bound to come across multiple produce stands, acres of vineyards, patches of orchards & pastures upon pastures of grazing cattle. That’s just a glimpse of agricultural Sonoma County. Now tell me: when’s the last time you saw a cow in Napa county?

Goats, pigs, chickens & salmon. Berries, apples, flowers & pumpkins. Cowgirl Creamery cheese, Stornetta yogurt, Kozlowski raspberries & Buena Vista Chardonnay. The list goes on and on, including both national brands and local, artisanal purveyors. There’s probably a reason this Texas girl feels so at home here: Sonoma County is a food and wine paradise with more than a little country flair.

Now I realize that essentially, this entire website is dedicated to Sonoma grown: Sonoma grown businesses, Sonoma grown food, Sonoma grown wine, Sonoma grown music…but this particular column will be dedicated to highlighting that individual Sonoma grown product that swept me off my feet from bite one.  Just a quick little spotlight,  you’ll get the scoop to hopefully broaden your Sonoma County culinary experience.

So welcome to Sonoma Grown. Check back soon for the first column. First up? Some tasty, tasty, tasty Sonoma grown ice cream. You’ll be glad you did.

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