11 Sep 2018
Editors: At the end of the release, there's information on how to access high-resolution photos.
SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Hikers are now free to roam the spectacular 5,630-acre Jenner Headlands Preserve on the Sonoma Coast and the renovated Olea Hotel has reopened looking better than ever in Glen Ellen — just two of the many signs illustrating how Sonoma County continues to thrive and grow, offering travelers down-to-earth and authentic Wine Country experiences.
Here's a brief overview of what's new in Sonoma County in September 2018.
FEATURED
Jenner Headlands Preserve offers miles of trails, stunning views
The gates are now open and the public is free to explore the 14 miles of scenic trails at the Jenner Headlands Preserve, on the stunningly beautiful Sonoma County coastline.
The preserve's 5,630 acres are covered with redwood and Douglas fir forests, oak woodlands, chaparral, and coastal prairie overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For several years access to the property was limited to guided hikes. With the addition of a parking lot, restrooms, and a day-use area with picnic tables, visitors are now free to explore this rugged landscape.
A 400-foot, handicap-accessible, paved trail lets people of all abilities reach a beautiful scenic overlook. Many of the preserve's trails are a bit more rugged, especially a hike that goes from sea level to the top of Pole Mountain — the highest point on the Sonoma Coast — which is 15 miles round trip, with a 3,500-foot elevation gain.
Created with public and private funding and now managed by the The Wildlands Conservancy, the Jenner Headlands Preserve is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset; admission is free. The preserve is located on Highway 1, a mile and a half north of the town of Jenner.
Jenner Headlands Preserve
Highway 1
Jenner, CA 95450
909-797-8507
www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_jenner.html
Media Contact
The Wildlands Conservancy
909-797-8507
Renovated Olea Hotel reopens in Glen Ellen
Rebounding beautifully from the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, a refreshed and renewed Olea Hotel has reopened in Glen Ellen, in eastern Sonoma County.
“We are very excited and eager to welcome guests again,” said co-owner Sia Patel. “We have completely remodeled the property, including all guest rooms and common areas.”
The fires burned two guest cottages, the garden, a hot tub, the fire pit area, fencing, and landscaping, but the boutique hotel's three main buildings were saved, with minimal smoke damage to the lobby and guest rooms. In addition to cleaning the entire property, renovation and reconstruction efforts included the addition of a new pool, a new hot tub, new landscaping, and interior upgrades to the entire facility.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for the hotel to reinvent itself and we can't wait for guests to enjoy the restyled guest rooms,” sais Natasha Stocker, principal designer for Inspired Spaces, which handled the hotel's interior redesign. “The property has a fresh, mid-century modern luxe vibe with plenty of Instagrammable moments.”
The hotel was originally built around 1900. It is known for its complimentary two-course plated breakfast and buffet; designed by executive chef Khambay Porterkhamsy, the distinctive menu changes daily.
Olea Hotel
5131 Warm Springs Road
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-5131
Media Contact
Olea Hotel
707-996-5131
stay@oleahotel.com
EVENTS
Maker Music Festival debuts in Sebastopol Oct. 13
Planning is underway for the inaugural Maker Music Festival showcasing do-it-yourself musical instrument makers and performers on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, in Sebastopol, in western Sonoma County.
The day highlights the makers of both traditional and experimental instruments, as well as sound artists, instrument hackers, and performers who play interesting do-it-yourself instruments. Exhibits, lectures, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and performances displaying the creativity and ingenuity of Sonoma County's maker community will be presented in a festival setting at the Chimera Arts facility in downtown Sebastopol.
The new event is hosted by Chimera Arts, a community arts and maker space designed to unite and empower the Sonoma County creative community by sharing resources and workspace, providing inspiration and opportunity for all. Chimera Arts offers a facility, tools, training, and community for Sonoma County artists, makers, hackers, and inventors. Open to the public noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Chimera Arts
6791 Sebastopol Ave., Suite 180
Sebastopol, CA 95476
707-827-3020
Media Contact
Sherry Huss
415-902-2050
WINERIES
Unlock the mystery at Chateau St Jean
Solve an escape room like no other on the new wine tasting experience at Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood in eastern Sonoma County.
“Unlock the Chateau” takes about an hour and a half, and begins with a welcoming glass of sparkling wine. You then have 60 minutes to solve a variety of puzzles and riddles by using clues and hints to unlock the secret. You get a glass of wine when you unlock the second room and a flight of wine after you escape. Unlock the Chateau ($60 per person) is available Friday through Monday for groups of six to 12 people.
Founded in 1973, Chateau St. Jean is the quintessential Sonoma winery. At the center of its Sonoma Valley estate, the original Chateau was built as a summer home in the early 1920s. The winery produces an extensive portfolio of Sonoma County wines as well as vineyard designated wines, limited production Reserve wines, and its flagship Cinq Cèpages Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chateau St. Jean
8555 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, CA 95452
707-257-5784
Media Contact
James Caudill, Director, marketing communications
707-259-4519
Lioco Wine Co. pouring in Healdsburg
Taste wines that favor nuance over power in Lioco Wine Co.'s new contemporary, California-coastal tasting room just steps off the historic downtown plaza in Healdsburg, in northern Sonoma County.
Founded in 2005, Lioco buys fruit from distinctive California vineyards in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Santa Cruz counties. The focus is on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Carignan with an emphasis on older vines, sites with tougher soil, and select clones. The wines are made in a minimalist style, and Wine & Spirits Magazine named Lioco its "2016 Winery of the Year."
Open daily, the new tasting room offers a range of tasting options, including flights and wines by the glass, enjoyed in a loungey setting with street-level views through large windows that open wide (weather permitting). Guests are welcome to relax with a cold glass of Rosé while enjoying an ever-changing playlist of vintage vinyl records and hearing the colorful stories behind the wines.
The "Board Room Experience" includes an elevated, guided tasting of library, large format, and off-menu wines from blown glassware behind sliding glass doors. The Board Room seats up to 10 people and includes expertly paired plates of local cheese and charcuterie.
Lioco Wine Co.
125 Matheson St.
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-395-0148
Media Contact
Angel Postell, Sipindipity
843-557-4077
Coppola winery introduces canned Pinot Noir
Sonoma County's Francis Ford Coppola Winery recently launched its first canned premium red wine with its 2017 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Noir.
The winery began producing canned wine in 2002, and in 2004 launched the canned wine category with the debut of the stylish Sofia Minis in an effort to make premium wine more convenient. During the last decade, the canned wine category has grown rapidly into a phenomenon as consumers flocked to this option for portability and ease.
Coppola's newest canned wine builds on the success of last summer's launch of three high-quality canned white wines — Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. From the Monterey wine appellation, the canned Pinot Noir is well balanced and food friendly. The Pinot Noir cans are available in a portable and lightweight four-pack that is environmentally friendly and recyclable.
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
300 Via Archimedes
Geyserville, CA 95441
707-857-1471
guestservices@francisfordcoppolawinery.com
www.thefamilycoppola.com/en/store/diamondadventure
Media Contact
Kristin Thwaites, Communications Director, The Family Coppola
Kristin.Thwaites@ffcpresents.com
RESTAURANTS & EATERIES
Stockhome features international flavors in Petaluma
Sample the delicious variety of street-food cuisine popular in Stockholm, Sweden, at the new Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma, in southern Sonoma County.
In this family-friendly, counter-service eatery, husband-and-wife team Roberth and Andrea Sundell — longtime Petaluma residents who also own PLÄJ Restaurant in San Francisco — present their favorite things to eat when they visit Stockholm. The menu is inspired by current Swedish favorites, with heavy influences from the Middle East, as well as several classic Swedish offerings.
Stockhome is open for lunch and dinner five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, for both dine-in and to-go meals. Choose from kebabs, wraps, German sausage, bratwurst, substantial salads, and small plates like roasted beets and Icelandic yoghurt with hazelnuts, or grilled stone fruits with barley and pomegranate molasses. Entrées include steak, salmon, a breaded veal cutlet, and mashed potato bowls. Desserts include Swedish pancakes, raspberry yoghurt ice cream, and a banana split.
Stockhome
220 Western Ave.
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-981-8511
Media Contact
Roberth and Andrea Sundell
707-981-8511
andrea@plajrestaurant.com
The Boardwalk Kitchen offers fresh dining in Windsor
Enjoy fresh, relaxed fine dining at The Boardwalk Kitchen, which features casual California cuisine with a seaside flare on the Town Green in downtown Windsor, in central Sonoma County.
The menu ranges from substantial sandwiches to light seafood entrées with a twist and casual steak dishes. With food from the field, land, and sea, there's something for everyone, whether it's the addictive pulled pork nachos, the comforting roasted chicken breast, or the killer calamari salad “Piadini.”
The Boardwalk Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays).
The Boardwalk Kitchen
9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128
Windsor, CA 95492
707-657-7701
Media Contact
The Boardwalk Kitchen
707-657-7701
Raku Ramen & Rolls opens in Santa Rosa
Celebrate the foods of Japan with authentic ramen and sushi at the new Raku Ramen & Rolls restaurant in the Montgomery Village shopping center in Santa Rosa, in central Sonoma County.
Popular sushi burrito food truck chef Takeshi Uchida worked with chef Tony Ounpamornchai of Sea Thai to craft a menu using only sustainable fish and organic and GMO-free ingredients, creating much more than just a ramen shop. There are three noodle choices — thin, thick, and gluten-free — and many vegan and vegetarian choices, all with high-quality ingredients.
For lunch or dinner, choose from Tonkotsu Ramen with pork bone broth and braised pork belly, green onion, spinach, bean sprouts, seaweed, and a half a seasoned soft boiled egg; Shoyu Ramen with chicken and pork broth, braised pork belly, green onion, spinach, bamboo, Kaiware sprouts, and half a seasoned soft boiled egg; or Organic Vegan Ramen with vegan broth blended with organic red and white miso, sesame, broccolini, tofu, tempeh, corn, bean sprouts, kale, and chili oil. A variety of sushi rolls are available, served with house-made fresh Hawaiian pickled ginger. There's also a choice of rice bowls, and a selection of sake, beer, and wine.
Raku Ramen
2424 Midway Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
707-623-9668
www.facebook.com/Raku-Ramen-Rolls-227935001036223
Media Contact
Raku Ramen
707-623-9668
TOURS
Tour Sonoma County on an electric bike with Bolo's
Explore vineyards, gardens, and the natural beauty of the Dry Creek Valley on a RadWagon electric bike with the new Bolo's Bikes, based in Healdsburg, in northern Sonoma County.
Offered daily, this unique electric bicycle Wine Country touring experience includes visits to three or four Dry Creek Valley wineries and a stop at the historic Dry Creek General Store to pick up lunch to enjoy in a local vineyard.
The guided tour takes about six hours and covers approximately 18 miles. Minimal or no pedaling is required; the tour is designed to let the electric bicycles do all the work. Each bike comes with a cargo bag to hold personal items and a helmet.
Bolo's Bikes
625A Center St.
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-840-3281
Media Contact
Chris Bidwell
707-840-3281
SHOPPING
River Queen Collectibles adds sister clothing store
After four years offering a unique collection of vintage collectibles and handmade items on Main Street in Guerneville, in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, River Queen Handmade & Collectibles has opened a sister store, River Queen Clothing.
The original River Queen shop offers an eclectic collection of quality collectibles and handmade items from jewelry to wine barrel furniture, and specializes in costume jewelry. Owner Jilla St. Germain-Gauthier began offering clothing as well, and discovered a strong demand by residents and visitors for everything from underwear to overcoats.
The result is River Queen Clothing, located seven doors from the original store. It features all types of clothing and accessories for women, men, and children, including the previously mentioned underwear and overcoats, as well as socks, sweatshirts, swimsuits, sundresses, hats, purses, and more.
River Queen Clothing
16355 Main St.
Guerneville, CA 95446
707-869-8258
www.facebook.com/RQGuernevilleClothing
Media Contact
Jilla St. Germain-Gauthier
707-869-8258
riverqueenguerneville@gmail.com
WELLNESS
Royal Care Lifestyle adds CBD massage, products
Massage treatments using products infused with cannabidiol (CBD) are now available at Royal Care Lifestyle in Santa Rosa, in central Sonoma County.
CBD is derived from hemp (a type of cannabis plant grown for its fiber) and does not include THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Incorporated into massage, CBD is said to reduce pain, inflammation, anxiety, and stress, but without producing a “high.”
Royal Care Lifestyle uses a cream that contains 400mg of CBD from organic hemp; it feels like a luxurious lotion, with subtle scents of cocoa butter and lavender. The CBD treatments are proving popular in the company's mobile massage division, and Royal Care also sells CBD tinctures, capsules, and its own jar of isolated CBD pain cream. They recently introduced a CBD tonic to drink before or after a treatment.
Celebrating 13 years serving Sonoma County, Royal Care Lifestyle caters to residents and visitors who believe in enhancing their lifestyle holistically with massage therapy, energetic balancing, and active living.
Royal Care Lifestyle
5213 El Mercado Parkway, Suite C
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-544-5433
Media Contact
Rebeka Yedinak
707-544-5433
# # #
Find your passion in Sonoma County, located only 30 miles north of San Francisco and featuring more than 425 wineries, 100-plus organic farms, and 50 miles of stunning Pacific Ocean coastline.
For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call 707-522-5800.
Birgitt Vaughan
Public Relations Manager
Sonoma County Tourism
400 Aviation Blvd., Suite 500
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-522-5826
bvaughan@sonomacounty.com
Editors: High-resolution photos can be found at
sonomacounty.smugmug.com/PhotoLibrary/Whats-New
Password: SonomaPassion
