From Gold Ridge Organic Farms with Love - It’s all happening at Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol.

From apples to olives to citrus to art—Brooke Hazen, farmer, founder and visionary of the 88-acre certified organic farm and orchards, continues to innovate (and in some places excavate) as he develops new ways to share the experience of agriculture. 

I’ve visited the farm several times over the years and changes and improvements are always in play. 

On Saturday June 27, 2026  I attended a small event to introduce the new olive oil labels and new art, a mural titled Love from Sonoma County created by artist Teri Sloat. 

The new colorful bottles and labels reflect Brooke’s emphasis on embracing the joy of everyday living. and mirror the character of the farm itself. Festive and bright, the purple labels are featured on the small batch olive oil blends and the golden yellow labels on the citrus flavor oils. 

A range of appetizers were presented at the event highlighting the flavors and versatility of the  oils and a Rosemary mocktail made of apple cider syrup and balsamic vinegar. 

A Walk in The Groves 

A stroll through the olive groves led to Brooke’s latest creation an authentic stone cottage built to exacting specifications, with art throughout from the patina of the paint on the walls to the hand hewn countertops in the kitchen. 

Standing before the cottage one could easily feel as if they were in France or Italy gazing out on the orchard where families can bring their kids to collect apples from the U-Pick Apple rows. 

A soon to open Apple Press facility in Santa Rosa will allow the public to bring their own apples to make cider. It’s all part of Brookes philosophy of putting the culture back in Agriculture. Bridging farming and community to make a difference in people’s lives. 

Check out the Gold Ridge Farms website for farm shop hours and a calendar of events. 

Wine Road Podcast: Sebastopol Itinerary UPDATE 2024

 Episode 208: SEBASTOPOL Itinerary Update; What to do and where to go!

Insider Guide for #WBC17

Sonoma is a Food and Wine Wonderland so this is but a very small slice of what the region has to offer. Here is quick list of places for coffee, shopping, dining and wine for #WBC17 attendees.

Nearby the Hyatt:

Shopping
If you’d like to see the death of retail in real time visit the Santa Rosa Plaza Mall. Nothing going on here but the last gasp of some clothing chains and a few chemical laden bath and body product stores. But there is Apple Store here if you need accessories for your phone or someone tips a dump bucket on your laptop during speed tasting. (it can happen)

Coffee 
Head directly across the street to Flying Goat or A'Roma Roasters in Rail Road Square.
Or take a jaunt up a few blocks to Peet's on 4th Street.

Breakfast
Omelette Express 

Beer
Russian River Brewing Company

Dining
Bird and Bottle
Eclectic small/share plates menu with mix of traditional and southern influenced comfort food. Fancy cocktails.

Stark Steak and Seafood
Classic fare in an elegant but casual atmosphere with great wine list and over 60 whiskeys to try.

Rosso 
If you are sick of the whole shared plates thing, and really who isn't? Go to Rosso and get you own big plate of whatever or have one of their awesome pizzas all to yourself. Great local and Italian wine selections.

La Gare
Old-school French cuisine. You’ll like this place if you are over 60 and have an expense account. Located directly across the street from the Hyatt.

SEBASTOPOL

About 9 minutes due west of the Hyatt is Sebastopol where you will find the Barlow home of Crooked Goat Brewing and Wind Gap Wines tasting room, a must stop for the Trousseau Gris on tap.

Also in Sebastopol:
Ramen Gaijin 
Awesome and authentic ramen and Japanese influenced dishes with small plate Izakaya menu. Winner of 2017 Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand award.

HopMonk Tavern 
Great selection of beer and hearty pub food with some lighter selections. Good place for getting loud with a group. Has an all weather/outdoor beer garden with fire pits and lounge style seating.

Handline
Upscale locally sourced seafood in fast casual setting. Order and pay at the counter and then find a seat kind of place. Great food and wine but don't be surprised if you walk out wondering how the heck you just spent $75 on two tacos a salad and a glass of wine. But nice if you have a group and don’t want to do the split-the-check-tango at the end of the meal.


Weather: 
If you need weather updates use a weather app on your phone and be wary of people claiming to be “boots on the ground” when they are broadcasting from a bunker in an undisclosed location. ;-)

The Tasting Room Experience -- Horse & Plow

My cover story on Horse & Plow in the Jan/Feb issue of Sonoma Discoveries, is now available at links below.

http://sonomadiscoveries.com/horse-plow/

http://www.sonomadiscoveries.com/digitalmagazine/2017/jan-feb/index.html

West of West Wine Fest in Sebastopol -- August 1, 2, & 3

So many wine festivals and grand tastings and so little time. What's a winelover to do?

Actually, I’ve begun to shy away from the gigantic ballroom or warehouse (think Fort Mason) tastings with hundreds upon hundreds of wines. I prefer the smaller, focused tastings such as the 7% Sloution event I wrote about here.

But even better than events that are small and focused, are those that are local. And for me, it does not get anymore local than West of West Wine Festival. The Festival will be held at the Barlow, the new epicenter of Local Wine, Art, & Food in Sebastopol, which I can walk to from my house. {Three cheers for wine festivals within walking distance of your home!}

Now in its second year, the West of West Wine Festival showcases wines from West Sonoma Coast vintners, wineries, and growers. This year the Saturday Seminars will cover wine and food pairings in The Evolution of California Cuisine & Wine and an exploration of wines made from the vines of the Heintz Vineyards by top producers including Banshee & Zepaltas, DuMol, Flowers, Freeman, Littorai, Williams Selyem, Ceritas, Radio Coteau,  and Kesner Wines.

The Grand Tasting featuring over 40 producers will be held on Saturday from 3-6pm and again on Sunday from 1-4pm.

Event is next weekend August 1-3 -- so get tickets now if you want to attend. You can find more information and purchase tickets at link below.

http://www.westsonomacoast.com/west-of-west-festival/

Cruising the Caffine Causeway -- Best Coffee in Sonoma

Highway 116 in Sonoma County is known as the Gravenstein Highway, named after a local apple, but it could easily be renamed the Caffeine Causeway, as some of the best must-stop coffee shops for the coffee connoisseur are set along this scenic ribbon of road. Including local favorites such as Hardcore Espresso, Ninja Star Coffe Bar, and Flying Goat.

READ MORE HERE...

Photos Courtesy of Marcy Gordon, iStock-da-kuk and Facebook-Sunshine Roasters

Local Flavors

There is nothing quite as nice as being able to walk out your front door and less than twelve minutes later be at a great local wine shop. In Sebastopol our local shop is the Wine Emporium, owned by Tom West. They have a wonderful wine selection and a fabulous tasting line up that changes monthly. They also host terrific events featuring local artists and musicians.

Last Friday we attend a reception for Charles Beck, a landscape artist we recently met on the open art studios tour. Beck’s work captures the essence of Sonoma. If you are a local and missed his open studio you can a view a sampling of his work at the Wine Emporium for the next month or so. An added bonus at the art reception was musician Tara Linda providing a lush musical accompaniment to the wine, art and edibles on hand. I was blown away by Tara’s relaxing, yet upbeat and eclectic style. Her music filed the space without overwhelming it. It was bistro with a beat, sensual and hip with a Cowboy Junkies meets Norton Buffalo sensibility. Anyway, I bought two of her CDs on the spot and have been listening to them ever since.

Naturally, the Wine Emporium features local wines from the area, but they also carry many international labels and I brought home a bottle of Naia, a Verdejo from Rueda in Spain, the purchase of which I think was influenced as much by the music, as what was in my glass. Never underestimate the power of pairing wine and music. The Naia was crisp and spicy with a grapefruit scent and a bright citrus top note. Perfect for a hot summer evening with some grilled chicken or tuna steaks marinated in a ginger-soy sauce. Have at it.

If you are in Sebastopol, or just passing through, take the time to check out the Wine Emporium. Pull up a chair at the wine bar, chat with Al, and let him take you on a mini tasting tour of the day’s offerings. You can even tell Al I sent you. He probably won’t know who you are talking about, but he will take special care of you regardless…it’s that kind of a place.