Posts Tagged Sonoma County
Gravenstein Apples from Sonoma County
Posted by Irene Turner in Entertaining Sonoma Style on August 9, 2011
I do live in prime agricultural land so, get ready for a few more posts on what to do with all this wonderful fresh fruit we are now harvesting! I recently wrote about watermelon and our local strawberries, and now I’m going to talk about apples; in particular, our local Gravenstein apple.
image courtesy of Pacific Coast Farmers Market
August here in Sonoma County is known as Gravenstein Apple month as it’s harvest season. Gravenstein apples grown here in Sebastopol are known as one of the best-flavored and most versatile of all apples. They can be used in baking, saucing, juicing and fermenting, and are a delight to simply eat off the tree.
Due to development, economic changes and the growth of our well known Sonoma vineyards, the Gravenstein apple is almost commercially extinct at this point. Our local Slow Food Russian River Chapter is working diligently to save our Gravenstein. Their presidia project combines local farmers with bay area communities, chefs and farmers markets to see that this doesn’t happen. Continue reading “Gravenstein Apples from Sonoma County” »
Summer Solstice-Celebrating the Seasons: Part 1
Posted by Irene Turner in Nature, Personal Style & Well being on June 21, 2011
photo courtesy of Only an Almond Bean
Welcome Summer! Today is the Summer Solstice and what is consider as the official start of summer, and the longest day of the year here in the Northern hemisphere. I love observing these ancient cultural celebrations as it is a great way to slow down, recognize and give thanks to nature in our world.
The Summer solstice is recognized and often celebrated in many cultures around the world, in both the past and the present. The Celts & Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun’s energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light. Perhaps the most enduring modern ties with Summer Solstice were the Druids’ celebration of the day as the “wedding of Heaven and Earth”, which is why there are so many June weddings as we still believe them to be “lucky”. Continue reading “Summer Solstice-Celebrating the Seasons: Part 1” »
Sonoma County-Fall!
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration, Nature on November 11, 2010
I LOVE Fall! I think it’s my favorite season. Right now out my back door nature is putting on a show that makes my eyes happy, filling them with the beauty of fall here in Sonoma County.
Originally from New York I could have sworn there was no prettier place on earth then Fall on the east coast. But over the last 9 years of life here in Paradise I see more and more of the abundance of Mother Nature in so many forms, and I’ve got to say, our falls are magnificent. Continue reading “Sonoma County-Fall!” »
A Sonoma Experience-CornerStone
Posted by Irene Turner in Inspiration, Nature on June 30, 2010
One of my favorite places to visit, either by myself or to take guests is CornerStone Sonoma. Located on the outskirts of the town of Sonoma on Rt. 121, it is truly an experience not to be missed.
It all revolves around a series of walk-through gardens showcasing new and innovative designs from the world’s finest landscape architects and designers. When commissioned, these artists were given the freedom to create anything from traditional gardens to modern, conceptual installations. They are inspiring, tranquil and can just plain tickle your fancy! Continue reading “A Sonoma Experience-CornerStone” »
Designing the Sanford Wine Tasting Room
Posted by Irene Turner in Entertaining Sonoma Style, Interior Design & Renovation, Projects, Sustainability on March 3, 2010
Every now and then I have to tell you about a really fun project.Sanford Wine Tasting room was just that. The wine tasting room is located at Rancho La Rinconada 40 minutes north of Santa Barbara. With the success of the movie Sideways, millions of filmgoers discovered Sanford, which was the first stop on the characters’ Santa Barbara wine county tour. While I am an avid lover of Pinot Noir living in Pinot country, Sideways introduced Pinot Noir to a host of international wine drinkers not yet familiar with this great varietal. Thanks in large part to the Terlato Wine Group and Sanfords’ winemaker Steve Fennell , Sanford is considered one of the top 5 vineyards for Pinot in the United States! Continue reading “Designing the Sanford Wine Tasting Room” »
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