wine country

You can’t knock around Healdsburg, California too long before Chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen hits your “good meal” radar. When it opened a few years back, most of us in the town felt the place was out of place. A restaurant of uncommon quality tucked beautifully into a hotel that was best discovered in a faux town of recent origin. The restaurant was too fancy, too well-done, too big city and just too big. It even had “soft” flooring, what interior designers call a rug, and a good bit of etched glass - so that we couldn’t really see into the kitchen. This restaurant just wasn’t Healdsburg.

And, within what seems like five seconds, Dry Creek Kitchen is completely part of our town constitution and a stalwart anchor at the end of the Plaza. We fit it and it fits us – not every night – but often enough that locals and visitors alike feel they have experienced a fine meal well-served when they want a special dining celebration or prefer to tuck into a table for two and hide from the hurly burly just outside. Charlie Palmer, one of America’s leading chefs and owner of the highly acclaimed Aureole in New York, has come directly to the source – Northern Sonoma County – for the finest fresh seasonal produce, gourmet food purveyors, and fine wines, when he launched Dry Creek Kitchen. His staff is town friendly, Wade runs the room with the deft attention of a man who really does love hospitality, and Drew is a Wine Director always interested in learning the last nuance of a newly released wine or telling you a story about a Cabernet well-aged. Besides, the restaurant is called Dry Creek Kitchen, named after a world class wine growing appellation with a bent on quality, a growing interest in green-farmed vineyards, and distinctive wines framed by tradition. Jump in for lunch or dinner and order a single course or a banquet for ten - it will satisfy your craving for fine dining and allow you the very best view of the Healdsburg town plaza - a visual respite to savor along with a fine bottle of wine.  

Road Warrior Jerry

Stargazing may seem a bit like a romantic past time, but it’s a great theme for a evening event if, like us you’re out where few city lights impede the breathtaking views of the skies on a September night above the vineyards.

Last year we had our 1st annual Stargazer’s Winemaker Dinner at the estate.  It was a great evening of a delectable 4 course meal with stellar (no pun intended) wines we specially selected for the event.  After dinner we headed out for a walk out onto the moon and starlit estate and in the vineyards with our trained astronomer host, Mike Brunson-our winemaker, and Jacques Schlumberger.  The skies were something unbelievable to behold out in such a remote location.  We pointed out constellations, caught multiple shooting stars whizzing by, and enjoyed the rare quiet calmness that comes in the evening after everyone has left the winery for the day.  

People liked the event so much last year-we decided to make it an annual event.  Saturday, Sept 27th is the date this month.  We’ll be meeting in the winery courtyard at 6pm for wines, appetizers, and conversation.  Our winemaker will be there, wearing his usual gleeful and mischievous grin and happy to answer everyone’s questions about this year’s harvest with his usual eloquence, patience, and humor.  Anyone who’d like to join us or to find out more can give me a call (707)433-7427.  You don’t even have to have a date-just bring yourself.  Juliana, Mike & I will keep you company!

If you feed them they will come.  And some water for drinking and bathing helps, too.  But it really is that simple to attract all sorts of very cool wild birds into your yard for your viewing (and listening) pleasure.  Besides, we kinda owe it to them.  After all, they were here first and we’re the ones who moved into their turf and took away valuable food sources and habitat.  The very least we can do is toss out some sunflower seeds once in awhile.  But beware:  Feeding birds is addictive.

For me, it started with a single hummingbird feeder I hung from a beam on the front porch adjacent to the tasting salon.  It only took a few days before the little guys (and girls) were fighting for position, speeding back and forth between the oak tree, the flower beds in the organic garden, and the feeder.

But I needed more.  You see the hummers are mostly active around dawn and dusk – fine for them but I wanted birds all day long.  And lots of ‘em.

So then came the extra large tube feeder filled with shelled sunflower chips.  Perfect for birds because of the high protein content and ease of feeding (no shelling required), and perfect for me since there’s no mess with discarded seed hulls.  Within a week the feeder was covered with a colorful collage of birds – goldfinches, purple finches, chickadees and pine siskins.  But then I realized that a little bird probably gets mighty thirsty after a big meal of seeds so I put a bird bath in the garden.  And they happily sipped and splashed.

And life went on and I watched the birds and things were fine until I noticed the other birds – the ones that were too big for the tube feeder or didn’t share the same love of sunflower chips.  Didn’t these towhees, doves and juncos deserve a little love, too?  So up went the platform feeder with the millet seed and peanut chunks.  And just to demonstrate the severity of my addiction to feeding birds, as I installed the platform feeder this morning I was already scanning the area for a suitable location for a nice suet feeder.  After all, the jays and flickers and woodpeckers could use a little help, too, right?

So there it is.  There are plenty of worse things to be obsessed with, I figure.  And when I get a chance to sit on the porch with a glass of syrah and watch the birds up close and personal I feel very happy.  So here’s to our feathery friends.  Our beaky buddies.  Our chirpy chums.  Our avian amigos.  O.K., I’ll stop now…but here’s a cool site if you are interested…http://www.birdpost.com/

Tony & Friends

James Taylor is singing ‘The frost is on the pumpkin & the hay is in the barn’ as I write this and it really puts me in the mood for
Fall.  It hasn’t really hit wine country yet, and most likely won’t for several weeks, but singing this little diddy always get me in the mood for harvest…and harvest is here and going strong.  

Crush at Michel-Schlumberger also signals the start our annual Harvest Luncheon Series — one of the greatest experiences & traditions in wine country. 

At 11:00 a.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through October 11, guests arrive for a behind the scenes tour of the Estate.  Crush is in full tilt, so as part of the experience, guest often get to taste grapes fresh off the vine just before they begin their transformational journey into wine, or grab a splash of free-run juice just squeezed and headed for the barrels.  It is sublime.

After taking in the cornucopia of fruit smells fermenting in the cellar and maybe even joining in on a punch-down of fermenting Syrah, Cabernet or Malbec, the guests meander out to the tables set up under the 400+ year old oak tree protecting the organic vegetable & herb garden.  With glass in hand, we all sit down to a magnificent meal prepared by a host of local Sonoma chefs & paired with plenty of fine Michel-Schlumberger wines born in the vineyards just a few yards away from the table.  Hearty fare, engaging conversation, camaraderie, and great wines all in the middle of harvest nestled in one of the most beautiful locations in all wine country - what’s not to like!  Everything is fresh, everything is local — it is the essence of all things good about life in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley.

These luncheons sell out very, very fast — mainly to those who have experienced these feasts in the past and come back year after year after year.  This year, make the Michel-Schlumberger Harvest Luncheon your tradition and experience food & wine nirvana for yourself.  Call us at 1-800-447-3060 or click on the highlighted text - Harvest Luncheon - for reservations.  Just $65 per person - bring your friends, a hearty appetite, and your favorite stories to share.

Brooke at the Showcase

Something happens in wine country when Harvest begins…..We are all waiting and looking forward to the moment when the first grapes begin to come in and the smell of fermenting fruit and yeast fills our nose.  In Dry Creek, full grape trucks become common sights in front of us on our commutes down the back-country roads.  Full bins, vineyard workers picking fruit, and vineyard dogs running wildly back and forth barking out orders is a typical yet seemingly chaotic late summer/early Fall scene.  

The harvest of the fruit isn’t the only thing happening though…..September and October in wine country each year promise to be what many consider the most exciting months of the year for a variety of reasons.  Take a look at an event calendar for this area sometime (wineroad.com or healdsburg.com are great for the smaller local winery stuff).  Wow.  I can never believe how many different and amazing things are going on around here.  Things that I probably won’t ever make it to …..since I’m too busy planning stuff for our guests at Michel-Schlumberger!

This last weekend we headed off to the Sonoma Showcase Weekend at MacMurray Ranch to show some of our wines along with many many other Sonoma County wineries and restaurants/caterers.  The winery was  also packed full of guests starting with (as per usual) Friday music and then a weekend of tours, cheese tastings, reserve tastings, and large groups who’ve chosen us as one of their preferred spots (thankyou!) to stop.  I just finished loading the menu for our Stargazer’s dinner later this month-so if anyone’s  curious…….. let me know.  We’ve also got the Harvest Luncheon’s starting in less than 2 weeks!  I think we may as well all set up our beds in our offices for the next 2 months.

People often ask me (someone just did today!) what kind of things we do at the winery.  Do we have parties?  Do we do stuff for our wine club?  Do we travel?

Yes.

I can’t really mention ALL of the things we have upcoming at (and away from) the winery but I’ll say that just looking at them all sometimes makes me dizzy.  And excited……………

As usual, this Friday we’ve got our live music in the courtyard, this week it’s John Youngblood ( a bit country and a bit bluegrass).  Last week (a very warm and sultry evening for sure) we all had a great laugh when we had a little musician ‘mishap’ and had to call in one of our favorite local musicians to help us out.  Thanks Steve!

He was just down the road in Healdsburg so he was able to set up and start his magic before people got impatient.  In the meantime it gave everyone a chance to take a look at our displayed local artist’s work in the tasting salon, and to get their picnics all set up before the show. I was getting hungry just looking at the amazing spreads people brought!

Next weekend we’ve got the Bay Cruise event down in Sausalito-can’t wait!

We’ve got harvest (yes it is that time of year already!) starting within a few weeks, and a long series of our now famous ’Harvest Luncheons’ starting up soon after (sept 11th will be the 1st).  We’re also laying plans to visit our Southern Californian fans in the next few months.

I’m heading off to LA myself here this weekend to sample the smorgasboard of fun things we could potentially do down there.  Stay Tuned…………..

One of the unique features of Michel Schlumberger are the hillsides, and whenever we take people up one of our hills it’s just the beginning of a visceral experience into how wine is grown here.  It’s kind of steep and you do have to get in gear a bit to make it to the top but once you do, the view is amazing.  I tell folks about how our vineyard crew, our winemaker and our viticulturalist have to hike up and down these hills everyday.  They get quite a workout no doubt.

This type of leg work is crucial for growing high quality vines.  Mike and I were driving around wine country yesterday and we saw a vineyard manager just cruising around the vineyard in his truck, windows rolled up and AC on for sure.  That’s one of the beauties of hillside farming.  It’s too steep for anything but feet.