A rejuvenating whitewater getaway

Me (front left) going over Devil's Cesspool, one of the day's many highlights.

 What is it about a spontaneous getaway? Somehow they always seem to crackle with energy and unexpected discoveries. Surely it has something to do with the fact that such getaways are unplanned. You haven't been anticipating the trip for weeks or months; you haven't delved into restaurant reviews or methodically laid out a list of activities to enjoy.

Instead, out of necessity, you leaped into the unknown, knowing little or even nothing about your destination.

I'm thinking about such things because last week I took off on a spontaneous getaway and it couldn't have worked out better. It was only a quick 1.5-day trip from the Bay Area, but I came home feeling as rejuvenated and refreshed as if I'd been away for a week.

It all started one day last week when my San Francisco-based travel writer pal, Donna Peck (editor of Celebration Traveler), asked me to run up to the Gold Country for a one-day whitewater rafting trip. We'd get rooms in Placerville, spend the night, go rafting the next day, and return to the Bay Area that same evening.

Two days later we arrived in Placerville and checked into the venerable and historic Cary House Hotel. Built in 1857, the solid-brick building's past guests have included Mark Twain, Billy the Kid, and Elvis Presley; it's also believed to be the place where the egg/oyster/bacon dish, Hangtown Fry, was invented. Both our rooms were very comfortable, furnished with antiques, and possessed kitchenettes and full baths. The downstairs lobby was filled with historic memorabilia such as documents, photographs and clothing.

We'd both been completely focused on going whitewater rafting, and hadn't really given any thought to Placerville. Neither one of us had ever been there before, although I'd driven by many times over the  years on my way to South Lake Tahoe.

So it was a pleasant surprise to discover what a gem this Gold Rush town is. We spent the afternoon exploring Main Street, which still looks a lot like it did back in the rough '49er mining days when Placerville was called Hangtown (not because of the egg dish, but because of the enormous numbers of hangings that occurred here).

We browsed antique shops galore, perused restaurant menus, and spent quite a bit of time in photographer Jim Powers' photo gallery at 360 Main Street (huge photos with vivid coloration of local landscapes, either matted and framed or--my favorite--printed on aluminum). We also enjoyed a tasting at Synapse Wines (304 Main Street), a consistent award winner in major competitions such as the SF Chronicle and California State Fair competitions. I thought the '08 and '09 Syrahs were remarkably good.

 We asked everyone we talked to where we should eat, and a few names came up repeatedly. We arbitrarily chose one of them, Brick's (482 Main Street), and that was definitely the right thing to do. A friendly wait staff, an open & airy atmosphere with lots of art, and delicious, moderately-priced and healthy  food. I had the Turkey Burger with mushrooms, parsley, jalapeno & pepper jack cheese on whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato & red onion with chipotle aioli ($9.95). Donna went for the Quinoa Burger with avocado, onion and chipotle aioli ($9.95). They had a great selection of local wines and local craft beers.

We topped off the evening at Cozmic Café & Pub (594 Main Street), which was having its weekly Open Mic night--no cover, great entertainment, really fab. It's in the old Pearson's Soda Works Building, built in 1859. Downstairs is the café (think imaginative wraps, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, etc.), with a very inviting atmosphere; you can also walk down the hall and grab a table under the rocks in the former gold mine on the premises. Upstairs is the pub and a room with good sound for entertainment such as the Open Mic session. There's always something going on in this place, as the calendar indicates.

Next morning we had time before rafting to take a tour of the Gold Bug Mine, just a mile or two from Main Street. We both loved the self-guided tour (with audio) of this hard-rock Mother Lode mine, which has wood flooring and lighting installed. It was simple, straightforward, and extremely informative.

We became seriously lost on the way over to meet our fellow rafters on the American River (at Henningsen-Lotus Park in Lotus), heading the wrong way on Highway 49. Eventually we figured it out and got going the right way, but wondered if we'd make it on time. But we both agreed that we'd had such a good time so far that we'd go home content if we had missed the boat.

Lucky for us we made it, and soon we were wet-suited-up and paddling down the river. Our rafting company was Adventure Connection. Our guide, Riley Cathcart, was among the best river guides I've ever had. His instructions were simple and easy to follow; he was low key and amiable; and he knew that river inside out, so that we skirted around rocks with precision and played some fun games with rapids.

The South Fork's whitewater runs and rapids are mostly Class III, or Intermediate. The waves and rapids on rivers are classified into six categories ranging from Class I, which translates to easy and fast-moving water with ripples and small waves, to Class VI (so extreme and dangerous that it's intended for experts only).

I've rafted in the past on everything up to and including Class V, so I had a good idea that the South Fork's Class III would be fun, fairly easy, and still filled with thrills. And it was, for the entire 13 or 14 miles. The scenery all along the way was gorgeous. Usually we had long-reaching vistas before us, and once we were in a long rocky gorge. The river flowed swiftly and we moved right along. Despite wet suits and a rafting jacket, I was completely soaked through almost from the beginning, but the day was sunny and warm so I didn't feel cold until I stepped from the raft five hours later.

Donna dropped me off in Sonoma late that evening. Walking into the house 1-1/2 days after I'd left I was tired and a bit achy in the arms from paddling, but who cared?

I'd been off on another spontaneous getaway, the kind that crackles with energy and discovery.

California Rosé Wine Competition

For years Rosé has been the Rodney Dangerfield of wines -- it just couldn't get any respect. That's because many people, including me, had bad experiences early on with cloyingly sweet wines that bore the name Rosé.

It took me years to try a Rosé again. When I finally did I was somewhere in France on a very hot summer day. My travel companion insisted that my misgivings about Rosé were baseless and urged me to try again. As you might guess, the wine was light, refreshing and dry, and I've been a Rosé fan ever since.

And now my old friend Bob Ecker -- a long-time wine writer and a frequent judge at wine competitions over the years -- has just coordinated the first-ever professional Rosé wine competition held in California.

Held on May 6, 2013 at Napa Valley's Meritage Resort, "First Blush" was a blind judging of California Rose wine. A total of 89 Rose wines competed, resulting in 4 Double Gold Medals, 6 Gold Medals, 36 Silver Medals and 19 Bronze Medals.

There were three Double Gold winners in the Dry Rose category:

• Jelly Jar Wines of Lake County (category winner)
• Handley Cellars of Anderson Valley
• Curtis Winery of Santa Barbara

The fourth Double Gold was awarded to a sweeter wine, Menage a Trois from Trinchero Family Estates (Delta/Lodi/Coastal). The biggest winner among appelations was Paso Robles AVA, with 10 awards that included 2 Gold Medals.

You can read about all the winners here.

 I'm saving the best news for last. You can celebrate the winners and sample their wines (and enjoy good food and live music) on Saturday,  June 8, 1-4 p.m., at Meritage Resort. Tickets are $25, and you can purchase yours here.

Why eat insects?

It’s not as outlandish as it might seem.

According to a new report by the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), insects already form part of the traditional diet of more than 2 billion people around the world.

The most-eaten insects globally are beetles (31%); caterpillars (18%); bees, wasps and ants (14%); and grasshoppers, locusts and crickets (13%). Many insects are protein-rich, provide good fats, and are high in calcium, iron and zinc.

Geographically, insects are eaten the most in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Western countries, not so much. The report addresses the question of why insects aren’t popular in the First World; one reason: early, successful and widespread domestication of plants and animals.

According to the report, “Edible insects: Future prospects for food and feed security,” three main reasons exist for entomophagy (the practice of eating insects): health, environmental factors, economic/social factors.

Health:

• Insects are healthy, nutritious alternatives to mainstream staples such as chicken, pork, beef and even fish (from ocean catch).
• Many insects are rich in protein and good fats and high in calcium, iron and zinc.
• Insects already form a traditional part of many regional and national diets. 

Environmental:

• Insects promoted as food emit considerably fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than most livestock (methane, for instance, is produced by only a few insect groups, such as termites and cockroaches).
• Insect rearing is not necessarily a land-based activity and does not require the clearing of land to expand production. Feed is the major requirement for land.
• The ammonia emissions associated with insect rearing are also far lower than those linked to conventional livestock, such as pigs.
• Because they are cold-blooded, insects are very efficient at converting feed into protein (crickets, for example, need 12 times less feed than cattle, four times less feed than sheep, and half as much feed as pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein).
• Insects can be fed on organic waste streams. 

Economic/Social Factors:

• Insect harvesting/rearing is a low-tech, low-capital investment option that offers entry even to the poorest sections of society, such as women and the landless.
• Mini-livestock offer livelihood opportunities for both urban and rural people. Insect rearing can be low-tech or very sophisticated, depending on the level of investment. 

To learn more, download the 201-page report. It’s a fascinating document, rich with historic, cultural, and sociological information as well as detailed information about popular edible insects.

No recipes, though. Maybe I should get busy compiling a few for a cookbook. But to do that I'd have to become a entomophagist, which seems unlikely (I still haven't stopped talking about eating fruit bat soup in Palau a few years ago). I"m always open to adventure, but bugs? That just might be too large a cultural shift.

If you're open, though, consider purchasinng The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook, Revised: 40 Ways to Cook Crickets, Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, and Their Kin.

Celebrate Santa Cruz Mountains’ wines at “Roots That Rock”

 As if you needed an excuse to head to Santa Cruz, the 24th annual “Roots That Rock” Vintners’ Festival—sponsored by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association—is coming up the first two weekends in June.

On the agenda: more than 50 Association member wingrowers will offer special attractions such as barrel tastings, winery tours, new wine releases, meet-the-winemakers, live entertainment, artists and artisan food producers.

“This year’s Roots the Rock Vintners' Festival is an evolution of previous events,” said Megan Metz, the Association’s executive director. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for wine lovers to connect with our region’s great winegrowers and their award-winning wines, touring and tasting at individual wineries located throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as at a new street faire in Downtown Santa Cruz that will feature local wine, artisan foods, music and live entertainment.”


Metz noted that the area’s “unique mountain terrain, marine influence, varied micro-climates and distinctive biodiversity combine to produce some of the finest conditions in the world for winegrowing.”

The Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation was federally recognized in 1981. It was among the first appellations to be defined by mountain topography, following the fog line along the coast to encompass the highest vineyards on ridgetops as high as 2600 feet elevation.

The region encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, and extends from Woodside in the north to Watsonville in the south; from Monterey Bay along the coast to Silicon Valley inland. Here one can find intimate, artisan wineries tucked among the redwoods along scenic mountain roads, or perched atop ridges with sweeping views to the sea. Visitors can meet with and talk with the winemakers, and drive from the mountaintops (where it snows in winter!) to the coast and enjoy a sunset walk on the beach. Wine tasting here is as much an experience of the natural beauty of the region as it is a delightful discovery of unique world-class wines.

Here’s what you need to know about Roots That Rock:

Dates & Locations

• June 1, noon-5 p.m.: Participating wineries, Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties.
• June 2, noon-5 p.m.: Participating wineries, Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties.
• June 8, noon-5 p.m.: Participating wineries, Cruz County.
• June 9, noon-5p.m.: Participating wineries, Santa Cruz County.
• June 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Downtown Santa Cruz Street Faire, Pacific Ave. (between Locust & Walnut Sts.)

Tickets

• Winery Tour and Downtown Santa Cruz Street Faire tickets are $40 per person online in advance and $50 at the door. Ticket price includes four days of wine tasting at all participating wineries and entry at the Downtown Santa Cruz location (including 10 tasting tickets). Tickets available online at http://scmvintnersfestival.eventbrite.com.

Wineries set to celebrate Mother’s Day 2013

What a difference a few years can make!

Just a generation ago few, if any, wineries planned a Mother’s Day event. Today, in California at least, exceedingly few wineries don’t have something very special lined up to celebrate good ol’ Mom on Sunday, May 12. There are events designed for foodie moms, for bold moms, for moms who love to relax, and on and on…

As an example, here’s a look at a few events planned for “Bold Moms” this Mother’s Day:

• Zip-Lining with Mom Over Vineyards at Ancient Peaks Winery in Paso Robles Wine Region (Central Coast):  Soar over vineyards, valleys and oak trees on four epic zip-lines with Margarita Adventure Tours, then head over to the Ancient Peaks tasting room to discuss your adventures over artisan wines from the vines you both flew over ($99 per person).

• Ride and Taste Package with Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, Edna Valley Region (Central Coast): Mosey up Madonna Mountain on a one-hour guided horseback ride then unwind with a premium wine and fine cheese tasting in our Classic Gourmet & Wine Shop, featuring local wines from great wineries such as Hahn Estates, Opolo Vineyards, Tobin James Cellars, Adelaida Cellars, Ancient Peaks Winery, Baileyana and Robert Hall Winery ($95 per person).

• Horseback Ride and Music at Cooper-Garrod Estate Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Region (Central Coast):  Start your morning at Garrod Farms where you can take a guided horse ride through Cooper-Garrod’s certified sustainable vineyards ($45 per hour). Order a delicious lunch from Picnic Guild (by May 8 for delivery to the winery on Mother’s Day) to enjoy in front of the historic Fruit House tasting room with wines ($5tasting). That afternoon, the winery is hosting Music at the Vineyards, featuring flamenco guitarist Tans Gauntlett under the trees with wines for purchase by the bottle or glass.

• BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival (May 9-12): Take your mom on the kind of musical adventure where she can pair her favorite varietals with rock bands at various wineries such as Delectus, Domaine Chandon, Ceja Vineyards, Schug Carneros Estate, V. Sattui Winery, Rombauer Vineyards, Silver Oak, Miner Family Winery, Grgich Hills Estate and Boyd Family Vineyards.

To learn about more events, visit Discover California Wines, the website of the Wine Institute of California. You can either enter “Mother’s Day” into the search box at the top of the page or click the Events link on the right side and scroll to May 12.

California Wines are "Down to Earth" in April

 

Think California wine is just red, white or rosé? 

Think again. The Wine Institute of California wants you to learn  just how “green” the state’s wine is, too.

April is the second “California Wines: Down to Earth Month,” a statewide celebration of California’s leadership in sustainable winegrowing and winemaking, with practices that are environmentally and socially responsible. 

Wineries across the state will offer fun, sustainably focused festivities that highlight California wine’s eco-friendly practices and the people and places behind them. On the agenda are Earth Day festivals, “green wine trails,” dog-friendly vineyard hikes, wildlife talks, horseback rides and eco-tours, and more.

“Wine lovers can do more than taste; they can experience where and how wines are grown and made with our green-themed events this April,” said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute.

Here are just a few events coming up around the state:

• Napa’s Down to Earth with Napa Green Certified Wineries, April 19-21, is a fun way to learn about green design, conservation and creative re-use, and related tasting events.
• San Luis Obispo County’s FarmFest on the Coast, April 26-27 in Pismo Beach, will offer local, sustainably grown wine and edibles at Dinosaur Caves Park overlooking the ocean.
• Central Coast wineries are offering an Earth Day Food & Wine Festival, April 20, with more than 200 growers, vintners and chefs serving local wines and foods (accompanied by music, dancing and festivities). 
• Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association Passport Day, April 20, celebrates its earth-friendly wine region with organic wine trails, barrel samples and special tasting flights. The event supports Save Our Shores, a nonprofit dedicated to clean beaches. 
• Livermore Valley wineries are highlighting sustainable winegrowing and winemaking with special Down to Earth tours and tastings on April 21.
• Mendocino wineries are offering the Where the Earth IS First Fest, April 19-28, for visitors to enjoy a host of eco-friendly activities, as well as organic wine and food. 
• Northern Sonoma County hosts the Green Trail of Dry Creek Valley, April 1-30, offering a special, customized experience to explore the region’s certified organic and certified biodynamic wineries. 

Learn more about other activities and discounts at Discover California Wines. 

Mission-to-Mission Horseback Ride

If you love visiting California's ancient missions when you travel around the state, a story I wrote this week will appeal to you. It involves a group of equestrians setting out this Sunday from the mission in Sonoma (built in 1823, it was last of the 21 missions). They'll be heading south, visiting each mission until they arrive in San Diego, where the first mission was constructed in 1769.

Here's the story:

This weekend Sonoma has the honor of being the starting point for a unique and historic adventure, one that involves the city’s treasured Mission past.

Two long-time friends, writer Leslie Dunton-Downer and filmmaker Gwyneth Horder-Payton, are embarking on a Mission-to-Mission horseback ride. They’ll be heading in the reverse direction in which the Missions were built, leaving from Sonoma’s Mission San Francisco Solano (completed in 1823) and ultimately arriving at the earliest mission, San Diego de Alcala, which was founded in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.

 The story continues here.

Farm Stays in Sonoma County

Just about everybody enjoys a farm stay, from urban sophisticates who revel in the farm-to-table food, to couples who want a quiet but interesting stay in the country.

But, let’s face it, nobody could love a farm stay more than a kid. They encounter many new sights, experience much that they’ve probably never done, and there is plenty to learn. And whether it’s looking or doing or learning, it’s all tremendous fun.

Full House Farm in the Sonoma County community of Sebastopol – in striking distance of Russian River wineries – has long been known for its farm stays...

To read more, connect to this post on Sonoma County Tourism Bureau's "Inside Sonoma" website.

Grown Here vs. Made Here: A battle is brewing

Paul and Kendra Kolling in a Sonoma County Orchard. Photo: John Burgess/Press Democrat.

More and more quality growers across the nation are realizing that the fruit and vegetables they produce reflect not only careful nurturing and sustainable growing conditions--but also qualities inherent in the climate and soil where they are grown. Just like grapes, veggies and fruit also reflect terroir.

For example, Sonoma County has long been famous for producing apples (grapes aren't alone in responding favorably to coastal fog and volcanic soils). Some apple varietals, such as the Gravenstein, are most successfully grown here.

So if a company ships inexpensive, mass-produced apples from another state into Sonoma County, presses them, and slaps a label on the bottle that says "Made in Sonoma County," is that fair to someone who grows organic apples in a sustainable manner in Sonoma County?

I don't think so, and I'm certainly not alone. More and more people are beginning to see the value in packagers meeting legally-mandated requirements when placing the growing area on, say, a bottle of apple juice.

An example: if you want to put the words "Sonoma County" on a bottle of wine, 75% of the grapes in that wine must have been grown in Sonoma County. Doesn't that make sense for apples, too?

Read my story, Nana Mae Organics: Grown and made in Sonoma County, to learn more.

There's really nothing new about artisan cheese...

Historic Vella Cheese Company is run by Chickie Vella (right) and her son, Gabe, the third and fourth generations to be involved in the family enterprise. (Photo: Jeff Kan Lee/Press Democrat)

Sonoma, California, where I live, is definitely on the forefront of the sustainable/organic/artisan food trend. That's one of the reasons it was named in 2009 as the first Cittaslow ("slow city") in the United States by Cittaslow International.

It's the kind of place where people have been hand-crafting foods in the same way for so long that their methods had time to go out of fashion and circle around to being trendy once again.

For instance, Sonoma's award-winning and family-owned Vella Cheese Company has produced hand-crafted cheeses for more than 80 years in a gorgeous stone building--a former brewery--that dates back to 1904.

“They call us artisan cheesemakers now,” third-generation owner Chickie Vella told me. “But we’re just doing exactly the same things we were doing in 1931. People’s perceptions have changed, but we haven’t.”

Vella's father, who died last June, won more than a hundred gold and silver medals throughout his long career as a cheesemaker. He was so esteemed by cheesemakers throughout the United States that, in 2006, he was honored with the first-ever lifetime achievement award by the American Cheese Society.

Read the story of Vella Cheese Company here.