Geyserville Grapevine by deTraci Regula - October 2017
Some vineyards nearby were harvesting early while wildfires farther north were raging. When I walked out under the branches of our Great Tree one morning, the air was filled with the unusual combination of the smell of smoke and grape must. Even though I don’t welcome the smell of smoke for since our own close call last month, this combination was pleasant. It smelled like what you might find as a trendy new appetizer -or dessert- from one of our local restaurants. And on the hillsides, while the eclipse was a bit of a no-show, the reddish clouds and the different color of the glow on the grass covered hillsides provides a bit of the same other-worldly feeling as the sun sets beyond the western hills.
It’s also time to think of Harvest Festivals, which are held at a number of wineries in Sonoma County. Some of them are for charity, some are just a nominal cost, but all of them are a great way to celebrate what is still Sonoma County’s signature product – wine. The Sonoma County Harvest Fair takes place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Friday, October 6th through Sunday, October 8th. Nearer to Geyserville, Kendall Jackson offers their first-ever harvest festival on October 1st, benefiting the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. Geyserville’s own Pedroncelli offers a special end-of-harvest dinner to its Club Ped members.
Foodie Moment of the Month
Fans of Noble Folk’s ice cream in Healdsburg don’t have to travel quite so far. On my latest outing to Catelli’s here in beautiful downtown Geyserville, I was delighted to discover that it’s Noble Folk that puts the “Noble” into Catelli’s sundae. Even better, it comes in two forms, the standard Noble Sundae and the Mini-Noble. Even the mini seemed a little big for me when it arrived at the table, but, oddly enough, I found myself finishing it off completely. While fancy and trendy desserts have their place, sometimes all you want is an old-fashioned chocolate sundae. It felt like I was making a proper goodbye to ice-cream season as the days finally cool and the autumn breezes shake loose the leaves and needles from the trees.
And there is just time to remind everyone of Geyserville’s own Beer, Wine, and Spirits Festival coming up on Saturday, October 7th at the Geyserville Inn. The event is put on by the Geyserville Lodging Association and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Geyserville Education Fund. It is a great way to be introduced to some of the great local breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Tickets are $45 at Eventbrite, and attending vendors may also have discount codes available, so if you’re already a fan one of the breweries or wineries, you may want to check in with them before you purchase your ticket. For the procrastinators among us, some tickets may be available at the event if it doesn’t sell out. The tasting runs from noon until four at the Geyserville Inn at 21714 Geyserville Avenue.
