Jul 25, 2024 | Dysfunctional Family Winery, Sonocaia, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia Estate Vineyard, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley, Uncategorized
Living in the Sonoma Valley wine country is definitely a pleasure. We meet wonderful people on their vacations. And we share our wine and vineyard and farm life. And like everything in life, there is work involved. Sometimes hard work. And it’s not always romantic. But at the end of the day, it is worthwhile. Please enjoy these photos and captions of the most recent weeks at the winery…
Visitors to Sonocaia and Dysfunctional
Standing front of the winery “totem pole”, wonderful winery clients visiting from Kukui ‘Ula resort in Koloa, Kauai, a knowledgable and very fun group. Their visit was so entertaining. Every few minutes, another couple of their friends wondered in. We started as a group of 7 and ended at 13 before the afternoon was over. And they walked away with smiles and much wine including large-format bottles. Great group.
Euphoria Yoga Day Retreat – Part 2
We partnered with Euphoria for a Yoga Day Retreat.
Euphoria Yogi Monika Kaufman
Travel with us to Umbria Italy: Wine, Wellness, and Culinary Retreat with Euphoria
Special offer just for Sonocaia Winery blog subscribers
September 29th – October 4th, 2024
Join Euphoria Retreats, a Sonoma-based luxury retreat company, for a visit to Umbria Italy. Immerse yourself in the luxury of Italian cuisine, culture, wine, and nature at the famed Borgo di Carpiano. This retreat offers a blend of wellness and indulgence, featuring activities like a cooking classes with Chef Luca, wine tastings, and walks through the wooded landscape. Guests will explore the medieval village of Gubbio, enjoy three glorious fresh light meals a day prepared by your very own in house chef. There will be plenty of time to relax by the pool and evening toasts. The retreat promises a rejuvenating experience in a setting rich with history and modern comforts. In the mornings you are invited to mix in some wellness and try on some light exercise, including stretching and flowing with resistance bands under the guidance of Lisa Carlsson, co-owner of Euphoria Retreats. For more information call 707.309.0010, we love to chat about travel!
Note: Cynthia and I travelled on a version of this Euphoria tour two years ago. We like to think that Tuscany is to Napa as Umbria is to Sonoma. As dedicated growers of the rare Umbrian Sagrantino red grape variety, we were on a pilgrimage to taste the original Sagrantinos of their home in Umbria. And we concluded our travels at the very glorious Umbrian mountain hideaway, Borgo di Carpiano. We can highly reccomend this travel excursion. And as subscribers to this blog, you get 25% off using the special discount code!
View from the Borgo Di Carpiano terrace
It’s always time for pasta!
Rack and Return
A little bit of wine science – the primary wine fermentation, when yeast converts sugar to alcohol, take places in the first few weeks after harvest. Then the wine is pressed and moved into barrels to settle and ‘elevage.’ Sometimes spontaneously, but traditionally after winter when the cellar begins to warm a bit, a secondary fermentation begins, called Malo-Lactic fermentation. Malic acid (like the tartness in a green apple) is converted to Lactic acid (like the acid found in dairy). The result is a profound softening of the wine along with an increase in desirable aromatics.
And, after the secondary Malo-Lactic fermentation is complete, it is traditional to perform a ‘rack and return.’ Simply put, the wine is drained from the barrels into a vessel, the barrels are cleaned, and the wine is then returned to the barrels to complete the ‘elevage’ or cellar aging.
The most critical activity during rack and return is the very labor intensive act of sanitizing the entire winery and all of the equipment, moving the wine out and back to barrels, and then sanitizing everything again. It is fair to say that the number one activity in a winery is sanitization. Keep things spotless, like a hospital, and most trouble can be avoided.
A bit more science – we just completed deleafing the fruit zone on the north side of the Sagrantino vineyard the result is to bring in plenty of air and light to the grape bunches on the north side of the canopy but avoids sun burn on the south side of the rows by leaving the leaves in place; going for perfect ripening here. We also irrigated for the first time since the winter rains. We’ve captured surface rain water for just this occasion. We’re trying to stretch out irrigation as the vineyard gets older. Eventually, we should be able to dry farm 100%. Dry farming saves water. And makes grapes very deep, dark, and delicious.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Sonoma is blessed with many non-profits including several that enrich the lives of the residents. The SVMA museum is a treasure in our small town, with a constant flow of challenging and intriguing works on display. The annual museum gala was held at the Buena Vista Winery. Built in 1861 (see stone walls in photo) revived by the Bartholomews in 1949, and brought back to life again in 2011 by Jean-Charles Boisset and Gina Gallo.
The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art held its annual gala at the stunning Buena Vista winery. It was a spectacularly successful event, with delicious food and drink al fresco.
Hot Air Ballooning
Hot air ballooning is a year-round spectacle in Sonoma Valley. A few days ago, Cynthia signed up with a friend and joined Sonoma Ballooning for a ride. Hear a few photos from the ballon and from the ground.
Click here for Cynthia’s Bballoon flight log video
A blurry but close view of the Sonoccaia winery, Sagrantino vineyard, and surrounding Hydeout farm
Three balloons in plain view over the guest house
Closer view of the balloon from the ground
Closer still
Another perspective of the Sonocaia grounds
A taste of San Francisco
Yes, San Francisco is in the news, currently challenged with an endless homelessness and crime problem/debate plus empty offices and vacant retail spaces due to (depending on who you ask) covid, work from home, taxation, crime, etc. But, “The City” still provides many glorious ways to enjoy it.
Driving back from a tasting event in San Francisco, we could not resist pulling over and marveling at the beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts on Lyon Street, host the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It’s like a little taste of Rome or Paris in our own backyard.
Our wines
Still haven’t tasted our fabulous Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family wines? Call us to plan your visit:
Jul 7, 2024 | Sagrantino, Sonocaia, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia Estate Vineyard, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma Farming, Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley, Yoga Retreat
Yoga Retreat at Sonocaia – by the team from Euphoria
Just a few spots remain for this Sunday’s retreat at Sonocaia. July 14th. 4:00pm – 6:30pm. Details below. Click here to learn more and claim a spot.
About Euphoria: What began as a dreamy idea in 2008 over a glass of Brunello in Tuscany is now a women-owned lifestyle retreat company with more than 100 retreats enjoyed by thousands around the world. Here’s to dreams, wine, travel and friendships.
With 20+ years of yoga instruction under her belt Monika Kaufman has even more passion for sharing yoga with others than ever before. She believes that enthusiasm, curiosity and a sense of wonder fuels a yoga practice that feeds your soul. Her classes will meet you wherever you are at on your yoga journey by keeping it fun, and accessible with just the right amount of challenge to keep you fully engaged and growing.
Olive oil from the Sonocaia estate
New: 100% extra virgin, 100% organic, pure, hand bottled; available only at the winery
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality, most flavorful, and most costly type of olive oil – because it’s unrefined – never heated treated or processed with chemicals. And never blended with other oils. It has a green grassy color and bright peppery flavors and is ideal for dipping or drizzling over finished dishes. Stop by and try some Sonocaia EVOO soon.
July 4th in Sonoma
Sonoma is a small town with a very big parade and an even bigger fireworks show. Sonoma also has a vast array of non-profits. The Sonoma International Film Festival supports the local high school film department. And puts on a dazzling fully-walkable film festival every March. This was our first year actually having a float in the parade. We were small but mighty!
Top row: Bob Berg, Board Chair, and Ken Wornick, Board Vice Chair Bottom row, Cynthia Wornick, Siri Berg, board member Ursula Zopp, and SIFF Exec Director Ginny Krieger (note the popcorn purse, winner!)
I just hooked up the vineyard trailer to the Polaris Ranger and off we went. That’s our E.D., Ginny Krieger, looking resplendent riding on the back of the Polaris. Cynthia and Siri holding down the fort in back. The rest of our gang is walking out in front with the Film Fest banner. Next year, we’ll be back with popcorn and music too.
How hot was it really last week? 107F! And you’re dry farming grape vines during a heat wave? Yes.
Check this out. In case there was any doubt, the outside thermometer hit 107F in the shade. Everything suffered under the oppressive heat. But three days later it was back to the mid-50’s at night. And everything recovered. We are still mostly dry-farming the vineyard, watering only during the winter and perhaps counter-intuitively often while it’s raining. With this approach, the vineyard builds up larger stores of soil moisture during the winter – with both natural rain and controlled irrigation, simultaneously. And then in summer the roots chase the water down deep as the sun bakes off the surface moisture. The theory is it makes for healthier grape vines long term, and more stress resistant versus making life easy by watering all summer. And likely increases color and flavors in the wine too.
75F inside, 107F outside
Dry farming the Sonocaia estate Sagrantino in the 107F heat wave
News from Sonocaia
Coyotes have been around much more frequently lately. Thinking it’s the boom in the rabbit population. Also, no explanation yet, but it seems everyone around the Sonoma Valley has massive spider webs everywhere outside – walls, lights, furniture, etc. Even after a good broom or high pressure wash, they come back overnight. Must be an insect bloom of some kind supporting this large population of spiders?
The moment before an event is always fun. Here, minutes away from a Sonocaia wine and food tasting
Sonocaia estate barrel room
Sonocaia estate reserve 2022 Sagrantino. You haven’t tried it yet? What are you waiting for?
Jun 25, 2024 | Dysfunctional Family Winery, Hydeout Sonoma, Sonocaia, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia Estate Vineyard, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma Farming, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley, things to do in Sonoma, Yoga Retreat
Today’s topics: 1) A wellness retreat with Euphoria Retreats hosted by Sonocaia’s Hydeout Farm, 2) a new secret wine project, 3) our ‘Double Buffalo’ Red Blend, 4) plus gardening, bees, chickens, and cowboys…
Euphoria’s “A Taste of Wellness” event at The Hydeout Farm. Yoga. Sound Healing. Wine tasting. July 14th. 4:00PM. A few spots remain. Join us for the fun. No experience needed. See below…
Click here to go directly to the event page and access a ticket.
Your instructor Monika Kaufman – With 20+ years of yoga instruction under her belt Monika has even more passion for sharing yoga with others than ever before. She believes that enthusiasm, curiosity and a sense of wonder fuels a yoga practice that feeds your soul. Her classes will meet you wherever you are at on your yoga journey by keeping it fun, and accessible with just the right amount of challenge to keep you fully engaged and growing.
A new very special wine project is in the works!
Three good friends, with over sixty years in grape growing and winemaking, are joining forces for a new wine project to be released in late 2025. John Boich of Napa’s Boich Family Cellars, John Painter of Sonoma’s Las Madres vineyard, and me, Ken Wornick from Sonocaia Winery, are joining forces to create a one-of-a-kind wine. Blending trials are complete. That’s all we can say for now. Watch here and on @sonocaia on Instagram for more news.
Sonocaia’s Ken Wornick, Las Madres Vineyard’s John Painter, and Jon Boich from Boich Family Cellars
The inaugural “Double Buffalo” Dysfunctional Family Red Blend, sourced as always from several friend’s special boutique vineyards throughout Sonoma Valley. Just two barrels produced! And a very fun label too. Half way to sold out. This vintage is very soft and fruity but carries nicely into a long finish. A terrific food-friendly wine, especially great with pizza, burgers, and BBQ. It’s a red wine that can handle a bit of ice in the glass at sunset and still hang around for dinner too. Pinot Noir lovers can slide on over to this wine and still be happy! Blend is 100% Sonoma Valley – 60% Syrah, 24% Zin, 8% Merlot, 6% Cab, and low-ish alcohol. Get it here; pick up at the winery, or we’ll ship to you.
So much incredible produce pouring out of the Hydeout gardens this week
Featured here, the just harvested and delicious red cabbage, packed with tons of Vitamins C and K, and mega-fiber too. Go to @sonocaia and @kenwornick on Instagram and follow us to see the most recent produce including onions, arugula, and lettuce. Basil and tomatoes just around the corner!
Bees and Honey
Wow, what a spring it has been in the bee hives. Three hives roared back to life after a long cold wet winter, then a few things turned south. Despite rigorous care and good science, two hives swarmed, and what was left behind was robbed. Forty pounds of honey lost to another hive somewhere in the neighborhood. Who has our honey? But meanwhile, the remaining hive is huge and healthy and growing daily being ‘queen-right’ with lots of brood developing every day. With thanks to my generous mentors Chere Pafford and Nic Freedman.
Going through what’s left of the swarmed and robbed hive boxes. Such is life. Even with careful planning and attention to detail, nature will do as it pleases.
Chickens
These chicks in the photos below are now four weeks old. We’re slowly bringing the brooding temperature down 5 degrees every week, from a start of 95F, now down to 75F, and lower in the next few weeks until they no longer need the heat lamp. Just like almost all small creatures, they sing and dance and chase each other around, and eat and drink a lot. Soon they’ll get their full fluffy feathers, handle the cool night air, and start developing a ‘pecking order’ (yes, who is the alpha chick and who gets pecked out of line for food and water).
Cowboys
The winery and vineyard are in good shape, as are the gardens and chickens and bees, so a brief pause for the summer solstice. Time for a short trip to New Mexico, a couple hours northeast of Santa Fe, at about 7800 feet elevation. This was the highly-regarded Chuckwagon Trail Riders event. I might have been tossed off my horse on the first day of riding and had to slink around camp in bruised-ego shame for a few days. Ugh. Pilot error. Won’t happen again!
Stache, Disso, Kork, Oakie, Midnight, and Flaco (Actual assigned trail names, real names have been omitted to protect the barely innocent).
Links:
Attend the Euphoria Yoga Retreat at The Hydeout
Buy Sonocaia wine
Buy Dysfunctional Family Wine
Follow us on Instagram: @sonocaia and @kenwornick
Apr 14, 2024 | Hydeout Sonoma, Sagrantino, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia Estate Vineyard, Sonocaia grand opening, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma, Sonoma Farming, Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley
You need to know what’s happening at Sonocaia Estate Winery – follow us on Instagram
@sonocaia
At Sonocaia Estate Winery, our primary focus is growing grapes and making wine, specifically our estate reserve Sagrantino, a deep dark yet incredibly drinkable red wine.
Find our winery here: Sonocaia home page
Learn about Sagrantino here: All about Sagrantino
View a brief summary of our farming projects here: Farm projects
But Sonoma is also a place with so much going on, it’s hard to keep up. Here is a quick photo journey from the past few weeks…
Bud Break @Sonocaia
You’re probably seeing photos of vineyard bud break all over social media. It’s an invigorating time for everyone involved in growing grapes and making wine. Sagrantino is a late-ripening variety. So we are just about last in line for bud break. It’s kind of like watching everyone else have their babies and wondering will ours every be born! And then boom, you’re suddenly a parent. Now begins the journey through 7 months of judicious farming…
Trashion Fashion – clothing from recycled materials
Hosted by the Sonoma Community Center, building community by offering opportunities to connect, learn, and grow, “Trashion Fashion” celebrates the intersection of fashion, art, and sustainability. There were over creative 45 entries.
This is the first time I have ever designed or made a garment of any kind. Luckily, Cynthia was a willing model. The dress, head band, train, and shopping bag are made entirely from used plastic chicken feed bags (and some trimmed pieces from potting soil bags and salt crystal bags). That’s it. We had a great time. Didn’t win any awards. But we had a good laugh! (And the boots are Cynthia’s actual chicken boots for when she actually feeds the chickens and collects eggs).
Springtime on the farm
Blooms are going crazy around the 11-acre Hydeout farm and the Sonocaia winery building. Some of these images are from our fruit trees, others from various ornamental and native plants around the farm:
Go-Kart Racing at Sears Point Sonoma Raceway
A very good friend invited me and some pals to learn how to race High Speed Go-Karts at Sears Point Sonoma Raceway. The carts sit just a few inches off the ground and fly at 60 mph. We had some great classroom time, some track sessions, more class instruction, then off to the races. The Sear Point Sonoma Raceway is just a few miles south of the town of Sonoma.
Spring vegetable garden
Nothing like growing your own food. You can do it too. Even just one tomato plant in a pot. Give it a try. I seeded our raised bed vegetable gardens in the dead of winter, and covered them with frost cloth until the last frost passed. We’re now harvesting lots of lettuce and arugula, with cabbage and onions and radishes and artichokes close behind:
Sonoma International Film Festival
The Sonoma International Film Festival just wrapped. It was a record-breaking event in terms of attendance, quality of over 100 films from around the world, and sponsorships. Sonocaia donated many of cases of wine which were poured around the various venues.
Hydeout chickens
As the weather warmed, egg production took off. In the winter they put their energy into growing down feathers and staying warm. In spring, they produce eggs like machines. And like most living things, chickens too have personalities. Some are shy and some are friendly. We have two roosters right now that guard the hen house from airborne predators, mainly hawks. Rocky (the old fella with wicked claws), and Harvey (the young buck who is very aggressive with the hens, we’ll leave it you to guess where he got his name). One day soon, Harvey will pick a fight with Rocky and they’ll fight it out for dominance.
The pretty winter weather coming into Sonoma from Petaluma
San Francisco, still worthy of a visit
I shot this photo on the side of the road last week. It was such a pretty moment. The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. It was constructed from concrete and steel, ahead of its time. Our public works projects don’t look like this anymore.
After your visit to the Sonoma Valley, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and stop here for a photo before you head south for the SFO airport!
Keep up with the news and photos from Sonocaia on Instagram.
Just point your camera at this QR code:
Thanks for being a subscriber to this blog. See you next time!
Ken
Ken Wornick
Owner/winemaker
SONOCAIA estate winery
Insta – @Sonocaia
Blog – https://www.sonocaia.com/blog/
20656 Hyde Road
Sonoma, Ca 95476
Feb 23, 2024 | Sonocaia, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia Estate Vineyard, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley, Uncategorized
Thinking about booking a corporate event or a private family function? Our winery and farm might be just the right place…
Sonocaia is more than just a warm and inviting estate vineyard and boutique winery.
We’re also eleven acres of compelling ecological and agricultural projects.
Venues
We offer corporate team building functions and private family events, all mixed with learning about sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Explore the symbiotic relationship between nature and viticulture. Savor serious wines and farm-to-table produce while fostering a commitment to ecological and agricultural values. Schedule an educational seminar on a variety of grape, wine, and farming topics.
The winery and farm has a continuous and evolving set of projects underway at all times. Visitors are encouraged to inquire in advance about topics of interest.
Click here to inquire about booking your customized event
Catering
We partner with great chef-caterers offering delicious food options as part of your event plan.
Add an ecological or agricultural topic to your visit
Begin with a farm tour of bee hives, fruit orchards, and olive trees. Meet in the elevated pool house for a customized educational seminar. Take a stroll through the vineyard. Learn about composting, creek restoration, and surface water recovery. Or head straight to the winery to taste wine and enjoy a carefully curated chef’s meal.
In addition to grapes and wine, here are a few examples of the potential topics for your corporate or family visit:
Learn about estate Sagrantino, our special Umbrian red wine
Our estate grown Sagrantino is a boutique-scale effort; it is a traditionally-made deep red wine that transports tasters to the hills of Montefalco, Umbia, Italy. A rare find in California, this varietal is relatively unknown in the new world and is sparking curiosity from both the casual traveller and the serious wine critic. We have painstakingly cultivated our highly regarded Sagrantino vineyard over the years with careful sustainable farming practices. The resulting rich wine makes a bold but approachable statement.
Learn more about our estate Sagrantino here: information about Sagrantino
Shop for our Sonocaia estate reserve Sagrantino and other wines here: shop for wine now
Or leave a message of inquiry for winery: 415-793-7985
Jan 9, 2024 | Dysfunctional Family Winery, Sagrantino, Sonocaia, Sonocaia Estate, Sonocaia grand opening, Sonocaia Winery, Sonoma, Sonoma Farming, Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma lifestyle, Sonoma Valley, things to do in Sonoma
In case you missed this post, it is a fun review of the holiday season in Sonoma Valley and the Sonocaia winery. Give yourself 10 minutes to catch up with wine country. Warmly, Ken Wornick
Join us for a year-end wine country photo journey in our final Sonocaia blog post of 2023:
Locals tasting event
With the help of some very wonderful friends, we sold out another ‘grand opening’ winery event – mainly for locals that missed the initial launch of Sonocaia estate winery.
I presented a story of ‘wine in context’ – when tasting wine it is important to know “why” this wine was produced. In our case, we started almost twenty five years ago in the Santa Cruz Mountains developing vineyards for private clients. A decade later we had more than 40 vineyards built and were making a lot of personalized wine for those clients in our urban winery in Redwood City. Some of those wines won Gold and Double-Gold from the SF Chronicle wine competition. We sold the vineyard development and winery businesses to an investor. See this link for more. Over the next ten years, we built a second client-based vineyard development and wine making business, this time in Sonoma Valley. And sold that business in 2023. See this link for more.
Our newest project is the Sonocaia estate winery – focussed exclusively on Sagrantino, a rare red variety of very high repute from Montefalco Umbria Italy. Meanwhile, our second brand, Dysfunctional Family Winery, still lives on with the motto “serious wine, irreverent style” offering fun blends for all taste preferences and budgets. See link here.
A sold-out crowd enjoyed the stories, wines, food, and conversation…
Working our way through the wine lineup
Answering a question about the unique clonal history of the Sonocaia Sagrantino grapevines
New friends being made all around the table
The tasting continues deep into the library wines
At the end of the tasting, a couple of wild local yahoos in their ridiculous jacked-up sport cars hit the gas and ripped up our nice new parking lot! Nah, not really, just kidding NF and GM.
But wait, there’s more…
A large, warm, and wonderful family from all over the U.S. (and three generations!) spent an afternoon with us the day after Thanksgiving ’23. We had a ball tasting through many wines, having lots of technical questions and answers about growing grapes and making wine, and generally having some great laughs. The toddler played with my guitar and beat a wine barrel with the drum sticks. Thank you Ginny and Larry.
Sonocaia in the Sonoma Index-Tribune newspaper
Our local Sonoma newspaper took an interest in our new Sonocaia winery project. Find the full article here.The author, Emma Malloy, did a great job detailing the history of our winery project. They lead with this headline: More than a winery: Sonocaia, and agricultural gem.
KSVY 91.3FM Community radio
Our local radio station KSVY 91.3FM has great wall-to-wall programming including talk, music, news, food, politics, and so much more. Not everyone is aware of the quality of the programming, yet. I’ve been a frequent guest on station manager and KSVY Exec Director Bob Taylor’s “Morning Show” many times. If you are a Sonoma local, it is well worth tuning in and supporting. They recently launched a new transmission antenna and expanded their reach from Sonoma, now reaching into Petaluma, Novato, and Napa. And last month, KSVY held a very unusual fund raiser. At the vaunted and historic Sebastiani Theatre, built in 1933, five great bands played country and western music all afternoon to the hoots and hollers of a large crowd. Learn more about KSVY here.
The crowd begins to gather at the Sebastiani Theatre
Bob Taylor, Executive Director of Sonoma community radio KSVY 91.3 (and lead guitarist of ACDC cover band “Illegitimate AC/DC”)
Patrons Diana Bugg and Leslie Carlson; and Roger Rhoten, widely beloved manager for over 30 years of the Sebastiani Theatre
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
SVMA, our treasured Sonoma art museum, situated on Broadway very close to the Sonoma Plaza, held a very fun ‘poetry, food, and wine’ event in the museum’s gallery. Sold out weeks in advance, the poetry was provocative, warm, and hilarious. A far cry from the sleepy prose that I recall from English class in 7th grade. I poured Sonocaia and Dysfunctional Family wines at the event. See more here. Carole Copelan poured her Owl’s Perch and Harpsichord wines. And Chef Kyle Kuklewski served some delicious bites which paired beautifully with the wines and the poetry. The art in the background in some of the images below are from Richard Mayhew and the exhibition is called Inner Terrain.
Sonoma International Film Festival
Named “One of the 25 Coolest Festivals” by MovieMaker Magazine and one of “America’s Top Ten Destination Film Festivals” by USA Today, and coming up on March 20th – 24th, 2024; all passes to the Sonoma International Film Festival are on sale right now. It is a fully park-and-walk festival with great venues, truly excellent films, delicious food, and first class wine. You don’t want to miss it!
The staff and board of the film festival gathered for our holiday party. Many of Sonoma’s non-profits were also represented. And as always, the event was hosted by Kevin and Rosemary McKneely, our most important and generous patrons.
In the center, film festival board members Lisa Mango and Patty Elkus
Film festival patrons
Kevin McNeely, Executive Director Emeritus of the Sonoma Valley International Film Festival, hoists a giant Methuselah of 2018 Dysfunctional Family Winery ‘Red Blend’, equal to 6 liters or 8 bottles. The SIFF film festival and Dysfunctional have teamed up several times for outdoor movie nights on the lawn, and we’ll return to that program someday soon.
Sonoma International Film Festival – Kevin McNeely (Emeritus Creative Director), Bob Berg (Board Chair), John Curry (Emeritus Board Chair), and me, Ken Wornick (Board Vice-Chair)
Community Hanukkah
Supporting the Jewish community in their time of extreme stress, and for the right of Israel to exist, we attended a Hanukkah holiday event at the local Shir Shalom temple, then we cooked traditional potato latkes (don’t tell the cardiologists) and joined the larger Sonoma community for a public inter-faith community-wide menorah lighting and some street dancing too, on the last day of Hanukkah. The local Sonoma police and the County Sheriff’s offices blocked off a portion of Spain Street near the Plaza and provided a watchful vigil during the ceremonies, for which all attendees were quite grateful.
Below, winery client Patty Elkus submitted this beautiful image she titled “Lil Vignette of Santa and his Rosé” for the holidays. Seemed like just the right image for us to include with the Hanukkah story!
Bees and wax candle making
We put our Hydeout farm bee hives to bed for the winter, allowing the bees to build a seal around every crack and crevice of their hives, thus sheltering themselves from wind and rain and cold during the winter. Before that, we did the necessary hive work and collected some of the extra wax for various projects, seen here. I want to particularly thank Nic Freedman of Bees Rock Ranch and Chere Pafford, a renowned holistic bee keeper, both of whom acted as my mentors during this entire season.
Olives and oil
We harvested over a ton of Hydeout olives this year. Like everything on the farm, our approach is 100% organic. Due to last winters excellent rain, and the light crop in 2022, the 2023 crop was not only large, but nearly completely free of olive fruit flies. All in all a great olive harvest yielding deeply unctuous green oil.
Fall harvest – our final harvest of fruits and veggies from mid-December here at the farm
The very last of the tomatoes, persimmons, and figs picked just before the first rain (with a few peppers and some fresh eggs too).
What’s next for 2024?
The 2022 and 2023 vintages of Sagrantino are resting in barrels for the winter. The wild grasses and mustard are pushing up through the wet dirt from the recent three inches of rain. The winter solstice arrived on December 21st. Now the days get longer once again. We’ll prune the grape vines, mow the cover crop, and start in on another vintage. The 2024 vintage will be my 25th vintage.
Wishing all of you a wonderful New Year.
And when the holidays are done and things have returned to normal, we’ll still be here – ready to supply you with delicious wine. You can always order wine and pick it up at the winery. And we can ship too. Just click on this link! https://www.sonocaia.com
Happy new year everyone! – Ken
