“It’s the cars’ turn,” says a man controlling traffic for a roaring parade of hot rods, muscle cars, and showroom-perfect classics. In a good-natured way, he’s explaining this to a frustrated bicyclist who has found his route through downtown blocked by last year’s Peggy Sue’s All-American Cruise.  But the cyclist has to concede the point: Santa Rosa hosted a stage of Amgen’s Tour of California,  which again took over Santa Rosa streets for the fast-paced overall finish of the week-long bike race, followed by a bike-oriented lifestyle festival. Now, proving that it’s not all European-style competitive cycling, wine tasting and craft brews here in the Place of Plenty, here comes Peggy Sue’s, with. . . well, wine tasting, craft brews, and good old, all-American cars!

Although “cruising” around and around Santa Rosa’s downtown courthouse in a Chevy, Ford, or your dad’s Buick Special was popular with teenagers back in the 1950s, this is just the 11th year of Peggy Sue’s All-American Cruise. Peggy Sue’s is an independently organized event for car enthusiasts of all ages, with lots of local food, craft beverage, and business sponsors pitching in to make it happen.

The Saturday night cruise is just one highlight of this four-day event. Much of the action takes place at A Place To Play Park, 2375 West Third Street,  where Bowzer and the Stingrays take the stage on Saturday, June 8 at 2pm. On Friday, registered auto owners can take part in a “poker run” through the back roads of Sonoma County—so you might catch a glimpse of some vintage cars if you’re out and about.

On Friday night, sample food, wine from local favorites like Kenwood Vineyards (LINK: http://www.kenwoodvineyards.com/) and micro brews from Bear Republic Brewing and others, too at the annual chili and pasta cook off. Awards at the cook off are given in categories such as “Carburetor Cleaner,” or flame-throwing hot, “High Octane,” or spicy but not too hot, and “Classic, thick and tasty for the retired taste buds.” Love it! Friday, June 7, from 6 to 9 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, Peggy Sue’s All-American Cruise is open to the public by admission: June 8, 10am–4pm and June 9, 9am-3pm. It’s not just a lot of tootin’ around town and hot exhaust—some seriously big trophies will be awarded in more than 40 categories. Labor-of-love car restorers and chop-em-up hot rodders alike compete in categories like best stock car up to 1949, modified “T” buckets, and all three of 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevy. Pickup truck and panel van owners, you’re included, and motorcycles, too. Quelle drag, there’s no category for your 1958 Citroën DS, because entries are limited to American-made cars and trucks 1976 and older.

Peggy Sue’s All-American Cruise admission at the gate, for 11 years and older is $10 per person Saturday, June 8th, $6 Sunday, June 9th.

Being “Senior” Just the Starting Line at Wine Country Senior Games

Also winding down this weekend, an event for people of a certain vintage, who are definitely not winding down! Conceived of by Santa Rosa’s Council on Aging, this week’s Sonoma County Wine Country Senior Games  provides a competitive venue for athletes in their golden years—silver and bronze, naturally, too!

What’s that, you say, bocce ball, square dancing and golf? Well, yes. Those are some of the competitive events. But also soccer, cycling, swimming, and the full roster of track & field events including 5,000 meter race and 400 meter hurdle, pole vault, discus, high jump, javelin-throwing, and more. Racquet and bat sports include tennis, softball, and “pickleball,” which sounds like the kind of pastime that would really date you, but was actually invented as recently as 1965. Seems like yesterday? You may qualify as an entrant! The Senior Games are limited to participants “50 and better,” which, considering that many an Olympic contestant’s career is cut short before age 30, is OK by me.

The Council on Aging, with a mission to “enhance the quality of life for Sonoma County’s aging community by providing services that promote well-being and maintain independence,” inaugurated the Games way back in the year 2011 with six events and nearly 500 participants. This year, they expect to host 1,600 participants in 17 sports and events, complete with an Athlete’s Village. What a great, goal-inspiring event, and it’s all taking place here in Santa Rosa and area towns. If you’ve missed it this year, that’s one whole more year to get in shape and register to compete, or just get inspired. Is it a hurdle just to get off the couch? Try pole-vaulting!

Summer in the City… Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of June in the Place of Plenty. Plan a picnic or take a jaunt down our country back roads—or even in town!—to visit some of our small, family-owned wineries. Have no fear of rain, and because of our location just 20 miles from the ocean, every time we get a heat wave, the “air conditioning” rolls right back in. That’s June in Santa Rosa—tank top weather, and don’t forget to bring a sweater!

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It’s almost here. You can almost hear it—just the whirring of high-performance bicycle gears from afar. When it arrives in downtown Santa Rosa on Sunday, May 19 there’ll be no mistaking it by the sustained burst of cheers. For months, the noise has been building. In November, 2012, we first got word that Santa Rosa had been selected to host Overall Finish of the Amgen Tour of California.  Months later, the final route was announced. On Sunday, May 12, the world’s top cycling teams begin tearing northward up the state—to the whisper of performance gearing and wind-shunning cycling jerseys—to the final two laps around Santa Rosa’s downtown, transforming the Plate of Plenty to the “place of pelotons” for a day.

Actually, while it’s a great honor to be selected as the Overall Finish line of Amgen Tour of California, it shouldn’t be a great surprise. Santa Rosa, with its surrounding countryside, is one of the nation’s top cycling destinations—and we host internationally competitive teams as their year-round or seasonal training home base.

Coincidentally, the Tour takes place during National Bike to Work Week. The weather looks like it’ll be perfect for taking advantage of Santa Rosa’s continuing efforts to add bike lanes and other improvements, making getting around on two wheels safer and more convenient for everybody. Certainly the competing cyclists are observing the Bike to Work Week—it’s their job, after all! It’s just that their commute is more than 750 miles. But the scenery’s nice.

Here’s an outline of the race:

Stage 1 – Escondido
Stage 2 – Murrieta to Palm Springs
Stage 3 – Palmdale to Santa Clarita
Stage 4 – Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara
Stage 5 – Santa Barbara to Avila Beach
Stage 6 – San Jose Time Trial
Stage 7 – Livermore to Mt. Diablo
Stage 8 – San Francisco to Santa Rosa

The peloton gets going at 8:15am from Marina Green, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge shortly thereafter (one of the few bridges across the Bay that allow cyclists—although, I very much doubt that the Amgen Tour of California athletes will have to dodge dawdling tourists on their way over!) and heading up State Route 1 along Tomales Bay. Meanwhile, the gears will already be grinding in Santa Rosa: At 7:30am Echelon Cycle & Multisport sponsors “Ride to the Finish,” amateur cyclists all the excitement of riding the closed race course through 30 miles of the official Tour course, finishing in downtown Santa Rosa. Registration is free but capped at 50 riders.

At 8:30am, the Lifestyle Festival opens up to all cycling enthusiasts. Located near the finish line, the Festival area is a place to spectate, congregate, educate and, of course, shop. For $1,000, participants can get the Finish Line Experience, a backstage pass to VIP areas, and greet the cyclists. Or just check out the latest bike gear, clothing, family activities and education, and refuel with the various food vendors, too. The Lifestyle Festival continues throughout the day.

Stage 8 is 81 miles, with an elevation gain of 7,592 feet. Pretty respectable, but no Oakville Grade, this time! While a previous Tour of California began a stage way out in the flat Central Valley town of Davis, streaked through Napa County after crossing the mountains and flanking Lake Berryessa, then climbing Oakville Grade and Trinity Road to land in Santa Rosa via Bennett Valley, this year’s Stage 8 is a straight shot from the Golden Gate, through Mill Valley (a steep grade that’s popular with weekend cyclists) and up the coast. 

A Levi’s Gran Fondo, it ain’t? Wait. They turn north near Freestone, and it looks like they’ll climb a steep ridge via Jonive Road before linking up with Occidental Road. I’m not sure why they don’t take Sanford to Hall Road, which is a popular route with Santa Rosa cyclists—although it has little or no shoulder, it’s not too busy and motorists can share the road without having to pause for, like, an unendurable 10 seconds!

Speaking of cars, you’ll want to find a place to park yours well away from the race course. The streets closures on Sunday morning can viewed on the map at Tour Rosa, as well has suggested routes to bypass the affected downtown areas. Better yet, bike in!

At 11:30am, the peloton arrives, streaming in on Third Street headed east. They’ll pass Courthouse Square and the Sonoma County Library, turn around at Brookwood and head back downtown via Fourth Street for two final laps around downtown, the historic St. Rose District, and Railroad Square. There’ll be fewer spectators watching the left turn way over at Ninth and Wilson—but that’ll be one tight turn at top speed, folks. NBC Sports Group  will cover the Stage 8 race live, starting at 10am Pacific Daylight Time, and fans can keep up-to-date via Tour Tracker.

At the race, check out the official and unofficial after parties. Santa Rosa’s Trek bicycle store sponsors an after party with Riders with the RadioShack-Leopard team ($20-$25). Along the final lap route, both Third Street Aleworks  and Russian River Brewing  offer cool, refreshing and brewed-on-the-spot microbrews, excellent pizza and lunches. Just remember what the experts say: Forget about crunches if you’re concerned about maintaining, or at least making some kind of progress towards that athletic, flat belly. Cardio activity like cycling will get you there. Probably more than 750 miles of cycling.

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It’s customary to say “spring has sprung,” isn’t it? After a long and fairly dry winter, we’re just happy to say that spring rain has finally fallen on our heads! Those April showers are quite welcome, because it means the hills surrounding Wine Country’s Biggest Playground will be green for that much longer. And we’ve got a new vantage point from which to enjoy the view, high above the town!

Climb Taylor Mountain

To the tune of “Climb Every Mountain,” won’t you? We’re a little giddy because it isn’t every day—or every year—that we get a brand-new park right on our back door. The 1,100-acre Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, opened in late February, features four miles of trails (with more planned) and panoramic views of the Santa Rosa Plain to the west, the Mayacamas Mountains to the east. Spring is the timeto walk the slopes with the wildflowers in bloom, while the vineyards are aflame with yellow mustard in the valley below.

Image complimentary of westernviews.us

More good news: While the ranch road allows multiple use by equestrians, cyclists, and hikers, sections of trail are for hikers only. Their dogs are welcome, too, but please, don’t pet the cows! Kawana Terrace, Santa Rosa. Day use parking, $7.

Our backyard favorite, Annadel State Park is still open, of course, thanks for a partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks. Many of the narrow forest trails are shared by hikers and mountain bikers, so please be mindful of each other. According to trail courtesy, bikers are supposed to yield, but in practice, it’s a bit safer for hikers to step off the trail where it’s steep and narrow while bikes are rattling downhill. Bikers: A pleasant thank-you does a lot to make up for the interruption.

Image compliments of inn-california

Then, there’s always power in numbers: The Annadel Half Marathon starts at Spring Lake Park on Saturday, April 13, 8am. Annadel State Park, 6201 Channel Drive, Santa Rosa. Day use parking, $7.

Amgen teams announced

Last month, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California announced the 16 teams that will start the race on May 12, and finish in downtown Santa Rosa on May 19. While peloton rosters are still being filled out, we know that the lineup will include Olympic medalists, Tour de France competitors and world road champion Philippe Gilbert. Hailing from Belgium, Gilbert is also a member of Santa Rosa-based BMC Racing Team. No word from three-time Amgen winner, Levi Leipheimer.

Remembering 1906

Did you know that the Great San Francisco earthquake actually hit Santa Rosa the hardest, at least per capita? Santa Rosa was a small but thriving town, with many brick buildings that came tumbling down with deadly effect. On the 103rd anniversary, there is no planned commemorative event at the historic Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, but here’s an earthquake activity that history buffs and the macabre-minded can play any day: Count the tombstones dated April 18, 1906.

Museum on the move

That reminds me of the Sonoma County Museum,  which used to display an earthquake exhibit on the first floor. Where did it go? Back in 2001, the Museum purchased a property next door, into which it plans to move its arts and cultural programs in April, making room again for historic exhibits like the Song Wong Bourbeau Collection of Santa Rosa’s Chinatown. For now, art exhibits are still at 425 7th St., Santa Rosa. Open Tues–Sun, 11am-5pm. 707.579.1500.

Burbank Gardens tours begin in April

Image compliments of the City of Santa Rosa

See the spineless cactus, marvel at the white blackberry, and learn all about the Shasta daisy. Guided tours are now available at Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, home of Santa Rosa’s king of horticulture. 204 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa. Tours April-October, Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm. 707.524.5445.

It’s all about ewe

While many of our farmers markets operate year-round, they have more to offer in the way of fresh produce in spring—plant starts for your own garden, too. But did you know that sheep cheese is a highly seasonal product? Did you know that we have an artisan sheep milk creamery? Santa Rosa is proud to be the home of Weirauch Creamery,  recently awarded winning cheese at San Francisco’s Good Food Awards 2013. And Joel and Carleen Weirauch are proud of their hometown, too: They named their Saint Rose farmstead sheep cheese in its honor.

Sheep produce a fraction of the milk that cows do, but the cheese yield is double. Recently, the Weirauchs premiered Primo Fresco, a first-of-the-season fresh cheese that’s like a chèvre log, but richer and less tangy. Their new creamery is USDA certified organic, and their flock is Animal Welfare Approved. Find them at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Saturdays, 8:30am-1pm.

Olivet, why don’t you take Olivet?

 “Follow the Olivet Road” to Taste of Olivet, a day of wine tasting held by the family wineries of this rural route west of town. They might not have beachfront property right on the Russian River, but never mind that: these are some of the finest vineyards of the Russian River Valley wine appellation, set on gently rolling, generally well-drained land above the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

Taste Zinfandel from century-old vines at Inspiration Vineyards, respond to “Third Alarm” Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon at Hook & Ladder Winery, and toast to some brilliantly sparkling, rosé of Pinot Noir at Harvest Moon. Saturday, April 13, 2013, 11am–4pm. Tickets $35, available online.

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Where else can you run a half marathon, enjoy tantalizing wines and rock out to Brett Michaels? The Place of Plenty of course! Saturday, June 8^th marks the Grapes of Rock Half Marathon. Need more of an incentive? Maybe you do not want to race but walk? You can do that too. Perhaps you just want to join the festivities and rock out to Bret Michaels…you can do that too. Other notable entertainers are Pete Stringfellow and Chris Hayes. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Salvation Army.

Stay and play in Santa Rosa. Why hurry home? Following the race on Saturday is a wine tasting tour that will take your through the Dry Creek Valley. Make it a weekend getaway and stay in the heart of it all, Santa Rosa-the Place of Plenty!

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March kicks off with the 35th Annual Barrel Tasting, the popular wine tasting event that’s so nice, they made it a weekend twice. The following Monday, more than 30 Santa Rosa restaurants offer “3-course dinners at 3 great prices,” as part of Sonoma County Restaurant Week. Now, this is how the Place of Plenty earns its moniker.

Wine from the future at 35th Annual Barrel Tasting

Picture by Taste Terminal

March is the month when we march right through the cellar door and get our wine from thieves. Wine thieves, that is. I’ll explain: The wine thief is a slender tube with two small openings at either end, often made of glass, sometimes plastic. The winemaker dips the tube in a barrel, draws up a volume of wine, stoppers it up with his or her thumb, and it’s ready to spritz a shot into a waiting glass.

That’s all there is, essentially, to the Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Weekend event. It’s a chance to meet with winemakers, sample vintages straight from the barrel, and, should you judge it to your liking, buy “futures” of the as-yet-unbottled wine for a discount. If you can wait.

So, Barrel Tasting is all about delayed gratification, is it? Well, not everyone would agree with that! It’s a wildly popular event, at a nice price, (sorry, the $30 and $40 early bird and advance sales have timed out, but you can still pop in the door for $50) so having a designated driver is highly recommended—their ticket is only a $5 donation to the Redwood Empire Food Bank, but no sips allowed!

Photo by Press Democrat

Meanwhile, while the crowds barrel up Dry Creek Road, the smart palate seeks out the family wineries of the Santa Rosa area, offering cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, juicy Zinfandel, and more from the heart of the Russian River Valley and beyond. Here are a few highlights:

Food pairings may be spotty at wine-focused Barrel Tasting, so don’t miss a nosh at Inspiration Vineyards(3360 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa). Food trucks parked out front will include Rosso Pizzeria’s  mobile pizza oven.

Who would have thought that Italian wine varietals are a good deal more exotic than, say, Italian-style pizza? But in Santa Rosa’s Vintner’s Square, D’Argenzio Winery) (1301 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa) pours rare Italian whites like Tocai Friulano.

Tips on barrel tasting:
– Don’t feel bad about spitting out wine after you’ve swirled, sniffed and tasted. You’ll look like a pro, and you won’t get toasty.
– No buses are allowed at this event.
– Don’t forget please and thank you; six days is a long time for a winemaker to play wine-thieving automaton.
– Bring your own plastic cup, to spit wine in; not the yucky dump bucket!

Barrel Tasting Weekends, March 1-3 and March 8-10, 2013, 11am-4pm each day. $50 per weekend, at the door, plus sales tax. Designated drivers, $5. www.wineroad.com.

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Sonoma County Restaurant Week

The fixe is in. The prix fixe, that is. During Sonoma County Restaurant Week, restaurants design a three-course menu, priced at $19, $29, or $39. Diners choose their price point, and choose their spot. An elegantly simple idea brought to you by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, Restaurant Week was nudged a few weeks, to March 18 through March 24 this year, so as not to compete with Barrel Tasting.

Menus typically include an appetizer, main course, and dessert, drinks and tip not included. A few may offer substitutes, if a sugary finale is not on your diet plan. “We’re flexible,” says one restauranteur, adding, “but this is not a wheel-and-deal kind of thing.” The idea is to get out there, and try that place you’ve always wanted to try.

Here’s what’s on the plate at a few Santa Rosa restaurants:

La Gare Restaurant
From Santa Rosa’s grand dame of French cuisine, soup de jour, house salade, halibut with beurre blanc sauce with rock shrimp, or filet of beef with wild mushroom sauce, plus rice or potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables. Chocolate Mousse or Crème brulee for afters. Wow, that’s four courses for $29. 208 Wilson St, Santa Rosa. (707) 528-4355.

Photo by Bistro 29

Specializing in “Breton” regional cuisine, Bistro 29  (620 5th Street, Santa Rosa) offers to bring a smile to your face with an “amuse bouche,” followed by a first course of carrot-coriander & butternut squash soup with apple brown butter, or warm walnut crusted goat cheese salad with roasted beets, pear & pomegranate vinaigrette; wine braised beef with potato puree & sautéed swiss chard, or sautéed sole meuniere with carrot-parsnip puree, sauteed leeks & crispy parsley. For dessert, marquise au chocolat with. . .Oh, you get the idea. Exquisite, rich French bistro quality for just $29

Images by Sonoma County Restaurant Week

More menus yet to come online at Sonoma County Restaurant Week.

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Amgen Tour of California announces route

For the first time, America’s top bicycle race reverses course, starting in Southern California, heading north, and finishing in downtown Santa Rosa. Not to worry—it doesn’t make the up-hills any harder, trust me.

That part we’ve known for a bit. News is, we’ve got the exact route. Like a perfect Sunday drive, the route begins on Sunday, May 19, on San Francisco’s popular Marina Green, and wends 86.2 miles through scenic, rural west Marin and Sonoma County. Cyclists will slice through the brisk Bay winds that whip across the Golden Gate Bridge, and zip downhill from Occidental to the overall finish at Courthouse Square.

Didn’t make it into the peloton? You can still train for I Bike Sonoma County Century, a benefit ride presented by the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and Whole Foods Market on June 22, 2013.

The post One tasty month: Wineries throw open the cellar doors, while restaurants fix the price appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.

Did you know Dungeness Crab was the first shellfish harvested commercially on the North Pacific Coast? Where better to enjoy the freshest than the Place of Plenty. Dungeness Crab Season ends in June, so there is plenty of time to enjoy. We have several recommendations to dine in Santa Rosa.

Photo compliment of Inside Sonoma.

The Pliny has arrived

They come from all over, to wait in line. From the Bay Area, the nation, and beyond, by eleven in the morning there’s a hundred or more queuing up on 4th Street, and perhaps, around the corner. For a blockbuster movie? A latter-day bread line? A bit of both. What is beer, but fermented bread? And this one’s got star power.

It’s the annual release of Pliny the Younger.  In recent years, this one beer has garnered unforeseen, widespread attention for Santa Rosa’s brewing scene, earning the mesmerized devotion of some drinkers—the puzzlement of others. Made by Russian River Brewing Company,  which opened in their current location in 2004, (725 4th St., Santa Rosa) Pliny the Younger is a “triple IPA,” a version of their year-round staple, Pliny the Elder, with triple the hops of a normal IPA.

The Younger’s got a good deal more alcohol too, at 10.5 percent. Key to its appeal, it’s said to be “deceptively well-balanced and smooth,” the kind of suds that causes beer esthetes to burble on about “notes of citrus rind” and “resinous mouthfeel.” The two week limited supply may be a mercy for the smitten imbiber, or savvy marketing; in any case the tap opens at 11am on Friday, February 1. 

Testament to its far-flung appeal, Flamingo Resort Hotel and Spa  is offering out of town brew nuts a discounted “Pliny the Younger” rate for their stay.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of beer to go around at Third Street Aleworks, an award-winning brew pub and downtown institution since 1995 (610 Third St., Santa Rosa). Watch for February’s special, Double Standard, a double IPA, natch. Other favorites include Stonefly Stout, Annadale Pale Ale, Puddle Jumper and low-alcohol Kolsch for when afternoons warm. The rich and hoppy red IPA “Bombay Rouge” is also available in bottles.

Some of our best brewers stay out of the beer-light altogether, furnishing kegs of sought-after suds under cover of the afternoon shift. “Home of the Best IPA in the USA”, Bear Republic Brewing Company offers up tasty IPA known as Racer 5. With over 25 brews released throughout the year, this is a highly recommended stop on your Sonoma Beer Tasting Tour

In Santa Rosa, there’s even a “tap room” in the local Whole Foods Market. (390 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa)

By the way, the brewpubs will be also be hopping this spring, when the Amgen Tour of California celebrates the Overall Finish of the eight-day race in Santa Rosa on May 19, 2013. Hydration seems to be important after the race, too, as participating cyclists have shown in past events, mixing with crowds in Santa Rosa’s pubs. Local microbrew is up to the task.

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24th Annual Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest

Your timing is just right if you’ve got tickets to the giant of crab fests, hosted by the Sonoma County Farm Bureau to benefit youth agricultural education and scholarships. Tickets are sold out, says Community Relations Coordinator Tim Tesconi, with 1,500 attendees.

Photo compliment of Sonoma County Farm Bureau

They’ll put away an impressive 4,500 pounds of Dungeness crab from Bodega Bay, clam chowder, pasta, and more. Sponsor wineries include Rodney Strong and Kunde Family Estate 18 wineries will pour at the reception.

Silent auction and live auction items run the gamut from pig hunts, cave dinners to an SF Giants spring training trip, the live auction rattled off by auctioneer Rex Williams, just like they do it down at the sheep arena.

For now, if you don’t hold tickets to this claw-cracking and hobnobbing event of the season, you may have missed your chance to wine an 11-day tour of Italy, 10 days in Ireland, or eight days in Fiji in the raffle. There’s always next year.

24th Annual Great Sonoma Crab & Wine Fest, Grace Pavilion at Sonoma County Fairgrounds,1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa. February 2nd, 2013. Galley Reception and Silent Auction, 5pm; Crab Feed Dinner and Live Auction, 6:30pm. (LINK:)

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Tattoos and Blues Fest February 22-23

Hasn’t Santa Rosa’s landmark Flamingo Hotel suffered the affectionate nickname, “The Flaming-O,” for some time? In any case, this upcoming event certainly earns it one.

Santa Rosa’s Tattoos and Blues  festival brings electric needle-wielding artists and their fleshy, living canvasses together at the Flamingo Hotel for the 22nd annual festival of music, contests, and of course, great music and food.

Friday kicks off with entertainment by Wild Fire Dancers, and music by Fire and Wheels and Snake Alley. It’s blues music all weekend long, by the way, and that’s no kidding about the tattoos, either: attendees may choose from more than 40 tattoo artists and studios on site if they get a sudden notion to get inked on the spot.

Veteran tattoo-bearers will compete for honors in daily categories, including “best sleeve” and “best traditional” on Saturday, “best portrait,” “best back piece,” and the intriguing “most unusual” on Sunday.

22nd Annual Tattoos and Blues, February 22–24, 2013. $20 day/ $35 weekend. 530.340.0517. Flamingo Resort and Spa, 2777 4th Street, Santa Rosa. 800.848.8300.

The post It’s the time for the sweetest Dungeness crab, the richest microbrewed beers, and the wildest body art. appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.

Heads up, wine fans: This weekend, Santa Rosa’s newly-formed Wine Trail hosts its debut holiday event, and tickets are on sale now for Winter Wineland. Take note, spoke-heads: The 2013 Amgen Tour of California wraps up in Santa Rosa—a first! And the props keep rolling in: Sonoma County has been named America’s top wine destination by travel website TripAdvisor.

Eat, Sip and Be Merry 

Some of Santa Rosa’s most exciting wineries are hidden in “who knew?” locations, amidst the bustle of everyday businesses. But until recently, Santa Rosa’s burgeoning urban winery scene was only on the itinerary of the more adventurous and savvy wine tasters.

To put themselves on the map, members of the Santa Rosa Wine Trail made their own map!  To celebrate, wineries are throwing open their doors this weekend, for the first annual Eat, Sip and Be Merry.

Admission to this holiday-themed event includes wine tasting and tours at 10 Santa Rosa wineries, $10 in “wine bucks” to spend, special discounts, live music, and more.

What these wineries lack in pretty views they gain in the flexibility to be different. That attracts young, creative types like Sheldons, who started their winery on a shoestring and a dream. Right next door, the D’Argenzio  family has created a taste of Italy—Sangiovese and Tocai Fruilano, too.

It’s Pinot mania down the road at Siduri (open Saturday only). Prefer white? Novy Family Wines is in on the freshest trend in Pinot Noir, Blanc de Pinot.

Turn a corner in Santa Rosa, of course, and you might end up in the countryside. Rustic little Wood Road may look off the beaten path, but you’re on the trail of noble old vine Zinfandel at Robert Rue Vineyard.

Meanwhile, food trucks circle the wagons and serve up their gourmet nosh in an unassuming industrial park that’s positively brimming with wine: Vinoteca Winery Collective and  Carol Shelton Wines.

It would not be day in the Place of Plenty without stopping off at Paradise Ridge Winery, voted one of the best places to picnic by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The deals don’t stop after 4. Bring a bottle of wine from the Santa Rosa Wine Trail to dinner at John Ash or Stark’s Steakhouse  and get free corkage.

Get tickets now online until 3pm Friday ($25), or at the door ($35). Saturday & Sunday, December 8 & 9, 11am–4pm.

Winter Wineland

There’s another chance to get to know Santa Rosa’s wine scene  in a festive atmosphere, and it’s right around the corner. Winter is the wine lover’s secret season. Harvest and holidays are over, a fire’s crackling in the hearth—or roaring from the gas jets, but toe-warming, all the same—and on nippy days, even a 55-degree wine cellar feels quite cozy by comparison.

To get the real flavor of wine country, of course, and to attend the Wine Road’s upcoming Winter Wineland, you have to be 21. Reaching that milestone itself this January, the 21st annual event is a two-day sip-a-thon of wine tasting, music, and food pairings at over 100 member wineries across northern Sonoma County.

Did you know that half of the City of Santa Rosa is located within the boundaries of the Russian River Valley appellation? Get the grand overview from Paradise Ridge Winery,  high above the valley. Down below, vinous gems await discovery in the city’s no-frills warehouse wineries.

If you guessed that grapes are stomped in the traditional way at Old World Winery, you’d be right. Sometimes, but not always, by giddy bachelorette parties. But do you know Abouriou?

Just west of town, family wineries like Harvest Moon demonstrate why this area’s elegant Zinfandel is prized as much as its Pinot Noir.

You’re not so lost, after all, if you end up in Lost Canyon. The tasting room is located in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square  district, only steps away from some of the city’s most highly-rated restaurants and hotels. Literally two steps on the other side of the room, stylish wine bar Station 1870’s house band Amaya Rising closes out the evening with eclectic jazz violin.

January 19 & 20, 2013. 11am–4pm. Tickets are on sale now at eventbrite. (LINK: http://winterwineland.eventbrite.com/)

Santa Rosa hosts Amgen Tour Grand Finale

In the sport of competitive cycling, the Amgen Tour of California  is America’s answer to the Tour de France.  Since the Tour’s inception in 2006, Santa Rosa has played a key role, culminating in hosting the overall start and finish of the peloton’s first leg of the eight-day tour in 2012.  It’s also the home of three-time Tour winner Levi Leipheimer.

But the honors just got higher for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, to be held May 12–19. For the first time, riders will power across the Golden Gate Bridge toward the Overall Finish line in the heart of Santa Rosa.

“We are like Paris,” City of Santa Rosa’s Local Organizing Committee head Raissa de la Rosa exclaimed about the news. Well, while we lack a famous tower, the wine and cuisine here are quite good.

Cycling-themed events (LINK: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/local-events.html) will be held throughout the week, while recreational cyclists can test their mettle on the route, or enjoy a leisurely ride along Santa Rosa’s miles of safe and scenic bike paths.

Sonoma County named 2nd Best Wine Destination by Trip Advisor

Who crows about being second-best? If the award is “second best wine destination in the world,” it’s nothing to be shy about. Coming in on the tail of Tuscany, Italy, Sonoma County has been named  among the world’s top wine destinations by TripAdvisor, (LINK: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Wine) the popular ratings-based online travel guide.

Considering that a certain, well-known wine region lies just over the hill from us, (the “number two wine destination in America,” according to TripAdvisor, if you’re counting) that’s not too shabby.

As the county seat, Santa Rosa can be proud of this designation—and, seated in the middle of the county, it’s the ideal home base (LINK: http://www.visitsantarosa.com/accommodations/) for exploring the inland valleys, mountains, and coastal hills that make this diverse wine region full of delicious, vinous surprises.

We look forward to seeing you soon in the place of plenty!

The post Tis the Season in the Place of Plenty! appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.

Is that worth coming to Santa Rosa for a weekend? We have an affair for you to enjoy while you are here…

This year marks the 14^th Annual A Food and Wine Affair. A wine event in Northern Sonoma County focusing on Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valley. Over 100 winery’s participate in this two day event and serve up some of their best varietals.

Oh and the food! It has become almost a delectable taste off between winery’s as each try to outperform each in the food pairings. Spiedini d’ Loiodice con Polenta Enrico by D’Argenzio and Mushroom & Brie Soup with Truffle Oil by Paradise Ridge Winery are examples of Santa Rosa’s Winery’s.

Don’t be surprised to hear some festive music around the corner of some Winery’s. They just don’t want you to go! Some wineries have amazing packages that make it real difficult to walk away emptied handed. Then again, you are visiting a premier wine destination, #1 in the United States, so who wouldn’t want to take home the good stuff!

Want to take home the flavors? A cookbook comprising of all the recipes from the Winery’s samples will be given to each person who purchases a ticket to the event along with a tasting glass.

Tickets must be purchased in advanced. The event will be held on November 3^rd and 4^th from 11 am to 4 pm daily. This sells out so plan you trip now! We have many accommodations to choose from…stay and play in the place of plenty!

The post Sonoma County, World’s Best Wine Region ranked second by Tripadvisor! appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.

Photo by www.steephill.tv

Guess what…it’s FREE! The festival follows the morning ride, Levi’s GranFondo. The morning rides consist of three courses, two are full but one is still open for on-site registration this Friday, 9/28 at the Finley Center is Santa Rosa. This is not an ordinary ride. Throughout the course you are treated to delicious food and beverage stops, hot showers following the ride, commemorative t-shirt, a post ride meal designed by local vendors and day long party following the ride with Levi and his friends.

So, maybe you don’t want to or cannot ride, the Festival is FREE! What an awesome contribution from Levi and all the supporters of this event. The Festival is Saturday, 9/29 at the Finley Community Center in Santa Rosa. It runs from 10 am to 6 pm and offers live music, food, craft and beverage by local vendors and a chance to hear what Levi and his celeb cyclist are talking about these days. For those beer lovers, the Festival will be featuring some New Belgium Beers too. If you are wondering, Levi’s GranFondo is a charity event…

Total fundraising in 2011 exceeded $250,000!!! The GranFondo community raised a magnificent pile of money that went to support the at-risk children healing at Forget Me Not Farm, the schools and emergency services in the underserved areas along the GranFondo route, the cancer patient network at LIVESTRONG, and a slew of cycling-forward programs designed to make Sonoma County synonymous with life on two wheels, be ye visitor or resident!

Mark your calendars for next year as this Thursday’s Fiesta Fondo is sold out. Dinner with Levi and his cycling celebs, live music, award winning wine and a beautiful venue overlooking the Russian River Valley…need a better way to spend an evening? Santa Rosa’s own Paradise Ridge Winery will host the Fiesta Fondo again this year.

What are you waiting for? Come play with us in the place of plenty…we are waiting for you!

The post Join us Saturday for Levi Leipheimer’s FondoSonoma Festival in Santa Rosa! appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.

Kendall-Jackson is all about tomatoes this weekend as it host the 16^th Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival. Crazy about tomatoes? Then this two day event is a must. 175 heritage varieties of tomatoes are showcased throughout the weekend paired with food and offered up in sensory garden tours. While Saturday’s event is sold out, the Friday night events still some tickets for sale.

Guy Fieri and Mario Batali are in town for an evening of food and wine. Guy Fieri did not have far to travel as he is a native Santa Rosian! Wine Country’s best Chefs will be hosting tables along with Guy and Mario Friday evening to benefit the Cooking with Kids Foundation.

Yes, it is harvest time in Sonoma County, not just for the grapes! Just around the corner….Sonoma County Harvest Fair on October 7^th and let’s not forget Santa Rosa’s own Levi Leipheimer’s GranFondo on September 29^th. Visit Santa Rosa’s Facebook Page where the place of plenty keeps you updated on upcoming events!

The post Food Networks BEST are in Santa Rosa for the Heirloom Tomato Weekend appeared first on Visit Santa Rosa Blog.