It’s All Local in Sebastopol
Time to brighten up your winter with a trip to the friendly farming community of Sebastopol in the lush Russian River Valley. Settled in 1812 by Russian explorers, the beautiful landscape was first planted with Gravenstein apples. Sustainable farming practices have prevailed for more than 150 years.
If you haven’t visited in awhile, this West County town, a short drive from San Francisco, has changed. Find more award winning wines, great chefs inspired by area products, a vibrant community, and the newest artisanal gathering place: The Barlow.
Stay
Unfortunately, there aren’t many places to stay in Sebastopol yet. On the west side of town, try the Avalon Luxury Inn. You’ll find privacy, comfort, and a gourmet breakfast at this hotel set in a redwood forest. The decks, the fireplaces, and the walks in the woods make this a bit of a magical place.
Right in the middle of town, The Sebastopol Inn offers a quiet respite. Set back off the street behind the old Gravenstein train station, the two-story property sits alongside a hiking and biking trail. The outdoor balcony of our second floor room overlooked the woodlands. The room was good-sized and reasonable, but overall, the Inn would benefit from a redo.
Play & Shop
The Barlow is the new hot spot in Sebastopol. Once the site of the Barlow Apple Processing Plant, this multi-building complex, set on 12.5 acres, is now the center of attention for wine, food, artistic endeavors, and all things “local.” Connect with producers and watch several make their goods from scratch. Most of the buildings in the complex are restored, and even though some are new they all have the same modern industrial feel with corrugated exteriors, high ceilings, exposed beams and piping, and roll-up “garage” doors for easy access to outside space and seating.
Our Barlow adventure started at the Spirit Works Distillery. Crafted by hand, all of the spirits (gin, sloe gin, vodka, and whiskey) are made from California organic red winter wheat. Take a tour and learn how each batch is milled, mashed, fermented, and distilled. Then taste the unique spirits.
Wind Gap Wines has taken over a considerable amount of space at the Barlow for the winery and tasting room (due to open later this month). The winery is known for its attention to site-specific vineyards and the intricacies of each varietal, and the wines are consistently well received. Don’t miss these 2011s from the Sonoma Coast: Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir and the Syrah.
The tasting room of La Follette Wines is a beautiful location to savor the small lot Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from legendary winemaker Greg La Follette. A unique combination of science, old-world winemaking techniques, and superb vineyards makes these sought after wines. Favorites include both the 2011 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sangiacomo vineyards.
From a Spanish winemaking family with Catalan hospitality and winemaking traditions, Marimar Torres offers her signature wines at a new tasting room at the Barlow. The elegantly balanced wines of Marimar Estate have loyal followers. These 2010s from the Don Miguel Vineyard (named for her father) are among the stand-outs: Bonita’s Hill Chardonnay and La Masia Pinot Noir.
Tamarind furnished its space at the Barlow with a distinctive selection of ladies’ fashions and accessories. The Tibetan Gallery & Studio offers a rare opportunity to view a master artist working on traditional Buddhist scroll paintings, participate in weekly classes, and purchase one-of-a-kind pieces. For a fun collection of wooden toys, doll-making kits (they offer classes), and other gifts, visit Circle of Hands.
Don’t forget Sebastopol’s main street, just a few blocks long, but classic, full of locally owned antique stores, restaurants, boutiques, and Copperfield’s Books. Drive down Florence Avenue and the whimsical junk-art sculptures from artists Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent greet you.
When you’ve had your fill of eating, drinking, and shopping, head out on the Joe Rodota Trail. It runs more than eight miles from Sebastopol to Santa Rosa past the former railroad that once linked Petaluma and Santa Rosa with Sebastopol and Forestville. Now hike, bike, ride horseback, roller skate, bird watch, or just take a leisurely stroll.
Dine
First up during our visit was brunch at Peter Lowell’s. On the western edge of downtown, this neighborhood favorite is a food lover’s dream. The cuisine showcases organic produce from their own farm and from farmers who incorporate organic and biodynamic farming practices. The wines are chosen for these same reasons.
The Tuscan apple cake with “Cowabunga” cow milk cheese with goat milk caramel was a luscious beginning. Don’t miss the textures and flavors in the Brussels sprouts hash with butternut squash, Desiree potatoes with a poached egg, and crusty breadcrumbs on top. In addition to a variety of yummy farm-fresh egg dishes, there’s a Macro Bowl, an earthy combination of brown rice, roasted root vegetables, and proteins such as tofu or seitan with a tangy miso ginger or lemon tahini sauce. With the meal, we paired La Collina’s Lunaris Secco Malvasia dell Emilia, a great bubbly to kick start the day.
Zazu Kitchen + Farm recently relocated to the Barlow with a spacious dining area and bar adjacent to the open kitchen. In keeping with the Barlow design find high ceilings, exposed beams, lots of windows, a casual style, and of course, delicious food.
The Black Pig bacon-wrapped dates are an amazing way to start. The snout-to-tail sampler offers smoked paprika pig ear with pickled watermelon rind, crunchy pigtails, and decadent chicharrones. Next we savored the butcher’s ribollita—rich and flavorful with pig head, succulent gigante beans, and a farm egg—and the “zasugo,” perfectly cooked fusili mixed with a yummy tomato sauce and tender short ribs.
Not everything is pig-related. We also had the plump, juicy mussels in a tasty onion and fennel broth. Pumpkin mezzalune delivered luscious flavor and a crunchy finish from the sprinkled amaretti. We paired their Black Pig Pinot Noir, made by Thomas George Estates, with the meal.
OTHER ESSENTIALS:
Sonoma County Visitors Bureau
Sonoma County Vintners
Patty Burness can be found on Twitter at @pattygb
