Strictly business: March 23

Spreckels farm acreage for sale, cheese-making, bottle-grinding and wine flies free|

Restaurant reopens: The Glen Ellen Inn at 13670 Arnold Drive has finally reopened (after fire repairs and cleanup) for dinner, drinks and snacks from Thursdays through Mondays, from 5 to 9 p.m. No reservations taken or required. The Inn's seven 'secret cottages' reopened in December.

Workshops: Creative Sonoma is offering 'Photographing Your Work' seminars for interior designers, architects, product designers, artists, artisans. Photographer Tyler Chartier will be teaching the hands-on workshops and they are being offered at $50 each. The first is from 5 to 8 p.m. on April 11 and the second is May 16, 9 a.m. to noon.

SDC employees past and present: The Sonoma Developmental Center will be celebrating its fourth and final Summerfest event and it will be reunion of all former employees of SDC. Save the date of June 6, from 9:30 am to 5 p.m.

Huge farm for sale: The 76-acre farm at 15655 Arnold Drive is for sale for $12.3 million. The fourth generation farm was originally part of San Francisco doyenne Alma Spreckel's estate. The property has four legal parcels with 42.6 acres of vines with a with a 20K winery permit. The listing agent us Nicki Naylor of Intero Real Estate.

Sustainability: Glen Ellen's Loxton Cellars says it is the first winery in the U.S. to own an Expleco Glass to Sand, a machine that grinds a glass bottle into sand in less than three seconds. The tasting room bottles will be ground down and the sand will be used to help improve the clay soils in the vineyard and for landscaping projects. This machine will also help keep bottles that aren't recycled out of landfills.

Flying with wine: Alaska Airlines has expanded its 'Wine Flies Free' program to 18 cities. The program waives the $25 baggage-check fee for one case of wine at 29 airports, including Santa Rosa. The winery will box your case of wine ready for travel on for domestic flights on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air or Sky West.

Cheesemaking: Cook Vineyard Managment and the Epicurean Connection are continuing their monthly cheesemaking classes. The April 6 class will include how to make chèvre, fromage blanc and creme fraiche. To register, call 935-8463. Classes will be held at 19626 Eighth St. E. theepicureanconnection.com

Signatures: Signatures will no longer be required when making credit card purchases, starting in April according to announcements by Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover.

Solar news: SonoMarin Solar and Electric has opened businesses in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. Heading up the sales and design is Page Leonard, a 34 year resident of Sonoma with 12 years of experience in solar. The full service company provides options for solar electric, energy managemenrt backup systems and electric car charging stations. Sonomamarinsolar.com.

Send business news to lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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