Kathleen Hill: Vintage Festival and Heart of Sonoma Valley; Last Wednesday Food Group starts; Sonoma Overnight Support Tea

The annual Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival is this weekend, as is the Heart of Sonoma Valley (Kenwood and Glen Ellen wineries) “Sonoma Valley Crush.”

It looks as if the Vintage Festival’s Friday Night Gala, tonight, Sept. 25 at the Sonoma Barracks might include food from the Basque Boulangerie, Barking Dog, Epicurean Connection, Green Grocer (great burgers), HopMonk Tavern, Mary’s Pizza, Maya, Got Meatballs, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Palms Grill, Ramekins, Saddles Steakhouse, Sonoma Cheese Factory, Supreme Sweets and Vineburg Deli. Music fans will enjoy rising stars Mustache Harbor, and wines from 35 local wineries. Gala $90 for one, $199 per couple (better to get two singles?), or $199 for single VIP weekend pass according to their website, Sonomavintagefestival.com.

Apparently the Firefighters Bucket Brigade on Saturday has been canceled due to firefighters fighting fires and a lack of water. There will be multiple fun grape stomps, lots of arts and crafts booths, plus 12K and 5K runs and walks on Sunday.

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The 2015 Hands-On Sonoma Valley Crush Festival happens this weekend, Sept. 25 to 27 at 13 Glen Ellen and Kenwood wineries.

For three days next weekend Deerfield Ranch Winery, En Garde, Eric Ross, La Rochelle, Little Vineyards, Loxton Cellars, Mayo Family Winery, Muscardini Cellars, Orpheus Wines, Paradise Ridge Winery, St. Anne’s Crossing Winery, Ty Caton Vineyards, and VJB Vineyards & Cellars will offer a variety of rare experiences such as grape sampling in the vineyards, crush pad tours, samples of fresh-pressed juice and grapes picked off the vine. Guests will even taste wine while it’s fermenting, learn how to read a refractometer, and gain understanding of the balance between sugar and acid in wine grapes. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Three day pass is $35, Designated drivers $10. Includes souvenir wine glass and access to event wine tastings and harvest activities. Tickets may be purchased online at www.heartofsonomavalley.com or by calling 707-431-1137.

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Our Last Wednesday Food Group will start meeting again next Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at Readers’ Books. Bring your favorite cookbook, grease spots and all, and tell us why it is your favorite and which is the best recipe in it.

Then we have two great events in October. On Wednesday, Oct. 7 Nancy Singleton Hachisu, author of “Preserving the Japanese Way,” is a very interesting and charming American who lives with her farmer husband in Japan and hosts some of Japan’s best cooking shows on Japanese television while running a preschool. Just listening to her is worth the trip.?Wednesday, Oct. 28 brings Dana Velden, author of ” Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook,” which apparently will help us cook in the kitchen mindfully and enjoy it. Might be really interesting. Free. 7 p.m. 120 E. Napa St., Sonoma. 939-1779.

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La Luz Center hosted a gorgeous party to thank its strong supporters at the Victorian home of Michelle and Dan Skaff recently. The setting was gorgeous, the food was gorgeous, and the people were all interesting and gorgeous.

The Skaffs gave tours of their “Cedar Mansion,” giving credit for the building’s restoration to realtor Bob Kowal, who also is a board member of La Luz and former executive director of Sonoma Valley Hospital, from whom they purchased their home.

Elaine Bell and husband John Merritt were there. Her appetizers were substantial and delicious and, toward the end of the speeches, incoming La Luz president Marcelo Defreitas announced, with Elaine Bell, that she decided on the spot to donate all of the food. Brava!

Thanks to Elaine Bell and to the many other attendees including Beth and Joe Aaron, Karen and Ken Adelson, George and Amanda Bevan, Judy Bjorndal, Kimberly and Simon Blattner, David and Mandy Bolling, La Luz founder Ligia and Don Booker, Frances Bowes, Nancy and Hank Bruce, Daniel Casabonne, Sal and Karina Chavez, ‘Zanne Clark, Arleen Curry, Jeanette and Whitney Evans, Jette Franks, Tim Freeman, Danny Garon, Todd and Diane Garrett, Laurie and Bill Hake, Yvonne Hall, Donna Halow, Kay and Roger Heigel, Steve and Troy Hightower, Kathe and Fred Hodgson, Kathy King and brother Dennis Keating, Susan and Jan Hoeffel, Kirsten McFarland, Katharine Kunst, Buffy and George Miller, Jeanne Montague, Lisa and Bert Nevins, Tery and Dan Parks, John and Mary Perez, JaMel and Tom Perkins, George and Karen Rathman, Lucy Reyes, Martha and Steve and Toby and Sally Rosenblatt, Paul Rosanski, Brian Sebastian, Matt and Brooke Seveneau, Bob and Rori Smith, Vicki and Dave Stollmeyer, Pam and John Story, Maurice Tegelaar, Anne Vasques, Jason and Joanne Walsh, Jeff Walter, Lucy Weiger, Sheila Whitney and Phil and Connie Woodward.

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Lyn and Dub Hay’s son, Chris Hay, has gained nationwide publicity for his purist Say Hay Farms in Esparto in Yolo County.

While earning his B.A. in philosophy from U.C. Berkeley, Chris Hay worked all five undergraduate years at Chez Panisse, which was the experience that turned him on to growing genuinely organic foods. He and his wife, Jana Dulava Hay, started with seven acres near Woodland in 2010, growing certified organic vegetables, melons, chickens and eggs, with the operation now including 18 and then 30 more acres, hoping to move to an even larger spread very soon.

Let’s hope Say Hay Farms’ produce someday reaches all the way to Sonoma’s farmers markets.

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It appears that the only winery lost in the horrible Valley Fire, mostly in Lake County, was Michael and Adawn Wood’s Shed Horn Cellars. While Michael Wood was fighting fires and saving other people’s homes around Middletown, both their winery and their home burned to the ground.

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Her Walt Wine dinner is sold out, but you can indulge yourself in Sondra Bernstein’s Suite D dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 30 featuring the Rhône-style wines of Tablas Creek winery west of Paso Robles. A partnership between the Perrin Family of Château de Beaucastel and longtime wine importer Robert Haas, this is a truly elegant winery with elegant wines.

Feast on scallops with lobster sauce, rabbit sausage, veal sweetbreads roulade, duck breast and fig clafoutis. $95. Reserve at 933-3667.

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Ty Caton will host his seventh annual barrel tasting on Saturday, Oct. 3 at his winery on Eighth Street East, not at their Kenwood tasting room. Nibbles and a wine sale included. Free to wine club members plus up to four friends; public $15 advance, $20 at door. 21684 Eighth St. E., Sonoma. RSVP by Oct. 1 to 938-3224, Ext. 1 or to angela@tycaton.com.

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British-born Sonoma resident Annie Paynter will entertain by telling history and evaluating antiques guests bring during Afternoon Tea at Sonoma Country Antiques on Wednesday, Oct. 7. $10. 3 p.m. 23999 Arnold Dr., Sonoma. Reservation required. 938-8315 or info@sonomacountryantiques.com.

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Sonoma Overnight Support presents its annual fun tea afternoon Saturday, Oct. 10 at Burlingame Hall to raise funds for SOS and its future crisis home for women and children. Quite obviously, women and children suddenly without a safe home can encounter difficulties sharing space with men at the SOS shelter. Since I am on the committee, I can say “we” are trying to find a suitable location to house women and children in extreme need.

Bring your favorite teapot and wear your most outrageous hat (if you want to) for contests and prizes. $25. Tables and sponsorships welcomed. 1 to 3 p.am. 252 W. Spain St., Sonoma. RSVP by Oct. 3 to 939-6777.

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Travels with Henri will resume next week instead of today. Ran out of room.

Cheers!