Kathleen Hill: Grape harvest, Beltane stories and British pork sausage crisps

Grape harvest season begins

Last Friday at high noon the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance rang in the 2019 grape harvest in front of Mission San Francisco de Solano at 1st Street West and West Spain Street, and again at 6 p.m. at the Tuesday night farmers market.

This annual event happens fast, but is great fun in a slightly European small-town way. Last year's Honorary Bell Ringer was Angelo Sangiacomo, and this year's responsibility went to Chuy Ordaz of Palo Alto Vineyard Management, introduced by Ang and Diane Sangiacomo's son, Steve.

Sharing in the honor at the Mission were Janet and Tito Sasaki, whose Sasaki Vineyards pinot noir grapes were the first harvested this year. As is often the case, these pinots will go to Gloria Ferrer Vineyards & Caves for sparkling wine. Father Alvin Villaruel of St. Francis Solano Church gave the blessing.

The association passed out loads of small cow bells to ring, the Serres truck blasted its horn, firefighters blew their sirens and attendees rang their bells.

After all, wine grapes are Sonoma Valley's largest agricultural crop, followed by olives and cattle.

Mary's Back to School Specials are back

Mary's Pizza Shack, Sonoma's original and locally-grown pizza chain, offers its Back to School special meal deals once again, and they sound good. Back to School deals end Oct. 8, so you can enjoy more than one indulgence. For details visit maryspizzashack.com. Mary's is at 18636 Sonoma Highway, Boyes Hot Springs and 8 W. Spain St., Sonoma. Full bar at latter location. Happy hour 3 to 6 p.m. and late night until closing.

From Corner Store to Cornerstone

Don't worry – this is not a map change that will throw off Google. Paul Giusto and Michael Sebastiani have moved their Highway 12 winery's Plaza tasting room from the Corner Store to Cornerstone, which actually is on Highway 12 or Arnold Drive.

The duo already feature their Highwayman label at the Cornerstone 'tasting parlor,' so they are basically consolidating staff and rent for one fun experience. Both Giusto and winemaker Sebastiani extoll their time on Sonoma Plaza as one of the best things they ever did, considering that they make small batches with some varietals of less than 150 cases.

Cristina Bisio McNeil manages operations for both labels and Joey Podesta will also move to the Cornerstone location. Both Giusto and Sebastiani have grown up in the wine and hospitality businesses.

Now their tasting parlor at Cornerstone offers five or six wines including Highwayman and Highway 12 reserve wines and 'a few off the list offerings.' Light nibbles and pairings are featured on weekends. $20 tasting fee. Wines sold by the glass range from $8 to $15. 10 to 5 p.m. daily. 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma.

Harvest blessing and barbecue

Valley of the Moon Knights of Columbus is hosting a luncheon and 2019 Harvest Blessing on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Father Alvin Villaruel of St. Francis Solano Church will again bless the grapes, followed by a barbecue buffet luncheon catered by BBQ2GO of Napa, which specializes in barbecues for charities in Napa and Sonoma. Aunt Momo Catering (Mara Roche) will oversee the rest of the buffet.

Expect Wasabi deviled eggs, lemon shrimp endive bowls, spring rolls, and duck confit mole chips for appetizers. The rest of the luncheon will include barbecued chicken and tri-tip, Caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes with burrata, spring mix salad with edible flower petals, watermelon salad and dessert of Petaluma Pie Company's mixed berry cobbler and vanilla ice cream from Sweet Scoops.

Vintners, growers and winemakers are invited to bring clusters of their grapes to display on the table for blessing. $45 adults, $10 children 12 and under. 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 22097A, Bonness Road, Sonoma. Tickets at vomknights.simpletix.com.

Santé Restaurant offering Sunday Suppers

Santé Restaurant at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn executive chef Marcellus Coleman has introduced Sunday Suppers – chicken dinners that will be served every Sunday through the fall.

To be served 'family style,' meaning on platters guests pass to each other, these dinners will include a local Little Gem lettuce and herb salad with dressing made with blood orange, avocado oil, shallots, Meyer lemon, and Hawaiian volcanic salt. The entrée will include roasted Mary's chicken, with summer panzanella and duck fat-roasted potatoes (remember, duck fat is supposed to be good for you according to renowned food writers MFK Fisher and Paula Wolfert). Dessert brings buttermilk biscuit shortcakes with Madagascar vanilla bean whipped cream, local berries and Watmaugh strawberry coulis. All this $40 prix fixe per person with children's menu available. Wine pairing from $40 per person additional.

Santé's regular menu will be available as well. Reservations at opentable.com or 938-9000.

Ciderfest at CIA at Copia on Sept. 1

In case you missed the new ciders at the recent Gravenstein Apple Fair in Sebastopol, you can taste several and nibble along much closer to home at the CIA at Copia's upcoming Ciderfest on Sunday, Sept. 1 in downtown Napa.

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) chefs will create apple-inspired dishes and the kiosk Contimo, near the entrance to Copia, will provide lobster rolls available for purchase, while their casual outdoor dining spot, called Grove, will be open as usual for this third annual Ciderfest.

Local cider producers will include Ethic Ciders of Sonoma County, Leaky Barrel Cider of Sonoma County and Sawhorse Ciders from Napa.

Admission is free, but here is the on-site pricing: tasting tickets $3, pre-purchase tasting packages sold online from $22 to $54 include 10 percent discount on food and merchandise purchased in the store at the event. Noon to 3 p.m. 500 First St., Napa. Tickets at ciaatcopia.com/event/ciderfest2019.

Beltane Ranch – a little piece of history

A little bit of history from Lauren Benward Krause:

On their son Drake's fourth birthday and their 10th anniversary vintage as a winery, the Beltane Family, as they call the actual family and everyone who works with them, 'bottled a new wine: A lighter, super-small production project inspired by our great, great aunt and uncle Effia and Ralph Heins.'

According to Benward Krause, 'In the lows of the Depression they raised over 10,000 turkeys at Beltane – not for meat but to lay fertile eggs which were shipped to families to hatch their own flock – a forgotten industry but one that can be appreciated by today's renewed interest in homesteading.'

'On the ranch we still have the remains of some of the one-room turkey-herder's shacks. Effia was known for her 'turkey hospital' where she nursed countless turkeys back to health. The Heins' sign 'No Turkeys Sold Retail' hung from 1936 on and is now displayed in the Beltane Ranch Inn's kitchen.'

Ugh!

A great Scottish friend of mine who lives part time in Berkeley was home in the UK last week and sent a really nose-wrinkling, lip curling, and almost repulsive photo of a bag of crisps, or chips as we know them.

The Kettle chips company has made apple slices spiced with Norfolk Pork Sausage seasoning and they are actually selling them. But, then, we do eat chicken apple sausage here. My friend says they actually are slightly repulsive.

José Andrés for Peace

José Andrés, the international chef who brought his World Central Kitchen to cook for fire victims and first responders all over the West, as well as to Puerto Rico, to feed thousands of people daily after their storms, has been nominated to receive the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. He has already received the James Beard Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year award. The Nobel Prizes will be announced in October.

USDA offers help for dairy farmers

Many people are aware that the federal government is paying millions to soy bean and other farmers to counter-balance the money they are not making due to the Trump tariff wars.

This week the United States Department of Agriculture announced that it is looking for more dairy farmers who might need help with what they call the Dairy Margin Coverage Program.

Dairy farmers have until Sept. 20 to apply for 'protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.' The press release refers to this as a 'safety net program.'

It appears that the USDA is offering assistance to cover costs of feed for ranchers whose cows produce milk. Lots of industries and individuals might enjoy a 'safety net program.'