McEvoy Ranch Summer Winemakers Dinner — the McEvoy Ranch Chinese Pavilion and the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA)

My Traveling Tales by Linda

" The wind and the fog are the Petaluma Gap's trademark. The 'Gap' is actually a wind gap named after a coastal mountain opening that stretches east from the Pacific through the town of Petaluma and then roars south to San Pablo Bay." —Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance

The beautiful and singular McEvoy Ranch Chinese Pavilion.

Kelly and Blake of McEvoy Ranch pour their wines for us at the Summer Winemakers Dinner in the top photo. Evan Pontoriero (on the left in the bottom photos) opens a bottle for Fogline Vineyards.  

    Here's the part that I did know before my recent visit to the famous McEvoy Ranch in the beginning of August. I knew that the ranch is located just a short seven minute drive from my house in downtown Petaluma, because often when escaping clogged traffic on my late afternoon commute home from Mill Valley where I work, I will catch a short cut home by getting on the Petaluma Point Reyes Road. This bucolic road takes me on a gander through hills and pastures before it passes right by the McEvoy Ranch on the last leg of my drive, where suddenly I am greeted with gorgeous views that open up down into the valley where the olive orchards are visible from the road. The ranch, no matter the season, is mysterious and lovely in my view from the top of the road, and I never fail to exclaim to myself, "It's so beautiful—I must visit soon!"

   What I absolutely did not know, is that on this stunning 550 acres of land where 80 acres of organic olives are grown and crushed to make award-winning olive oil, and grapes are grown that produce delicious wine—there is also an amazing Chinese Pavilion. On this beautiful and warm evening, the pavilion would be the setting for the inaugural Summer Winemakers Dinner, for which I purchased tickets on a whim for myself and Mark a week before the event. My jaw literally dropped at first glance when the majestic pavilion in the gorgeous but unlikely setting came into my view. In conversation with the McEvoy staff, I discovered that it was built by Nan McEvoy who had traveled extensively in Asia and had acquired a loved for chinoiserie.

Nan Tucker McEvoy, who died recently in March of this past year at the age of 95, was an heiress, successful business woman and matriarch. She was the granddaughter of M.H. de Young, co-founder of the Chronicle—a San Francisco newspaper. When the newspaper was sold in 1999 against her wishes, and she was forced into retirement, she decided (with her three grandchildren in mind) to move on and devote her considerable resources and energy to the establishing of a working ranch in Marin County. The ranch would become one of the premier producers of premium olive oil in the country within a decade of the trees being planted. Inspired by her love of Tuscan olive oil, the ranch was started with 1000 seedlings shipped in from Tuscany.

   On this August evening, about 50 guests arrived to participate in the first winemakers dinner to be hosted at the ranch, with the wines being served from the three different wineries—McEvoy Ranch, DeLoach Vineyards and Fogline Vineyards. All of wineries are located in what is referred to as the Petaluma Gap AVA:

The Petaluma Gap is a geographical region in Sonoma County, California which extends in a band from the Pacific Ocean to San Pablo Bay. It is an area of low land 22 to 31 miles (35 to 50 kilometers) wide in the coast ranges of the northern San Francisco Bay Area. The western edge of the gap is located in the coastal lowlands between Bodega Bay and Tomales Bay. The eastern edge of the gap is located at San Pablo Bay around the mouth of the Petaluma River. The city of Petaluma is near the center of the gap.

The Petaluma Gap affects wind patterns (and thus microclimates and air quality) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fresh marine air generally blows eastward through the gap, branching into southward and northward streams which blow toward the Carquinez Strait and Santa Rosa respectively. The southward stream brings marine air overland into the central Bay Area from the northwest. Warm air rises from the land and allows cold, moist air, plus winds and fog to move into the area.

During the 1990s, the Sonoma County wine industry adopted the term Petaluma Gap to help differentiate its products. The gap is a part of the Sonoma Coast AVA, a designated American Viticultural Area, but is not itself an AVA. Wine grapes growing in the Petaluma Gap are said to be influenced enough by this climate to give the area's wines a distinctive character. Mornings in the region tend to be foggy, followed by sunny days and windy afternoons. The cool evening temperatures help to preserve the natural acidity of the grapes over an extended growing season. In 2006, twenty-four local organizations and individuals formed a promotional group called the Petaluma Gap Grape and Wine Alliance, now known as the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.

   This past August, Mark and I arrived at the ranch in the late summer afternoon. We parked our car near the ranch store/tasting room, and then we walked up the olive tree-lined dusty dirt road to the event venue. Making our way up the hill in the warm afternoon air, I actually did feel like I was in Tuscany again, except that I could see beautiful California oaks dotting the hillsides, and a few distant palm trees waving their fronds aloft in the welcome summer breeze.

The McEvoy Ranch tasting room and store.

This delightful young woman was serving up the delicious McEvoy Ranch Rosebud rosé
as we entered the Chinese Pavilion courtyard.

    We were greeted with wine, and several beautiful cheese and fruit platters were set on tables in the courtyard along with McEvoy olives and local bread. The Chinese Pavilion is set at the back of a bamboo-lined courtyard. On this night inside the pavilion, the intricately designed and custom made stone floor was set up with several round tables where we dinner guests would be dining later in the evening. The tables were covered with flowing green cloths and then topped with polished glassware and gleaming flatware that shone brightly in the afternoon sunlight which was pouring through the pane glass doors that surround the entire pavilion.

The cheese and fruit platters included some of our favorite cheeses—Toluca Farms Kenne from Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Barinaga Ranch Txiki and Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam.

   Guests began to arrive into the courtyard, were they were served wine by the three winemakers who were waiting for us at several tables. To begin, I explored the awe-inspiring pavilion and another older building that is situated at the back of the courtyard. That building was also amazing—old wood floors, a giant wood chandelier and ornamented with a red grand piano standing in the corner that was gleaming light from its shiny surfaces in the late afternoon sun that was slanting the last of its long rays through the large casement windows. This obviously, is where the McEvoy Ranch red wine blend gets its name. Mark was told the piano once belonged to Elton John. There is a great story there—I am sure of it.

Winemaker Katie Carter of DeLoach Vineyards on the left, and 
Kelly Robertson of McEvoy Ranch on the right.

   It is always of interest to me to meet winemakers and to listen to them discuss their wines. Present for the dinner was the winemaker from McEvoy Ranch, Blake Yarger. Also attending was winemaker, Katie Carter, of DeLoach Vineyards, and winemaker/owner, Evan Pontoriero, of Fogline Vineyards. I had the very good fortune of sitting next to Katie during dinner and I was able to chat with her among our dinner companions at our table. It surprised me to find out that Katie is a local girl who was raised in Forestville. The very small town of Forestville touches the Russian River on one side, and it is where I settled when I moved to the North Bay from San Jose. Katie told me that they had begun harvesting grapes earlier that day at De Loach, and she was gearing up to enter the frantic time of the year, known here in wine country simply as 'crush'.

 The Winemakers: Blake Yarger of McEvoy Ranch on the left, Katie Carter of DeLoach Vineyards
in the center, and Evan Pontoriero of Fogline Vineyards 

   De Loach Vineyards is owned by the fabulous and debonair Jean-Charles Bossiet, who is married to Gina Gallo (of the Ernest and Julio Gallo family). JCB, as he is known in the industry, also came from a family wine dynasty. He has purchased several local vineyards that he is adding to his wine property portfolio. DeLoach is one of these vineyards, and Mark, Michelle and I had the pleasure of tasting at the beautiful estate last September.

Jean-Charles Boisset has become a well-known personality in the wine biz, 
and even has his own bobble head doll, which gave all of us a good laugh. 
He obviously has a very good sense of humor.

   After chatting with the winemakers for an hour or so while we sipped wine, we all gathered in the Chinese Pavilion for dinner. There is a detailed history written about this beautiful pavilion included in the the book, New Garden Design: Inspiring Private Paradises by Zahid Sarder:

   "Lizards like the native skinks that roam the McEvoy Ranch in Marin, have become the olive farm's logo. They were replicated in cast bronze door handles for the Chinese-style pavilion." writes Sarder.
   The forty-two foot pavilion is the creation of interior designers Babey Moulton Jue and Booth of San Francisco, also has giant copper lizards on the roof, because the ranch lizards were a favorite of Nan McEvoy's three grandchildren.

   The ceiling of the pavilion is created from resawn cedar boards which are installed to resemble the billowing silk fabric of Chinese tents. Illuminated hexagonal lanterns stream forth from the ceiling, and it is a truly breathtaking sight. The sides of the room are decorated with stained glass lanterns positioned near each of the large glass doors, and the Mark Davidson mosaic floor is created in an elaborate design that is made up of smooth, round river stones and flat stone tiles.

   Two new acquaintances of the evening for me are internationally renowned sommelier, Christopher Sawyer, who was on hand to speak about the Petaluma Gap AVA. Chris lives in Petaluma, and actually had a hand in naming this new American Viticultural Area. A petition was submitted to the federal government in order to establish the AVA this past February. Also, Mark and I were both very pleased to meet Leslie Sbrocco, who is the host of Check, Please! Bay Area, a television show that we often watch that features local restaurants. She and Chris are old friends, and happily posed for photos.

On the left, local sommelier, Chris Sawyer, speaks to the dinner attendees about the
soils and climate that create the growing conditions of the Petaluma Gap AVA. On the
right he poses with his close friend, Leslie Sbrocco, of Check, Please! Bay Area.

   Dinner was comprised of three courses which included local halibut served with an heirloom tomato salad and paired with 2014 Fogline Vineyards Chardonnay. A braised pork shoulder served with heirloom potatoes and summer squashes was paired with 2011 McEvoy Ranch Red Piano Mediterranean Blend. The last course was a salad comprised of McEvoy Ranch baby greens that were dressed with a red wine vinaigrette and paired with 2013 DeLoach Vineyards Pinot Noir. The food and wine pairings were well-matched and delicious.

   During the dinner, the pavilion doors were opened to allow the cool breeze to float through the room while we ate and chatted. Each winemaker was given the opportunity to speak about their featured wine that had been paired with a particular course. At the end of the night, a zucchini olive oil cake and summer stone fruit compote was served for dessert. We ate, drank and enjoyed great conversation. The stars were out and glimmering in the night sky when the dinner finally ended. We all carried flashlights to help us carefully pick our way back down the dark ranch road to our cars.
   It truly was an enchanted evening and very memorable experience. It may be a tad gauche to talk about the price of the tickets, but I feel that the $90 price tag was an incredible value. That dollar amount would not buy an appetizer, entrée, sides and a glass of wine at a good restaurant in an ordinary setting. Not only were we served artisan wine, cheese and food courses that were all paired with wine, but we also received information and instruction from the individuals that actually made the wine. In addition, the McEvoy Ranch itself and the Chinese pavilion are truly breathtakingly beautiful.

   Nan McEvoy has left an amazing legacy. She decided, against the well-intentioned advice of many, to grow olive trees on the land that she purchased because the ranch is MALT protected land and must always be used for agricultural purposes. As a local who is concerned with urban sprawl, I appreciate very much that the agricultural lands are being protected from development. McEvoy Ranch olive oil, wine and 80 Acres body care products are all available for purchase from their website. Contact the ranch ahead of time to arrange a visit to this remarkable location, or to taste wine in the tasting room—visits are by appointment only.
   Now when I drive by the ranch after a long day at work, I will be able to imagine the beautiful Chinese pavilion in my mind's eye—the crown jewel of this beautiful acreage. This serene and majestic temple of sorts, is built of glass, polished wood, smooth stones, and cast bronze. This singular space is filled with sunlight and starlight by turns, and it is an inspiration for those who love superb design and flawless craftsmanship. I am already looking forward to my next visit.

Kelly is the Wine Club and Tasting Room Manager at McEvoy Ranch.

Retro-Style: Elsie and Charlie — A Love Story and Grandma Elsie's Baked Beans

The Memory Keepers by Linda

"If a story is not about the hearer, he [or she] will not listen... A great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting—only the deeply personal and familiar."  — John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Our Grandma Elsie was famous in Yucaipa, California for her
cooking—especially her summer backyard barbecues.

   This time of year always prompts me to think of one of my favorite childhood memories of summer. Among those memories are the backyard barbecues that were hosted by my paternal grandparents, Elsie and Charlie—they were legend. In the photo above, it appears that Grandma Elsie is grilling chickens on a rotisserie under a large sycamore tree in the backyard, and as a matter of pride for me, our grandma was the 'griller' in the household at a time when it was usually the man of the house who commanded the grill. I consider her early example the reason that I have always had an interest in grilling, and have become adept at it, because I never thought anything was strange about it.

Many hours of baking in a slow oven turn these beans a beautiful and rich brown.

   One of my favorite things that Grandma Elsie always made for these occasions was her famous baked bean dish that was made rich with pieces of salt pork and then intensely flavored by being cooked all day with molasses, brown sugar and other spices. Grandma's beans would bake all day in the oven in their small kitchen on Bryant Street in Yucaipa, California, and then just before dinner time, she would bring the heavy Dutch oven outside and set it on the top of the grill in the photo above, where the caramelized mass of legumes would stay piping hot until dinner was served.

Our Grandma Elsie as a young girl circa 1917 on the left, and her matchmaker sister, 
Florence, is on the far right. Their younger brother, Robert, is in the middle.

Left to Right: Sisters—Elsie and Florence circa 1922.

   This post is a perfect example of what our blog is about at the core. When I sat down to write about my dad's mother, although I have vivid memories of her, I came up short with solid details about where she was born, or how she and Grandpa Charlie met, and so on. I wrote to my dad for the answers, so that our family will have the details when they come looking for information. Hopefully those of you who follow we Salvation Sisters will find Elsie's story interesting, too, since all of you, no doubt, have similar stories in each of your own families. Here are the details of our grandma's birth, and her fateful chance encounter with our Grandpa Charlie, the dashing "older man" according to our father, Paul:

   "Elsie was born on December 8, 1907 in Los Angeles. The way my mom and dad met is an interesting story. Dad had an automotive electrical repair shop in Long Beach in the 1922—1924 time period. His only employee was Robert Ballenger, whom you all knew as Uncle Bob. He was to become the husband of my mom’s sister, Florence. Anyway, in the early 1920s, the Signal Hill oil boom was in full swing. Signal Hill was not all that far from my dad's business. One day, there was an oil fire on Signal Hill, and Bob wanted to make a cheap date out of going to the location to watch the fire-fighting effort. Bob wanted Charlie to go, too, but Charlie would have been the odd man out as Florence was going with Bob. So, my Aunt Florence had a solution—she would bring her kid sister, Elsie, along so Charlie would have a date, too. Elsie couldn’t have been more than 15 or 16 at the time, and my dad would have been seven years older—a mature 22 or 23.  Of course, we now know that Charlie and Elsie really hit it off, but they had to wait until Elsie turned 18 to get married. They were married on the second day following her 18th birthday in December of 1925."

Charlie and Elsie—a love story.

We feel so fortunate to have these photos of Grandma and Grandpa
together when they were young and in love.

Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Elsie as I remember them best.

   So I just discovered that if it hadn't been for the chance meeting of Elsie and Charlie on a blind date ninety-something years ago, we Salvation Sisters would never have been born. My grandparents were married for nearly sixty years, and were the parents of three boys (two of whom survived into adulthood), grandparents of nine and there are 19 great-grandchildren.

Our paternal great-grandfather, Miner R. Smith—artist and builder
of houses that would last a hundred years and more. His wife and the
mother of our Grandma Elsie, Elizabeth, is on the right.

   As a point of interest, our Grandma Elsie's father has become well-known posthumously, as a builder of vintage Craftsman Bungalows in the Long Beach area. His name was Miner Smith, and he even has a Facebook page dedicated to him and his beautifully-built houses that have interesting architectural and masonry details. They are highly prized by their current owners. Find out more about our great-grandfather and see photos of the houses he built in Long Beach, California by clicking here. Thanks to fellow blogger, Steffie Hands of Bungalow Girl for the interesting article and photo.

The Smith Family — our Great Grandfather, Miner, and our Grandma Elsie.

Our first cousin, Larry (on the right), sitting on the steps of one of Miner's
bungalows in Long Beach, California.

Linda's Slow Baked Beans—An Update on Grandma Elsie's

   As much as I loved Grandma Elsie's baked beans, the exact recipe has been lost to time. When I asked our mother, Dianne, to look for the recipe, and asked why she didn't make them at our house, she said that grandma's recipe had so much sugar, that she was reluctant to make them. She also couldn't find the recipe. This is a version of baked beans that I love, and I like to make when I have a day at home to let the beans cook slowly in the oven in my beautiful red Le Creuset enamel pot. They taste like Grandma Elsie's baked beans. If you have only had baked beans out of a can, you will find that these beans are completely different in taste and texture. They are well worth the time and effort involved in making them.

Equipment:
A large enamel cast iron dutch oven or heavy pot for baking

I cut the thickly sliced salt pork into cubes and then boil them to remove some of the excess salt.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried white beans such as Great Northern or Navy
1/4 pound salt pork, diced and boiled for 15 minutes or 1/4 pound good quality bacon chopped and browned with fat drained off
1 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 cup full-flavored molasses, not Blackstrap unless you like a very intense molasses flavor
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 Tbsps grated fresh ginger
1/2 onion pierced with 2 whole cloves
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
sprinkle of red pepper flakes—optional
2 Tbsps dark rum
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup raw honey for drizzle if desired

Procedure:
Soak the beans overnight. When ready to cook the beans, preheat oven to 275 degrees. The beans will need 5 to 6 hours in a slow oven. You can use a crockpot if desired and cook on low for eight hours. The first steps are the same however.

1. Add the half and onion to the bean pot and bring the beans to a boil. Simmer on low for 45 minutes to an hour. Drain and reserve the liquid.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot with enough of the reserved liquid to cover the beans. The beans do not need extra salt. The salt pork adds enough salt to the mixture during the lengthy cooking.

3. Place the beans in the preheated oven and cook for roughly six hours, stirring every hour and adding liquid if the beans get too dry.
4. Allow beans to cook with the lid off in the oven during the last forty-five minutes of baking. They will get a lovely crust on the top. Drizzle with honey after they are removed from the oven if desired.

Elsie and Charlie at the right end of the top row.

The Farm to Fermentation Festival in Sonoma County and Small Batch Fermented Veggies

My Traveling Tales by Linda

"We must remember, rediscover, and reclaim our ancestors, however we can, and honor, protect, and perpetuate their gifts, including tangible ones such as seeds and fermentation processes. Cultural revival is necessary in order to maintain their great legacy to us. Keeping it alive is the ultimate in ancestor worship."   — The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz

Scenes from the 2015 Farm to Fermentation Festival held in Santa Rosa this past Saturday.

A couple of lovebirds pose for me in front of Red Horse Pizza from Sebastopol.

   After a few years of missing the Farm to Fermentation Festival held in my neighboring city of Santa Rosa, California for the past few years, I finally managed to get the event on my calendar and purchase VIP tickets (which included access to the beer, wine and cider vendors) for this popular and casual bash which this year was held for the first time at the large Finley Community Center in order to accommodate the increasing number of enthusiastic attendees.

Woodfour Brewing Company located in the beautiful town of Sebastopol, California.

   America's increasing awareness and love of fermented foods and beverages is something that is exciting to me. I have been extolling the virtues of fermented foods for many years now, and it is great to see that the once nearly forgotten art is gaining in popularity, and people are fermenting all kinds of things in their home kitchens again, as they once did not so very long ago. I have written about how my own father enjoyed stopping by his grandparents' house on his way home from school for a dish of homemade sauerkraut, which he says that he "would rather have than a dish of ice cream".

Foxcraft Hard Ciders were delicious — I especially liked the Blood Orange cider.

Baeltane Brewing out of Novato was serving up delicious artisanal beers.

From Sandor Katz, one of the world's leading proponents and authorities on the art and benefits of fermentation:

Fermentation makes foods more nutritious, as well as delicious. Microscopic organisms – our ancestors and allies – transform food and extend its usefulness. Fermentation is found throughout human cultures. Hundreds of medical and scientific studies confirm what folklore has always known: Fermented foods help people stay healthy.

Many of your favorite foods and drinks are probably fermented. For instance: Bread, Cheese, Wine, Beer, Mead, Cider, Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, Pickles, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Salami, Miso, Tempeh, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha.

Jeff Wilson of Bubbies® spent a great deal of time with us sharing info on large scale fermentation.

The beautiful fermentation crockery on the left is available from Architectural Ceramic Design.

   Mark and I happily wandered through the exhibition halls and tents, both of us sampling a huge array of fermented foods and chatting with the producer/vendors. The biggest surprise for me was just how many craft ciders are being produced. We live in what used to be prime apple-growing territory, which sadly declined in popularity when imported apples from other countries and states caused the price to drop substantially and unfortunately put many apple growers out of business in Sonoma County. It is really nice to see these old orchards reviving with the increasing popularity of hard ciders which are truly delicious. Each cider maker is putting their own spin on their creations—from fruit and herbal additions, to the types of barrels that they are using for aging the cider.

Angela Wooten of Taylor Maid Farms serves up some nitrogen draft tap cold-brewed coffee to Mark. I already had my quota of caffeine for the morning, but I did take a sip. 
Wow... absolutely delicious!

The San Francisco Microscopical Society provided several microscopes 
and slides for attendees to check out. Beneficial bacteria rules!

   We managed to hang out and be entertained for almost the full six hours. The different array of products and knowledgeable people present was truly amazing. We also participated in a fermenting class unexpectedly, when seats became available. More about that with this week's recipe at the bottom of this post.

Sonoma Brinery's handmade sauerkrauts and pickles are delicious and always in my fridge if I am between batches of my own sauerkraut or pickles.

Scott Heath and Ellen Cavalli of Tilted Shed Ciderworks. The Barred Rock Barrel-Aged Cider
is aged in Tennessee Bourbon barrels. Yum!!

Ciders from Specific Gravity Cider Company and mead from the San Franciso Mead Company.

   Along with cider, mead, which is made with honey, is where fermented beverages began in human history. In other words—it is ancient and growing in popularity. Our friend, Carly Verhey was representing for Heidrun Meadery located in Point Reyes Station. Check out my visit to Heidrun by clicking here.

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made with vegetables and a variety of seasonings. Current research has shown that it has antiviral properties.

Aruna Lee of Volcano Kimchi—a San Francisco-based producer of quality handmade kimchi.

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider, The Bone Broth Company and Revolution Bread.

Happy Girl Kitchen Co. and Kraut Source—from whom I purchased new fermenting supplies.

Russian River Brewing Company — famous for its elusive Pliny The Elder
and other traditional "hopped-up" brews. These guys were a lot of fun.

Beer Belly Fermentation Supply was brewing right out of the nearby fountain.

   We couldn't have asked for a better day, and there was just too much to fit into one afternoon with all the classes, producers to talk to, and samples to try. We will be going back next year for sure!

Mark and I each came home with a jar of veggies to ferment from the class we attended. We are each trying out a different top that we bought at the festival. Check out the simple recipe below.