This unique three-day tour includes private visits and tours with artisan producers combined with unique interactive food and wine experiences. Building on Relish's close relationships with local producers, participants will meet the personalities and enjoy exclusive, behind-the-scenes activities not usually available to the public. Tour size is limited to a maximum of 14 participants and activities are hosted by Relish owner Donna del Rey or other experienced Relish representatives.
From touring an artisan creamery to VIP wine tastings to a hands-on cooking class with the inimitable chef John Ash, Relish Sonoma County leave participants with an authentic taste of wine country living and will provide a great starting point for deeper exploration of our amazing region.
Arrive on your own to Healdsburg, 67 miles north of San Francisco in Northern
Sonoma County, and check in at your hotel. Meet the other participants at a Welcome Reception that evening at Relish.
We will start our day with a drive to the west part of Sonoma County, known for its year-round cool climate which creates the perfect setting for dairy cows, cheese making and growing pinot noir grapes. A number of renowned artisan cheese makers are based in this part of the county and adjacent Marin--Redwood Hill, Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes, Valley Ford, Bohemian, Andante, Bellwether Farms, and more. We'll visit a family-owned dairy ranch that recently began making farmstead cheese where we'll learn about their ranching practices, tour their creamery and enjoy tastes of their award winning cheeses.
We'll then continue west to the marina in the town of Bodega Bay (where Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed) where we'll meet up with a local fisherman and choose a whole fish, maybe salmon or black cod, from the day'scatch to incorporate into the evening's dinner.
We'll stop for a picnic lunch on the way inland then do a little wine tasting at the new Barlow Center in Sebastopol. Since this is the heart of the west county's pinot noir growing region, we'll taste delicious single vineyard designate pinots and learn about why this regions produces some of the world's best.
We'll then head back to Healdsburg where guests will have a short break before gathering at the Relish Culinary Center for a cooking workshop with the wonderful chef John Ash. Chef John will provide an introduction to Sonoma County through seasonal ingredients incorporated into our meal—seafood and cheese gathered that morning, plus peak-of-the-season fruits and vegetables and, of course, local wine. We will work together to create and then sit to savor a
flavorful four-course dinner.
- Grilled Sourdough Bruschetta
with Heirloom Tomato Jam and Goat Cheese
- Summer Green Salad with Terra
Sonoma VerJus and DaVero Olive Oil
- Cedar-Plank Grilled Halibut
with a Chardonnay Infusion
- Toasted Couscous with Tierra Vegetables
- Ricotta and Goat Cheese Tart
with Fresh Strawberries and Saba
Day Three: Herbs, Olive Oil, Peaches & Zinfandel
Today we'll enjoy the bounty of farms and artisan producers all located within 10 miles of Healdsburg, starting with a tour of a local organic flower farm. This beautiful, serene farm provides gorgeous arrangements for many of the exquisite restaurants, hotels and weddings in and around Healdsburg. We'll learn about how they transformed from a small vineyard to a wildly successful organic flower farm, and we'll glean beautiful edible flowers and fresh herbs to incorporate into our lunch.
We'll then head to a local olive oil producer for a tour of their stone olive press, and tastes of their delicious oils. We'll learn about artisan olive oil production in Sonoma County, from orchard growing practices to their authentic Italian stone mill and annual community presses.
Next, we'll visit the last remaining stone fruit orchard in Sonoma County. At this magical peach orchard, we'll sip on White Peach Bellinis as we enjoy an orchard tour with the owners, taste whichever of their 20+ varieties of peaches is in season, and take peaches with us to incorporate into our lunch.
Wrap up the day with a VIP tour and tasting at a biodynamic-organic winery, learning about their old-world-become-new farming practices and wine-making methods. We'll put together a fresh lunch using ingredients gathered throughout the day which we'll savor in the winery's beautiful edible garden.
We'll wrap up our tour back at Relish, allowing you free time in the afternoon to explore Healdsburg’s unique shops and businesses.
That evening we'll host an optional finale dinner at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen for a four-course wine pairing dinner.
Cost:
$1,750 per person, double occupancy (all inclusive)
$2,100 per person, single occupancy (all inclusive)
Space is limited to 14 participants, so early registration is advised.
Options:
Finale four-course wine-pairing dinner at
Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen
$140 per person (all inclusive)
Available Dates in 2014: June 10-12, August 19-21 and October 7-9
Package includes:
Two nights' lodging with breakfast, private transportation to/from daily activities and
the Relish Culinary Center, welcome reception, two lunches with wine,
one cooking class/dinner with wine, all tour and activity fees, all tips, gratuities and taxes.
Detailed Tour Policies
