Robert Mondavi Winery

 

Robert Mondavi final_sI had the pleasure of working in the cellar at Robert Mondavi’s Winery back in 1990. At the time, I had just moved to California and a friend of mine Archi, introduced me to Dave the Cellarmaster at Mondavi. After a short conversation, I was hired on the spot. Maybe he liked the fact that I had ambitions to be an artist, I don’t know, but I got the job. I found working the harvest so thrilling, I almost didn’t finish school. But I knew returning to college was the right thing to do and if I still wanted to work in the wine industry, it would be there when I got through. Today I’m glad I finished school because now I get to enjoy both painting wineries and drinking their wine!

Devoto Family Gardens

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Devoto Gardens is a 20 acre diversified family farm nestled among apple orchards, pinot noir vines, and a bounty of flowers for cutting. Situated west of downtown Sebastopol, the farm is often canopied with cool morning fog that lingers into the afternoon hours, providing a perfect climate for cultivating flowers, grapes, and apples.
In 1975, Susan and Stan Devoto bought the ranch that would become Devoto Gardens and began farming micro-greens and flowers the following year. But it didn’t take long before the family became obsessed with apples, and now they grow over 50 varieties of heirloom species.
 The Devotos grow as many heirloom apples as there are uses and tastebuds. Thousands of nuances make each individual apple delicious, whether its being used for raw eating, juicing, baking, or cider.
Jolie (the middle daughter of three) acknowledges that the best tasting apples are also the most difficult to grow, and therefore, require the most dedication. Although apple trees are resilient, the more TLC they receive, the better the flavor of the fruit. Having grown apples for 40 years, the Devotos intimately know each variety: the time of harvest, what it tastes like at its best, and the amount of acid versus sugar in the fruit.
devoto-farms-sorting_s2The apple harvest begins with the Gravenstein in August and will last into November. Once the apples have been picked, they are hauled from the orchard to a spot in front of the greenhouse where they are sorted, boxed, labeled, and loaded into a van for the markets.
Gravensteins have a sweet/tart flavor combo with a little spice and bright acidity. They’re perfect for eating, saucing, baking, or in the case of Jolie’s new venture with her husband Hunter, artisan sparkling hard cider. Regardless of use, the Gravenstein Apple remains a symbol of Sonoma County’s historical agricultural tradition.devoto-farms-apple_s2
***Update:
I’m saddened to hear today that Susan Devoto died last Friday. My condolences to the Devoto family. You can read the story here.

Sketches from Ready, Set, Sketch: Dry Creek Valley!

Dry Creek General Store 2013

I had a great time last weekend with the Ready, Set, Sketch! group. There were 9 participants at different skill levels and all eager to sketch. We started off at the Dry Creek General Store, sketching from across the road. It was a foggy morning but it cleared about 11am.Dry Creek Vineyards_s

At noon, we purchased some sandwiches from the Dry Creek Store and headed down the road to Dry Creek Vineyards which is one of the best picnic spots in the area, complete with shade trees, umbrellas, and picnic tables. Following a second sketch of the winery, Phil and I finished the day by tasting some of Dry Creek Vineyard’s wine. I especially liked their Chenin Blanc and Maritage.

Ready, Set, Sketch: Dry Creek Valley!

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Our next “Ready, Set, Sketch!” group outing will be August 10 in the Dry Creek Valley.

Some of the world’s best Zinfandels are grown and produced just west of Healdsburg in the Dry Creek Valley. The area is beautiful and there’ll be no shortage of things to draw. Bring your own drawing supplies and lunch, or purchase something tasty to eat at the Dry Creek Store.

We’ll meet out front of the Dry Creek Store, 3495 Dry Creek Road, just west of Healdsburg city limits on August 10 at 10am. See you there!

Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/CWHLi

Jimtown Store

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On any given day, cyclists, tourists, and locals alike can be found at Alexander Valley’s Jimtown store enjoying hearty seasonal soups, salads, and specialty sandwiches. Founded by Jim Patrick in 1865 as a general store and post office, the store was refurbished in 1991 by current owner Carrie Brown and her late husband John Werner. It’s hard to miss Jimtown’s mascot, a 1955 red Ford pickup parked out front, which was originally used as a county fire truck.

 

1st Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers’ Sketchcrawl

This weekend, 1st Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers’ Sketchcrawl – Bay Area, was held in San Francisco (on Saturday) and Oakland (on Sunday). It was a huge success with upwards of 75 people participating in the event. After a 10am meet-up in front of the Ferry Building, we dispersed to sketch the beautiful city. Most people were Bay Area reidents but some traveled from as far as LA and Seattle to participate. Newbies and seasoned sketchers alike captured the City by the Bay in their sketchbooks.

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At noon-thirty, we rendezvoused at a fountain across the street from the ferry building to share our morning sketches.

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My first sketch of the building was not as successful as I would have liked. In an effort to avoid direct sun, I chose a shady spot under a row of palm trees, but the view proved to be without dimension and vegetation.

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My second sketch was more successful since I chose a more dimensional view of the ferry building and included trees and other greenery that added life to the architecture. Over all, the finished composition is more dynamic and colorful. At 4pm we met behind the ferry building for a second sketch-share that closed out the day.

Gabi and Me at The Flying Goat Coffee House

Gabi and me

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting ultra talented Gabi (Gabriel Campanario) and his family for the first time here in Healdsburg! We met in the downtown plaza and then walked over to Flying Goat Coffee, had drinks, and talked about everything sketchy. I had a great time getting to know Gabi and hope that someday we’ll get to sketch together in Seattle. In fact, I’m going to bet on it.