Outside Lands: Sonoma County vendors pick must-see bands

Over the years, a breakout posse of Sonoma County bands has made the pilgrimage to Outside Lands in San Francisco to play in front of crowds 100 times larger than they’ve ever seen. Young local acts like Easy Leaves, Arann Harris and the Farm Band, and Brothers Comatose paved the way.

But this year, we’re turning the mic over to another set of rock stars – the Sonoma County wineries and breweries that dominate the jam-packed beverage tents every summer at the sprawling Golden Gate Park festival. From HenHouse Brewing to Tin Barn Vineyards to Ace Cider, these trusted hop heads and cellar rats are picking the bands they’re dying to see and the dishes to pair with their tasty libations:

Ames Morison/Medlock Ames, Healdsburg: Question - If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Wilco – because their haunting melodies remind me of when I first fell in love with my wife. Also, The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, St. Vincent and Hooray for the Riff Raff.

How much inventory are you bringing?

Enough to ensure everyone has a chance to taste... We hope!

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

San Francisco in August is downright cold. I will bring my favorite jacket – it’s made out of recycled Army blankets.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

Our cabernet-based wines will go wonderfully with Michael Mina’s smoked-coconut sugar brisket, sorghum pickles and bourbon BBQ sauce. Our sauvignon blanc will be delicious with Woodhouse Fish Co. oysters, Maine lobster rolls and New England clam chowder.

Chaney Claypool/Claypool Cellars, Sebastopol: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Of course Elton John is a legend and I’ve never seen him. Mumford & Sons and Tame Impala have been on festivals with (husband) Les (Claypool), and they were both really friendly and put on a great show. St. Vincent looks interesting and I had a few friends tell me I should check out The Sam Chase, who are a local band. I’m excited to see Tig Notaro and members of “The Daily Show” news team in the comedy tent.

How much inventory are you bringing?

I don’t have final numbers yet, but we know we are bringing our 2014 Rosé, our 2011 Fancy Blend (grenache/syrah/mourvedre) and our 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The goal is to sell out by Sunday afternoon so we can all see Elton John. So come early!

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

Comfortable boots, sunglasses, a backpack or hands-free bag, backup phone battery charger and a warm coat because it gets deceivingly cold once the sun goes down. I also bring a hat (mine will be a Claypool Cellars trucker hat – come by the booth and join the wine club or order a glass and we will give you one for free – until we run out!)

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

AQ is always delicious. I’m intrigued by their sweet, spicy and ‘shroomy waffles. I’d pair it with our Fancy Blend. Woodhouse Fish Co. has oysters, which would be great with our rosé. Anything in Chocolands would pair with our Pinot, which is the wine we are most known for.

Scott Goyne/HenHouse Brewing, Petaluma: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Pete Bernhard of The Devil Makes Three and I went to the California School of Herbal Studies together. So they are a must-see. I have such fond memories of him writing music on the steps of that great institution (oldest herb school in America, tucked away in Forestville). They really know how to get a crowd moving. Elton John and Billy Idol, because, well, no need to explain that one! And Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe is the best type of funk to get you grooving. I hope to make his set for sure.

How much inventory are you bringing?

We are so stoked to be bringing our HenHouse Saison and Oyster Stout to this event. We will be bringing our refrigerated truck stocked full of beer - anticipating 20 or so kegs consumed by us thirsty Bay Area beer connoisseurs.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

Funky shade hat, comfy dancing shoes and our ever-present stoked attitude.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your beer?

A. You can’t go wrong with pairing our HenHouse Saison with the sausage offerings from Monks Kettle or Rosamunde.

B. Pairing our dry Irish Oyster Stout that is infused with our local ocean, with the classic pairing of oysters at Wood House Fish Co. is a sure win.

C. For the sweet-tooth satisfaction, try our roasty, toasty Stout with some brownie butter chunk ice cream from Petaluma’s own Three Twins ice cream. Roast, Toast, Brine, Brownies and Three Twins ice cream for the win.

Jessica Force/Scribe Winery, Sonoma: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

We play a bunch of albums in our tasting room and a lot of those artists will be playing. We’re pretty excited about D’Angelo, Leon Bridges, Chet Faker, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Hot Chip, Toro y Moi - too many to list.

How much inventory are you bringing?

We’ll have our 2013 Riesling and 2014 skin-fermented Chardonnay flowing.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

GLCO sunglasses, ID and iPhone with Outside Lands app and some gifts from the farm for our members.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

Liza of Merigan Sub Shop will have some Eggplant Parm subs that pair super well with our dry riesling. And we always love the Dried Porcini Doughnuts from Sarah and Evan at Rich Table with our skin-fermented chardonnay.

Jeffrey House/Ace Cider, Sebastopol: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Elton John, Billy Idol, Tame Impala, Chet Faker, G-Eazy, Milky Chance, Porter Robinson, The Black Keys, Giraffage, Ron Funches, Sam Smith and Odesza.

How much inventory are you bringing?

23 half-barrels of Ace Perry Cider and 23 half-barrels of Ace Pineapple Cider.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

Blanket, sunglasses, a cool flag so we can be spotted easily, a sweater and a CamelBak.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your cider?

Bacon Bacon and The Rib Whip, because we are suckers for food trucks, and our Ace Pineapple and Ace Perry go perfectly with pork.

Ken Blair/Preston Vineyards, Healdsburg: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Wilco because there is a lot of sentimental value associated with their music and I’ve been a fan for a few decades now. Another must see is St. Vincent. I really love the groove that she brings to her own unique brand of rock. I will definitely see Metz. Their high energy and intensity will be a welcome break from discussing the finer points of wine. Finally, the must-see of all must-sees this year is Kendrick Lamar. His artistry, lyrics and beats are at the top of the game right now and everyone who gets to see him outside in Golden Gate Park this year is very lucky.

How much inventory are you bringing?

We usually bring about 30 cases of three different wines, so 10 cases of sauvignon blanc, barbera and petite sirah.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

The survival kit is important. It’s often cold and foggy, so layers are key. We don’t get into the gimmicky side of things (e.g. tattoos) but we do hope to debut a new brochure at this year’s Outside Lands.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

Every year there is food stand that serves Malaysian Chicken Nachos and it’s very close to the wine tent. Those are always delicious and the spiciness goes great with our sauvignon blanc.

Amy Bess Cook/Tin Barn Vineyards, Sonoma: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

I’ll be sure to slip away from our booth to see Hurray for the Riff Raff, because who can resist punk banjo? Also, St. Vincent never fails to blow my mind. Finally, I’d love to check in on Billy Idol just to see how he’s doing these days.

How much inventory are you bringing?

We’re bringing three different varietals - rosé of syrah, pinot noir, and zin - and eight cases of each, so a total of 24 cases.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

I’ve been sharing our wine for years, and have found that I need surprisingly little to survive a long day of pouring. Since my attention is directed almost entirely toward the guests, I tend to throw myself into the work, then collapse afterward. At Outside Lands, I’ll be good as long as there is iced coffee and plenty of smiles. Afterward, you can be sure there will be a hot tub session!

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

I want to give a shout out to Patrick Mace and the Fabulous Frickle Brothers. Tin Barn Vineyards has wine to complement all your frickles and fried green tomatoes! Our 2014 “Joon” rosé of syrah Sonoma Coast, Coryelle Fields has a nice acidity that will balance fried foods, while offering a distinctive flavor of its own.

Kenny Likitprakong/Hobo Wine Company, Santa Rosa: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Maybe Wilco - my 8-year-old daughter will be with me on Friday. She knows who they are and a few of their songs so it will be fun to see them with her.

How much inventory are you bringing?

Somewhere between 20-25 cases of 2014 Folk Machine Central Coast pinot noir, 2013 Camp Sonoma County chardonnay and 2014 Camp Sonoma County zinfandel

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

Beer money.

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

Camp znfandel with a Delfina meatball sub. Zin is great with Italian sandwiches.

Jenny Harrow/Red Car Wine Company, Sebastopol: If you ever get a break from pouring, what are your must-see bands?

Friday’s lineup is getting our staff all excited with big names like D’Angelo, Mumford and Sons, and favorite alternative-electronic artists Glass Animals and Chet Faker. We’re also very excited to see one of our favorite local bands, The Sam Chase, on a big festival stage. Saturday you’ll see us sneaking away from the table for Django Django, Tame Impala, Toro Y Moi and Unknown Mortal Orchestra and of course ending with the big Sunday finale of Elton John.

How much inventory are you bringing?

About 10 cases of our rosé of pinot noir and a few cases each of our 2012 Sonoma Coast chardonnay and pinot noir, in case you’d like to try some of the other varietals that we produce.

Other stuff in your Outside Lands survival kit?

It’s always hard to decide what to wear until right before the weekend as SF weather is so unpredictable. Layers are key! We usually start the day off with summer dresses and cutoff shorts, but end the evening wearing our favorite scarves, sweaters and depending on the year, some mittens as well.

And you’ll see the staff rocking some Red Car logo-ed wayfarer sunglasses. We invite attendees of Wine Lands to stop by and see if they can score a pair, too!

What are some Outside Lands dishes that would go perfectly with your wine?

Our rosé of pinot noir will pair perfectly with Pacific Catch’s Hawaiian Ahi Poke. We’ve found that fish that are more firm with a meaty texture, almost like steak, tend to pair well with more flavorful white wines – perfect for our rosé of pinot noir.

Bay Area freelancer John Beck writes about entertainment for The Press Democrat. You can reach him at 280-8014 or john@beckmediaproductions.com.