A la carte: Fire relief dinners and holiday tastings coming to Sonoma County

SANTA ROSA: More than 50 chefs to join Rise Up Sonoma

Sonoma County wineries, chefs and music stars will join together from 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3 for Rise Up Sonoma, an evening of wine, food, auction items and legendary musical artists held at the Sonoma Country Day School.

Participants include more than 50 of San Francisco's and Sonoma County's finest chefs, more than 30 wineries and a handful of local breweries and distillers. Singer-songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter will perform.

Tickets are $500, $1,500 for VIP, available at riseupsonoma.org. 4400 Day School Place.

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GEYSERVILLE: Free Thanksgiving dinner for fire victims

A group of North Bay and San Francisco chefs led by Ray Tang of the Presidio Social Club will serve a traditional Thanksgiving for first responders, fire victims, families and friends starting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23, at the Geyserville Oddfellows Hall located above Diavola.

The dinner consists of soup and salad, roast turkey and ham, stuffing and mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, roasted autumn squash and local greens, bread and olive oil.

The dinner is free. To reserve, go to sonomarelief.godaddysites.com and submit your preferred time. The dinner will be served family-style every half hour until 4 p.m. or the food runs out. Party size limited to 6 per family.

Participating North Bay restaurants and purveyors include DaVero of Healdsburg, Jackson's Bar & Oven of Santa Rosa, Diavola and Catelli's of Geyserville, Hana Japanese of Rohnert Park, the Farmhouse Inn of Forestville and Osteria Stellina of Point Reyes. Bay Area participants include Anchor and Hope, Presidio Social Club and American Grilled Cheese Kitchen of San Francisco; BiRite Foodservice of Brisbane and Biaggio Meats of Hayward. 21021 Geyserville Ave.

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ST. HELENA: Benefit dinner for wildfire victims

Some of the North Bay's most notable chefs and vintners are joining forces to orchestrate a benefit dinner for wildfire victims at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

The evening of friendship and neighbors kicks off with a reception of canapés prepared by more than a dozen chefs. The meal prepared by The French Laundry's Thomas Keller and others will be paired with Napa and Sonoma wines served by top sommeliers in the region. Following dinner, there will be a live auction and a musical performance by Boz Scaggs.

Tickets are $2,500, to benefit the Napa & Sonoma Relief Fund in partnership with Tipping Point, which will donate the money to low-income communities hit hardest by the wildfires. To reserve: napasonomarelief.org

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ALEXANDER VALLEY: Annual Black Friday open house

Six wineries in the Alexander Valley will open their doors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, for the annual Black Friday Holiday Open House.

There will be wine tasting and food pairings at Alexander Valley Vineyards, deLormier, Hanna Winery, Medlock Ames, Soda Rock and White Oak Vineyards and Winery.

Tickets will be available at the door for $45 general, $15 for designated drivers and children 12 and under. Tickets: tastedestination128.com

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HEALDSBURG: Free pizza party at DaVero

DaVero will hold its annual “Day After Thanksgiving Party” at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 24, at the farm and gardens by the Healdsburg tasting room.

Franchetti's Wood Fire Ovens will be selling fresh pizzas and more from noon to 3 p.m., and DaVero wines will be for sale by the glass and bottle.

The event is free, but there is a suggested $10 donation per family to benefit the Healdsburg Food Pantry. 766 Westside Road.

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SONOMA COUNTY: Dine out for a great cause

Make your dining out dollars matter to Sonoma County folks affected by HIV or other serious illnesses during Dining Out for Life on Nov. 30.

Participating restaurants from Valley Ford and Bodega Bay to Penngrove and Sonoma will donate 25 or 50 percent of your purchase to Food for Thought, a Forestville nonprofit that runs a food bank.

For a list of participating restaurants, go to diningoutforlife.com. Reservations are recommended and must be made at individual restaurants.

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SONOMA VALLEY: Kick off the holidays at wineries

The Heart of Sonoma Valley Winery Association will toast the holiday season from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25 and 26, at 20 wineries throughout the valley.

Tickets are $55 for a weekend pass, $55 at the door; $10 for designated drivers, $15 at the door. To reserve: heartofsonomavalley.com

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SONOMA: Enjoy festive wine cocktails

In collaboration with Prohibition Spirits, Meadowcroft Wines is creating festive wine cocktails and offering them as a complimentary add-on to each Classic Wine Tasting on Saturdays through Dec. 16 in the Meadowcroft Tasting Room.

The Cornerstone 75, for example, includes Prohibition Spirits London Dry Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a splash of Meadowcroft's 2015 Blanc de Blancs.

No appointment or reservation needed. Meadowcroft is located in Cornerstone Sonoma, 23574 Arnold Drive. meadowcroftwines.com.

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NAPA: Best cocktails winners announced

The winners of Napa's Wizards of Elixirs Cocktail Competition have been announced, with the team from Solbar in Calistoga winning the top prize for Garnet Horizon, a fall drink featuring Charbay Pomegranate Vodka, The Perfect Purée Pear, Rittenhouse Rye, hazelnut liqueur and garnet yam juice. Bartenders Kelly Dallas and Mel Valencia came up with that winning elixir.

Second place was awarded to Adam Welch of the Geyserville Gun Club Bar & Lounge for “The Shogun,” featuring Charbay Green Tea Vodka, The Perfect Purée Yuzu Luxe Sour blend and Coconut Purée, sake and pineapple sage syrup.

Third place went to Vincent Lundeen of Andaz Napa for Monkey's Breakfast, an eye-opener made with Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka, Amaro Montenegro, Dancing Pines Walnut Liqueur, oat syrup made with The Perfect Purée Banana Purée and lemon juice.

The competition, held at the CIA at Copia, raised more than $10,000 for families affected by the fires in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.