Italian wine and food shop opens in Healdsburg

Ciao Bruto!, a new Italian wine and specialty food shop next to the Idlewild Wines tasting room in downtown Healdsburg, has opened with a curated selection of European wines and Italian foods such as honey, chocolate, organic pasta, olive oil, lentils, chickpeas, polenta and 40 varieties of tinned fish.

Ciao Bruto partner Thomas DeBiase, director of operations for Idlewild Wines, said about 80% of the wines are imported from Italy and 20% from France. The wines are made with minimal intervention.

Aside from the food and wines, the shop also sells

housewares and gift items such as Italian soaps and lotions.

The store was founded by Courtney Humiston, director of hospitality for Idlewild Wines; Sam Bilbro, founder of Idlewild Wines, and DeBiase.

DeBiase said the shop’s unusual name — a play on the popular ciao bella! greeting in Italy — was inspired by the rustic character of Italian wines.

“Bruto means ugly and embraces all the rough edges,” he said. “Italian wines are bold and tannic and a little quirky, and that’s what makes them beautiful.”

The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 130 Plaza St. 707-756-3918. ciaobruto.com

SANTA ROSA

Celebrate Bastille Day at Goguette with Alliance Française

Alliance Française Santa Rosa will celebrate Bastille Day, the French independence day known as 14 Juillet, with a festive picnic from 6 to 9 p.m. July 14 outside Goguette Bread.

Bring your own picnic to the outdoor event. There also will be bread, cheese, charcuterie, croque monsieurs, wine and homemade ice cream for sale. French music and a kids’ parade will round out the party.

The event is free and open to the public. Goguette is located at 59 Montgomery Drive.

SANTA ROSA

Salad days coming to Miracle Plum Kitchen

Joni Davis of Miracle Plum Kitchen will give a back-to-basics class on how to elevate your salads to new heights from 6 to 9 p.m. July 21 at the Miracle Plum Kitchen.

The class will cover how to make the perfect vinaigrette, how to create the classic Caesar salad and how to make a salad that will fill you up. The class will end with a smorgasbord of salads to eat, accompanied by wine. Students will leave the class with a bottle of olive oil, a bottle of vinegar and lots of salad inspiration.

Cost is $75. To reserve: miracleplum.com and click on events. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster are required. The kitchen is located at 600 Wilson St.

POINT REYES

Farm dinners, brunches return to The Fork

The Fork at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. will welcome back guests this summer for dining events, which have been on hiatus for the past two years.

The farm dinners on Aug. 18 and Sept. 1 will feature rustic, seasonal menus from Executive Chef and Culinary Director Jennifer Luttrell outdoors on The Fork’s patio, with a view of the setting sun.

The four-course dinners are served family style and are meant to bring cheese lovers together. Farm dinner menus are created the week of each event to ensure they highlight the freshest local ingredients.

At the farm brunches on July 16 and Oct. 1, guests will be seated at communal tables overlooking Tomales Bay. Luttrell will create seasonal menus filled with cheese, housemade baked goods and three courses of California comfort foods.

Farm brunches are $85, and farm dinners are $125. Seatings sell out early. For more information and to reserve: pointreyescheese.com and click on experiences.

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