Napa Wine Train restarts, Taste of Sonoma goes online

The annual Taste of Sonoma, a wine and food extravaganza hosted by the Sonoma County Vintners, will be held online again this summer after the in-person event was canceled for the second year in a row due to coronavirus concerns.

This year’s Taste of Sonoma at Home will take place in July with online wine tastings, educational webinars, cooking classes and food pairings that people can view at home.

Here are the dates for the 2021 Taste of Sonoma at Home events, held live on Zoom.

• Wine.com will host “Taste of Sonoma’s Chardonnay Any Way” at 4 p.m. July 15. Explore the terroirs of Sonoma County’s growing areas, discover winemaking styles of world-class chardonnays and uncover a sense of place with winemakers from Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery and Knights Bridge Winery. To register: bit.ly/WineTOSH

• A “Garden Tour & Culinary Class” will be hosted by Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens at 4 p.m. July 22. The interactive virtual tour of the 4-acre garden with Master Culinary Gardener Tucker Taylor and a culinary class by Executive Chef Justin Wangler will include a food and wine pairing inspired by the gardens. To register: bit.ly/TOSHGardenTour

• Wine.com will host Taste of Sonoma’s “Red Wine Rotation” at 4 p.m. July 29. Guests will journey virtually to Sonoma County with winemakers from Pedroncelli Winery, Francis Ford Coppola Winery and La Crema. Try wines from Russian River Valley pinot noir and Dry Creek Valley zinfandel to Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon. To register: bit.ly/WineTOSH

For more information, go to tasteofsonoma.com

MARSHALL

“No-Fuss Family Cookbook” party at Nick’s Cove

Bay Area celebrity chef Ryan Scott will celebrate the release of his book, “The No-Fuss Family Cookbook,” with a cooking demonstration and party on June 13 at Nick’s Cove.

Dena Grunt, owner of Nick’s Cove and author of the recent “Table with a View” cookbook, also will be there. There will be sparkling wine, appetizers from “Table with a View” and a cooking demonstration with samples by Scott.

Sign up for one of three time slots to ensure social distancing. Tickets are $96 and include a signed copy of both cookbooks.

Nick’s Cove also is offering a series of intimate Cookbook Brunches from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 27, July 25 and Aug. 22 in The Croft garden.

Tickets are $75 and include a signed copy of “Table with a View,” drinks, tax and tip, plus a multi-course brunch featuring dishes from the cookbook. Capacity is limited to 20 people.

To reserve tickets for the brunch or Ryan Scott’s cookbook event, go to nickscove.com

Meanwhile, Nick’s Cove has brought back Locals’ Night from 4 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday, featuring live music to enjoy along with summer favorites from the menu. For a calendar of upcoming artists, go to nickscove.com/events

NAPA VALLEY

Napa Valley Wine Train returns

After being stopped in its tracks at the onset of the pandemic, the Napa Valley Wine Train is once again inviting wine (and train) enthusiasts to hop on the one-of-a-kind attraction. It reopened Monday.

The train is a popular way for people to explore Napa wines and cuisine while taking in the views of the valley’s rolling hills and vineyards. The first experience that was relaunched was the fan-favorite Legacy Tour ($405 and up), which begins with sparkling wine, is accompanied by a four-course gourmet meal and tour of Napa Valley and ends with a photo opportunity and exclusive tastings at local wineries.

More winery tours and a Murder Mystery Tour will be opening in mid-June.

The train’s antique rail cars became a space for dining service in 1989, but the railroad they travel on opened in 1864 as a route to take passengers from south Napa to Calistoga. The train is one of a few historic passenger trains still in operation in the United States.

Visit winetrain.com for more information or to reserve your spot.

SONOMA

Esquire magazine recently published its 15th annual “best bars in America” list, highlighting “places that managed to remain intrinsic to the fabric of drinking culture in America” during the pandemic. Among the 27 bars featured this year is the new Valley Bar + Bottle, a wine bar, restaurant and bottle shop in Sonoma that opened in the former Harvest Moon Cafe location in July 2020.

Founded by four friends (two couples) who previously worked together at Scribe Winery in Sonoma, Valley’s wine list focuses on natural wines, which can be paired with small bites and a selection of entrees made from local produce and prepared by chef Emma Lipp, formerly the culinary director at Scribe, and Chef Stephanie Reagor.

“It’s that rare idyllic spot where for hours you can find yourself snacking on small plates of Spanish anchovies and piles of mortadella between sips of a cold, cloudy, funky esoteric orange from a varietal you’ve never had from a country you can barely place,” said Kevin Sintumuang of Esquire magazine.

Due to the pandemic, guests have not been able to drink at the bar at Valley since it opened; instead they’ve been enjoying wine and food on the outdoor patio. Now, with eased restrictions, patrons can have the experience the owners intended.

Valley Bar + Bottle is housed in the Leese-Fitch Adobe, built in 1836. While the interior has received upgrades, the owners have worked to maintain the atmosphere of the building.

“We wanted it to feel inviting and open but also European and kind of cozy,” said Lauren Feldman, co-founder of Valley.

Apart from a few bottles from Sonoma Valley producers like Gail Wines, Source & Sink and Scriber Winery, most of the wine list is made up of wines from Europe, including from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia. Dinner entrees include half chicken with broccoli and chili oil and King salmon with peas and miso broth. Valley also is open for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Valley Bar + Bottle, 487 First St. W., Sonoma, 707-934-8403, valleybarandbottle.com

Staff Writer Grace Yarrow and Sonoma Magazine Digital Editor Sofia Englund contributed to this story.

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