Taste new food and wine in Sonoma County this March

HEALDSBURG

J Winery chef serves new small plate menu

Chef Carl Shelton of J Vineyards & Winery has been working on a new Small Plate Tasting Menu for winery visitors to try on the terrace, now that the winery is open again.

The small plate menu is paired with pinot noir, chardonnay, estate pinot gris and a pair of sparkling wines. The 90-minute light lunch includes oysters, Dungeness crab and other seasonal bites such as Chicory Salad with Fresh Pears.

The tasting is available between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday by appointment. To reserve, go to jwine.com and click on Visit. 11447 Old Redwood Highway.

PETALUMA

Cline family launches new Gust wine label

The second generation of Sonoma’s Cline Family Cellars has launched a new wine label, Gust, that taps the potential of the fog-blessed Petaluma Gap, one of California’s most exciting new wine appellations.

Cline siblings Megan, Hilary and Tom are sourcing from vineyards located at the eastern edge of the district, where the gusts run into Sonoma Mountain, giving the grapes a breeze throughout the full afternoon sun. The Gust label includes pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah.

Gust is currently building a tasting room at Green String Farm in Petaluma, which is located in the heart of the Petaluma Gap.

For more information: gustwines.com

SANTA ROSA

Copperfield’s hosts online “Hooked” talk

Are some of the decisions we make about what we eat beyond our control? Is food an addiction, like drugs or alcohol? To what extent does the food industry know, or care, about these vulnerabilities?

Michael Moss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter formerly with the New York Times, answers some of these questions in his new book, “Hooked: Food, Free Will and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions” (Random House, 2021).

Copperfield’s Books will host Moss in a free virtual book talk at 7 p.m. March 11. To reserve, go to copperfieldsbooks.com and click on Events.

ALEXANDER VALLEY

Winegrowers present virtual tasting series

The Alexander Valley Winegrowers will present the second installment of their six-week virtual tasting series — A Chef’s Journey through Alexander Valley — at 5 p.m. Thursday on Zoom and Facebook.

The episode will feature Chef Liza Hinman of The Spinster Sisters in Santa Rosa along with winemakers from J. Rickards Winery, Robert Young Estate Winery and Stuhlmuller Vineyards.

Other chefs who will serve as guides to the cabernet-driven appellation include Tim Bodell of Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville and Mateo Granados of Mateo’s Cocina Latina in Healdsburg. Each chef will prepare pairings for three varietals per episode and dive into the nuances of what makes the perfect pairing.

The guest moderator is Courtney Humiston, a wine writer, sommelier and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

For more information and to register for the free series, go to alexandervalley.org and click on Events.

SONOMA

Italian Comfort Food class at Community Center

Instructors Lisa Lavagetto and Julie Steinfeld will give a virtual cooking class on Italian Comfort Food at 1 p.m. March 20 as part of the Sonoma Community Center’s culinary classes.

The teachers will show how to create Pasta e Fagioli soup and give their secret for making a soft, pillowy gnocchi with a mushroom truffle sauce. For dessert, they will demonstrate making a Vanilla Zabaglione with brandied cherries and fresh raspberries.

Cost is $25. To register, go to sonomacommunitycenter.org, then click on Classes and Culinary Arts.

PENNGROVE

Corned Beef & Cabbage drive-thru

The Penngrove Social Firemen will present a Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner drive-thru with curbside pickup from 3 to 6 p.m. March 13 at Penngrove Community Park.

The menu includes corned beef from Bud’s Meats, plus fixings such as cabbage, potatoes and carrots, all cooked by the volunteer kitchen crew.

Cost is $20. Tickets must be purchased in advance by March 10 at JavAmoré Café (cash or check) at 10101 Main St. or online at eventbrite.com. All proceeds help maintain the Community Clubhouse and Penngrove Park.

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