The Sonoma Spiel

Jeweler in Sonoma: Margo Lowe of M. Lowe Jewelry talks baubles, bagels and Berkeley

Margo Lowe moved her jewelry store from Berkeley (just outside the gates of Cal - Go Bears!) to Sonoma (just across from the Plaza - Go Dragons!) On a wide-ranging podcast she talks about her journey from Pittsburgh (good bagels) to Berkeley (neighbor to Alice Waters' Chez Panisse) and then to Sonoma.Then she takes on answering YOUR Sonoma Valley questions during "We Get Questions." This week she answers:1) We are from Michigan, visiting our son who is stationed at Travis Air Force Base, and we heard about this place called the Plaza, but we don’t see a mall anywhere. What is a Plaza in California and where is it? 2) Where can I get a good hamburger?3) Hi this is Brent here from San Diego. We will be up in the Sonoma County area for two weeks this winter. Are there any wine passes or are there any 2-for-1 coupons available for Bedrock and Kunde wineries, or a few others in the area? 4) Winter means fruitcake! Where can I buy a fruitcake? Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers. It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9bYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Best of Sonoma ”We Get Questions” - Redwoods, Dog-Friendly, Best Pizza & White Zinfandel

This week on the Sonoma Spiel we are looking back at some of the best of "We Get Questions" where we make our guests answer the questions we get from visitors. Featured guests include Michelle Lacy from Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and Mark Bodenhamer of the Chamber of Commerce, Chef Lauren Kershner from Songbird Parlour, and Laura McGilley of the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance and Bart Hansen of Dane Cellars. The know stuff, and they are ready to share it with you!
Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma Valley, California.
 
Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.
It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Three wineries, one guy: Ryan Lely of Pangloss Cellars (and more)

We've got goldengroves unleaving, as fall is here and the vines are changing colors and winter is coming and the holidays beckon. Luckily to help us navigate the change and talk about Sonoma Valley is Ryan Lely, the creative force and eye behind Pangloss Cellars and Repris Wines. He also knows about the secret winery, that is hiding - in plain sight mind you- at Pangloss.
Ryan talks about how to create a unified look for a winery, photography and some of his favorite places in Sonoma Valley, some of which seem to employ his cousins and siblings, of which there seem to be many. He then lies and says that when he worked for Francis Ford Coppola's winery, which was cleverly named Francis Ford Coppola Winery, that his buddy Frank never asked him tips on photography or set design. So humble, Mr. Lely.Then he takes a turn in the hot seat, answering questions that we get from visitors during our segment, "We Get Questions." This week he tackles:
Hola. We are visiting from Puerto Rico. We would like to get a fun t-shirt or hat that says Sonoma. Where can I find this?
 We have a whole lot of people coming for Thanksgiving – the inlaws, the cousins, the college kids, the college kids’ friends, that one neighbor who is angling for an invitation- and really I need to know- what are the best wines to serve for Thanksgiving?
 We just got here from Minnesota. Any recommendations on what to do today?
 Looking for a brunch spot with bottomless mimosas that can host a large group on a Sunday & wouldn’t be annoyed to do so.
 
Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.
Thanks to Patricia & Scott from Stockton for listening!  
It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

On Beyond Sonoma: Kelly Bass Seibel tells tales from beyond the Island!

Kelly Bass Seibel from Sonoma County Tourism joins the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about the great and wonderful world that exists beyond the borders of Sonoma Valley, and disavows us of the notion that there be dragons there.Actually, there's a river, some beaches and a place called Rohnert Park.Kelly got her start in tourism via a circuitous route, but her start in Sonoma began with Sea Ranch and then a degree from Sonoma State University (Go Seawolves!) While we hear about her family drives up from LA, we also find out what there is to see and do in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Guerneville, Jenner, Healdsburg and more. She also admits that her dad specialized in capturing sound for movies, so maybe we can hire him to help with our podcast.Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma. This week she answers: Next week, we'll be doing a split stay between Downtown Napa and Healdsburg. I'm looking for recommendations on a winery to stop at on our drive to Healdsburg. We're thinking of visiting a tasting room and having lunch in Downtown Sonoma, but we're open to all suggestions! (via Facebook) Does anyone have any favorite bakeries and places to get cheese? I like going to farmers markets but would love to know of a good local place that i can always go to. Thanks! You keep trying to hand me booklets and information when I walk by here – are you Jehovah’s Witnesses? I have purchased a number of bottles of olive oil from Green String Farm, over the years. Suddenly, with their closing I am jonesing for a fix. Who has found an acceptable, and locally sourced alternative? Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers. Want more info about Sonoma Valley - go to www.sonomavalley.comDare to go beyond the Valley into the greater, wider Sonoma County? Go to www.sonomacounty.comIt's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9bYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Everything from E-I-E-I-O: Farm sanctuary Charlie’s Acres with Kaleigh Rhoades

Kaleigh Rhoades came to Sonoma's Charlie's Acres from San Diego via a stint at UC-Berkeley (Go Bears!), an orangutan rescue in Borneo and a chimpanzee sanctuary in Oregon. The mission at Charlie's Acres is two-fold: save farm animals as a sanctuary, and introduce plant-based alternatives to the more traditional American diet. But in an approachable way."It's not a bunch of vegans yelling at you," says Kaleigh. "We have fun picnics and tours and education, including local wines. It can be a luxury wine country experience that's totally friendly to animals."She is also very understanding about how coop-dwelling vegetarians in Madison all ate protein pucks from the Moosewood Cookbook, and how far we've come.Like all Very Special Guests on the Sonoma podcast, she takes a moment to answer YOUR questions during our segment, "WE GET QUESTIONS." This week she answers:
Hiii! Looking for recommendations for about 30 employees for a work holiday party that isn't SUPER expensive but worth it! Thank you in  advance :)Where can I get dried grapes?Is that really the original Williams-Sonoma store?
Does anyone know if strawberries are still being sold on Watmaugh?Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma.
Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.
 
It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

When to join a wine club, and how I stopped writing about high school sports: Rob Lorenz of Talisman Wines

Rob Lorenz was going to be a sports journalist, but covering Atascadero high school sports as the writer, editor and photographer pushed him to slingin' juice, selling wine. A native of San Jose, he knows the way to Sonoma and how to find good wine. At Talisman wines we helps wine tasters find excellent wines ("all Pinot Noir, all the time") that show their pride of place, whether from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley's Carneros region and even into Napa Valley. In addition to discovering that we grew up near each other in the "old neighborhood" of Almaden in San Jose, Rob talks about an upcoming wine dinner that will feature nine different wines from three different vineyards. And he details the tasting experience at the Glen Ellen tasting room, which is near of the three stop signs in town.As always he jumps in the hot seat to answer YOUR questions during "We Get Questions." This week he takes on:
What’s the weather like in December?
Is Glen Ellen a village, a hamlet, a townlet, or an outpost?
What is a vertical tasting?
Looking for a good place for a QUIET meal. We don’t like loud places.
Children at wine tastings – yes or no? (From Sonoma County Wine Imbibers Facebook)
 
Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.
 
It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

The Mayor, the Commissioner & the Algebra Teacher: Sandra Lowe talks her Sonoma

It's not often we get to talk to a mayor, a commissioner of a football league, a political organizer and a bilingual math teacher. But when we sat with Sandra Lowe, mayor of Sonoma, we got all of that in one package.She came to the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about her journey from LA math teacher (via Cal - Go Bears!) to Sonoma Valley High bilingual algebra specialist (Vamos los Dragons!) to teacher organizer and mayor of Sonoma.In addition to talking the ins and outs of ballot initiatives in California (good and bad) she talks about her favorite places in Sonoma Valley. Then she takes on YOUR questions during our segment, We Get Questions. This week she takes on:Where would you recommend wine tasting for out-of-town visitors? (From Facebook)Are the redwood trees on the plaza, redwood trees or sequoias? Do these redwood trees lose their leaves? Where can we see redwood trees around here? - Visitor from Minnesota I'm fascinated by the ducks in the Plaza. There were a group of 5 misfit ducks who were always in the round fountain in front of the City Hall. They've left that fountain, and I haven't seen a duck in there in at least a month. Anyway, there are a lot of ducks, but never any ducklings? Why? Predators? Duck birth control? (via email) Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

A Dream Wall in Sonoma: The Lodge at Sonoma, An Autograph Collection

Nicole Whitaker started out doing cold calls for AT&T back when customers leased their cell phones, and Erin McVicar has been in the wine and hospitality business around Sonoma Valley. They both are now at the Lodge at Sonoma, a recently renovated resort within biking distance of the Sonoma Plaza. They stopped by to chat about the return of Martini Madness (huzzah!), the unique food experiences at The Lodge, and all the wellness options available at the spa.
Then they dish on the famous VW Microbus that is both a photo backdrop and occasional shuttle for guests, some of their favorite ways to celebrate events at the Lodge and we talk about how to deprogram Nicole since she has been working over in Napa, whom we love dearly. They also tell us what a concierge actually does and why they are a valuable part of a full-service hotel experience.And it wouldn't be the Sonoma Spiel without taking a turn at answering YOUR Sonoma Questions during "We Get Questions," where our guests answer queries we get in the visitor center. This week:
-Hello, we are going to Sonoma soon and are very excited! We are interested in significant nature areas that we shouldn’t miss, specifically water related. Any suggestions would be appreciated! TIA!(via Facebook)- We’re planning a visit to Sonoma in a few weeks.  Our agent booked a hotel for us in Rohnert Park, which looks to be about a 30-minute drive from Sonoma.  Would there often be a lot of traffic between the two areas? (From “Bill” via email)
- I’m taking my girlfriend to an event at a winery, and then looking for a special dinner spot to celebrate her birthday. Where should we go? (Via text to 707-996-1090)
 
-We will be in Sonoma Valley to celebrate our 20th anniversary (we honeymooned here in 2003)... Where should we be having dinner? Is there something we should not miss? We will be there Oct 15-20. 
(From Facebook- Sonoma Valley Local)More info on the Lodge at Sonoma, An Autograph Collection resort: https://www.thelodgeatsonoma.com
It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF