Catherine Bartolomei, local resident and fifth generation farm girl of the Russian River Valley, nostalgically recounts the harvest parties of her youth. She remembers inviting dozens of friends and neighbors to help pick the crops on her family’s farm and after the hard work was done, everyone gathered to celebrate: eating a hearty home cooked meal, listening to live music and retreating to the barn loft for a good night’s sleep. Wanting to preserve the essence of her family’s tradition of hospitality, in 2001, Catherine and her brother Joe completely transformed the early 1900’s rundown, ‘pepto-bismal’ pink (in Catherine’s words) Farmhouse Inn into an award-winning California wine country destination recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure and Zagat to name a few.
The Original 1900's Farmhouse Inn
Farmhouse Inn is the perfect combination of getting back to the basics, farm-to-table food, and heart-felt kindness with urbanite creature comforts like complimentary DSL, heated pool, spa treatments, flat screen TVs and DVD players. The flourishing English style grounds and gardens, set among six acres of native California Oak trees, are kept in a manner even the Queen of England would delight in. Upon arrival, a spa bar awaits you to sample their brown sugar scrub, peppermint salts or homemade soaps for some self-pampering in the in-room jetted tubs, wood saunas or steam showers. Like a kid in a candy store, I excitedly scooped up a sample of each, with visions of sugar baths dancing in my head.
A Very Noble Barn
Rest Easy in the Comforts of the Barn
Recently opened after two years of construction in May 2009, the Barn guest rooms are a must for the ultimate retreat from the urban grind. Soothing music, fresh cut flowers, and homemade cookies greeted us as we entered our quaint abode for the next two days and the chaos and anxiety of LA city life began to melt away. The organic architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows and simple yet modern decor allowed the stunning views of nature to permeate the senses. The large wooden patio was a natural extension of seamless indoor-outdoor design. It called to me to enjoy a glass of local wine, provided in the room for purchase, while being mesmerized by the indoor/outdoor fire or even relishing in a nude sunbathing session shrouded in woodland privacy.
Ahh, Just One of the Lovely Barn Room Features
If you’re a techie-lover, the Barn rooms are also for you. Even though it has the personable qualities of a bed and breakfast, it’s modernity matches the 5-star Park Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. State of the art control panels command everything from the dimming of the lights to the heating of the bathroom floors to the type of jet speed in the tub. Never fear (even if you’re not a computer engineer) you can get all systems a-go with little hassle and be unwinding in your 115 degree steam sauna or massaging your tensions away in the jacuzzi that overlooks the forest in no time.
Farmhouse Restaurant
When the sun sets on the Farmhouse Inn, the Michelin rated Farmhouse Restaurant is the perfect reward after an exciting day of tasting the fruits of California’s most breathtaking wine country, hiking throughout the Armstrong Redwood forests or reveling in the savage beauty of the coast. Executive Chef Steve Litke creates a harmonious menu with Catherine and Joe’s vision that supports local farmers and reflects the bounty of Sonoma County produce. It was named Editor’s Top Pick in Fodor’s California Wine County guide in both 2008 and 2009, San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 restaurants for six years in row, and Top 10 Culinary Country Inns in Bon Appetite Magazine in 2008. Stay tuned for a full review of the Farmhouse Restaurant on LA’s the Place.
Fireside Fun
After a finely crafted meal of rabbit served three ways and expertly paired with wine by the Farmhouse’s sommeliers, I sauntered out to enjoy the clean, crisp air around the community fire pit. Although my taste buds were thoroughly tantalized, once I saw other guests making S’mores with homemade vanilla bean marshmallows, I magically found room in my satiated stomach to happily enjoy the gooey sweet reminiscent of my childhood family camping trips.
Breakfast of Champions
Enjoy Locally Fresh Gourmet Breakfasts
Up early to plan our excursions around the neighboring towns of Sebastopol and Healdsburg, we went to the complimentary two-course gourmet breakfast for the first seating at 8:30 am. Breakfast is my favorite mealtime and Farmhouse Inn’s breakfasts rank among the crème de la crème of my morning noshing experiences. Just as with dinner the night before, everything they served was from local Sonoma County farmers. The succulent strawberry soup and still-warm-from-the-oven ginger muffin first course was just a warm-up to the second course of corn waffles with fresh berries paired with a maple butter, homemade sausage and a spicy egg scramble. What could be better – a romantic, fire-lit room sleeping on a feather bed by night, eating one of the most decadent breakfasts by morning and wine tasting among the picturesque vineyards in the afternoon?
The Holy Grail of Wine
Speaking of wine tasting, the concierge arranged appointments based on my request to visit exclusive wineries with a commitment to the growing trend of ‘natural’ or Old World winemaking tradition. You won’t find these on the Northern Sonoma County Wine roadmap and are not to be missed while staying at the Farmhouse Inn:
Littorai, Sebastopol: Heidi and Ted Lemon of Littorai produce vineyard designated chardonnay and pinot noir wines from the true north coast of California: western Sonoma and western Mendocino counties. They specialize in ‘terroir based’ winemaking, wine of a single place produced by a single estate. Make sure to tour their biodynamic farm and straw bale constructed winery that incorporates gravity flow. Don’t leave without buying a few bottles of their 2006 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and the 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. www.littorai.com
Luke Bass Passionately Explains his Winemaking
Porter-Bass, Guerneville: With a visit to the intimate, rustic Porter-Bass vineyard complete with chickens and sheep roaming about, you’ll experience the extreme opposite of a slick, industrial wine tasting room like Kendall Jackson or Lynmar. Elena and Luke Bass with their 6-month-old baby, Enzo, invite you to their sunny kitchen table to enjoy spirited conversation about the environment and organic farming techniques while you enjoy wine that is unadulterated and beautifully authentic. Be the eco-savvy hit of your next dinner party and flaunt the Porter-Bass 2005 Zinfandel or 2007 Pinot Noir with its intriguing grasshopper-bee label. www.porterbass.com
Wind Gap, Forestville: Pax Mahle, founder and winemaker of the successful Pax Wine Cellars, traded profit for passion, sold his company and started Wind Gap Wines to specialize in natural winemaking, including crushing the grapes via feet and sourcing the glass bottles and corks locally. He makes his wine in a 1940’s prohibition era winery version of Andy Warhol’s Factory, accented by quirky, hip chicken feeder and wagon wheel hub light fixtures. His unfiltered, melon-colored 2007 Pinot Gris from Russian River Valley creates an incredible palate spectacle when paired with King Island Seal Bay Triple Cream cheese or try the delicate 2006 Syrah from Sonoma Coast with a rack of lamb. www.windgapwines.com
Two of the Three Wine Vigilantes
Arnot-Roberts, Forestville: After visiting Wind Gap, just move one barstool down to taste childhood friends, Duncan and Nathan’s Arnot-Roberts wines. They are friendly competitors with Pax, sharing the same space and vision to create distinct, interesting wines. The three thirty-something guys are in the making to become modern Three Musketeers fighting for wine made in the barrel rather than in the lab. And barrels they are intimately intertwined with – Nathan builds all the French oak barrels by hand that age the Arnot-Robert’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay wine. The mysterious 2007 Arnot-Roberts Mendicino County Syrah delivers silky sensuality rather than the typical sucker punch most Syrahs possess due in part to the 100 percent whole-cluster fermentation. www.arnotroberts.com
Short Flight, Sweet Dreams
To discover these hidden jewels of the vine for yourself in only a few hours travel time, Farmhouse Inn is offering a special “Short Flight, Sweet Dreams” package. Fly Horizon Airlines from LAX into Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS) and stay four nights in one of Farmhouse Inn’s Barn guest rooms, and Farmhouse Inn will pay the airfare (up to $500 per room reservation, must show proof of Horizon Air travel for reimbursement). You will also enjoy a $100 dining credit at the Farmhouse Restaurant, as well as all the signature Farmhouse Inn touches. This offer is available now through August 31, 2009 and can be booked by calling (800) 464-6642.
Whether you choose the cottage rooms, individually decorated to reflect the charm and comfort of farm life or you choose the luxurious Barn rooms, you will undoubtedly experience all you deserve in a Sonoma Coast vacation – doting yet unobtrusive attention from staff and owner Catherine, premium amenities, restorative surroundings, exciting wine country adventures and the peace of mind that you are supporting a way of life that preserves our connection to the land and to the relationships that sustain us.
Farmhouse Inn
7871 River Road
Forestville, CA 95436
(800) 464-6642
www.farmhouseinn.com
