Forestville: Trombetta Family Wines; things to do

101 North

Trombetta Family Wines  

(707) 887-7814.  Tasting fee $35/person, free to wine club members; by appointment. 

small vineyard at Trombetta Family Wines in Forestville, California

This is one of the most unique wine-tasting experiences I have ever encountered.  It occurs in the ‘burbs outside of town, at the 1981 Federal-style home of the winery owner, Rickey Trombetta. 

owner Rickey Trombetta leads a wine tasting at Trombetta Family Wines in Forestville, California

With Rickey guiding you, you’ll sample a selection of delicious Trombetta Family Wines Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.  A charcuterie and cheese board along with some other small bites is included.  My favorite Pinot was a 2016 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($45) that was described as earthy and with “Pinot funk”--a rich, wet earth taste that I adore.  I was also fond of a 2017 Chardonnay, Four Brothers, Sonoma Coast ($50), which had a slight buttery finish.  Rickey’s knowledgeable winemaker daughter Erica Stancliff told me, “90% of winemaking is rolling with the punches and working with what you have.”  Tastings usually last 1½ hours.  When you’re done, you might be able to convince Rickey to show off her garden and bees.  Held in September, Wine Camp can accommodate 20 to 30 people and includes a 4-hour wine-tasting lunch ($100/person; free for wine club members). 

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images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Forestville: Case Ranch Inn; hotel review

101 North

Case Ranch Inn 

 7446 Poplar Dr., (877) 887-8711, (707) 887-8711. 3 rooms, 1 cottage. 1 kitchen. Afternoon snack; full organic breakfast. No pets. 

exterior of Case Ranch Inn in Forestville, California

Located on a spacious 2-acre plot in a quiet rural residential area, this robin’s-egg-blue 1894 Victorian farmhouse boasts a wrap-around sitting porch, a front yard with fountain, and plenty of places in the gardens to relax a spell. Beds at the Case Ranch Inn are fluffy and white, and it has WiFi plus a guest computer is provided in the parlor near the fireplace. Owner Diana says, “We think of our inn as the geographic center of the earth.” An all-organic breakfast using many items grown in the inn’s garden is served to all guests at the same time in the dining room. Homemade cookies are always available. Owner Allan makes the bed frames and night stands. The property is certified green and uses all-cotton sheets and towels. Cooling is by ceiling fan, with an AC option. Cozy attic rooms have angled ceilings and mix clean lines with some antiques. Jam made from the property’s concord grapes and fresh-pressed apple juice from the orchard’s trees are sometimes served at breakfast, and wine made from the property’s grapes is sometimes an afternoon treat. The cottage has a private hot tub. This just in: The Case Ranch Inn is the only B&B to have completed Sonoma County's rigorous Green Business Program and has now added the ultimate in "green" amenities--an electric vehicle charging station. Guests can plug in their vehicle to recharge . . . while they recharge on a comfortable, pillow-top mattress.

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image ©2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Forestville: Corks/Russian River Vineyards; restaurant review + things to do

101 North

Corks

The patio and farmhouse are still here, but now the menu at Corks might offer a spectacular pulled-pork sandwich made from a pig raised right on site and fed restaurant scraps, or maybe eggs Benedict made with bright-orange-yolked eggs that are collected daily from the chickens that patrol the vineyards. Don’t miss the crispy fries tossed with truffle oil, or the strawberry shortcake prepared with crisp housemade biscuits and dense Chantilly cream.
(707) 887-3344.

Organically-grown wines can be sampled in the Russian River Vineyards tasting room bar that operates now in the entryway. Taste a citrussy Sauvignon Blanc, a rare Old World Charbono, and an uncommon Botrytis Chardonnay dessert wine.


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image ©2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
(formerly Stella's at Russian River Vineyards)

Forestville: The Quicksilver Mine Co. (CLOSED); things to do

101 North

The Quicksilver Mine Co.  

CLOSED  6671 Front St. (Hwy. 116), downtown, (707) 887-0799. Thur-M 11-6.

It is surprising to find a bright and friendly art gallery in this tiny, tiny town, but here it is. Though this is its fourth location, The Quicksilver Mine Co. has been around for 29 years--long enough for owner Khysie Horn to make plenty of connections with area artists (she displays 80 percent Sonoma County artists). One is 3D Edddy, who lives in Santa Rosa and makes delightful, and inexpensive, junk sculpture heads. The shop also sells books by local authors. An inviting sculpture garden with picnic table is available in back.


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image ©2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Forestville: Hartford Family Winery; things to do

101 North

Hartford Family Winery

8075 Martinelli Rd., (707) 887-8010. Tasting daily 10-4:30.

Situated way back from the road, the tasting room at Hartford Family Winery is reached via a scenic drive in over a one-lane bridge and past bucolic vineyards. The claim is they have “a pinot for everybody,” so you might taste an earthy 2007 Far Coast Vineyard Pinot Noir, or if you’re very lucky, a 2008 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir that is served in the White House and quite the treat. Picnic facilities are available, and the $15 tasting fee is waived with a wine purchase.


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image ©2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Forestville: The Farmhouse Inn; hotel review + restaurant review

101 North

The Farmhouse Inn 

7871 River Rd., (800) 464-6642, (707) 887-3300. 18 units. Some wood-burning & gas fireplaces; some saunas & steam rooms. Heated pool (avail. May-Sept); full-service spa. Evening snack & wine tasting; full breakfast; restaurant; limited room service. No pets.

pool overview at The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California

The Victorian farmhouse that forms the center of this property dates back to 1872. The inn buildings are on a tamed 6-acre lot, with nearby vineyards stretching for miles. The name evokes patchwork quilts, but it isn’t that kind of farmhouse. It’s an upscale, modern version. After registering, guests get the pleasure of selecting and dishing up some bath salts and a sugar rub, and of slicing off a bar of their favorite soap. This is also where they borrow a DVD and pick up the makings for s’mores (including housemade marshmallows) to feast on later at the fire pit surrounded by oversize Adirondack chairs.

Adirondack chairs surround fire pit at The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California

blooming roses at The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California

Throughout, the inn is stylish and contemporary, with interesting farm antiques displayed here and there. The color palette is subdued whites, greys, and black, and each room is slightly different and has some unusual feature, such as a top-hung sliding barn door to the bathroom or a sliding headboard that allows seeing through to an adjacent fireplace. Two rooms are up a steep staircase in the original farmhouse, where alterations are restricted because it is a historical building. Their bathrooms feature an unusual custom-made, two-level, grey soapstone tub that fills from a faucet in the ceiling (!), a two-person steam shower, and a heated floor. Built in the early 1900s as farm-worker housing, the spacious cottages are equipped today with white-tile bathrooms featuring decorative tile and a jetted tub; some have a full-size dry sauna. The all-new barn rooms sit on the site of the property’s original barn. Rooms in the majestic two-story building have high ceilings, and large windows look out onto large private decks. Mixing lavish and humble, these rooms feature bold architecture accented with homey hand-woven fabrics and simple, elegant furnishings. All 18 units have sumptuous bedding, and everyone gets bottled water and turn-down cookies and milk.  All this plus the concierge can arrange for a Candlelight Tub Turndown service and also can set up complimentary tastings at area wineries.

guest room in barn at The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California

Farmhouse, the restaurant

is Michelin starred.  It offers two dining rooms and a sophisticated seasonal menu.  Tablecloths are ironed by hand.  Diners have a choice of a three- or four-course dinner with optional wine pairings in a pleasing variety of glasses. Options are many, and usually include the popular Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit—featuring rabbit prepared three ways—as well as exceptional fresh fish and beef dishes. A smooth Valrhona chocolate souffle is also a menu mainstay. Breakfast is served here, and on a sunny day the patio is choice.  Menu selections include the basic Farmhouse Plate with eggs and potatoes as well as more unusual items such as a Gruyere quiche with king trumpet mushrooms, gluten-free cornmeal pancakes, and maybe a Korean macro bowl with kimchi fried rice, tempeh, and poached eggs.  Optionally, an in-room continental breakfast is also possible.

employee ironing tablecloth at The Farmhouse Inn restaurant in Forestville, California

Korean macro bowl breakfast at The Farmhouse Inn restaurant in Forestville, California

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image ©2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 7-13-19