Category Archives: Wine

Kenwood Part I: The Kenwood Inn

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Cooked-to-order banana pancakes with blueberry compote is part of the breakfast included in your stay at the Kenwood Inn & Spa.
Cooked-to-order banana pancakes with blueberry compote is part of the breakfast included in your stay at the Kenwood Inn & Spa.

Kenwood, CA — A couple years ago, my husband and I happened to stay at a Four Sisters Collection inn. Since then, when we’ve traveled on our own, we’ve often chosen to stay at its properties in both Northern and Southern California.

So, when its Kenwood Inn & Spa publicists reached out to me recently to extend an overnight stay to check out its renovation of the two-and-a-half acre, 26-room Mediterranean-style property, I gladly accepted.

What makes Four Sisters lodging so appealing? The room rates are relatively reasonable, especially in comparison to other hotels in the upscale touristy areas they are located such as Santa Monica, Carmel, Healdsburg, and Yountville.

Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to enjoy during your stay.
Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to enjoy during your stay.

Your stay at any property also includes a lot of complimentary extras, including fresh-baked cookies, a wine hour with cheese and charcuterie, and a full breakfast. When I’ve stayed on my own dime at its Healdsburg Inn, in particular, the main cook there is a delight, often going the extra mile to bake fresh apple cake or cranberry bread for guests. You can feel his pride, too, when guests dig in heartily with big smiles.

The Kenwood Inn entrance.
The Kenwood Inn entrance.
Overlooking the interior courtyard.
Overlooking the interior courtyard.

It’s that more personal touch that I think sets these properties apart from a bigger corporate chain establishment.

Having stayed at the Kenwood Inn once before — 12 years ago — it was interesting to see the changes under the new ownership. The property previously had its own ambitious restaurant, headed by a former Gordon Ramsay-trained chef, that was open to guests and the public. Now, that has been jettisoned for a cafe that provides breakfast to guests only.

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Sensational Sips, Part I

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A pretty-in-pink gin.
A pretty-in-pink gin.

Malfy Gin Rosa

Have you ever spied a pink gin before? Me, either. At least not before receiving a sample bottle of Malfy Gin Rosa, an Italian gin that’s tinged a very pale pink from grapefruit.

Inspired by the Amalfi Coast, this gin gets a subtle citrus and bitter pith edge from Sicilian pink grapefruit, along with lemon. Juniper berries add characteristic pine and almost anise-like notes without veering into medicinal-tasting territory.

Just know, though, that because the color is so light, it won’t be visible once you add any kind of mixer.

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Dining at Nightbird

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A riff on takoyaki, capped with uni and truffles, at Nightbird.
A riff on takoyaki, capped with uni and truffles, at Nightbird.

It’s elegant yet whimsical, with a name inspired by the chef-owner’s fondness for owls.

Kim Alter’s Nightbird celebrates eight years this year in San Francisco with an exciting development. Alter took over a space next door in late November, allowing the restaurant to expand its footprint. The new space will be used for private dinners, as well as occasional pop-ups by Nightbird’s pastry chef, vintage boutiques, and potentially even members of La Cocina’s food incubator.

It joins the restaurant’s other adjoining business, the Linden Room, a swank cocktail bar perfect for a pre- or post-dinner libation.

Last Saturday, my husband and I enjoyed the $195 tasting menu and $130 optional wine pairing. Alter added a few extra morsels on the house. The restaurant does include an automatic service charge, which is an increasingly common practice at many fine-dining restaurants. What’s out of the norm, though, is that it’s only 16 percent.

General Manager Ron Boyd and Chef Kim Alter.
General Manager Ron Boyd and Chef Kim Alter.

The minimalist, graceful dining room is compact and intimate. There’s a good number of staff, overseen by General Manager and Director of Hospitality Ron Boyd, that delivers an attentive yet unobtrusive service experience.

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Frances Mayes’ Tagliatelle with Duck Confit and Chestnuts

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Would you believe this pasta dish came together in less than half an hour?
Would you believe this pasta dish came together in less than half an hour?

In Italy, some folks eat pasta not merely every day, but twice a day.

In Tuscany, construction workers will even stop work at lunch to cook up a bowl of plain spaghetti on-site with olive oil and Parmigiano.

So writes Frances Mayes in the introduction to her new cookbook, “Pasta Veloce” (Abrams, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

Those are my kind of people. Because I love pasta — not just for its comforting taste, but its ease and versatility.

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Aperture — (E)State of the Art

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The 2022 Aperture Chenin Blanc. (photo by Carolyn Jung)
The 2022 Aperture Chenin Blanc. (Photo by Carolyn Jung)

At Aperture Estate in Healdsburg, discover art all around — from what’s in the bottle, to what’s adorning the walls, to where visitors sip these beautiful Bordeaux-style wines.

After all, winemaker and founder Jesse Katz is the son of famed photographer Andy Katz, whose photos have graced the album covers of the Doobie Brothers and Dan Fogelberg, and who has published 15 photo books.

Andy Katz’s work has brought him to more than 90 countries. And it was on many of those travels with his father, especially to France, that inspired Jesse Katz’s passion for wine-making.

The sleek building that houses the tasting room. (photo courtesy of Aperture Estate)
The sleek building that houses the tasting room. (Photo courtesy of Aperture Estate)

In fact, the winery takes its name from the aperture of a camera lens, which controls the amount of light that hits the camera sensor that affects the exposure of the image. In that vein, Jesse Katz likens what he does to “shedding light” on what Bordeaux varieties grown in its 120 acres of estate vineyards in cooler areas of Sonoma can be like.

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