Does Labeling Mean the End of the Wine Boom?
Earlier this month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory highlighting the connection between alcohol consumption and a higher risk of cancer. Alcohol use ranks as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, following tobacco use and obesity, and is linked to an increased risk for at least seven different types of cancer. That's not good news for the wine industry.
Healdsburg on the hunt for an official plant (or two)
While all the nominated plants are found in the area, Healdsburg Garden Club did limit its list to native plants, though some are widely found outside Healdsburg’s city limits. The proposal included four flowers: the Douglas iris, the yellow mariposa lily, scarlet fritillary and blue-eyed grass, the once ubiquitous California native grape, and the familiar oak trees of the region.
The Year in Preview: 2025
The first major event that comes our way in 2025 is the annual Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival, on Saturday, Feb. 8. This one-day science fair of all things steelhead (and their allies, anadromous and otherwise), draws about 10,000 people on its single day of exhibitions and activities to the Milt Brandt Visitors Center, Lake Sonoma.
‘This is how we live here…’ Liza’s market journey
At the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market, strawberries are reaching their peak sweetness, their scent lingering in the air before they are even visible in the stalls. Spring onions and green garlic are tender, fava beans are shelled by the pound and sugar snap peas—the kind of bright green that seems to be omnipresent in my life lately—offer that crisp, wet-mouth crunch that makes them an irresistible snack...
Healdsburg’s Spring Celebrations
With the onset of spring last week—despite the cold and rain—Healdsburg is beginning to wake up from its sleepy winter months and get back in gear as the food/wine/music destination city it has become, with five significant celebrations coming to town in the coming months.
‘Thanksgiving Trotters’ Raise $100,000
The 14th annual Turkey Trot got underway on a brisk but clear Thanksgiving morning, as more than 3,000 runners competed in what’s become known as the Live Like Drew challenge. It was a younger-than-normal crowd: Of the 2,679 who finished the 5k loop, half of the top 10 finishers were in their teens,...
National Parks Come into Focus
Andy Katz, a lifelong photographer, used the pandemic to hit the road with a camera to capture striking images of natural phenomena from all of the country's 63 national parks, which was published in A Walk in the Park.
105 years and counting for Windsor man
As he watched from his lawn chair, surrounded by friends in his Windsor front yard, 105-year-old Dick Sharp looked up to see the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Henry-1 helicopter circling over his house, in respect and acknowledgement of his military service.
Healdsburg Fireworks: The Big Show That Wasn’t
A record-breaking celebration seemed in the works on Thursday morning, July 4, to celebrate the holiday with a Kids Parade and an all-comers Duck Dash at the Plaza. Then the news broke: The city's fireworks show for that night had been canceled. Why?...
Lowrider culture shows its colors at local winery
The exterior parking lot of Bacchus Landing was filled with gorgeous lowriders and classics, with several food trucks off to the far side. When I walked into the interior courtyard, I found a “lowrider museum.” Many of these cars had been in actual museums and exhibits, and featured in numerous publications ranging from the car-centric to the Smithsonian.
Arts & Entertainment
Roots in the community
The proprietors of BloodRoot Wines, Kelly and Noah Dorrance, have been organizing an annual music and wine festival called The Ramble as a fundraiser benefitting GIFFORDS, a national organization dedicated to preventing gun violence.






















