It operates 23 guestrooms with nine new Japanese-inspired
Ryokan Zen Suites. Japanese elements include lightweight yukata
robes, zori slippers and in-room mochi ice cream, green tea and
sake. Bathrooms feature items basic to a Japanese bathing ritual such
as stools, ladles and wooden mats. Delectable breakfast, afternoon
wine and much-raved-about cookies are included.
During the conflagration, Michelle Heston, Fairmont director of
public relations, pureed 25 pounds of carrots and delivered them
to a temporary shelter for special-needs adults. The Fairmont
Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa was closed for five days while Heston
and her staff sprang into action to aid the community.
A battalion of cleaning specialists descended upon the resort.
Today, it marches forward with cutting-edge programs and renovations.
Most of the 226 rooms and suites have been refreshed
with new soft goods and furnishings. Renewed suites at 500–600
square feet feature fireplaces, balconies and large bathrooms. Wellness
classes and workshops and pool cabanas are among the recent
additions. Santé, the four-diamond restaurant, has hired Boston’s
Marcellus Coleman, a winner of the Food Network’s “Chopped”
television show, as its new executive chef.
SIPS Katie Bundschu, vice president of sales and marketing at
Gundlach Bundschu Winery, is a sixth-generation winery owner.
At the height of the firestorm, she said, family and workers were
able to save the buildings, although no one could save the family
home also on the property. The oldest family-owned California
winery operates its hospitality room in the original stone facility
amid a flower garden and shaded picnic tables. On weekends,
music and food trucks add to the festive atmosphere. Unique
experiences include the Pinzgauer Excursion, where guests hop
on a six-wheeled Austrian military vehicle for a property tour, and
private wine tasting with cheese and charcuterie.
While fires were raging in Sonoma, Buena Vista Winery owner
Jean-Charles Boisset was making a limited-edition cabernet in
his Napa facility. Boisset donated $250,000 raised from cab sales
to bolster relief funds. Fire crews saved Buena Vista, the oldest
commercial winery in the state. It offers a slate of tasting experiences
and tours through its winery museum. Ever popular is Be
86 South Bay Accent
Where to Shop,
Play and Romp
in the North Bay
A short guide to new and
familiar places serving
up new thrills.
SONOMA VALLEY
Abbot’s Passage Supply Co.
A historic red barn close to Sonoma’s town
square has been converted into Abbot’s Passage
Supply Co., which sells a smattering of
clothing, jewelry, home décor and adventure
gear. But that’s not all. The site hosts some
of the most unique maker workshops ever.
Try your hand at obsidian arrowhead carving,
plant-based jewelry making, or lock picking
because you never know when that will come
in handy.
The barn also doubles as a tasting salon
with AP-labeled wines from the Abbot’s Passage
project, a collection of small-batch blends
from Sonoma vineyards. The new retail venture
promises “goods and libations for the modernday
adventurer,” says owner Katie Bundschu.
Abbot’s Passage Supply Co., 27 E. Napa St.,
Sonoma, 707/939-3017, abbotspassage.com.
SHOPPING
ALONG FIRST
STREET
NAPA
PETS ARE WELCOME AT
VISTA COLLINA Napa
JIM BARTSCH
CLOCKWISE: KIM SERVEAU, KIMBERLEY HASSELBRINK, COURTESY OF MAD MOD SHOP, DEBORAH LARGE
