The restauranteur Sondra Bernstein is the passion behind some of my (Tyler) favorite local haunts in Sonoma County. We are regulars at the Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen (I live right down the street), frequent The Girl and The Fig on the Sonoma Plaza and have enjoyed my experiences at ESTATE, also in Sonoma (you can explore all three with the link). One thing we love about The Girl and The Fig is their passion for Rhone-inspired wines. The entire wine list is comprised of varieties that originated in the bounty of the Rhone Valley in France.
Recently Sondra who seemingly has boundless amounts of energy to juggle all her activities found time to write about the Donelan 2009 Venus, a blend of Roussanne (90%) and Vigonier (10%) on her blog: Rhone Around the World, a Girl’s Obsession with Rhone Wine. The description of the wine is superb:
The 2009 Venus exhibits crisp, fresh, delicate but impressively intense notes of lychee nuts, caramelized citrus, spring flowers, fresh pears and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied with lively acidity as well as an exotic perfume and a dry, zesty style, I would recommend drinking it on the early side because of its exceptional aromatics. Great dry finish and a minerality on the back end.
However one of my favorite parts of the post is Sondra’s brief history of Bennett Valley, the source for our wonderful Roussanne. Read her whole post here and be sure to try the Venus!
Palate Amusement: congrats to Acquerello Restaurant for 22 years of excellence.
One of our favorite restaurants, Acquerello just received favorable recognition from Michael Bauer of the SF Chronicle in Acquerello review: still a standout. 
The article was timely for me, Tyler, because I recently visited the restaurant with my brother and could not have had a more fantastic meal and experience.
Joe Donelan has been frequenting Acquerello for years in his many visits to California because Acquerello values quality. Quality service, quality food, quality wine. This resonates with us. I know this about them not just because of personal experiences (now 3) at this Michelin-starred restaurant, but because I have had the opportunity to get to know the people of Acquerello. They want to learn about, improve upon, and pursue quality. This does not mean you will nail every dish, but it means you will listen and learn from the delights you don’t always get perfect.
I wanted to write to congratulate them because doing this for 22 years is difficult and tiring. Pursuing excellence takes its toll. To avoid drifting to mediocrity one must apply Continue reading
