Food and wine fun coming up in Sonoma County

PETALUMA

Petaluma Bounty benefit

Petaluma Bounty will hold its sixth annual Brews and Bites benefit at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 31, at the Lagunitas Brewery and Beer Sanctuary.

The evening includes Mexican food from Nopalito, dessert from Three Twins Ice Cream and non-alcoholic beverages from Petaluma Coffee and Tea. Beer and wine will be available for purchahhse.

Tickets are $20, or $10 for youth 12 and younger, free for children under 7. Proceeds benefit the programs of Petaluma Bounty, whose mission is to make healthy food available to everyone.

To reserve: brewsandbites2017.bpt.me. 1280 North McDowell Boulevard. petalumabounty.org.

SEBASTOPOL

How about them apples?

Do you have too many apples and crave some sweet, crisp apple juice?

Then head on over to the Sebastopol Community Apple Press, which launches for the season from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 5 and 6 at the Luther Burbank Gold Ridge Experimental Farm.

Operated by Slow Food Russian River, the press is a free community service that allows the public to select a date to reserve time on the press. Bring your apples (no more than 100 pounds per session) and plastic containers.

The press will move to Ragle Ranch on Aug. 12 and 13 for the Gravenstein Apple Fair, then return on weekends to the farm from Aug. 19 through Oct. 29. Pressing 100 pounds of apples takes about 20 minutes.

To sign up, go to slowfoodrr.org. 7777 Bodega Ave.

HEALDSBURG

Barndiva goes for whites

Barndiva will throw its first annual Fete Blanc, a garden party celebrating summer and some unusual white wine varietals, from noon to 3:30 p.m. Auyyg. 6 at the Barndiva Gardens.

There will be more than 20 producers of sparkling wine, Champagne, pét-nat (pétillant naturel) and unique white wines, plus bites from the Barndiva kitchen and live music.

Cost is $50. To reserve, go to eventbrite.com. 237 Center St.

HEALDSBURG

Celebrity chef tour

The James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour will swing by Lambert Bridge Winery at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 for a multi-course dinner prepared by both national and local chefs.

Local chefs participating in the dinner include Host Chef is is Renaud Kolpin, Duskie Estes of Zazu Kitchen + Farm, Erik Johnson of The Trading Post Restaurant, Shane McAnnelly of Chalkboard, Scott Romano of Dry Creek Kitchen and Dustin Valette of Valette Restaurant.

Tickets are $250. To reserve, send an e-mail to reservations@lambertbridge.com. 4085 West Dry Creek Road.

SANTA ROSA

Olive oil results

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair has announced the winners of its 2017 Olive Oil Competition, with the Best of Show going to B.R. Cohn Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which was entered in the California grown “medium” category.

The Glen Ellen winery also received a gold medal for its Unfiltered Extra Virgin Oil in the medium category and for its Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend in the California grown, flavored “delicate” category.

Other olive oil producers who earned gold medals in the contest include Alexander Valley Vineyards, Deergnaw Olive Oil, Dry Creek Olive Co.mpanympany, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyard and The Olive Press.

Olive oil is the first category to be judged as part of the annual Professional Food and Wine Competition. The Sonoma County Harvest Fair will be held Oct. 6-9 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

For a complete list of this year’s medal winners: harvestfair.org.

SONOMA COUNTY

Noble Spoon delivers

Looking for a local food delivery service?

The Council on Aging, which has been selling its own line of prepared meals at North Bay grocery stores, has launched a meal- delivery program under the name, The Noble Spoon.

Participants can select from among 10 meal options - ranging from Chicken Piccata and Mexican Pot Roast to Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes - and order as many meals as they want, then have them delivered daily or weekly. Cost is $9 per meal, with proceeds going to help support the council’s Meals on Wheels program for food-insecure, home-bound seniors.

For more information, go to councilonaging.com or call 707-525-0383.

SONOMA COUNTY

Auction tickets on sale

Tickets are now on sale to the Sonoma County Wine Auction, including preview parties and vintner dinners on Sept. 15 and the wine auction with al fresco dinner on Sept. 16 at La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in Windsor.

The annual charity event produced by Sonoma County Vintners has raised $24 million for local Sonoma County charitable partners over the years.

Ticket packages are $2,500 per person. To reserve: sonomacountywineauction.com.

FORT BRAGG

Winesong on sale

Tickets are now on sale to the Winesong Charity Auction and Tasting held Sept. 8 and 9 on the Mendocino Coast.

The weekend includes a Pinot Noir Celebration Sept. 8 at the Little River Inn; a grand food and wine tasting on Sept. 9 at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; and the Charity Auction following the tasting on Sept. 9 at the gardens.

Tickets to the pinot celebration are $75; tickets to the grand tasting with festival seating at auction are $150; grand tasting plus reserve auction tickets with assigned seating are $250 per person. To reserve: winesong.org. 707-961-4688.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.