Wine Country Women of Sonoma County, released in March 2020, celebrates one of the most beautiful wine growing agricultural areas in the United States, Sonoma County, in Northern California. The author introduces forty of the most accomplished women living and working there who have established themselves as winemakers, tastemakers, trailblazers, advocates, leaders of non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures. These women have contributed to the diversity and quality of life in Sonoma County. It is the second book available in the trilogy of books on notable women in the wine business by Mandro.
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, co-founders of Cowgirl Creamery and Tomales Bay Foods, state in the foreword of this beautiful book of photographs, biographies and favorite family recipes that “these women are extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs in this region because of the collaborative, open and innovative community that values specialty food production and sustainable agriculture”. Sonoma County is located north of San Francisco, just thirty miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, which provides the producers in Sonoma County with access to the largest natural and specialty food audience in the United States.
The photography is simply stunning and the biographies very interesting from Katie Bundschu who hails from the oldest family-owned winery in California dating back to 1858 to Michelin Three-Star restaurateur Katina Connaughton of Single Thread Farm, to country music singer/ songwriter and recording artist McKenna Faith. Each woman presents a family recipe with a pairing note that adds another dimension to the book.
I tested and tasted 12 of the recipes so far and am delighted to tell you that each has been wonderful: Christine Hanna’s Scallops Crudo, Akiko Freeman’s Sweet Pea and Fennel Soup, Erica Stancliff’s Fresh Fig Salad, Tracy Dutton’s Cider Braised Pulled Pork Roast with Onions and Apples, Erin Miller’s Tortilla Stack-Up with Shredded Chicken, and Daisy Damskey’s Grandmamma George’s Perfect Mocha Cake are now among our family favorites.
The author of this lovely book is Michelle Mandro, the founder and president of Wine Country Women, LLC, which she describes as a luxury lifestyle and entertainment brand. She served as the executive director of the American Institute of Wine and Food, a national organization founded by Robert Mondavi and Chef Julia Child. She has worked for several wineries and in television news at the CBS and NBC affiliates in Louisville, Kentucky. Her first book is Wine Country Women of Napa Valley. She divides her time between California and Kentucky. The photographers are extremely talented women and make this book engaging and important in capturing the contributions each woman has made to her community in Sonoma County. Paige Green is a documentary and portrait photographer based in Petaluma, California. She is known for her focus on women, social justice and environmental activism. Andrea Johnson is an award-winning photographer and director based in Portland, Oregon. She is known for her focus on wine, agriculture and adventure travel.
This is an excellent holiday gift and can be purchased at www.winecountrywomen.com.
