Sonoma County (California)

As the elder statesman of artisanal cheeses, Ignazio "Ig" Vella gave pointed advice to those who wanted to follow him into the handmade cheese business: "Don't be stupid." He was a gruff straight shooter, and the salvo was his way of warning that success...

PETALUMA, Calif. (KTLA) -- The 2011 'World's Ugliest Dog' has died. Yoda, a 15-year-old Chinese-crested and Chihuahua mix died in her sleep Saturday. The 1.8-pound mix won $1,000 after beating 29 other canine contestants at the competition in Petaluma,...

June 24-25, Albert Lea, Minn.: 2011 National Red Power Round Up, Freeborn County Fairgrounds; Bruce Jensen, 507-383-3616. June 24-26, Conde: Quasquicentennial June 2, parade at 10:30 a.m., “Anything on Wheels” car show noon to 2 p.m.; 605-382-5621 or...

RED WINES   Cabernet Sauvignon   Ancient Peaks, $15+, Paso Robles, 2009, 90 pts.  Beringer Founders’ Estate, Under $15, California, 2008, 92 pts. Blackstone, Under $30, Reserve, Sonoma County, 2007, 93 pts. BR Cohn Winery, Under $30,...

Early on a recent morning, Diana Rodgers, manager of the Mar Vista farmers market, drove north for two days of farm visits in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, including to three berry growers in Nipomo. When she arrived, the farms offered gorgeous...

Is L.A. finally turning into a beer-making town? The Los Angeles area already hosts some of America's best beer bars, with carefully curated lists of ever-changing taps and bottles, but almost all of those brews have been made somewhere else. We may be...

Even if you spit, hire a designated driver and plan your route with the efficiency of a mom navigating Costco, there are only so many wineries you can visit in a day. Which is a problem in California, home to nearly 3,000 wineries. Most of them make...

As families sit down at the table Thursday to give thanks for a bountiful feast, we can also give thanks for the bounty of California, where the harvest is diverse and year-round. And — more thanks — many of California's abundant crops and...

Celebrate Independence Day with a firecracker of a wine: Zinfandel from California's Sonoma County. The pairing is a fit because this imported grape has produced what is generally agreed to be the most all-American of wines. Sonoma County's history of...

Employers should have the right to dismiss an employee if that worker’s pot problem is affecting the work performance, even if that person only smokes medical marijuana away from work. A bill by state Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat who represents Marin...

More wedding bells could ring at Napa Valley wineries after a tough economic year that has some saying yes to a proposal to revise rules banning most vineyard vows. Proponents say the plan would bring in some cash for struggling vintners and provide an...

In the not-too-distant past, the best dinner spot in Healdsburg was a red-sauce Italian joint next to the highway, and the only option for picnic goodies was the Salami Tree Deli. But then Napa got crowded, Sonoma wine developed street cred and a slew...