Brooke Herron

Eating twelve grapes during the countdown to midnight is both a Spanish New Year’s tradition and a Mexican New Year’s tradition (as well as parts of other Latin American countries). Throwing Old Furniture or pots and pans out of the window Due to the danger of potentially getting whacked with a flying pot, pan, or piece of old furniture I wouldn’t recommend walking around at midnight in the parts of Italy that practice this tradition as it could be quite perilous! This tradition is practiced primarily in regions in Southern Italy (and in modern day Italy it’s primarily in Naples that it’s still practiced). In other regions of Italy, New Year’s traditions also include firing up the yule log to scare away evil spirits or to provide a warm hearth for the Virgin Mary to warm baby Jesus next to (depending on who you ask), the exploding of fireworks (almost every region in Italy does this), and eating special dishes that symbolize something positive (such as abundance) for the New Year.

Below is a list of some of the best artisan food and drink gift basket purveyors and artisan food and drink makers in Sonoma County (with a couple of Marin farms thrown in) to inspire anyone who’s looking for a creative gift idea that will not only delight the receiver but help put $ back into our local economy. Choose from their Chocolate Lover’s Box which features artisan chocolate from amazing local producers such as Volo, Baci, Little Apple, and Rustic or their savory and combination boxes which feature local cheeses, charcuterie, crackers, seasoned nuts, coffee and tea, and more. I think a bottle or two of craft cider makes the perfect addition to any artisan food and drink basket, I’ve turned non cider drinkers into cider lovers by sneaking cider into their Christmas stockings in the past 🙂 Ethic makes hard apple ciders using fruit sourced from their own heirloom orchard and neighboring West Sonoma County orchards. They offer all of their core ciders plus a good selection of special Sonoma County apples only ciders (which they call their ‘Harvest Series’) at the taproom and you can either pick up growlers or cans from the taproom directly or purchase Golden State ciders online and have them shipped or delivered locally.

On a clear day, the views from its 3,849-foot summit – the third highest in the San Francisco Bay Area – encompass up to 80,000 square miles including the San Francisco skyline and Farallon Islands to the west; Sacred to the Miwok Indians who once lived here, Mount Diablo became part of the California State Park system in 1921 and has long attracted hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and nature lovers. Constructed in the late 1930s of sandstone from the park, it boasts engaging exhibits of photos, art, and videos that chronicle the mountain Hiking during the wet season rewards with waterfalls, and while rain and cold won’t threaten a good time in the summer, it can be brutally hot, so water, sunscreen, and a hat are must-haves.

For those of us who love French wines, but who may not have an amazing wine shop nearby that stocks a wide selection of European wines from boutique producers, curated wine clubs are a great way to start exploring new wines. SomMailier is a French wine club offering exclusive wines from boutique French vineyards as a gift or as a quarterly subscription. The business works with great producers across many regions in both France and Italy and offers three different wine clubs that include well priced wines from both countries (a red club, a white club, and an ‘Adventurers’ club). like the mix of French and Italian wine selections (all imported from wineries/producers that the business has worked with for many years) that they include in their wine club selections.