Many people know that Sonoma Valley has had two centuries of winegrowing. But a lot of people don't know that it was also the birthplace of the modern American microbrewery: New Albion Brewing Company.

The brainchild of Jack McAuliffe, New Albion was founded by him and Jane Zimmerman and Suzy Stern in 1976, when a decision was made in the driveway of Jane's house in Sonoma.

With $1000 each, Jane and Suzy became partners in the "crazy and fun idea" of starting a small brewery on the edge of town in an old fruit-processing plant. Jane recounts her days schlepping a kid to school and then another younger four-year old child to the brewhouse as she helped brew the stouts and porters and ales in a 55-gallon drum that Jack welded. "It's a miracle no one got hurt!"

She recalls, "we were so enthusiastic and naive - we just did it!"

Like all of our podcast guests, Zimmerman answers YOUR Sonoma questions during "We Get Questions." This week she takes on:

-Are there any hotels or lodging options in a vineyard?

-We just got here from Wisconsin and we want to head out to Jenner, where the Russian River meets the ocean. How long does it take to get there from Sonoma?

-We’re here for an hour and want to see something historic and interesting. What do you recommend?

-Is there a way we can hire someone else to drive our car while we go wine tasting? Is that a thing?

-Hello! My friends and I will be staying close to the Sonoma Plaza and looking for an outdoor restaurant that will accommodate our group of 8. It is for my friend's milestone birthday!

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

This week we have a very special guest, and this time we actually, actually mean it: Karina Garcia stops by the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about "The Springs," a collection of small former resort towns (Fetters Hot Springs, Aqua Caliente, Boyes Hot Springs and El Verano) with great food options and places to explore.

Born in Mexico, raised in Boyes Hot Springs, Garcia details her life growing up in the neighborhood with parents who worked multiple jobs, including picking grapes at the end of summer. A proud graduate of Sonoma Valley High (Go Dragons!) and Santa Rosa Junior College (Go Bear Cubs!) and Sonoma State University (Go Seawolves!), Garcia also talks how she worked for a local Spanish-language television station (host of El Sabor de la Noche) and that eventually led to her career as part of the communications team for the County of Sonoma. She started the popular Charla Comunitaria (Community Chat) for Spanish speakers during Covid, and continued it as a way to connect with the Spanish-speaking community in the North Bay. Some of her memories of The Springs include watching Sunday soccer at Larson park and visiting with family, and then she talks some restaurants to check out in The Springs including Sonoma Eats Real Mexican Food (try to vegeterian mushroom or potato tacos,) La Hacienda (pitchers of margaritas on the patio) and Spread Lebanese Kitchen. And did you want taco trucks? We rattle through reviews of all of them...

Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma. This week Garcia takes on:

I purchased the Plaza Tasting Pass. Do I now need to make reservations at the 3 wineries I am interested in? Are these tastings at the wineries or at the plaza? Thank you. - via text

Hi- we’ve lived in Kenwood for 25 years, but never been down here to the Sonoma Plaza. What is this city party everyone’s talking about?

How long does it take to get from SF airport to Petaluma/Sonoma?

Where can I find a food truck in and around Sonoma Valley - especially one open later at night?

We are heading back to San Francisco Airport tonight - any recommendations for things to see and do in San Francisco along the way?

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Sean Gerrity with Sonoma Ballooning parked his colorful balloon right outside the KSVY studio and hopped off to talk about hot air balloons in Sonoma Valley.

During the podcast we find out how to become a hot air balloon pilot, that the job has its ups and downs and landings are guaranteed. We also learn about a day in the life of a hot air balloon pilot, why the hot air balloons take off at sunrise and why Sean avoids delivering babies on hot air balloons (not that much space.) Also, the first hot air balloon pilots were French farm animals. Comme c’est intéressant!

Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma.

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

This week he answers:

How do you avoid your wine purchases from getting hot in the car while visiting wineries all day? - via Facebook

Hi- I went to high school with your wife. We are visiting in October with another couple and want some ideas for where to stay and what to do? Got any ideas? - Suzy Sajoac from Wisconsin

I’m retiring in a few months after a long career in the public realm. I still want to stay active and use my skills for helping people and problem solving. Is it possible to become a volunteer at the Sonoma Valley Visitors Centers? - Delaware Joe B via press conference

I had heard somewhere that travelers could bring wine onto their Southwest airlines flight from SFO/OAK, as their carry on? - via email

I am looking for a winery to sight-see by my own car, with NO TASTING, as I am a driver. But to no success. I would like to walk/drive between the grapevines, take some photos, etc. - via www.SonomaVallley.com

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

Sonoma Ballooning info: https://sonomaballooning.com

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

On the eve of the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon, the Sonoma Spiel podcast went to the farmers market to drag two farmers into the studio: Elizabeth Stein and Tucker Stein of Cassidy Ranch farm in Sonoma.

The married couple took over the farm in 2021 and grow both grapes as well as flowers and crops. Elizabeth recounts how her time working at Ridge Vineyards in Santa Cruz attracted her to the world of food and wine, and they both wanted to start a farm that would have the experiences they wished existed in Sonoma, including classes on how to cut and arrange flowers, pick your own strawberries and - a pickleball court. Yes - you can play pickleball at their farm. (Reserve the court ahead of time!)

Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma. This week the Steins took on the following Sonoma questions:

"I'm looking for activities other than Train Town for grandkids, ages two and a half, six and nine. Any suggestions? Also, are there any wineries where you can take the kids? Thank you" - via email

"I am up to my eyeballs in plums. What should I do?"

"I am interested in connecting with a wine industry artisan. Somebody who makes things from wine barrels or which are inspired by the wine industry. Any recommendations?"

In the middle of the segment, Tucker Stein pulls out the uno reverse card and dares to ask us questions, including, "What's your idea for a great Sonoma Saturday?"

"We're visiting from Florida - do you guys ever have clouds here?" - at the Visitors Center

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

We also covered June Gloom, No Sky July, Fogust and all the months where you can visit with San Francisco's wonderful summer guest, Karl the Fog.

More details about Cassidy Ranch at www.cassidy-ranch.com

Deals and events and wine tasting passes at www.sonomavalley.com

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

We're back on the Spiel! And this week we have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST: Lisa Pidge, from the Laugh Cellar and Crushers of Comedy and now her new gig - Pickleball and comedy! A repeat offender on the podcast, Lisa comes back to talk about what's happening with her popular comedy shows at wineries like Deerfield Ranch, Cooking With Comedians, and her new Pickleball and comedy show that supports an autism charity. As usual we riff on random topics like the roll of AI in comedy, the addictive quality of pickleball, and we try our hand at doing an ad for the Sonoma Plaza Wine Tasting Pass. (We did... ok.) Like all of our guests, she answers YOUR Sonoma questions on the Sonoma Spiel podcast. This week she answers: We are taking a tour on the Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley- it departs from the Sonoma Plaza at 10 AM. Where can we park our car so we don’t get a parking ticket? Well, it's out-of-town visitor time. After 10 years, my niece drinks real wine. Her palate has matured, and we can enjoy a variety of whites. I need recommendations to go tasting for first-time relatives who like Moscato. - via Facebook on Sonoma County wine imbibers We are coming there from Kankakee, Illinois. We don’t know much about wine, just that we like sweeter wines. Do you know anything called “Bordeaux” wine? What does that mean? Where is pickleball around Sonoma? I’m visiting from NYC and run leagues in Manhattan and want to know! - via text Do you have bus schedules? Where can I find a schedule for the SMART train? We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers. It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Kelly Conrad is with Farm to Pantry (www.farmtopantry.org), a local organization committed to rescuing food that would otherwise go wasted and getting it to people in need. "The food is out there; all we have to do is go get it. No one should be left behind." On her turn on the Spiel she dishes about working with SingleThread Farms, how visitors to Sonoma Valley can participate in harvesting crops from farms and gardens around Sonoma and help fight hunger, and her journey from Portland, Oregon to life in Sonoma Valley. Shout out to Haystack Farms in Sonoma Valley, one of their top local gleaning sites. And like all guests no the Sonoma Spiel podcast, she answers YOUR Sonoma Valley questions. This week she takes on: What is the difference between a tasting room and a winery? My daughter is getting married in Sonoma. The day after the wedding we would like to have bagels and coffee for friends on the Sonoma Plaza. Are we allowed to do that? What would you recommend? What is a wine slushie and where can I get one? We are visiting from the wine regions of Germany, so we are familiar already with vineyards. We would like to actually see some areas with scenic beauty and we only have one day. What do you recommend? We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Returning Very Special Guest star Amy Miller brought fellow Buckeye Tony Gonzalez to the Spiel to preview the BRAND NEW season of Transcendence Theatre Company's summer series, and to detail how the new location - just steps from the historic Plaza - make this a truly magical moment for "Broadway in Sonoma." During a rather raucous chat we cover their journey from the shores of Lake Erie to the vines of Sonoma Valley, preview the four different shows and talk how there are special deals for groups and families. And, like all of our guests, the take a turn answering YOUR Sonoma questions, including:

We are celebrating two 21st birthdays and their college graduations. Coming to Sonoma was my niece's birthday/graduation wish since she was 18. Our question- can I purchase multiple Plaza Tasting Passes for my group? - Via Text

I went to the Tuesday Night Market and saw incredibly elaborate picnic set-ups and people coming with wagons and tables and chairs. Is this a normal thing? And what’s the best way to enjoy the Tuesday Night Market? - Visitor from Seattle

Are there new bike racks on the Plaza near the playground and the bus stop? - Via email

I’m coming to visit Sonoma soon, and I use a power wheelchair to get around. Is it possible to explore the Plaza and the Mission area with a wheelchair? Are there accessible paths to explore nearby? - Via email

My young child has to learn the calendar: the number of days in the week, weeks in a month, and on and on. Sometimes it’s easiest to learn something if it’s used in a catchy tune. I was wondering if there is an easy way to remember just how many minutes there are in a year? - Via kick line

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Looking for a great place to stay in Sonoma Valley? Start here!

Safari West Foundation provides funding for programs like an "animals in hospitals" program for children who are hospital-bound, as well as a program that brings children to the Safari West, a 400-acre preserve with giraffes, gnus, lemurs and all manner of amazing African animals who are in conservation programs. The Foundation also focuses on education.

Paula Johnson from the Foundation came by to talk, and although she is a Very Special Guest, she also brought Dash the Sloth, a cranberry-eating South American mammal who doesn't move that fast but is fast enough to wreak a little bit of havoc on the studio microphones.

Dash is joined by Bonnie and Jolynn of Classroom Safari, a program that brings rescue animals into schools and youth programs and events. They talk sloths, fennec foxes, rattlesnakes, and all manner of their menagerie.

Fun fact: Dash was born in her living room, and it was actually a quick birth. "Like a jet baby on a bungee cord." In addition to talking animals and habitat, our human guests and sloth take a moment to answer YOUR Sonoma Valley questions, during our segment, "We. Get. Questions." This week they answer:

I’m seeking out a "hidden gem" winery. Can you recommend another winery that has amazing wines? No Pinot Noir. I love big reds (but my friend enjoys whites). I've done hundreds of Sonoma wineries already. I'm looking for someplace new for next year's trip. TIA. – Sonoma Wine Imbibers Facebook

We’ve been to other missions in California – would you recommend we visit Sonoma’s mission and why?

I last visited Sonoma thirty years ago and tastings were free. Is that still the case? If not, what are some options? Has anything changed in thirty years?

We are interested in thrifting and resale shops? Can we do that in Sonoma Valley?

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at info@sonomavalley.com, text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF