Best Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau Podcasts (2024)

1
Karina's Guide to the Springs: Where to eat, drink & have fun in "The Springs" of Sonoma Valley 46:27

1d ago46:27

46:27

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 Boy…

1
No Clouds in the Sonoma Sky - Just Sonoma Balloons! Hot Air Ballooning in Wine Country 54:32

4h ago54:32

54:32

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…

1
Cassidy Ranch Farmers talk flowers, shrubs and tell Florida Man about clouds 46:32

6d ago46:32

46:32

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 V…

1
Laugh your pickle off: Lisa Pidge on comedy, pickleball and wine 54:32

8h ago54:32

54:32

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 ne…

1
Gleaning for justice: Kelly Conrad talks Farm to Pantry in Sonoma 48:08

25d ago48:08

48:08

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…

1
From Ohio to Sonoma: Broadway Performers Preview "Broadway in Sonoma" with Amy Miller and Tony Gonzalez 49:35

1M ago49:35

49:35

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 th…

1
Dash the Sloth! Plus Safari West Foundation with Classroom Safari 55:40

2M ago55:40

55:40

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 educ…

1
Talking Stars in the Valley of the Moon: Robert Ferguson Observatory's Stephanie Derammelaere 1:02:59

2M ago1:02:59

1:02:59

Not many places have a professional-level, volunteer-run observatory open to the public. But not many places have the Robert Ferguson Observatory. Luckily, Sonoma Valley does. Executive Director Stephanie Derammelaere explains the mission of the observatory, how it came to be, why Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is a good place to see planets and stars …

1
Mustafa has No Chill: Sonoma restaurants, hikes and adventures with NoChillMustafa 1:02:38

3M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Mustafa Tolosa always "goes to eleven" - the local restaurant reviewer started off taking photos of his steak while on a date with his wife, and from there it has grown into a Wine Country go-to spot for locals looking for the low-down on food trucks, restaurants and more. "I'm not a food critic - I'm a highlighter. I like to highlight things," say…

1
Author's Festival Returns: Amy Tan, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Grann et al in Sonoma talking ideas 42:53

3M ago42:53

42:53

The Sonoma Valley Author's Festival is in it's seventh year in Sonoma, and founders Ginny and David Freeman come to the Sonoma Spiel and share their passion for books and the ideas expressed within. As Ginny notes, "It's an ideas festival - it's small and curated and intimate." This year we find out that among the many author's attending includes h…

1
Natural Sonoma: Caitlin Cornwall on ecology, native plants, bad idea trees & waterfalls 59:36

4M ago59:36

59:36

Caitlin Cornwall of the Sonoma Ecology Center returns to the Spiel to give her review of the eclipse (thumbs up), talk redwoods as yard trees in dry valley floors (thumbs down, usually) and encourage us to create diverse ecosystems with native plants in your front yard to get the best birds. She also details the upcoming events at Sugarloaf State P…

1
Some Blue Nun, a green valley and Laurel Glen Vineyards: Bettina Sichel 56:42

4M ago56:42

56:42

Bettina Sichel got her start with Blue Nun, one of the most famous wines of the past 100 years and the one that put German wine on the map (and which her great grandfather started) and is now with Laurel Glen Vineyards in Glen Ellen. Specializing in (and famous for) cabernet sauvignon, the winery is now branching out to rose and sauvignon blanc. Wa…

1
Hello Girls! Maeve Smith directs musical theater, sells wine & talks World War One 57:01

4M ago57:01

57:01

Maeve Smith is the director of Sonoma Arts Live's latest musical, "The Hello Girls," which details the story of American women who answered the call to be switchboard operators for the US Army Signal Corps during World War I. They had to speak French, know how to operate specialized communications equipment and serve near the front lines - and yet …

1
Exploring the trails of Cheese: The Straus Siblings (Vivian & Michael) talk the California Cheese Trail 53:24

5M ago53:24

53:24

They grew up on a dairy farm in West Marin, where the fog rolls in and grassy hills meet the rugged beaches of the Pacific Ocean, and now they are the force behind the California Cheese Trail. Vivian and Michael Straus left Marin for Portland (Vivian) and an ashram in India (Michael) but then came back to help save the family ranch and raise the pr…

1
I'm on a community... radio: KSVY at 20 years with James Marshall Berry and Bob Taylor 47:46

5M ago47:46

47:46

From Kenwood to Carneros, to Santa Rosa and Petaluma and Napa and more - coming to you LIVE and IN YOUR HEAD at THOUSANDS OF WATTS of RADIO POWER - it's KSVY-FM! Bob Taylor and James Marshall Berry talk two decades of Sonoma radio and reminisce about how it connects community, provides a crucial link during times of duress and is a true taste of So…

1
Beau Bridges, chef Susan Feniger, Ethan Hawke, Luc Besson & Sonoma International Film Festival 51:20

5M ago51:20

51:20

Ginny Krieger from the Sonoma International Film Festival is back on the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk all things film, food and wine. But this time, she's brought Carl Spence, artistic director and film fan, who gives the rundown on some of the major U.S. premiers of films at one of the best film festivals in the country. As always our guests answe…

1
Cannabis in Wine Country: Van Solkov talks education, tours and agriculture 1:01:37

5M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

Van Solkov of Happy Traveler's Tours came by the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk cannabis growing in Sonoma Valley, how tours of farms and dispensaries serve to educate and dispel myths as well as update older traveler's about changes in the scene since the 70s and 80s. During a wide-ranging interview he also covers how he was one of the first cannabi…

1
Something's growing in Glen Ellen: Jeannie Perales of Sonoma Botanical Garden 52:13

6M ago52:13

52:13

Jeannie Perales, new director of the Sonoma Botanical Garden, put down her pruning shears and stopped by the Sonoma Spiel to talk about their new upcoming summer program of concerts and the Ribbit Exhibit that will bring whimsical frog statues to the garden. Perales talks about how she ended up leading botanical gardens from Florida to California, …

1
Trends start in San Francisco: Lynn Bruni-Perkins from SF Travel talks creativity, culture and The City 55:38

6M ago55:38

55:38

San Francisco is an hour from Sonoma Valley and the majority of visitors to Sonoma Valley usually make a stop in "The City" before heading up to wine country. This week, Lynn Bruni-Perkins of SF Travel talks what makes San Francisco special, from the culture of social movements, Burning Man, and the technology that brought us the iPhone, to the nex…

1
Scream, chili, and pottery: Molly Spencer from Sonoma Community Center talks arts, wine and movies 52:47

6M ago52:47

52:47

Molly Spencer is with the Sonoma Community Center, a school building turned arts and culinary center complete with galleries and theater programs. She hops on the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk ceramics, chili recipes, fiber arts happy hour, ballet and a secret garden that isn't that secret because we are talking about it. She then says that yes, the…

1
Mom took cooking classes, now he's cooking with fire: Ari Weiswasser of Glen Ellen Star in Sonoma Valley 1:06:57

7M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

He was inspired to start cooking because his great aunt's awful Thanksgiving dinner spurned him to action, his first restaurant job was with three Lebanese brothers in Pennsylvania, and he left Manhattan for the excitement of Sonoma Valley: Ari Weiswasser of Glen Ellen Star talks his journey to having two restaurants and a catering company in Calif…

1
Fun is Her Middle Name (Legally!): Heidi Geffen from Tiddle E. Winks on Good Times, Yiddish & Tchotchkes 50:02

7M ago50:02

50:02

Heidi Geffen founded Tiddle E. Winks just off the Sonoma Plaza as a place to find items of whimsy, fun and happiness. She stops by the Spiel to talk her journey from a rubber stamp saleswoman in LA to a sticker designer in Petaluma to the bringer of happiness to Sonoma. She also talks a bit about wellness and how being happy is part of the experien…

1
Food Was a Better Fit: From New York Fashion to Sonoma Cuisine - Lauren Feldman, Valley Bar + Bottle 49:33

7M ago49:33

49:33

Lauren Feldman (Valley Bar + Bottle and Valley Swim Club) joins us in the new year to talk all things food, wine, wellness and how she ended up leaving fashion for running front of the house at her restaurant, that she started with her husband Tanner and two friends. In between running a new restaurant, Valley Swim Club which is a west coast take (…

1
Euphoria in Sonoma: Lisa Carlsson talks wellness in Sonoma 50:18

8M ago50:18

50:18

Lisa Carlsson with Euphoria Retreats brings people around the world to find wellness- and she even made us take some calming breaths before we started the podcast. Then she tells us about how she approaches wellness and health and brings wellness and adventure to travelers in Sonoma Valley and beyond. She also spends time answering YOUR questions d…

1
Jalisco to Sonoma and Napa : Amelia Moran Ceja on wine, cooking, family 1:07:30

8M ago1:07:30

1:07:30

Ceja Vineyards makes high-end wines from world-class vineyards, but Amelia Ceja is remarkably approachable in her turn on the Sonoma Spiel podcast. She talks her journey from a young immigrant to America in 1967, following her father who worked in the fields, to her education at UC San Diego, to starting a Latino family-owned winery with her husban…

1
Jeweler in Sonoma: Margo Lowe of M. Lowe Jewelry talks baubles, bagels and Berkeley 44:36

8M ago44:36

44:36

Margo Lowe moved her jewelry store from Berkeley (just outside the gates of Cal - Go Bears!) to Sonoma (just across from the Plaza - Go Dragons!) On a wide-ranging podcast she talks about her journey from Pittsburgh (good bagels) to Berkeley (neighbor to Alice Waters' Chez Panisse) and then to Sonoma. Then she takes on answering YOUR Sonoma Valley …

1
Best of Sonoma ”We Get Questions” - Redwoods, Dog-Friendly, Best Pizza & White Zinfandel 28:24

9M ago28:24

28:24

This week on the Sonoma Spiel we are looking back at some of the best of "We Get Questions" where we make our guests answer the questions we get from visitors. Featured guests include Michelle Lacy from Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau and Mark Bodenhamer of the Chamber of Commerce, Chef Lauren Kershner from Songbird Parlour, and Laura McGilley of the…

1
Three wineries, one guy: Ryan Lely of Pangloss Cellars (and more) 50:07

9M ago50:07

50:07

We've got goldengroves unleaving, as fall is here and the vines are changing colors and winter is coming and the holidays beckon. Luckily to help us navigate the change and talk about Sonoma Valley is Ryan Lely, the creative force and eye behind Pangloss Cellars and Repris Wines. He also knows about the secret winery, that is hiding - in plain sigh…

1
On Beyond Sonoma: Kelly Bass Seibel tells tales from beyond the Island! 58:00

9M ago58:00

58:00

Kelly Bass Seibel from Sonoma County Tourism joins the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about the great and wonderful world that exists beyond the borders of Sonoma Valley, and disavows us of the notion that there be dragons there. Actually, there's a river, some beaches and a place called Rohnert Park. Kelly got her start in tourism via a circuitous r…

1
Everything from E-I-E-I-O: Farm sanctuary Charlie’s Acres with Kaleigh Rhoades 47:07

10M ago47:07

47:07

Kaleigh Rhoades came to Sonoma's Charlie's Acres from San Diego via a stint at UC-Berkeley (Go Bears!), an orangutan rescue in Borneo and a chimpanzee sanctuary in Oregon. The mission at Charlie's Acres is two-fold: save farm animals as a sanctuary, and introduce plant-based alternatives to the more traditional American diet. But in an approachable…

1
When to join a wine club, and how I stopped writing about high school sports: Rob Lorenz of Talisman Wines 44:00

10M ago44:00

44:00

Rob Lorenz was going to be a sports journalist, but covering Atascadero high school sports as the writer, editor and photographer pushed him to slingin' juice, selling wine. A native of San Jose, he knows the way to Sonoma and how to find good wine. At Talisman wines we helps wine tasters find excellent wines ("all Pinot Noir, all the time") that s…

1
The Mayor, the Commissioner & the Algebra Teacher: Sandra Lowe talks her Sonoma 50:48

10M ago50:48

50:48

It's not often we get to talk to a mayor, a commissioner of a football league, a political organizer and a bilingual math teacher. But when we sat with Sandra Lowe, mayor of Sonoma, we got all of that in one package. She came to the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about her journey from LA math teacher (via Cal - Go Bears!) to Sonoma Valley High bilin…

1
A Dream Wall in Sonoma: The Lodge at Sonoma, An Autograph Collection 49:47

10M ago49:47

49:47

Nicole Whitaker started out doing cold calls for AT&T back when customers leased their cell phones, and Erin McVicar has been in the wine and hospitality business around Sonoma Valley. They both are now at the Lodge at Sonoma, a recently renovated resort within biking distance of the Sonoma Plaza. They stopped by to chat about the return of Martini…

1
Best places to hike, camp and get outdoors: Brad Day of Weekend Sherpa in Sonoma Valley 46:33

10M ago46:33

46:33

Brad Day knows a thing or two about getting outside in California. For almost two decades, Brad and his wife Holly have helped locals find the right trails for hiking and biking and the best lakes for kayaking and camping. Weekend Sherpa, an award-winning website, email newsletter and a podcast, details great places to get outside in Northern Calif…

1
Kombucha, Organic Chef and Hot Springs: Lauren Kershner of Songbird Parlour in Glen Ellen 36:13

11M ago36:13

36:13

Chef Lauren Kershner was born in Wisconsin, raised in Arizona and then moved to Mendocino before working in Napa and settling in Sonoma... and along the way she picked up how to cook, how to make kombucha and most importantly, and how to give back to her community. She stops by the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about what she's cooking, events she i…

1
A murder at the laundry, stinky trees and rogue librarian : Jim Silverman of SonomaPlazaHistory.com 34:56

11M ago34:56

34:56

Everyone talks about Sonoma Plaza's history, but no one does anything about it. Until now. Jim Silverman, retired librarian (he got kicked out of library school a few times first!) and man with a plan, has launched www.SonomaPlazaHistory.com as a way for visitors to experience the unique stories of the jewel of Sonoma County: the eight-acre Sonoma …

1
Accidental Tour Leader: Howard Sapper of Pushpak Motors on History, Wine, Community & Music 48:14

11M ago48:14

48:14

Howard Sapper didn't mean to start an award-winning electric scooter tour company. But somewhere along the way from Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh to a career as a musical community organizer, concert promoter, record label owner and early player in the New Age Music scene, he found himself with three-wheeled electric trikes that were perfect for givi…

1
Arts Preview with Allison Coats -Music, museums and more 44:17

12M ago44:17

44:17

Allison Coats knows a thing or two about the arts in Sonoma, as she represents some of the Valley's premier arts institutions. She stops by to talk about what's happening at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, diRosa Center for Contemporary Art, wineries like Muscardini Cellars and all the live music venues like Hopmonk Sonoma and B&V Whiskey Bar & Gr…

1
2023 Harvest & Vintage Festival Preview, Plus a Salami Toss: Laura McGilley & Bart Hansen 50:03

12M ago50:03

50:03

Two guests, one good time: we're talking the 2023 winegrape harvest and the upcoming Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival with Laura McGilley of the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance and Bart Hansen of Dane Cellars (and the Winemakers podcast). We figure out what a "cellar rat" is, how crush is the fun but busy time in California's wine coun…

1
Murder mystery in Sonoma! Author Bethany Browning’s ”Dead Spread” has tarot, a raven, a duck pond and a mystery 49:33

12M ago49:33

49:33

"Dead Spread," the new book from local author Bethany Browning, is set in a small wine country town of Prosperity, where the mayor (Preston Brix) was recently found deceased by a local tarot reader (Carrie Detwiler) who has a pet raven (Waggery) and a few secrets as well. Sonoma serves as a key inspiration in the book, from the stone city hall in t…

1
World’s Best Olive Oil: Kym Hough and Samantha Dorsey of McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil & Winery 58:30

1y ago58:30

58:30

A little bit west of Sonoma lies the town of Petaluma, and a little bit west of Petaluma is the enchanted farm at McEvoy Ranch, where some of the world's best Olive Oil comes from. Sam and Kym give us the low down on how to taste olive oil (hint: aerate it in your mouth), what it takes to get flavors into olive oil the quality way and how visitors …

1
Eric Zivian & Nick Reeves: Valley of the Moon Music Festival Update 43:39

1y ago43:39

43:39

World-class musicians Eric Zivian (fortepiano) and Nick Reeves (cellist) from the Valley of the Moon Music Festival stop by the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk classical music, performing outdoors and why people should come watch them perform on instruments built from the actual period when the music was composed. Then Nick Reeves just happens to have…

1
Eaten by a crocodile and other made up stories about real histories: George Webber- Historian/Actor/Singer/Wine Expert 58:26

1y ago58:26

58:26

He says he was the king of the third-tier market, but George Webber made a grand entrance during his first appearance on stage as he lept over a small fence on the stage, knocking down the whole set, and throw out a quip that brought the house down. This small introduction to performing and theater for Webber has grown into a lifelong passion, wher…

1
Summer Cocktails in Sonoma: Amy & Fred Groth of Prohibition Spirits 52:05

1y ago52:05

52:05

This week on the Sonoma Spiel: Amy & Fred Groth from Prohibition Spirits stop by to talk summer cocktails and how to rely on fresh ingredients to provide great flavors. With 40 different distilled spirits in their tasting room just off the Sonoma Plaza, the tasting experience is educational about the processes in how the spirits are made as well as…

1
Talkin’ Juice: Highway 12 Winery’s Paul Giusto 58:09

1y ago58:09

58:09

Highway 12 in California runs from the vineyard-studded hills of Calaveras County all the way to the vineyard-covered hills of Sonoma County, passing through the vineyards of Napa, Solano, Sacramento and Joaquin counties as well. Just as Highway 12 wends through the best parts of Northern California, so too does our conversation with Paul Giusto me…

1
You can reuse this podcast: Jana Wang from Refill Madness declares war on single-use plastic 51:37

1y ago51:37

51:37

Jana Wang wants you to put that plastic bottle down. And reconsider your approach to consumer packaged goods by just refilling that perfectly good, reusable bottle for your soap, shampoo and detergents. Inspired by a friend's shop in Sacramento, Wang decided to open "Refill Madness" in the city of Sonoma to show that you don't need to embrace a thr…

1
Father & son battle it out: Filmmaker George Dondero talks Sonoma movie ”War of the Wills” 37:59

1y ago37:59

37:59

Film maker George Dondero had the audacity to not only shoot an independent film in Sonoma, but he dared question the orthodoxy that it's "always a lovely day in Sonoma." His new movie, "War of the Wills" was filmed in Sonoma, Petaluma and Windsor and centers on the struggle between a father and a son battling over an inheritance of money and house…

1
An RV of Thespians in Baja Goes the Full Monty: Amy Miller talks Broadway Under the Stars 50:18

1y ago50:18

50:18

Amy Miller started doing theater in Cincinnati, Ohio and found her way to Sonoma Valley via New York, New York then Naples, Florida dinner theater and with an interesting trip to Mexico with two recreational vehicles full of Broadway performers. We hear about their upcoming summer season of "Broadway Under the Stars" that features a music revue of …

1
Beyond the Left Turn: Jill Gregory of Sonoma Raceway on NASCAR and More 45:26

1y ago45:26

45:26

Jill Gregory of Sonoma Raceway says the 12-turns of the famed Sonoma Valley road track make it a "high consequence race track," where you can "get into the wall pretty quickly." Jill sat down with us to talk Nascar, Ferrari Challenge, drag racing your Camry against a cop, electric car racing and even go-karts. Then she gives us the overview of the …

1
Joe D’Alessandro - The Return of San Francisco - Sonoma Spiel 33:51

1y ago33:51

33:51

Every ten to fifteen years or so, pundits and wags write the obituary for San Francisco. Ink gets spilled, think pieces get thunked and opinions opined about the "cool, gray city of love," but none of these ever encapsulate the reality that San Francisco, like the mythical phoenix that flies on the city flag, is a city constantly in the process of …

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Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau Podcasts

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