It's been one year since the wildfires in Sonoma and Napa counties – the heart of wine country and the birthplace of Williams Sonoma, where our founder, Chuck Williams, opened his first store in 1956. To honor the resilience of this community so close to our hearts, we brought together 15 women behind California’s food, wine, and cheese destinations for a great meal and inspiring conversation at our original Sonoma store.
“You may feel like you’re small and local, but I see you. I see you,” says Janet Hayes, Williams Sonoma Brand President. She raises her glass to an impressive gathering of female entrepreneurs – from the groundbreaking McBride sisters, who’ve taken the wine industry by storm, to iconic Northern California cheesemakers Peggy Smith and Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery, plus an all-star roster of the region’s leading artisanal bakers and vintners. As the one-year anniversary of the Sonoma County fires approaches, the group discusses overcoming adversity for their families, communities and love of their craft.
“For us, as a family business, what’s so special is to be able to continue to do things that we truly love and have family to be working with.”
Lynn Giacomini Stray, Point ReyesFarmstead Cheese
“There's a really awesome analogy in wine, that goes: ‘The harder the vine struggles, the better the wine.’ And I think that can be a plight to last. We definitely have gone through the struggle.”
Andréa McBride, McBride Sisters Wines“My end game here is not to be a giant producer, but really to provide a wine that is consistent
and beautiful every single time it hits my customer's table.”
“Quality is important, of course, but it’s not our only motivation. My father told me, ‘You have to remember the reason we have a winery is not so much to make wine. It’s to be an engine to produce the resources to allow us to keep this land in the family, and to allow us to restore the ecological health of the place.”
Jasmine Hirsch, Hirsch VineyardsThe Guest List
General Manager,
Hirsch Vineyards
Cofounder,
Cowgirl Creamery
Partner,
Michael Mondavi
Family Estate
Cofounder
Cowgirl Creamery
Cofounder,
Cadet Wine Bar
Brand President,
Williams Sonoma
Founder,
Phifer Pavitt Winery
Cofounder,
McBride Sisters Wines
Cofounder,
McBride Sisters Wines
Cofounder,
Rustic Bakery
Co-Owner,
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese
Co-Owner,
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese
Co-Owner,
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese
President,
Turnbull Wine Cellars
President,
Ceja Vineyards
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California-Style Wine & Cheese Party
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Recipes
Green Goddess Dip > Pizza with Summer
Squash, Ricotta
and Chives > Little Gem Salad with
Shaved Radishes
and Herbs > Pizza with Prosciutto
and Arugula > Heirloom Tomato Salad
with Point Reyes
Blue Cheese > Heirloom Tomato
Pizza with
Fresh Mozzarella > Shortbread with Summer
Fruit & Whipped Cream >
