Do you remember last Christmas Eve?

Many of us even avoided family gatherings, opened gifts “together” via FaceTime, ordered Christmas dinner delivery, or skipped it altogether. Not happy for many, and many people thought it was all weird, thanks to COVID-19.

Across the country, people have lost family and friends. And many countries were just sad.

Things are a little better this year. We have vaccines and booster shots to prevent COVID variants or at least reduce their impact, that is, for those who choose to be gently vaccinated. So we got a little more relaxed and a little more cheerful.

But not so fast. Now comes Omicron, another seemingly somewhat broken down prolific variant in the Greek alphabet.

Many of us are again more conscientious about collecting and with whom. Some people worried about traveling for family, canceling parties, and others not worrying at all. We will see what happens.

Fortunately, I say out loud Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Winter Solstice and Happy New Year. And I guess “Happy Holidays” covers them all too.

Hope you have someone to share the day and the food with. And be sure to invite someone who might be alone, especially if they are vaccinated and vaccinated.

Favorite meal?

If you need something more to think about this weekend, please send me your favorite restaurant dish, whether it’s Taco Bell or Wit & Wisdom or anywhere in between, and you have it. have had at the restaurant or take out. Send it by Monday to [email protected]

A local restaurant receives a gift

What did an owner / chef and her husband get for Christmas? They got their van back.

As the restaurant owner and caterer wrote in an email, “It was stolen from the restaurant. A customer called me last week and said she spotted the van in Mill Valley on the 101 side. We called CHP, they checked it in, had it towed and we drove it. ‘ve got out of the pound. We had to replace the starter but our gear was still there. A net loss of $ 1,000, but we are grateful to recover it relatively relatively unscathed. “

Jerry and I once retrieved our red and white Dodge van with square holes drilled through the metal floor as if someone had driven a wooden bench into it to carry even more Little League basketball players and CYO – at least that’s what we used it for.

As the restaurateur posted on Facebook, “Home, still home, jiggidy jig. Welcome back, old friend.

Trestle Glen Vineyards sold

A small but precious vineyard and winery started by Bruce Cohn of BR Cohn Winery, Trestle Glen quietly earned 96 and 97 points from Anthony Blue in Tasting Panel Magazine.

Recently Bruce Cohn made it known that he was ready to part ways with Trestle Glen and his longtime fans Brian Wheeler and his family “officially assumed ownership of Trestle Glen” on behalf of TGW Holdings, LLC, according to their website. Wheeler said: “It really is a labor of love for all of us, and we look forward to what lies ahead.” TGW Holdings LLC is a Washington State corporation located in Brewster.

Wheeler said longtime winemaker Tom Montgomery, who has worked at Trestle Glen since its inception 20 years ago, will continue “with us to ensure the tradition of excellence”. Montgomery has been producing excellent wines for 25 years in the Sonoma and Napa valleys.

Trestle Glen produces just 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel on 21 acres in their Olive Hill vineyard.

Apparently, the name Trestle Glen refers to the historic trestle rail lines that run through the estate as part of the old Sonoma Valley Railroad, once a connection between Sonoma and Glen Ellen.

The loss of Philippe Cambie in the world of wine

Philippe Cambie, a frequent visitor to Sonoma, a former French rugby player and world-renowned wine consultant and collaborator in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, died on December 18, just before his 60th birthday.

Cambie moved to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1998 to work as a technician in an oenology laboratory and rose through the ranks learning everything and studied oenology at the University of Montpellier in France. His mother’s family were winemakers and he attributed his culinary skills to learning by her side.

When Cambie shared his expertise and tastes with his clients, he often advocated organic farming and “treat each plot of vineyard differently based on its soils and microclimate,” according to Wine Spectator. He was passionate about Grenache and rosé wines and always tried to understand the thought and soul of the winemaker behind wine.

He often visited the Coturri family of Sonoma and worked generously with Phil and Sam Coturri. We had a great conversation with Cambie when he visited Coturris’s Sixteen 600 tasting house on First Street West to celebrate their spring release.

In April 2017, Sondra Bernstein hosted a dinner at Suite D with Philippe Cambie and several of his winegrower friends from France, who all brought their best wines. Dishes included spring radish gougères and cold cuts, a smoked pea aformato, lamb with crispy sweetbreads, morel favas, and a risotto with beef cheek and root vegetables. A rare experience for sure.

On January 21, 2018, Bernstein and Chef John Toulze (now President of The Girl & the Fig) cooked a special lunch for Cambe to celebrate his 55th birthday. The menu included some of his favorites such as pâté, mussels, fries, duck confit and a cheese course.

Bernstein and Toulze also prepared a lunch for him and other wine and food leaders in France for the Hospice du Rhône, which offers Rhône and Rhône-style wines.

Of the loss of their friend and family collaborator, Sam Coturri sent an email: “We are all very saddened but grateful to know that he was at home with his family when he passed away. It is a devastating loss for our industry as a whole and for Grenache enthusiasts around the world. Personally, he was a dear friend, a wonderful and fascinating man.

“Philippe has consulted for some (Coturris customers) Enterprise Vineyards, including Lasseter Family Winery. However, our project with Mr. Cambie was really a collaborative endeavor. The rosé of this spring outing party in the days before (Covid-19), in June 2019, came from our collection ´Å Deux Têtes, a single Grenache vineyard cultivated by us and produced according to the rigorous standards of Philippe.