EATING OUT (AND ABOUT)

RISING FROM THE ASHES

A year after the devastating Northern California wildfires that burned through some 99,148 hectares and destroyed thousands of homes around Sonoma and Napa Counties, the food and wine meccas are getting back on their feet. Given the area around Sonoma is largely credited with inventing the whole farm-to-table movement, it makes sense that it’s establishments like SingleThread and Farmhouse Inn that are luring food lovers and wine connoisseurs back to the area. Husband and wife team Kyle and Katina Connaughton epitomise the groundswell of), Katina tends to a greenhouse, loamy fields, chicken coops, an heirloom fruit orchard, olive trees, beehives, and cattle paddock all surrounded by cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, and chardonnay vines, while 11 kilometres down the road Kyle oversees the menu at their restaurant and beautifully conceived inn. “We fell in love with Sonoma County for its diversity of agriculture as well as its makers’ spirit,” says Katina. “With the nearby coast, redwood forests, vineyards, and rolling hills, it felt like the perfect place for us to farm and open an inn and restaurant for both local guests and visitors who come to our region.”