Hall of famer: Restaurateur Sondra Bernstein is best known for her beloved the Girl & the Fig restaurant empire in Sonoma and two cookbooks. But she’s been a champion of Rhone Valley varietals in American wines — viognier, marsanne, roussanne, grenache, syrah and more — ever since opening her first restaurant 20 years ago. She created a “Rhone Alone” wine list, a gutsy move in 1997, when most people didn’t know grenache or viognier.
Now this Rhone pioneer is being recognized for her passion. On June 9, Bernstein will be the first restaurateur to receive the Rhone Rangers Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the fifth lifetime award given by the Rhone wine advocacy group. Past recipients include Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon Vineyard), Robert Haas (Tablas Creek Vineyard) and Bob Lindquist (Qupe).
A special awards dinner honoring Bernstein kicks off the Rhone Rangers California Tour weekend in San Francisco June 9-10. www.rhonerangers.org
Goodbye Oakland, hello Sonoma: Planning to visit the Jeff Cohn Cellars tasting room? You’ll have to set your GPS for downtown Sonoma. The winery is on the move, departing Oakland after 21 years, for the historic Sonoma Plaza. The tasting room space is bigger, and closer to the Sonoma vineyard sources. Look for a late spring opening. Details: 535 First Street West, Sonoma; www.jeffcohncellars.com.
Disney wine: You may not know Napa Valley winery Silverado Vineyards has a Disney — as in Walt Disney — connection. Co-founder Diane Disney Miller was Disney’s daughter. Now, new wine labels are illustrated by Disney’s great-granddaughter Annabelle Rey. She updated a pencil illustration label she created for Silverado’s 25th anniversary in 1996. The label depicting the winery and vineyards is beginning to grace estate-tier Silverado wine bottles. www.silveradovineyards.com
