SFChron: Sonoma Going Napa???

Interesting article in today's SFChron on how SonomaCnty is going after the luxury tourist trade that Napa has embraced so much. And the tensions and fears it engenders amongst the more down-home folks like Lou Preston and Jeff Bundschu. Gee....I expect they wouldn't let ol' Gus Sebastiani wander around downtown Sonoma anymore for fear of scaring off the tourists or besmirching their ritzy image.
Almost makes me second thought my two day visit up there in March...'cept I know there's still lots of REAL folks there. It DID cause me to discard my plans to eat at Cyrus, though. Will go w/ Girl&Fig or Syrah, probably.
Tom

[url]sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/16/WIG5OO2CE91.DTL[/url]

Yep, I've live nearby for ten years now and watched it happen. But it's not only Sonoma. The Livermore Valley and Lodi have both embraced "up-scaledness." It's a lot less spontaneous and honest and fun than it used to be. Maybe it's time to move back to New Jersey and enjoy the wine scene there? Or perhaps I should get a new hobby?

Hah, you guys are just dazzled by the glitter, much like moths to a flame.

Sonoma is still mud-on-the-boots and old blue jeans. if you know where to look.

Besides, TomHill absconded to Mendocino years ago. He likes it up there with the latter day hippies, pot growers and good old boys.

Hah, you guys are just dazzled by the glitter, much like moths to a flame.

Sonoma is still mud-on-the-boots and old blue jeans. if you know where to look.

Besides, TomHill absconded to Mendocino years ago. He likes it up there with the latter day hippies, pot growers and good old boys.

Sonoma's a big place and there's still some adventure, but the writing is on the barn wall. Pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

Sometimes Mud on the Boots and blue jeans are not always good, though. We had an attempt by a pickup truck driving Larry the Cable Guy type to shove us off the road (bicycling) and then the goofus shouted out that "Us liberals" need to get off the road.