Bricoleur Vineyards is excited to announce that James Beard Award-winning chefs Charlie Palmer and Nate Appleman are joining the Bricoleur Vineyards team as Culinary Advisors. The winery’s first joint event with Chef Palmer will be Project Zin, a sold out fundraiser for Down Syndrome Association North Bay, at Bricoleur Vineyards on August 21st.
Palmer and Appleman Join Bricoleur
“We couldn’t be more thrilled. Our family has long admired Chef Palmer and Chef Appleman’s talent,” said Bricoleur Vineyards’ co-founder Mark Hanson. “Our culinary team already creates amazing wine & food experiences for our guests, which will be enhanced by working with Chef Palmer and Chef Appleman. A mutual friend introduced us, and we really connected with Chef Palmer and Chef Appleman on our shared values of supporting philanthropy, our local community, and great wine and food. We’re excited to add their expertise and collaborative enthusiasm to our team.”
Bricoleur Vineyards opened in the Sonoma County town of Windsor, just south of Healdsburg, last spring in the midst of the pandemic and in a short time has already earned recognition from San Francisco Bay Area press as the region’s “Best New Emerging Winery” and “Most Romantic Winery.” A 40-acre picturesque destination with 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards that have produced critically acclaimed, award-winning wines, the sustainably farmed estate also features expansive culinary gardens, fruit trees, olive groves, chickens, and honeybees.
Chef Palmer brings his signature “Progressive American Cooking” to Bricoleur Vineyards and will team up with the estate’s culinary team on menu creation and concept to further elevate the winery’s already robust offerings. With 13 acclaimed restaurants and rooftop bars across the United States, Palmer has chosen Sonoma County as his home, designing wine-forward tasting menus for Bricoleur Vineyards that emphasize the fresh, seasonal produce grown on the estate, reflecting the bounty of the land that Palmer knows so well.
“I’m excited to work with the team at Bricoleur Vineyards as Culinary Advisor,” said Palmer. “A close friend brought me to the estate for a tasting earlier this year and I was impressed with their tasting menus and the way their wines pair so beautifully with dishes made from their estate-grown fruits and vegetables. I cannot wait to collaborate further on wine and food experiences and events in the future.”
In keeping with their shared devotion to philanthropy and supporting the local community, Chef Palmer is excited to host the 11th Annual Project Zin event at the Vineyards on August 21, 2021. Project Zin is a celebratory event hosted by Winemaker Clay Mauritson and Chef Palmer that benefits Down Syndrome Association North Bay. Palmer and Mauritson launched Project Zin in 2012, and the annual event has raised over $1,000,000 for DSANB. This year’s event is sold out, but to learn more about Project Zin and Down Syndrome Association North Bay, please visit projectzin.org.
“At the Vineyards, we’re all about celebrating life’s moments with wine and food, while supporting charities across the country and here at home,” added the Vineyards’ co-founder Sarah Hanson Citron. “Bricoleur Vineyards is a beautiful place to gather, where social connections are fostered, and communities are built. Chef Palmer and Chef Appleman share our enthusiasm for bringing people together and we’re excited to welcome them to our team.”
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Bricoleur Vineyards is open Thursday – Monday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. by appointment only and reservations can be made by visiting www.bricoleurvineyards.com or by calling 707-857-5700. Bricoleur Vineyards is close to the Santa Rosa airport, which accommodates both commercial and private planes, and it’s only an hour north of San Francisco. Bricoleur Vineyards is located at 7394 Starr Road in Windsor, California and can be found on Instagram @bricoleurvineyards.
About Bricoleur Vineyards
Bricoleur Vineyards, which launched its first vintage in 2017 and opened its tasting room in 2020, is tucked away in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley – just south of Healdsburg. Founded by the Hanson family, Bricoleur Vineyards can be found at the end of a winding road in the charming, bucolic town of Windsor, only an hour north of San Francisco – and very close to the Santa Rosa airport. The distinctive name, “Bricoleur,” is French for one who starts building something with no clear plan, adding bits here and there, cobbling together a whole while flying by the seat of their pants.
The Vineyards estate produces two families of critically-acclaimed, award-winning wines – “Bricoleur” and “Flying by the Seat of Our Pants.” Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are crafted under the “Bricoleur” label, while Rosé of Grenache and Brut are produced under the humorous, irreverent “Flying by the Seat of Our Pants” label. The wines are crafted by veteran Winemaker Cary Gott and Assistant Winemaker Tom Pierson.
In addition to Bricoleur Vineyards, the Hanson family also owns Kick Ranch Vineyard in Sonoma County’s Fountaingrove District AVA. The Hanson family’s roots run deep in Sonoma County. Mark Hanson was born in Santa Rosa, and Beth Wall Hanson’s great grandfather, Pietro Carlo Rossi, was the original oenologist for Sonoma County’s historic Italian Swiss Colony. Rossi revolutionized California winemaking in the 19th century and under his direction, the Italian Swiss Colony became one of America’s leading wineries.
Bricoleur Vineyards is open Thursday – Monday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. by appointment only and reservations can be made by visiting www.bricoleurvineyards.com or by calling 707-857-5700. Bricoleur Vineyards is located at 7394 Starr Road in Windsor, California and can be found on Instagram @bricoleurvineyards.
