Proving that Wine Country is in fact also Beer Country, the annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair is offering a lineup of local beers this weekend. The tasting pavilion, traditionally the stomping ground for wine, will feature brew pours from Dempsey’s, Fogbelt Brewing, Lagunitas, Bear Republic, 101 North, HenHouse, and [...]
Gov. Brown has signed the liquor tasting bill that we wrote about last week, allowing most distillers to offer tastings at their production facilities. Distillers aren't exactly celebrating, however, since the bill does not allow direct sales of most kinds of spirits, the way wineries and breweries can do. Until [...]
Happy, Fourth of July. Even on a holiday, we have beer news. The staff of Napa Smith Brewery will be on hand at the Napa County Fair tonight from 8:30-9:30 p.m., pouring their pilsner and amber ale, paired with some sausage. It's part of the fair's Chef Showcase series that [...]
See? We're not the only ones noticing this new beer thingy going on in Sonoma County. The annual Harvest Fair announced yesterday that it will add, for the first time, beer and cider tastings to its popular Tasting Pavilion, which had previously been the exclusive province of wines. [...]
A resident of Santa Rosa for most of his life, Peter Lopez Jr., 34, has taken over the duties of beer blogger for the Press Democrat. He has been a part of the beer and wine industry for almost his entire adult life and brings a wealth of knowledge. Currently Peter is a partner at the Healdsburg Emporium where he does the beer and wine purchasing. He is also the wine 
buyer at Fircrest Market in Sebastopol and the administrator of the NorCal Beer Geeks group on Facebook.
Beer is a big business in this part of the world, with some of the best and most sought-after brews made right in our own back yard. But too often that beer culture is hidden behind the iconic wine industry that defines the region. The Beer Country blog will bring you news and notes about our local brew scene, and maybe a little about cider while we’re at it. Have news, ideas, or questions that need answering? Drop a line in the comments section of the blog or email us at info@pressdemocrat.com