The 'Official' Pink Party Photo Album 2022!

BARNDIVA’S PINK PARTY CREW 2022

BloodRoot | Reeve | Leo Steen | Ryme Cellars | Valkyrie Wine Imports | Raventós I Blanc | Carboniste Robert Sinskey | Private Property | Captûre | Orsa Wines | Schramsberg | Handley Cellars | Pax Wines | Rootdown Wine Cellars | brick & mortar | Kara Marie | Cep/Peay Vineyards | County Line | Scribe | Long Meadow Ranch | Marine Layer Wines | Railsback Frére| Roederer Estate | Tendu Wines | Ruth Lewandowski | Ernest Vineyards | Raft | Flowers | Tansy Wines | Halleck Vineyard | Lili Sparkler | Idlewild | Inizi

It was an afternoon of gloriously coloured rosé in every glass, a wisteria sky, gardens filled with laughter and smiles. Yes, we know, the world is a mess and covid is not done with us yet, but for a few hours on a Sunday in April we all dressed up and mingled again without fear. We even danced a little. Barndiva was proud to have hosted a party such as this, where we tipped the scales towards delight as we celebrated a scintellating spring moment and the singular talents of the 32 Rosé winemakers in our midst.

The Pink Party has always been about community. It arrives at the start of the season when our small town is about to be inundated with tourists,  so it is especially gratifying to gather together and touch base with so many dear friends- and make new ones - in the winemaking community.  Not that it mattered if you came not knowing a soul –as you can see from these wonderful images shot by our friend Chad Surmick .  At Barndiva we pride ourselves on knowing how to throw a great party, but the truth is that no matter how on point you are at planning the really successful parties always ultimately depend upon the wilingness of the crowd to make a day or an evening come alive. Together, we nailed it, so thank you to every face pictured here and to those we may have missed capturing. You are gorgeous. We loved having you here. 

We send thanks to all the hands behind the scene who played a crucial role in Pink Party 2022: to Sally, Natalie, Cathryn, Haley, Duskie, Scott and Nick, who harvested, sourced and arranged all the glorious florals in both gardens. And of course to Chefs Erik , Neidy, Michael, and everyone in the kitchens and on the serving staff.

Finally, a word about Farm to Pantry: We were thrilled to be able to support them this year with a raffle of wines donated by every winery who participated. We cannot stress how Important what Duskie Estes and her dedicated team at Farm to Pantry are doing within the Sonoma Community to distribute the excess bounty of our landscape – and then some. They are helping put food on tables where it is most needed. That we can enjoy a day such a this and also help a little to redress the inequities of food availability in the larger community was a privledge. Donate your time to glean with them and enjoy making a difference as you spend time with a wonderful group of neighbors.

Damn the Torpedoes

If your impulse is to dive under the bed this NYE, close your eyes and just wait for the end of 2020, you are not alone. But there are reasons to pause and even celebrate the milestones, accomplishments, and resilience of this year in particular. While there is abundant evidence that we are making a mess of things as a human race, individually and often collectively we witnessed great forbearance and courage. From frontline essential workers who kept going with empathy and an extraordinary level of care, firefighters who battled blazes across the state, and towns like Healdsburg where shopkeepers and citizens stepped up to keep supporting local businesses, this was a remarkable year of true grit.

And right up there with efforts to ensure our personal survival was the inspiration and focus of Black Lives Matter. Millions marched peacefully to make the point - which should be self evident but sadly, tragically, is still not - that change must come in the way we treat one another. We have much to learn and many bridges to build, but in the face of everything else we struggled with as a country this year, it was a hopeful start.

In raising a toast to the end of 2020, here’s to the things you love, the people, places, work, and passions that kept you going. Hold tight to them. 2021 will no doubt prove another hell of a ride.

The people we worked alongside this year - every single member of staff at Barndiva - many now furloughed - did not falter. We are still here because of them. This was the year we were able to build the most creative and talented team we have ever had - which is saying a lot. Jordan Rosas, our executive chef, lured his sous chef Francisco Aguilera and the inordinately talented pastry chef Neidy Venegas up from LA only months before the first shutdown and despite COVID managed to build an incredible team while forging more relationships with local farmers and purveyors. Jordan crafted menus that satisfied the understandable desire right now for comfort food, yet managed to inject an exciting indication of where he intends to take us. Hats - or toques- off for all the chefs, especially those who lead smaller independent restaurants, that have worked through this dreadful time, fighting for a way of life that transcends any single career.

Glass raised to World Central Kitchen. Support them if you can.

The food they cooked. Comfort dishes like fried chicken sandwiches, hoe cakes, burgers and pastas flew out the door to the gardens and To-Go since April, and hopefully will continue to do so, but Jordan and Neidy still represented the food they love and came to Healdsburg to cook in dishes that were beautifully sourced and an utter delight to the eye, the palate, the soul.

Glass raised to all the farms listed on our menus, in Eat the View and @barndivahealdsburg throughout the year, with a special shout out from Jordan to Kindred Spirits Care Farm and Shemesh Farms

The farm continued to sustain us. Barndiva farm relies on the strong backs of two dedicated individuals with a passion for farming and flowers, Daniel Carlson and Nick Gueli. They tend and harvest our fruit and nut crops (often with friends we rope in to help) and produce the incredible floral arrangements Barndiva is known for, which continued to delight everyone in the gardens all summer long.

Glass raised to Farm to Pantry and it’s is intrepid leader Duskie Estes. Join, and support them if you can.

The Barndiva Gardens allowed us to define safe distance dining on our own terms and in our own style this year. They offered brief respite to all who braved the pandemic and the fires through an otherwise beautiful summer and glorious fall. Not a day goes by we don’t give thanks for them. It was a very conscious decision on our part 16 years ago to design open space in the middle of a town that seemed to have loads of it, filling dining gardens with antiques and local art, herbal and edible floral beds. It may now seem prescient. It wasn’t. We missed the weddings, the collaborative wine events, the anniversary and birthday celebrations and can’t wait for their return, but the beauty of a garden if well loved is that it’s heart keeps beating.

While we were fortunate we did not have to erect a tent on the street to keep going this summer, many did at great cost and difficulty. We greatly appreciate the The City of Healdsburg and The Healdsburg Chamber for encouraging parklets, and for all their other efforts to help keep wine country hospitality alive and well. Staying connected to community is not easy right now, but it’s never been more vital. Independently owned news organizations cast a wide net of interests that can support, expose, and explore stories that affect our lives, day to day.

Glass raised to the incredible reportage and photography from The Press Democrat. From front line reporting on the fires through their continued human interest stories that bolstered local restaurants, farms, and purveyors, they stepped up and it mattered. Subscribe.

Any year that welcomed this little guy into the family can’t be all bad. Just can’t. And while my issues with life lived primarily on Instagram only grew more complex this year, it often made my day to see glimpses of the children we know on social media getting on, growing up, coping. They marched with their parents, cooked for firefighters, contributed to the family labors, continued to educate themselves online. Their remarkable resilience is a testament to youth, but it draws, each and every day, from the time and care we put in as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and beloved friends, even remotely. Here’s to you Carlo. Your big sister LouLou and I can’t wait to take your hand and walk through the gardens and up into the forest together. Nothing to fear there buddy, only a bear or two.

@saverestaurants #staytuned #stayhealthy @stayhealdsburg #healdsburgchamber #eattheview #barndiva #togo #healdsburg #thisishealdsburg #sonomacounty #mendocinocounty #sommtablehealdsburg #sonomastrong #ediblemarinwc #lovehealdsburg @barndivahealdsburg @sonomamag @winecountry @slowfoodusa @socomeatco @chef.jordan.rosas, @spontaneidy, @wckitchen, @independantrestaurantcoalition, @BarndivaHealdsburg, @kindredspiritscarefarm, @shemeshfarms, @FarmtoPantry, @CityofHealdsburg, @HealdsburgChamber, @PressDemo