Start New Christmas Traditions at Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant & Spa

Russian River Valley, Calif. (11/23/09) -The holidays are all about shared traditions and creating special memories. Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant & Spa in Sonoma’s wine country invites guests to join the owners for a traditional family Christmas and enjoy a new guest-crafting program to add some personal sparkle to the festive season.
Only Farmhouse guests who stays three nights over Christmas will be invited to a complimentary, family-style Christmas dinner on December 25 with the extended Bartolomei family at the property’s Michelin starred restaurant.
Inspired by the modern farm girl style that celebrates the many pleasures of home-made versus store-bought, Farmhouse will provide guests with the opportunity to make their own gifts and decoration projects each Thursday and Sunday from November 1st – December 31st, 2009.
These programs are a natural extension of the Farmhouse family’s tradition of sharing comfort and joy with its guests - from delicious holiday menus at the Michelin starred restaurant, exquisite decorations throughout the property where trees are trimmed and halls are decked with magical holiday lights and fresh wreaths, to the Wine Hour led by Farmhouse wine director, Master Sommelier, Geoff Kruth.
Says proprietor Catherine Bartolomei, “At Farmhouse, the holidays have always been about spending time with and celebrating the people we love. Making gifts for friends and family is a thoughtful, personalized offering that shows how much you care, plus crafting is a really fun and entertaining activity.”
Led by local Sonoma master craftsman Barbara Friedman each Thursday and Sunday from 4:30- 5:30pm in the newly renovated Carriage House building, the Craft Hour is open and complimentary for Farmhouse guests only. Hot Chocolate, Egg Nog warm cookies and other holiday treats will be served. Guests will come together to create their own keepsakes and personalized gifts that might include Dupioni silk eye pillows, wheat sconces and wreaths, herbal sachets and washi paper boxes. A kit of each project will be available for purchase.
San Francisco native Barbara Friedman studied at the De Young and the San Francisco Museum of Art. Teaching crafts at summer camps and a desire to be a farmer led to a post college "cottage business" that became a national success. She designed and supervised the creation of thousands of dried floral wreaths and arrangements for customers such as Smith and Hawken, LL Bean, White Flower Farm, and hundreds of stores nation wide. For the past 20 years Friedman has taught craft classes professionally.
The holiday spirit continues with the Farmhouse Wine Hour, offered every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday under the direction of Sonoma’s only Master Sommelier and the director of wine program at Farmhouse, Geoff Kruth. He leads a lively discussion and tasting of small production wines each Saturday. On Monday’s, co-owner Joe Bartolomei and assistant wine director Matt Stamp will host a varietal tasting and on Wednesdays, concierge Meilani Naranjo will introduce guests to a local guest winemaker and their wines.
The annual tradition of Fa-la-la-la at Farmhouse extends to the inviting decoration of each guestroom. Fireplaces are hung with holiday stockings and during their stay guests are gifted with a specially commissioned Farmhouse keepsake ornament. Visions of sugarplums, pumpkin, chocolate and cranberries are dance through the Farmhouse restaurant holiday menus and locally grown, seasonal bounty is showcased at breakfast and dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant.
Seasonal accommodation packages are available exclusively on the website at Farmhouseinn.com or by calling (800) 464-6642. To join the Bartolomei’s for Christmas dinner, a three night minimum stay during December 23rd – 27th, 2009 is required.

About Farmhouse
Located in the stunning Russian River Valley region of Sonoma County’s famed wine country, Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant & Spa is a rural sanctuary that represents the finest level of lodging, dining and spa, where eighteen sublime guest rooms and suites, a farm-fresh Michelin one star restaurant and seasonal body treatments come together in one unforgettable experience. Surrounded by world-class vineyards, the six-acre property is anchored by an elegant restored 1870 weatherboard farmhouse that houses the famed Farmhouse Restaurant, presided over by Executive Chef Steve Litke and Sonoma’s only Master Sommelier, Geoff Kruth. Dotted throughout are the beautifully appointed cottage and barn accommodations that each boast fireplaces, large tubs, steam showers or saunas, luxurious bedding and modern amenities. Farmhouse also features a tranquil landscaped pool, full service spa, kitchen and cutting gardens and ample outdoor lounge areas for sophisticated relaxation. Arriving at Farmhouse, guests are immediately transported into a gracious country lifestyle and can expect warm, seasoned hospitality and memorable personal encounters. Owned by siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei whose family has farmed in the area for five generations, Farmhouse has evolved from a lifetime of shared family traditions that center round the rhythms of nature.