Weekend At A Winery: What The Devil Is Planned At Barber Cellars?

PETALUMA, CA — For some devilish fun in Sonoma County's wine country, circle your calendars for Saturday, June 4.

Barber Cellars — a small, family-run winery in Petaluma — and its sister enterprise, Barber Lee Spirits, are hosting a deviled eggs contest for charity.

Egg-cellent contenders — professionals and amateurs — will deliver three dozen of their award-worthy egg creations for "The Great Petaluma Deviled Egg Competition" for judges to rate and visitors to enjoy.

"Show up, buy tickets, taste the eggs, (and) drink wine & cocktails in the egg capital of the world! It's as Petaluma as it gets," Barber Cellars said, adding, "We can't believe it's never been done before."

Both Barber Cellars and Barber Lee Spirits are included in Sonoma County "Tasting Passes," along with numerous local wineries, craft breweries and distilleries, allowing visitors to purchase one-day, two-day or 90-day tickets to discounted tasting flights.

Barber Cellars got its start in 2005 when husband-and-wife team Lorraine and Michael Barber made a barrel of wine in their San Francisco apartment. His background was in wine retail, while hers was in construction, and the duo started selling their first batches on their lunch breaks.

Eventually, the pair quit their day jobs, launched Barber Cellars in 2007 and now farm 12 acres of vineyards in Petaluma to produce the company's estate-grown wines sold online and in a tasting room at the historic Hotel Petaluma, 205 Kentucky St., management said.

Sundays at the tasting room bring "Sip & Shop" artisan, pop-up events, with wine served alongside an ever-changing collection of local cheeses and charcuterie.

The Barbers, soon intent on making an outstanding rye whiskey, expanded operations to include Barber Lee Spirits. After partnering with SF native Aaron Lee in 2019, the distillery took off, and the barrel tasting room is open Thursdays to Sundays at 120 Washington St. in Petaluma for tastings and cocktails, representatives said.

For info on Sonoma County "Tasting Passes" to wineries, craft breweries and distilleries, follow this link.

Proceeds from "The Great Petaluma Deviled Egg Competition" will be donated to Petaluma People Services Center, a caregiving organization. Contest sign-up details are here.

More than 425 wineries are in the Sonoma County region, plus a slew of lodging options, according to tourism officials.

For those planning a weekend trip, nearby hotels with unique flair include the upscale Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma; the historic Jenner Inn on the Sonoma Coast in Jenner; the quaint Farmhouse Inn boutique hotel in Forestville; and Monte Rio's Highland Dell Lodge in the Russian River area.

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FOR MORE WINERY ADVENTURES THROUGHOUT THE GOLDEN STATE:

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• Weekend At A Winery: Enjoy Wine, Chocolate & Meet A Camel
• Weekend At A Winery: Where Wine Pairs With Classic Cars
• Weekend At A Winery: Add Big White House To Must-Visit List