Bowls made of drilled river rock, vines turned into sculpture and lighting salvaged from old factories around the world are just some of the unique treasures found at Artefact Design & Salvage in Sonoma, California. The showroom features antique architectural pieces, objects crafted from salvage, large-scale organic forms and all sorts of products that can't be found anywhere else. The products are collected around the world and include a growing line of furniture and objects designed by founder Dave Allen.

Allen's journey in salvage collection began in 1997 when he left his corporate job and started off on a new life specializing in architectural antiques. Over time he built his business from a series of yard sales to an international operation that sends him around the world scavenging for both salvaged items and new products from Borneo, Java, Bali and other parts of Malaysia and the Philippines. His blog on the Artefact Design & Salvage website is an informative and frequently amusing adventure. Check out the gallery below for a few of his treasures.

Love wine and want to move to Sonoma County, California? Have we got a job for you. The Murphy-Goode Winery is offering a "Really Goode Job" for the right person. They will pay $10,000 a month for a six-month contract that includes private housing in Healdsburg, California. The winery is seeking a web-savvy communicator who wants to learn about viticulture, winemaking, Sonoma County and Murphy-Goode wines and share what they have learned through social media tools such as Facebook, blogs, internet videos and Twitter.

Those in San Francisco can get a jump on the application process on April 28 at 11:30 a.m. at 120 Market Street near the Hyatt Regency. Visitors who arrive at the "A Really Goode Job's" purple and white kiosk can meet the boss and get a 24-hour head start in the application process by being provided with a code that will give them immediate access to the www.areallygoodejob.com website which launches on April 29 to the public at large.

The website will have an employment application and will ask applicants to submit a one-minute video. Applications close on June 5, 2009. Murphy-Goode Winery will then select 50 candidates then narrow the list down to the top 10 who will be interviewed from June 27 to July 1. The person chosen for the job will be announced on July 9 and begin work on August 1. As you might expect, all applicants must be at least 21 years old.
[via WKYC]

HGTV has announced their latest dream home, a Victorian-style home in Sonoma, California. The $2 million prize package also includes a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contest starts on January 1 and runs until February 19. Entrants may enter once per day on HGTV.com or as often as they wish by regular mail. This home marks the first time in 13 years the HGTV Dream Home has been in California. The home is being built by vintner and developer Steve Ledson and is part of his Armstrong Estates project (we previously covered one of his homes as an estate of the day). The HGTV website features video and details on every aspect of the home. I expect the competition will be fierce for this one, but be warned the taxes can be hign on these dream homes as one past winner found out.

The Magnolia farm in Sonoma, California is the town's oldest East Side home and is a registered historical landmark. It has also been given a very modern rehabilitation that is a world away from its classic exterior). The home was built in the 1890s and has been owned by members of the Hearst family among other great California families. The property has a four-bedroom main house as well as a one-bedroom guest house. There is also a swimming pool, outdoor barbecue and a one acre lawn with room for croquet, bocce and horseshoes. The property is nearly ten acres total and includes magnolia, olive, fig and maple trees. An outdoor patio offers dining for eight. it is currently being used as a wine country rental that costs $12,000 a week (many more gorgeous pictures are available at the home's rental website). It is listed at $5.495 million.

The folks at Don Sebastiani & Sons always think up clever names for their wines. From the same guys that brought us Used Automobile Parts wine comes MooBuzz, a new brand that will focus on super-premium Burgundy grape varieties grown in the Sonoma Coast appellation. The brand will focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. Why MooBuzz? it is a tribute to Sonoma Sebastiani calls the land of milk and honey (moo for cows, buzz for bees). The suggested retail price for the 2006 MooBuzz Pinot Noir is $25 and the 2006 MooBuzz Chardonnay will retail for $20.

[via Avenue Vine]

It's harvest time for California wineries. If you'd like to get in on the fun (and just a little of the hard work) you can check it out at the Sonoma County Grape Camp. The camp is scheduled for September 24 to 26 at the Vintners Inn. The weekend costs $1,500 per person, per couple ($200 single supplement) and includes two nights at the hotel, all meals and seminars. The weekend includes the "The Marriage of Food and Wine" seminar by chef and author John Ash, a dinner feast in the vineyards by Chef Mark Stark of Willi's Wine Bar, and a Paella party along the banks of the Russian River. The weekend also includes participating in the harvest, tasting freshly crushed grape juice at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards and a trip to Ferrari-Carano to blend wine under the guidance of Red Wine Winemaker Aaron Piotter.

[via Avenue Vine]

Like Kendall-Jackson, Blackstone winery is seeking to seek the next level of the wine market with a new line that appeal to a different price point than their main line which is generally under $10. The Blackstone Sonoma Reserve is produced at Blackstone's Kenwood Winery in the heart of Sonoma Valley and includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Bordeaux-inspired red blend, Rubric. The wines use grapes sourced from premium vineyards found upon the hillsides, benchlands and coastline of Sonoma County and are made by winemaker Gary Sitton.

The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay uses grapes from the cool climate areas of Russian River Valley and Carneros, with small percentages drawn from the Sonoma Coast and sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Merlot uses grapes from the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley and also sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir uses fruit from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley region and is aged for 12 months in French oak. It sells for $18.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve "Rubric" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. It is matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels and sells for $18.99.

Giving a new meaning to the words wine flight, the Chandelle Winery specializes in wines with aviation art. The Sonoma winery takes its name from an aviation term used to describe a 180-degree change in direction and an increase in altitude. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's New York-to-Paris flight, the winery is offering a special limited edition labeled wine called The 19th Hour, The Spirit of St Louis. The 2004 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Chardonnay Sonoma County wines have a label created by aviation artist Keith Ferris as well as a special 80th anniversary medallion. A portion of the sales will go to the Lindbergh Foundation, which supports technological solutions to improve the environment for a sustainable future. A three bottle box of two 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and one 2005 Chardonnay Spirit of St Louis 80th Anniversary Edition sells for $70.

[via General Aviation News]

I never knew that the Jacuzzi family , famous for the Jacuzzi spa also made wine but they do. In fact they have just opened a lavish new winery in the Sonoma Valley in partnership with the Olive Press. The two businesses are setting up shop on Highway 121 in an 18,000-square-foot Italian stone villa on 190 acres along Highway 121, directly across the road from Cline Cellars. red Cline is the maternal grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi, one of the five brothers who took part in the creation of the Jacuzzi Spa. Fred and Nancy Cline also own Cline Cellars. The wines so far are from separate vineyards but according to an article in Sonoma News the two labels may share some vineyard sources in the future.

The new winery takes its inspiration from the Jacuzzi family home in Italy and has stone buildings assembled around a central coutryard. One wing is devoted to the Olive Press which makes high-end olive oil. The Jacuzzi winery uses "Green String" biodynamic farming practices with no chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Primitivo and others at prices starting around $20.

I love elegance with a more casual tone, so to me crystal always looks its best when it's kept extremely simple. With only a few decorative marks, these Crystal Bottle Stoppers from Williams Sonoma will top your liquor and wine bottles in glistening but basic style. The geometric shapes and sharp lines give them a slightly masculine air, although depending on the environment that could change (and it could just be me!).

Cut and shaped by hand from solid crystal, they're polished to a high shine and available in sets of 3 for $98. Just be aware that if you're planning to use them frequently absolutely every fingerprint will be obvious on the ultra-clear surfaces.

For those with dreams of owning a winery or just working in the wine business you can now study for an M.B.A. in wine. Sonoma State University says their new program is the first M.B.A program in the country for the wine business. The program is 100 percent funded by the wine industry. The program, which starts in the Fall, is no cakewalk. The M.B.A. in Wine Business includes required foundation courses, and a culminating project on a wine-related topic. Also all candidates for the MBA program in Wine Business will either have to complete 24 units of wine related coursework or 24 months of wine industry work experience before being admissible to the program.

Another make-your-own-wine service in California has been launched. Owl Ridge Wine Services, a custom-crush winery in the Russian River Valley of West Sonoma has introduced Sonoma Grapemasters, a service that offers professional winemaking services to non-commercial clients. The vine-to-bottle program lets clients choose grapes and then pair up with a consulting winemaker to create a barrel (around 25 cases) of their own fine wine. Like some other similar services, you can choose your level of participation, full hands-on work or winemaking from a distance. Between home wine devices like Winepod and services like this one and Crushpad, anyone with the will and the cash can participate in a wine making experience.

This summer, the Sonoma Country Showcase Weekend of Wine & Food on July 12-15 offers more than just the chance to taste great wines. They have created four deluxe weekend packages to add to your experience. You have a choice of the Mayacama Golf Experience at the private Mayacama Golf Club , Kenwood Spa Experience at the Kenwood Inn & Spa, Wine Camp Safari Experience among the 400 wild African animals at Safari West Wildlife Preserve, and the Winery Experience, offering lodging among the vineyards and behind-the-scenes access at private winery guest houses. Each package is limited to between 6 and 30 couples and includes VIP tickets to all Showcase events.

The weekend showcase includes a Friday night gala at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center which will feature the favorite recipes of six local wine families interpreted by six local chefs. Saturday and Sunday will feature the Taste of Sonoma will be hosted by the Gallo Family at beautiful MacMurray Ranch. More than 100 wineries and 50 chefs will present their wines and food, and there will be an onsite Taste of Sonoma Wine Shop so you can buy what you just tasted. A chef competition and seminars, wine education classes, an interactive vineyard tour and tasting and winery lunches and dinners are also available. A VIP all-access ticket that includes VIP tickets to all events, a private winery tour,VIP tastings, on-site concierge service and a gift basket sells for $900. The individual wine weekend packages start at $2500 per couple.

Pahlmeyer Winery is branching out. The California winery, which specializes in Bordeaux-based reds and Chardonnay, has now created Pinot Noirs primarily sourced from a vineyard the winery purchased in 2000 in Sonoma. They will be releasing two Pinot Noirs this year, the 2005 Jayson Pinot Noir in April and the 2005 Pahlmeyer Pinot Noir in September. The Jayson is 100% Pinot Noir grapes with a Sonoma appellation. The winemaker, Erin Green describes the wine has having a nose of cherries and earth with blackberries, plum and spice on the palate. It sells for $65.

In the scenic area of Sonoma, California there are two big businesses, wine and real estate. Steve Ledson has his hand in both of them. He is not only the owner of Ledson Winery and the Ledson Hotel in Sonoma, he also develops new homes. The good news is that their are new homes with an old heart. Today's estate is a Craftsman-style home located blocks away from the Sonoma Plaza in Ledson's Armstrong Estates. This home is around 4000 square feet with another 2,370 sq. ft of wrap around porch. It has four bedrooms and details like cherry wood floors, substantial doors with beveled glass, granite counters and gleaming wood paneling. It is listed at $3.395 million. After the jump, the charm of the old with the lure of the new.