Hello Our Friend, Wine!

Did You Know? - The large, fibrous skin pouch that dangles from a pelican's bill is called the gular pouch (or, occasionally, the gular sac). Many people mistakenly believe it's used to store food, like a built-in lunch box. The idea was popularized by a limerick of unknown authorship:

"A wonderful bird is the pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can. He can hold in his beak enough food for a week. But I'll be damned if I can see how the helican."

While the rhyme is amusing, it isn't accurate. In reality, pelicans use their gular pouches as a means of capturing food—not as a place to keep it tucked away for extended periods. The highly-flexible sacs can expand or contract, and the lower jaw bones they're connected to are capable of bowing outwards, which enables the birds to use their sacs as fishing nets. Once a pelican captures its prey, the bird drains any water it may have accidentally captured with it by tilting its head and contracting those pouch muscles. (Fun fact: Some species can hold three gallons' worth of liquid in their gular sacs.) Usually, the prey is swallowed immediately after the water purge.

Why is it called the Embarcadero? - It derives its name from the Spanish verb embarcar, meaning "to embark"; embarcadero itself means "the place to embark." The Central Embarcadero Piers Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 2002.

Did You Know? - Sausalito, city, Marin county, western California, U.S. It lies along San Francisco Bay just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was founded in 1838 by William Richardson, who had received a Mexican land grant called Rancho Sausalito, named by Spanish explorers for its little willow trees.

Taking advantage of the village's fine natural cove, Richardson sold fresh water and vegetables, raised cattle, and collected port fees. After the Gold Rush of 1849, Richardson sold the land to Charles Botts, who had planned a city and a naval shipyard.

However, the city failed when a naval shipyard was established at Mare Island off Vallejo. With the arrival of the North Pacific Coast Railroad in 1871, Sausalito grew as a seaport and transportation junction. After the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, it developed as a bedroom community of San Francisco, with tourism and services as its economic mainstays.

The city attracted many artists and is home to several art galleries and festivals. It is also a popular shopping and recreational area, with a boardwalk along the bay and scenic views.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is an interactive children's museum. Angel Island State Park is located offshore east of the city, and Golden Gate National Recreation Area is to the west. Inc. 1893. Pop. (2000) 7,330; (2010) 7,061.

Did You Know? - Founded in 1984 by Bruce Cohn, manager of the Grammy award winning band The Doobie Brothers, B.R. Cohn is rooted in California Rock 'n Roll. Our winery venue has hosted countless concerts over the decades and is now the proud home of the Sonoma Harvest Music Festival.

Did You Know? - Sonoma is a historic city in northern California at the heart of the renowned Sonoma Valley wine-making region. It's known for its art galleries and the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza. Surrounding this plaza are significant 19th-century adobe buildings including Mission San Francisco Solano and the Sonoma Barracks, once used by the Mexican military. Seasonally, the square hosts a popular weekly farmer's market.

Did You Know? - Sonoma Plaza is the central plaza of Sonoma, California. The plaza, the largest in California, was laid out in 1835 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, founder of Sonoma.

Did You Know? - In 1987, Joseph and Genevieve Roche founded and built Roche Winery. With an initial production of only 2,000 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they grew the brand to offer several additional varieties including Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Muscat Canelli and Gewürztraminer. It was never their intention to mass-distribute their wines, rather, they chose to sell their family's wines directly to their customers. Joseph and Genevieve loved to entertain and hosted thousands of Roche customers over the years at winery events to thank them for their loyalty to Roche Winery.

Did You Know? - The MacArthur Tunnel, formally known as the General Douglas MacArthur Tunnel, is a highway tunnel in San Francisco, California. It is located within the Presidio of San Francisco, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The tunnel carries California State Route 1 under a large hill and under the Presidio Golf Course. It connects Park Presidio Boulevard (Hwy 1) in the Richmond District to US 101 on the Doyle Drive viaduct, and the Golden Gate Bridge.