California Official Visitor's Guide 2025 - 86

san francisco bay area SEBASTOPOL
Small
Town
Scoop
" I wanted everything
that's beautiful about
California, and I wanted
to be in a place that had
extraordinary applesle . "
I w
al
d e
s beautiful about
, a d I w
o be in a pla e t
or
ar
- ELLEN CAVALLI,
CO-OWNER OF TILTED SHED CIDERWORKS
" There are a lot of makers here, a lot of smallbusiness
people, a lot of artists, and a lot of folks
who are really into good living, " Cavalli notes.
" It's got all the small-town flavor that we love. "
It also has the Gravenstein Apple Fair,
an annual August gathering that celebrates
Sebastopol's favorite fruit. There's a distinct
Mayberry spirit to the two-day event, complete
with piglet races, a rooster-crowing contest, and
an ugly produce beauty pageant. But " Gravs, "
as the locals call them, are front and center.
" They have a really nice tartness, without being
too tart, " Cavalli says of the local cultivar, " and
they have a nice balance of sweetness so they're
just that perfect eating apple. They sauce up
well. They make pies really well. And you can
make cider. "
Sebastopol is located 15 miles from the
Fern Bar
E
llen Cavalli moved to Sebastopol in 2010 with her
husband and young son mostly for the applefriendly
climate and culture. But since then she
has fallen hard for nearly every aspect of this tiny town
(pop. 7,338) in West Sonoma County.
" I wanted fog, I wanted everything that's beautiful
about California, and I wanted to be in a place that had
extraordinary apples, " says Cavalli, co-owner of Tilted
Shed Ciderworks and program manager for Sonoma
County Farm Trails. " We landed in Sebastopol because
it's really the perfect mix of culture and agriculture. "
Located within the Green Valley subregion of the
Russian River Valley AVA, Sebastopol is populated
by numerous high-end
winemakers. Where there's
exceptional wine, exceptional
food tends to follow, and the
local restaurant scene punches
far above its weight. Artisanal
organic farms have popped
up to supply area restaurants,
drawing even more like-minded
individuals to the community.
Pacific, which helps keep summers mild and
winters warm. It's within a 30-minute drive of
Armstrong Woods' towering redwoods and
Highway 1's undulating curves, but there's
plenty to do if you want to stay in town.
Cavalli might start her Sunday with a seasonal latte
at Retrograde Coffee followed by a lap through the
Sebastopol Farmers' Market, a place to gossip and spot
the town's quirkiest characters. She might follow that
up with breakfast at Americana, a farm-to-table eatery
where the owners can tell you exactly where every
morsel of food on your plate originates. When it's drink
o'clock, Cavalli is likely to head over to Horse & Plow
for local wine and cider, or perhaps to Ambix Spirits for
some European-style apple brandy.
Dinner options abound, including the ethically
sourced offerings at Handline and the small bites menu
at The Redwood. Another option: Fern Bar, a cocktailfocused
restaurant located
in The Barlow, Sebastopol's
12.5-acre " maker marketplace. "
The facility is a community
hub and features one-of-a-kind
shops, a monthly street fair,
refined wine-tasting outlets
like Pax and Kosta Browne,
and numerous places to grab a
quick bite.
Gravenstein apples
t h
86 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
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California Official Visitor's Guide 2025

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