Please The Palate Pick of the Week: #SonomaStrong

The recent wine country fires were horrendous. Beginning October 9th and raging for three weeks, the destruction was devastating. More than 160,000 acres (250 square miles) have burned in Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. 100,000 people have been displaced. 43 people have died and more are still missing. More than 8000 structures were destroyed, including 5,500 homes that were completely destroyed and an additional 4,000 partially burned, as well as some wineries. This is a crisis that continues to reverberate. It is also impossible to wrap your head around the magnitude of damage. I was in Santa Rosa this week and saw first hand the neighborhoods that are destroyed as a friend took me to see her home in the Fountaingrove neighborhood. But recovery is starting to happen and the people are strong and resilient. They are optimistic, ready to rebuild and are working hard to get back to a normal life. And the outpouring of support and the generosity of fundraising from around the world has been extraordinary! The motto is #SonomaStrong and that is the Please The Palate pick of the week. TRAVEL TO WINE COUNTRY Head up to Sonoma Valley right now and support local wineries, restaurants, hotels and other businesses. Bring your tourism dollars. Sonoma and Napa are tourism-based economies so now is the time to take a trip! They are open for business and would love to see you!