Bernie the rescue dog brought Ryan Budlong with St. Francis Winery to the Sonoma Spiel podcast to talk about the Blessing of the Animals, how to take a Vineyard Adventure through their estate to learn about how their grapes are grown and why their culinary garden is now the culinary farm. While Bernie stays pretty quiet, Ryan also details the amazing food pairing experience for which St. Francis won "Best Restaurant in America" from Open Table as well as the bicycle pedal trolley that seats up to 15 visitors on a tour of the vineyards, with a stop at the famous "Welcome to Sonoma Valley" sign.

Oh, and did we mention that they were just voted "Best Winery and Tasting Room" by SFGate? Well, we will.

And we find out that St. Francis Winery - named after the patron saint of animals in the Catholic tradition, St Francis of Assist - raises funds for rescue animals and service dogs.

Like all our guests, Ryan also takes a turn answering YOUR Sonoma questions during "We Get Questions." This week he answered:

We are coming to Sonoma to celebrate with 3 other couples for a 25th wedding anniversary. We are all in our early 50’s and looking for good vibes, great winery experiences, food and restaurant suggestions. - Facebook Wine Imbibers Group

I heard that there may be mountain lions in Sonoma Valley? Is this true and can I see one?

We are looking for good places to watch football - any ideas?

When will the leaves be the most colorful?

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at [email protected], text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF