Appellation

Setting the Standard
This month marks the opening of CADE winery in Napa, PlumpJack’s newest venture. CADE has earned a gold LEED certification. The building includes materials such as concrete made with 30 percent fly ash, steel made of 98 percent recycled material, glass and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Architect Juan Carlos Fernandez of Lail Design Group created a structure with a unique inverted roof that floats over a collection of concrete walls and vertical shapes.  For visitors, there will be plug-in bases for hybrid electric cars, bicycle racks, and even a shower so cyclists can freshen up before an event or tasting. Wines will be produced under the direction of award-winning winemaker Tony Biagi. cadewinery.com

Yummy Shvartzapel
Nope, it’s not a new dessert, but the name of the new pastry chef at Cyrus. Chef Douglas Keane and maître d’ Nick Peyton have created a new tasting menu format in addition to hiring Hyde Park trained Roy Shvartzapel as pastry chef—fresh from Balthazar in New York.

Casa Piena!
While some football bloggers are edging for Carmen Policy to fix the 49ers, he is pretty content living the dream in Yountville, making wine with his family. In honor of his three sons and two daughters (three of a kind and a pair), he and wife Gail named their vineyard Casa Piena, Italian translation: full house. “Growing grapes and making wine has been a great learning experience,” says Policy. Their first estate cabernet sauvignon (released this month) can be found at V Wine Cellars in Yountville. vwinecellar.com, casapiena.com

Pigs & Pinot
Head to Hotel Healdsburg’s celebration of the fourth annual Pigs & Pinot, an epicurean weekend to benefit Share Our Strength and the Healdsburg School. Celebrity chefs Charlie Palmer, Michael Mina and Christopher Kostow along with master sommeliers kick off the festival with a sample of over 50 pinot noir wines in the Pinot Cup competition, paired with a variety of pork dishes, including homemade sausages, charcuterie, grilled pork, pâtés and other special creations. Other weekend events include cooking classes, tastings and a Saturday evening gala. Pigs & Pinot, March 20, 21. 800.889.7188, hotelhealdsburg.com