Lunch al fresco

Eastside Road, May 7, 2012—

NOTHING SIMPLER, NOTHING more pleasant than lunch with friends, under the sycamores at Preston of Dry Creek. It's my favorite winery around here in Sonoma county, and not only because Lou Preston's an old friend, and his wines are old friends too. It's my favorite because it's the homiest, the most authentic to its time and place; and because everything here seems honest and healthful — as well as delicious.

Lou decided quite a few years back to get out of the conventional California winery ratrace, with distributors and marketing and competitions and such driving the production, and instead to plunge deep into the traditions behind winemaking and grape-growing. And, ultimately, much more. He became one of the finest bread bakers I know, turning a limited production out from his Alan Scott-designed oven. He began growing his own wheat and rye. His organic gardens turned out so many cucumbers he took up pickling, soon mastering that technique and branching out further into fermentation in general.

Lately he's added livestock to the mix, pasturing chickens, sheep, and pigs on various corners of his acreage which by now is a very successful example of biodynamics, all based on a combination of climate and soils that represents one of the finest terroirs in the area — which means, as far as I'm concerned, in the world.

We arrived at the winery with only our traveling napkins and a pocket knife. The tasting room provided a wonderful loaf of Lou's bread; Nicasio Valley's soft, pungent Foggy Morning cheese; a coarse peppery salami made by Geyserville's Diavola Salumeria from one of Preston's pigs; a half pint of Lou's olives, cured in brine; and a bottle of his incomparable Madam Preston, a white Rhone-type blend of Rousanne, Vioginer, Grenache blanc, and Marsanne — look at that color in the photo!

• Preston of Dry Creek, 9282 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; 707.433.3372

AFTER A LUNCH like that, not much of a dinner seemed necessary, especially in the enervating heat we've been enjoying lately. Lindsey'd only been able to finish half her chicken at Rocker Oysterfeller the other day, so we finished that, and a mess of chard from the garden, and called it a day.

Cheap Pinot grigio