Last month, the Healdsburg City Council voted to extend the permitted time for alcohol consumption by an hour to 5 p.m. No alcohol is sold at the event but concertgoers are permitted to bring their own and picnic on the plaza during the concerts.

5/29 Los Pinguos, Latin Indie

6/5  Azesu with Orestes Vilato & Maria Marquez, Healdsburg Jazz Festival

6/12 Gator Beat, Zydeco

6/19 The Gas Men Irish Jigs, Reels & Barn Dance

6/26 Swing Fever, Classic Big Band

7/3  Solid Air, Roots/Americana

7/10 McKenna Faith, Country

7/17 Johnny Rawls, Soulful R & B

7/24 The Steve Pile Band, Alt-Americana

7/31 Poor Man’s Whiskey, Bluegrass

8/7  Cahoots Country, Rock, Blues & Jazz

8/14 Patsy & The Bobcats, Country

8/21 The Blues Defenders, Blues

8/28 Chuck Prophet, West Coast Rock

Couture de Cure attendees bidding for silent auction items. The charity event was held at Barndiva Studio on April 22. (Photo courtesy of David Barnett)

The fashion show and silent auction was conceived early last year by the Barnetts, who run Brush Salon in Healdsburg after hearing about Hannah Peyton, the young daughter of a client who had just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  An avid cyclist, David vowed to ride in the 2011 wine country Tour de Cure cycling event as well as to put on a modest fashion show in their salon. They ended up raising about $10,000. But this year, the couple was thinking bigger. Much bigger.

Along with the fashion show, which sold about 130 tickets at $100 each, David recruited 26 riders join him for the May 6 event — including Hannah and her father, Nick Peyton, maitre d’ and partner at Cyrus Restaurant.

Nick Peyton, David Barnett and Hannah Peyton and Matt Welty of Team Brush. (photo courtesy of David Barnett)

They moved the fashion show to a bigger venue as Barndiva owner Jill Hale donated the use of her Barndiva Studio space and several local businesses donated items for the auction as well as food and wine. Several local retailers staged the fashion which featured local retailer Susan Graf as the emcee. Lucy Lewand of Camellia Inn, a professional auctioneer, donated her time to oversee the live auction, which included a trip to the track and field events at this summer’s Olympic Games in London, including four nights at The Carreg Mon, a boutique hotel in Wales that is owned by David’s father, Douglas and went for a bid of $1,500.

“It was a great success,” said David, . “We couldn’t have asked for more.”

As he did last year, David cycled the entire 100-mile “century” ride in the Tour de Cure, which is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.  But for this year, he got to wear the Tour’s “yellow jersey” bestowed on the top individual fundraiser. And he got to ride in a group with 2012 Tour de Cure National Honorary Chair Chris Carmichael, a renowned cycling trainer.

“I stuck with him the whole way,” says David. “It was an amazing experience.”

Healdsburg beekeeper April Lance checks the health of the new colonies forming on combs in her backyard. (John Burgess / PD)

Butler worked in real estate for nearly 25 years, beginning when she and her husband Larry Butler moved to Healdsburg in 1976 and opened the local Century 21 office.

She managed the office, and she and her former husband also bought and sold real estate for themselves.

“She was always involved in real estate, either personally, or business-wise,” said her daughter, Leisa Butler of Petaluma. “She really enjoyed working with everyone and enjoyed the business itself.”

She ended her career after suffering a stroke 12 years ago.

Born Diana Johnson in Concord to Swedish-Italian parents, she was a straight-A student at Pacifica High School. After graduating high school in 1959, she earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1963.

She taught school in Buena Park and Ventura and in 1965 married Larry Butler. They were divorced 27 years later.

Diana had a love of sports that stretched to her childhood when she played baseball, and to college when she won intramural badminton events.

“She watched all the Bay Area sports, college and pro teams and of course the Giants,” her daughter said. “You could call her anytime to ask, ‘When do the Giants play and who’s pitching?’ and she would know.”

She also kept meticulous records of the March Madness basketball tournaments.

Her grandson nicknamed her “Grandma Bat-Ball” because she always had bats and balls on hand for him to learn the game.

“She was an extremely independent, very capable woman,” he daughter said. “She also had extremely strong friendships; friends who would come to her for advice, or who needed support.” Other survivors include her son, Grant Butler of Petaluma; sister, Helen Gibson of Ventura; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at her residence in Healdsburg from 3 to 6 p.m. May 24.

 – Clark Mason

This season, the Parks and Registration Department will classify teams on ability to make leagues more competitive.

The planned format follows:

Monday: Premier co-ed Division (competitive league)

Tuesday: Men’s league for all levels of play

Wednesday: Gold co-ed division (semi-competitive league)

Teams will be assigned based on the assessment of their ability and desired level of competitiveness. Coaches or managers will register on which night to play. The Parks & Rec staff can help determine a team’s appropriate division.

The deadline to register a team is May 23. The cost is $625 which guarantees a minimum of eight games plus playoffs for the first four teams in each division.

Individuals wanting to join a team should contact recreation coordinator Alan Finnie at afinnie@ci.healdsburg.ca.us or by phone 431-3617.

For more information, visiti healdsburgparksandrec.org

All leagues will play at Healdsburg High School with games beginning June 4.

Be a winemaker for a day 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Alderbrook Winery’s Zin Blending Party & Lobster Feed, 2306 Magnolia St. Join winemaker Bryan Parker for an interactive seminar and lobster feast paired with Alderbrook wines. Design your own label to take home with your special zinfandel blend and enter it in the “best label” contest. Cost: $100. More information:  Joanna Donati, (800) 405-5987 ext. 4210 or alderbrook.com.

Take part in the May Wine Release Party 3-6 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Seghesio Winery,  700 Grove St. There will be a pig roast and wine pairing to introduce the latest releases,  2010 Home Ranch and Block 8 Zinfandels. More info: 433-3579 or seghesio.com.

– Elizabeth Cosin

“It was from a woman who saw my photo in Outside Magazine and wanted advice on whether to move to Healdsburg,” says Keneally, one of eight local residents featured in a six-page spread in the June issue. “It was totally random.”

For Keneally, who moved here a decade ago without a place to stay or a job, it was easy to give the woman advice because she says Healdsburg’s such a great place to live.  ”I told her to do it,” she says. “I’m glad I did.”

Keneally’s story is hardly unique, which is likely one of the many reasons the Outside editors picked Healdsburg as its featured location.

Amber Keneally in Outside Magazine's "Life in the Slow Lane." (Photo: Williams + Hirakawa, Outside Magazine)

The spread, called “Life in the Slow Lane,” was written by Outside’s Michael Roberts and features photos taken at Barndiva, Memorial Beach, Diavola in Geyserville and other local spots. All show young, outdoorsy residents modeling threads from Ralph Lauren, L.L. Bean, Woolrich, Clarks Originals and others.

The models were chosen from more than two dozen head shots taken by Outside editors. In addition to Keneally, they are Bike Monkey editor Greg Fisher, Barndiva Studio Gallery Manager Dawid Jaworski, chef and owner of Diavola Dino Bugica, Spoonbar’s Daniel “Cappy” Sorentino, fireman Nick Bertalon, Hafner Vineyard’s David Huebel, Diavola General Manager Colin Sinclair and writer/photographer Tod Brilliant.

“I got a call asking if I’d do a head shot,” says Sinclair, who was born and raised in Healdsburg and has been running Geyserville’s Diavola since it opened in 2008. “I didn’t really think much of it until they came back for the photo shoot.”

Sinclair’s boss, Chef Dino Bugica, got recruited when they came looking for Colin, who had been recommended by another resident (word of mouth is how many of the models were recriuted to submit to a head shot). Bugica, who discovered Healdsburg on a vacation,  is featured in several photos, including one in the issue’s table of contents. Like Sinclair, he’s still surprised to have been in any of them, describing the experience as “weird, but fun. It wasn’t something I ever expected to do.”

Few of the models interviewed for this piece said they felt at ease getting their pictures taken by professionals, but several said they had good reasons for doing it.

For Brilliant, it was about the other side of the camera. “When someone wants to take your photo, it’s flattering,” he said. “I didn’t think they were going to pick me, but I agreed to do it because Outside Magazine always has great shooters. I thought it would give me a chance to see their process.”

To take advantage of the gift, call the pro shop (433-4275) to reserve a tee time.

The course is offering everyone discount rates all weekend–18 holes ($25) and nine holes ($20). Carts are included.

Tayman Park is located at 927 S. Fitch Mountain Rd.

Wine Road President Beth Costa recently delivered a $34,000 check to the food bank from this year’s Barrel Tasting donations.  Starting this year, $5 Designated Drivers tickets were sold for the March event, all of which went directly to the Food Bank.

The days of cookie-cutter winery tasting rooms, all with stand-up bars, standard pours and a clutch of wine-related tchotchkes, are over.

Stark owner and winemaker Christian Stark, right, pours for Tracy Wetjen, left, of Santa Rosa and Christine Webster, center, of Healdsburg while Prisma Trova plays music at Garagiste Healdsburg, a collaborative serving Cartograph and Stark wines.

The latest in tasting rooms bring more energy, life and relevance to the experience. They can be wine lounges, or community cultural spaces.

Take Garagiste Healdsburg, for example, a bonded micro-winery in downtown Healdsburg. This partnership between two wineries invites visitors to peek behind the curtain to learn how wine is made and sit on the patio to order box lunches for delivery from nearby restaurants.

During harvest, Garagiste co-owners Alan Baker and Serena Lourie will take the curious back into the winery to taste grapes at varying sugar levels, going so far as to freeze wine at different stages of development for visitors to sample at other times of the year as well.

In addition to being able to buy wine by the glass or by the bottle, lounges like Garagiste offer a place for pals to meet and hear music, meet a local author or artist or just relax on the post-modern couches.

Food figures prominently in all of these new spaces, from artisan salumi and cheeses to more thoughtful fare made specifically to highlight the wines — like the options being featured right now at Longboard Vineyards’ Surf Lounge, complete with gnarly surf movies on permanent rotation.

On the other side of the spectrum is the new Vin Couture Lounge, where the focus is on sit-down tastings and custom flights designed around a diverse selection of wines. At JCB Tasting Room, an elegant setting serves to showcase the wines, pinot noirs and chardonnays from Burgundy as well as the Russian River Valley.

Garagiste Healdsburg: A working micro-winery and tasting room shared between two brands: Cartograph, which focuses on making two small-lot, single-vineyard pinot noirs and one gewurztraminer, and Stark Wine, which makes Dry Creek Valley syrah, as well as viognier from the Sierra Foothills and a Russian River Valley chardonnay.

In addition to providing menus from Affronti, Costeaux Bakery and Oakville Grocery so tasters can order food, the winery partners also curate author readings, live music and community gatherings, keeping the space hopping on Friday nights.

A new artist installation opens this Friday.

Open Thursday through Sunday noon to 7 p.m. Monday to Wednesday by appointment. 439 Healdsburg Ave, 431-8023, garagistehb.com.

JCB Tasting Room: French wine mogul Jean-Charles Boisset’s chic salon gives visitors an opportunity to try pinot noirs and chardonnays from California and Burgundy in one place, poured around a custom-made, marble-top communal table and Philippe Starck chairs beneath a Marie Antoinette chandelier.

From this charming, stylish space Boisset features custom barware, including specially designed spit buckets. Sit back and enjoy dozens of French wines and California selections from Boisset’s own JCB Collection, featuring wines from a trio of Northern California appellations.

Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for wine tasting flights and bottle purchases; wine bar open Thursday through Saturday 5:30 to 9 p.m. for wines by the glass. 320 Center St., 473-9707, jeancharlesboisset.com.

Longboard Vineyards: Longboard does tastings of current releases, single-vineyard and limited-release wines as well as evening glasses of wine at what it calls its Surf Lounge. But it is particularly beloved for its Sip & Savor food and wine pairings, with a choice of three different themes: The Cheese Monger (artisan cheeses from the Healdsburg Cheese Shop, olives and French bread with several wines; $29), The BBQ Master (a full spread of Kansas BBQ served buffet style; $43) and The Provincial Connoisseur (traditional Provencal lunch from Restaurant Charcuterie; $39).

Prices include wine and all require advance reservations. Leather couches and surf movies on the big-screen TV round out the comfy vibe.

Open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (will stay open later if you ask nicely). 5 Fitch St., 433-3473, longboardvineyards.com.

Portalupi Wine Company: A husband- and wife-run winery inspired by Italy, Portalupi pours vermentino, pinot noir, barbera, two zinfandels, a port and jug wines sold in milk bottles.

Co-owner and winemaker Tim Borges will sit down with groups for private tastings and education sessions, where the wine comes with artisan cheeses and Italian salumi ($25). They also make infused olive oils and vinegar.

Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 107 North St., 395-0960, portalupiwine.com.

Thumbprint Cellars: From its stylish, comfortable tasting lounge right on the Plaza, Thumbprint makes a range of wines and offers daily wine-and-food pairing flights with charcuterie and artisan cheese. They’re often led by co-owner and winemaker Scott Lindstrom-Dake.

The wines include a range of refreshing whites and hearty reds with provocative names (Arousal, Four Play, Three Some), as well as two rosés.

Open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 102 Matheson St., 433-2393, thumbprintcellars.com.

Topel Wines: Topel’s got the stand-up tasting bar, but also offers private, sit-down tastings in a smaller room with co-owners Mark or Donnis CQ Topel. The wines include syrah, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and a Meritage, sourced from the family’s estate in the hills outside of Hopland, as well as from several Napa Valley vineyards.

Open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 125 Matheson St., 433-4116, topelwines.com.

Vin Couture Lounge: Introducing the couture concept to the wine world — high-quality, low-production — Vin Couture features a rotation of wines from Landy Family Vineyards, Chateau Felice, C. Donatiello Winery, Donum Estate, Talty Vineyards, Pfendler Estate and Stone Edge Farm Vineyards (with others coming soon) at reserved, sit-down tastings, where all flights are customized for the customer and paired with small plates.

With live music Fridays and eventually Saturdays, the lounge, upstairs from an art gallery, is particularly popular during its Swirl after Six nights, Thursday to Sunday starting at 6 p.m., when custom flights are available as well as wines by the glass or bottle. There are small plates of such delights as lamb sliders, pulled-pork bruschetta and endive-filled beets and goat cheese, in addition to smaller snacks along the lines of spiced nuts, truffle-oil popcorn and parmesan chips.

Open Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead or book a reservation online. 320 Healdsburg Ave., 431-8161, vincouturelounge.com.

Virginie Boone is a freelance wine writer based in Sonoma County. She can be reached at virginieboone@yahoo.com.