Charlie Palmer & Matt Villano Author Event • Wineland: Celebrating the Heart of Sonoma

Charlie Palmer is a celebrated chef, hospitality entrepreneur, and hotelier known for his signature Progressive American cuisine, blending bold flavors with classical French technique. Based between New York and Healdsburg, California, he is the founder of the Charlie Palmer Collective and cofounder of Appellation Hotels, with restaurants including Dry Creek Kitchen, Charlie Palmer Steak, and others across the country. A dedicated philanthropist, he founded the Palmer Family Education Foundation and hosts the annual Pigs & Pinot event supporting culinary scholarships and community programs in Sonoma. Charlie balances his storied career with his roles as a husband, father, and grandfather, drawing inspiration from the Sonoma community he calls home.

Matt Villano is a writer, editor, and multimedia producer whose work spans journalism, publishing, branded content, and digital media. Writing professionally since 1995, he has covered subjects ranging from travel and food to technology and culture, with work appearing in newspapers, magazines, websites, and corporate campaigns. He also contributed as a freelancer to reporting that collectively won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018.

In addition to writing and editing, he has produced podcasts, moderated hundreds of webinars, developed multimedia content for major brands, and consulted on editorial voice and messaging strategy.

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Celebrate the raw, authentic beauty of the California wine country living through transportive photography and the inspiring stories of Sonoma County’s special community of vintners, chefs, farmers, and more. 

Author and legendary chef Charlie Palmer uprooted his NYC life for Sonoma County more than twenty years ago. Since then, through his award-winning Healdsburg restaurant, Dry Creek Kitchen, Palmer has forged a community of inspiring and influential artisans whose stories are now brought to life across the pages of Wineland. With abundant photography and a curated selection of recipes, the book’s twenty profiles capture the value of following nature, living with intention, and dedicating oneself to their craft.
 
Through Wineland, you’ll travel to the winding Russian River, where a biodynamic farm becomes one couple’s oasis for community. Explore a historic mission-style estate where a new generation communes around the table inspired by Sonoma’s unique terroir. Visit the Dry Creek Valley, where a fourth-generation winemaker tends to his family’s historic 150-year-old vineyard. Plus, meet Kyle and Katina Connaughton, the couple behind the world-renounced restaurant SingleThread, who demonstrate just how delicious it is to discover a nearly spiritual connection to the seasons; local baker Melissa Yanc, who exemplifies how passion can breed community; or Amelia Ceja, whose story of leading her family from vineyard laborers to owners of one of the most established wineries in the Carneros region reminds us that nothing is fixed.