Isn’t Fennel a seed?

 Let’s be honest, I am no Martha Stewart. A lot of the cooking talents in my family lie with my grandma and mom. While I am learning to host my own delectable flair I still don’t know that much about the names of ingredients, spices ect. So imagine my surprise when my family and I attended the 6th Annual Russian River Valley Winegrowers Crab and Fennel Fest to find out the fennel is actually a very fibrous plant and a seed. I had always thought that Fennel was a seed but I learned that Fennel is also a hardy herb that when cooked is aromatic and flavorful. Crab and Fennel were the guests of honor and the event included all you could eat Dungeness crab with fennel, pasta and salad. The food was great but the best part was of course, the WINE! What makes this wine tasting unique is the emphasis put on vineyard designate wines. An entire table was dedicated to tasting vineyard designates from all over the Russian River Valley and allowing the public to meet the winemakers and growers behind these wines. There was no shortage of noteworthy producers including those of Williams Selyem, Merry Edwards and Papapietro Perry. This was Pinot Noir heaven!
Following dinner was the much anticipated spirited and fun-loving hermit crab races. 5$ gets you a ticket to bet on your own hermit crab from “Crabby” Chardonnay to “Zinful” Zinfandel you could chose which varietal hermit crab would wine the race. The winning ticket holder received great auction items such as dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen and an overnight stay at Hotel Healdsburg. Wanting to support my favorite varietal I placed my bet on the blue hermit crab representing Pinot Noir. Sprayed with a little “go juice” the crabs were slow to move at first but slowly crawled out of their shells. I’ve never been so intrigued by hermit crabs before! It was a long, well fought battle but in the end ”Crabby” the Chardonnay crab prevailed as the winner and I accepted defeat.
 For an auction donation John Tylerdonated 6 bottles of wine as well as a tour and tasting of Bacigalupi vineyards, including the famed Paris Tasting block. The lucky winners will spend a day with the family sampling our latest vintages and paired with an artisan cheese selection. 
What a great Sonoma County event, looking forward to the next one. And now I know what fennel is so no big surprises next year. Hey, you learn something new everyday!