Always in early November, Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a day of remembrance and celebration for the loved ones we’ve lost, a chance to welcome them back to the world of the living.

Marigolds, candles, food and photos are used to decorate altars and tombs to honor death as an ongoing part of life. Offerings left at makeshift altars during Dia de Los Muertos include symbols of earth, wind, fire and water. Earth is often symbolized by pan de Muerte, a sweet baked bread.

The Latin word for the Mexican or Aztec Marigold is Tagetes erecta though more commonly in Spanish as flor de muertos or flower of the dead. Aztecs used marigolds for medicinal, ceremonial and decorative purposes. The name in English is derived from Mary’s gold, to honor the Virgin Mary. Some types of Marigold are used to make medicinal teas, others as herbs in cooking, akin to tarragon.

As important as marigolds are Monarch butterflies, another symbol of the day. Aztecs believed butterflies were the returning souls of the dead with Monarchs in particular known for their long migration from the United States and Canada to Mexico every November, a 3,000-mile trip.

While we contemplate the ways of the dead and their returning souls, let’s raise a glass and offer a marigold to the members of our Sonoma County community who have recently left this earth.

Joe Anderson – the co-founder of Benovia Winery in Russian River Valley passed away at 76 this summer. Before becoming a vintner, he worked to expand health care access across the United States, founding health care consultancy Schaller Anderson in Arizona, later sold to Aetna. He and wife Mary Dewane bought the former Cohn Vineyard in 2003, launching Benovia two years later, which specialized in beautiful Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. They also farmed Martaella Vineyard and Tilton Hill and were generous philanthropists.

Sheana Davis – From Sonoma Valley, this renowned cheesemaker, chef, community feeder and educator was a force for culinary good, founding the Epicurean Connection and creating the Delice de la Vallee cheese, using local Northern California milks, among many other accomplishments. In her earlier days she served as an apprentice to M.F.K. Fisher and worked for Ig Vella, who became a longtime mentor. Davis left us way too young in October, at age 57, from cancer. Her husband Ben Sessions is the son of winemaking legend Bob Sessions.

Steve Garner – The longtime host of KSRO’s “Good Food Hour” and “Garden Talk,” Garner was beloved for sharing his passion for food and gardening with the Sonoma County community over the airwaves, a trusted voice who co-hosted the show with John Ash for many years and then with Ash’s daughter, Emily Ash Lamb. “The Good Food Hour” was considered the longest-running food show in America, running 38 years.

David Hirsch – The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir pioneer passed away in July at age 81. Hirsch bought the land that would become Hirsch Vineyards in 1978, a former sheep ranch near Fort Ross. He started by planting one acre of Pinot Noir and Riesling, growing that over time into what would become a highly sought-after vineyard-designate to producers such as Kistler, Williams Selyem and Littorai, and eventually for his own Hirsch wines, too.

John Ledbetter – A former chair of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, Ledbetter joined his family’s farming operation in Lodi in 1978, and with his brother Jim turned it into one of the state’s leading winegrape growing and vineyard management companies across many of California’s leading winegrowing regions, Vino Farms. He helped establish the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing Program with the Lodi Winegrape Commission.

Mark Malicki – The award-winning chef worked last at Casino in the tiny town of Bodega, operating a weekend pop-up out of the small kitchen for over a decade. A native of New Haven, Connecticut who started cooking as a kid, he moved to Sebastopol from New York City in 1985, spending years cooking locally, including at the Bohemian Grove and Iron Horse Vineyards, before opening Café St. Rose in Santa Rosa. He was once quoted saying he learned the most from farmers, ranchers and fisherpeople. He passed in September.

Doug McIlroy – A sought-after viticulturist and the Grower Relations Director for many wineries over the years, McIlroy was widely recognized as a leader in sustainable, fish-friendly farming, honored in 2018 with the Luther Burbank Conservation Award.

Michael Muscardini – From Kenwood, where he lived and built a winery, Muscardini, the child of Italian immigrants, specialized in Italian varieties, especially Barbera and Sangiovese, inspired by his grandfather’s home winemaking. His wine Tesoro, a red blend, is an homage to his heritage. The wine business followed a successful career as co-owner of a general contracting company in the Bay Area called Creative Spaces, which he sold in 2004. He died in July.

Marvin Shanken – Though not tied specifically to Sonoma County, the longtime Wine Spectator editor and publisher helped raise the profile of American wine across the board through his publications and events, helping to build a robust wine culture that didn’t previously exist, and a consistent showcase for Sonoma County wines, among others. He died in October at 83 years old.

Photo By: Will Bucquoy