Bay Area Food Brand Supports Struggling Wine Industry Through Artisan Food and Wine Initiative
KEY POINTS:
- Six-Winery Partnership: Rustic Bakery partners with Cakebread Cellars, Clif Family Winery, Gloria Ferrer, Ram’s Gate Winery, Rombauer Vineyards, and Round Pound Estate to promote local wine industry
- Community Tasting Event: Public event on September 16, 2026, 11 AM – 2 PM at Marin Country Mart, Larkspur, featuring curated food and wine pairings
- Charitable Support: Monetary in-kind donation to California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Foundation to fund educational scholarships for children of winegrape grower employees
- Industry Response: Initiative addresses unprecedented challenges facing California wine industry, including declining consumption, trade uncertainty, rising costs and extreme weather
- Artisan Collaboration: Winery chefs create innovative “Perfect Pairings” featuring local wines with Rustic Bakery products – featured on social media, website, and in-person
- Timing: Campaign coincides with California Wine Month in September 2026
PETALUMA, Calif., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bay Area-based Rustic Bakery, a 20-year-old artisanal flatbread, cracker and cookie producer based in Sonoma County, is partnering with six Napa and Sonoma County wineries to launch ‘Perfect Pairings’ – a food and wine initiative designed to support local winemakers during California Wine Month in September 2026.
Last year, Rustic Bakery celebrated its 20th anniversary in October, commemorating the day it shipped its first cases of sourdough flatbread to Cowgirl Creamery in the San Francisco Ferry Building. The brand invited a team of culinary tastemakers to create innovative ‘Perfect Bites’ featuring the two brands’ products, which were showcased online and sampled at a public community event in Marin County.
This year, the brand is shifting the focus from its own milestone to the wine producers who are part of their shared Northern California community. Based in Sonoma County with five cafés across Marin County, Rustic Bakery is raising awareness and excitement for beloved local wineries by partnering with them to have their in-house chefs create a series of ‘Perfect Pairings’ featuring local wines alongside artisan creations made with Rustic Bakery products. The pairings will be showcased on social media and on the brand’s website as well as at a community tasting event open to the public.
Event Details:
- Date: September 16, 2026
- Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Pacific Time)
- Location: Marin Country Mart, Larkspur, California
- Admission: Free and open to the public
- Details: Featured food and wine pairings with participating wineries, promotional offers, and winery chef engagement
Participating Wineries – Napa and Sonoma County:
- Cakebread Cellars (Napa Valley)
- Clif Family Winery (Napa Valley)
- Gloria Ferrer (Sonoma)
- Ram’s Gate Winery (Sonoma)
- Rombauer Vineyards (Napa Valley)
- Round Pond Estate (Napa Valley)
“From the start, Rustic Bakery products were developed to be paired with other artisan foods, and wine is often a part of that shared table and experience – and is a hallmark of the local food culture. At a time when our wine country neighbors are struggling, we feel a sense of responsibility to do our part to provide support. Our effort honors a longstanding principle and simple truth of our business: that ‘extraordinary things happen when we come together; in food, in craft, and in community.'”
– Shaila Garde Lester, VP of Marketing, Rustic Bakery
Industry Support & Charitable Giving:
As part of the initiative, Rustic Bakery will provide monetary support to the California Wine Grape Growers Foundation through an in-kind donation of five thousand dollars to help fund educational scholarships for the children of employees of California winegrape growers. According to CAWG, the California wine industry is facing unprecedented challenges through multiple factors, including:
- Declining wine consumption
- Trade and export uncertainty
- Competition from imported bulk wine
- Rising production costs
- Unpredictable and extreme weather conditions
Learn More & Participate:
- Visit www.rusticbakery.com/perfect-pairings for full winery details
- Follow campaign on Instagram @rusticbakery (TBD hashtag?)
- Shop Rustic Bakery products: Amazon.com and local retailers
More Information & Digital Presence:
More information about the ‘Perfect Pairings’ effort can be found at www.rusticbakery.com/perfect-pairings or on social media at @rusticbakery (Instagram, Facebook).
About Rustic Bakery
Founded in 2005 by a husband-and-wife team who discovered their passion for baking in a flatbread cracker designed to pair with artisan cheeses, Rustic Bakery had its industry debut at the 2006 San Francisco Fancy Food Show. Today, the company produces a full line of Flatbread Crackers, Flatbread Bites, Artisan Crisps, Shortbread, Biscuits, and Seasonal Cookies from its production facility in Sonoma County. Products are sold in select grocery stores, specialty shops, gifting companies, airlines’ in-flight services, and online at rusticbakery.com and Amazon. Rustic Bakery also operates five cafés in Marin County serving baked goods, soups, sandwiches, and salads. For more information, visit www.rusticbakery.com or follow @rusticbakery on Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contact
Karen Stillman
Public Relations Representative
Rustic Bakery
422278@email4pr.com
High-resolution images, winery partner logos, and social media assets available upon request.
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SOURCE Rustic Bakery
