Join us in the Lovers Corner with couples we admire this Valentine's season. Meet Geneva and Ryan, owner-chefs of The Redwood in Sebastopol. To say we love The Redwood would be an understatement, and we were lucky enough to host a winemaker dinner (the first one!) alongside them last Valentine's Day. Get to know them below.
Firstly, can you introduce yourselves and tell us how long you’ve been together.
Geneva Melby & Ryan Miller, owners of The Redwood restaurant & natural wine bar in Sebastopol. We have been together for 13 years and tied the knot this past September.
Can you tell us a sweet memory from your first date?
It was a rare snowy day in Seattle, and we spent the afternoon walking all over the city and got milkshakes at Dick’s Drive-In. I don’t know that either of us knew it was a date at the time.
What’s a favorite moment you’ve shared over a bottle of wine (and what the wine was, if you remember!)
There are so many, but here are a few: Sharing a bottle of Emme Wines Colombard on the beach during our first camping trip after moving to California. Our wedding toast with Lelarge-Pugeot Champagne. Also at the beach in 2019, when we had our first conversation about the idea of opening The Redwood (sadly, we don’t remember the wine). A moment we shared with the community over wine was last Valentine’s Day, our first winemaker dinner with Martha!
Are there any meals (at home or out at a restaurant) you particularly enjoy sharing?
Whenever we explore a foreign country or a city we haven’t been to before, the trip centers on discovering culture through food.
What ways do you integrate play in your everyday life?
The restaurant keeps us very busy, but we try to crack jokes and be silly with each other whenever we can. We also play with our cat every chance we get.
FILL IN THE BLANK
Time spent with loved ones is the perfect occasion for a glass of wine.
We feel most playful when: we’re in nature.
Our favorite thing to do together is: cook.
