44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM you’d find in stylish L.A. or London boutiques. The 1920s-era Vintage Bank Building on the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and Western Avenue is an exceptional example of neo-classical revival bank architecture. From 1995 to 2022, the building housed antiques dealers. Today, it’s occupied by the unique gift shop Au Thentic. Pop in to admire the building’s magnificent interior and leather goods. A block away, stop by Avinage Wine Shop, run by husband-and-wife team Damien Carney and Shree Starkman, for Old World wines. Carney also stocks his favorite minimal-intervention labels from nearby vineyards. {due west} As a former wine buyer, he hand-picks each bottle and has a popular centerpiece table with wines priced at $25 or less. On the “Table of No Regrets,” find stellar selections from France, Italy, Spain and California. Maude Rare Finds on Western Avenue carries bespoke and vintage clothing, home goods and children’s items in an ethereal space. Around the corner on American Alley, Pennyroyal offers a highly curated assortment of housewares, like locally made ceramics and leather goods. Home cooks should head over to Sonoma Spice Queen on 4th Street for hard-to-find spices, custom blends and gifty food items. Gardeners won’t want to miss Baker Creek Seed Bank on Petaluma Boulevard, the place to plot out your late summer or fall garden with specialty seeds. Hunting for European antiques? Head to French Salvage Antiques, just a couple of blocks from the main shopping district. Owner Laurie MacDuff carries an impeccable assortment of French country and provincial items. WINE TASTING Even though wine country is right on its doorstep, few visitors think to look for tasting opportunities in Petaluma’s vineyards. The area’s new Petaluma Gap AVA—which spans over 200,000 acres from Bodega Bay to Sears Point at Highway 37—aims to change that. Cheryl Quist, executive director of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, says the AVA is the only one defined by wind patterns. “Our signature wind and fog has a profound effect on grapevines, with smaller berries and thicker skins, producing richly textured and deeply flavored wines that have caught the attention of collectors and enthusiasts.” Pinot noir is the predominant varietal grown here, with threePHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF ANITA GALEANA / SOPHIA MARKOULAKIS
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