For five generations, Joe Bartolomei’s family has called Sonoma County’s famed Russian River Valley their home. A Structural Engineer with a passion for classic European architecture and interiors, Joe has worked hard at creating a retreat that is classic and elegant, yet distinctly Wine Country modern. With his sister Catherine, Joe continues the tradition of preserving Sonoma County’s unique way of life with the creation of the Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant and Spa.
Born and raised in Sonoma County, Joe spent his childhood exploring his family’s 200-acre Forestville ranch, founded by his great–grandparents, Domenic & Catherine Giovanetti in 1911, where the family farmed wine grapes, hops, prunes, apples, pears and dairy cattle. Today, Joe and his sister still farm the same land where the antique apple trees thrive and the original zinfandel grapes have been replanted to pinot noir.
With an avid interest in architecture and building, Joe attended the University of California, San Diego where he earned a B.S. in Structural Mechanical Engineering in 1995. Upon graduation, Joe worked in the construction industry both designing and managing large projects for almost ten years before purchasing the Farmhouse.
Upon the purchase of the property, Joe oversaw multiple renovations and expansions transforming the Farmhouse from an underperforming B&B to a world-class destination resort recruiting and maintaining an executive team of outstanding industry professionals. Today, the Farmhouse is recognized as one of California’s top luxury hotels and has been distinguished by national and international media such as Michelin Guide, Travel + Leisure, Town and Country, Conde Nast Traveler, Better Homes and Gardens, Departures, Zagat, The San Francisco Chronicle, and others as a premier wine country destination
Joe is active in the community and sits on numerous boards including Sonoma Country Day School, the Sonoma Wine Auction, and Sonoma County Tourism where he just came off three years as the Board Chair. Considered an expert on local tourism and the hospitality industry, he is often invited to speak publicly, participating in panel discussions and frequently quoted in local and regional publications. In 2019 Joe received the “Spirit of Sonoma” award for outstanding leadership and contributions.
Joe and his wife, Sharon, and their 3 children, Alex (15), Nico (13), and Ella (11), live just 2 miles down the road on their 35 acre ranch, Bartolomei Farms. In addition to two dogs and three cats, their farm is home to a flock of 100 hens that produce the eggs for the restaurant, 3 bee hives, and a large vegetable garden providing greens, citrus, produce and edible flowers for Farmhouse’s culinary team. The family actively supports 4-H with all three children annually raising livestock for the Healdsburg Fair. For the last three years, Joe’s son Nico has also raised 30+ heritage turkeys annually for Farmhouse’s Thanksgiving feast. When not manning the farm or the business, Joe and the family are avid travelers having explored much of the world including Costa Rica, Mexico, Europe, and almost every National Park in North America.
A fifth generation Sonoma County resident, Catherine Bartolomei’s family has called Sonoma County’s famed Russian River Valley their home for more than 120 years. An accomplished veteran of the wine industry, Catherine brings acute marketing sense and savvy business ability to Farmhouse. Catherine has created a retreat that is classic and elegant, yet distinctly Wine Country. With her brother, Joe Bartolomei, Catherine continues the tradition of preserving Sonoma County’s unique way of life with the creation of the Farmhouse Inn, Restaurant and Spa.
Born and raised in Sonoma County, Catherine, has fond memories of time spent at the family’s 200-acre Forestville ranch, founded by great–grandparents, Domenic & Catherine Giovanetti in 1911. There, the family farmed hops, prunes, apples, pears and cattle. Today, her family still farms the same land, where pinot noir is the crop of choice.
Catherine still lives on the family ranch with her husband Timothy, and children, Helen (17) and Rodric (14), stepson Orion (16), three crazy dogs and one very old cat. An avid interior decorator, traveler, collector of cookbooks and entertainer, Catherine enjoys a never-ending renovation of the house and grounds and preparing simple food from her great-grandmother’s recipes as well as her apple, walnut and pear trees.
Growing up in a hospitality family, my house was the epicenter of francophone festivities for what seemed to be, at the time, all the French-speaking natives of Orange County. My parents owned French restaurants across Orange County and had an amazing “Savoir Faire” executing, from elaborate dinners to festive parties. Conversations in our house were always focused on history, art, and of course, food and beverage. As a result, I am not surprised I picked up a deep passion for the arts, which continued into my educational Career. After starting my art education in environmental design from OCC and Art Center, I was off to New York to finish at the Pratt Institute of design, but my love affair with hospitality was long from over, and I quit school to work for the Daniel Boulud Brand in numerous hourly positions across a few of his world-renowned restaurants. Although it was at that point, I said goodbye to my art and design career. Nevertheless, I have to say that all I have learned has substantially benefited my hospitality career. It gave me the skills to understand the human environment, lighting, and media to promote and entice guests for a unique and tasteful hospitality experience.
I woke up one day, and decided I no longer wanted to wait tables. I wanted to be on the other end of the experience, creating and designing these elaborate dining concepts. So, I moved back to southern California and worked as general manager of a boutique Bistro and artisanal French home store in Fashion Island Newport Beach. Although the role was exactly what I was looking for, the itch to try my luck in Europe in this newfound career attracted me, given my heritage, and knowing what unique concepts were developing in the UK. So, I landed a job for the “SOHO HOUSE” group. What a rollercoaster this was. I started with the Soho Group as a floor manager and worked my way up to Deputy GM of their flagship site Shoreditch House. In 2015 I moved on from Soho House and found a truly magical job in the England Cotswold’s as Hotel and Spa General Manager of Dormy House. This new role allowed me to use all my experience and skills in hotels, restaurants, and wellness to develop Dormy House into one of the world’s best Small Luxury Hotel properties.
In 2018 I landed a job as F&B director of Montage Laguna Beach, one of five Forbes-rated triple 5-star hotels in the world at the time. Here I learned a whole other side of luxury hospitality: Uber luxury as they describe it at Montage. I spent almost four years in this position. Although I loved being on the center stage of hospitality, deep down inside, I wanted to find something more high-touch and personable in terms of volume and guest connection in the world of hospitality. I found an excellent opportunity as hotel manager of Farmhouse Inn. My family and I moved out to Sonoma, and now embarking on an extraordinary journey with an even more extraordinary family operated luxury property that has a wealth of heritage, a culinary legacy, and a stellar reputation that I am proud to pick up from and carry into a new chapter of exceptional and unique hospitality.I gained a wealth of knowledge in various sectors of hospitality that have given me the necessary skills to lead teams to success. I believe and advocate that a successful business starts with the right team. An engaging and motivated team leads to excellent customer experience.
Jessica Fimbrez is the Front Office Manager who works with our Concierge and Guest Service teams to create a high touch and memorable experience here at Farmhouse. She started here in 2017 beginning at the Front desk as Concierge. She quickly grew in her roles to Front Desk Supervisor, Guest Services Manager to now her current role as Front Office Manager. Jessica is proud to be part of such a special team and property who genuinely care about each and every one of our guests. She is passionate about always delivering the best guest experience so that everyone leaves Farmhouse feeling the warmth of our service.
Jessica moved to Sonoma County from the South Bay Area in 2012 with her husband Manny and their two children, Christian and Kylie. They quickly fell in love with what the area had to offer and knew they had found their forever home.
Tamra Waslewski has worked in a luxury resort sales setting for over 25 years, most recently for Meadowood Napa Valley where she spent 18 of those years. Although fairly new to Farmhouse Inn she has been working alongside Joe & Catherine since 2015 combining sales efforts to bring guests to the Sonoma County & Napa Valley. With a passion for wine, food, wellness, and creating exceptional experiences through a highly-personalized approach she loves to work with the people of Farmhouse Inn who all serve from the heart. Nothing makes her happier than connecting guests who have “seen it and done it all” to those hidden gems in the wine country that create life-long memories and have them returning again and again to this beautiful and diverse region.
Tamra graduated from ASU, with a Communications degree with her mindset to be anchoring the evening news. During her senior year, she took an elective class in tourism where every week they met with industry leaders, GM’s of hotels and resorts, local CVB’s etc.– once she heard how the luxury resort segment handled VIP guests in a highly personalized manner she was hooked on hotels and the tourism industry!! That same year she interned at a small luxury boutique hotel company and has been in the business ever since.
In her free time, she enjoys yoga, walking her 3 dogs alongside her husband, Dan, trying new restaurants, cheering on the Red Sox, fostering a small garden, and is constantly entertained by the antics of her children, Maxwell who is a senior in college, and Gabrielle a freshman in college who ironically is also attending ASU.
Heidi joined Farmhouse Inn in April of 2018 as a Reservations Agent. Having spent the previous 16 year’s raising her kids, she was excited to start a new chapter of her life experiencing a new industry. In October of 2021, she was promoted to Reservations Supervisor where she keeps incredibly busy with the Reservations team ensuring our guests experience exceptional customer service, as they prepare them for a memorable stay and welcome them to their home away from home! With Farmhouse being such a small and intimate property, she has gotten the chance to connect with many of our wonderful repeat guests who visit again and again!
Her prior management experience came from her time working in retail, wholesale (outdoor industry), as well as her volunteer leadership roles in the community of Sonoma County. Prior to Farmhouse Inn, she was the Product Development Manager at Marmot for 6 years and then the Northern California Sales Rep/Manager for Tinley/Avia/Reebok for 6 years.
She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (SF), majoring in Merchandising Management. Most recently in 2020, she attended eCornell University earning her Hotel Revenue Management certificate. She currently lives in Santa Rosa with her husband Jeff, her son Ty (who works at Farmhouse as one of our friendly bellmen), her daughter Isabella, as well as her 2 dogs and a cat!
Chris Barrett leads the maintenance and landscape departments at this picturesque property. The beauty of this place is definitely a result of a team effort and the serenity the guests may find a contribution from Farmhouse’s leadership the Bartolomeis. He counts himself blessed to be a part of this Inn. The land is beautiful and echoes the reminder that Sonoma county is a gem. Combine that with what the owner’s have invested for generations and what’s left is people’s experiences here at the farmhouse. That is what he enjoys hearing about. His roots are in Northern California and his maintenance experience began by working on apartments. He was able to combine that with further job experience in the competitive world of fine dining. He is enjoying life here and at home raising two kids with his wife.
A combination of different influences in its purest and best sense does not create a hybrid or fusion. It transcends the sum of its parts and becomes something new.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Craig began his culinary journey flipping burgers at a local country club. He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. After graduating with a bachelors in hospitality management and completing a concentration in farm-to-table practices, he went on a pilgrimage of sorts to France, Spain and Denmark to learn and visit his idols of gastronomy. After returning to the United States, he serendipitously found himself working through several notable restaurants such as Petit Crenn by Chef Dominique Crenn and COI by Daniel Paterson. There he met Erik Anderson, the executive chef. Craig would go on to serve as his CDC at several high profile restaurants in the Bay Area.
Now, over a decade since his culinary career began, Craig is putting forth his vision of haute cuisine. Leveraging his unique multi-cultural childhood and his encyclopedic knowledge of technique, Craig now utilizes all that he has learned, from the ancient to the most modern culinary techniques. He focuses on exploring the duality of pairing local wild and farmed ingredients with those of classic luxury.
It is his belief that great food should reflect not only a place and a moment in time but also the people preparing it. Furthermore, he treats every ingredient with intent and thoughtfulness, and abhors novelty for its own sake.
Chef Phi Nguyen’s culinary journey took an unexpected turn that led to a profound passion for the culinary arts. Arriving in the United States from Vietnam in 2016, a fortuitous enrollment in a High School culinary class ignited his love for the gastronomic world. Guided by an inspiring culinary arts teacher, Chef Phi witnessed his skills flourish, while his fascination with the farm-to-table concept deepened.
Following graduation, Chef Phi embarked on his professional culinary path at the Double Tree Hotel in Rohnert Park, CA. Over the course of two years, he honed his kitchen prowess and gained invaluable insights into the realm of hospitality. Through participation in local culinary competitions in Sonoma County and extensive industry exploration, he embraced the art of crafting exceptional cuisine. Taking his culinary journey further, Phi ventured to the renowned Montage in Healdsburg, CA, where he delved into the intricacies of luxury hospitality. After a year of refining his skills at Montage, Farmhouse Inn beckoned him to join as a Chef de Partie, specializing in crafting exquisite French breakfasts. Inspired by the contemporary French influences at Farmhouse Inn, Phi immersed himself in his role and rapidly ascended from Chef de Partie to Chef Tournant and now holds the esteemed position of Resort Chef.
Continuously inspired by the region’s terroir and nurtured relationships with local farmers, Chef Phi excels at Farmhouse Inn by creating elevated dishes from the heart, leading his team to delectable triumphs.
Wendy is a native local and has a passion for all things wellness, she has nourished her passion by challenging herself to understand the benefits of healthy living. Something that we care deeply about in our Sonoma region. There are amazing natural benefits that grow right in the backyard and proud that we can offer this to our Farmhouse guests.
Reyna Levaro has 3 children and 6 grandchildren. She loves baking, cooking and her housekeeping manager job. Reyna is proud to be from Mexico. In 1998 she started working at the Honor Mansión hotel, she started working as a housekeeper and later as a cook and manager of the housekeepers.
In 2002 she started working at Farmhouse Inn, at that time the hotel only had 8 rooms, she started working as a cook for breakfasts and as a housekeeper, due to the experience she had from her previous job after a month of working at Farmhouse she was named Housekeeping Manager. The hotel began to grow, currently having 25 wonderful rooms, she worked 10 years as a cook.
She has worked putting all her effort and her love in this wonderful hotel and always taking care that the rooms are pristine. In 2021 she was nominated for the CHLA stars of the industry Award as an outstanding manager. She has seen how the hotel has grown and all the beautiful changes the hotel has had. Something she likes about the hotel is meeting different people and entire families who come to enjoy their vacations or on a business plan and she likes that each one of them feel at home.
On January 15, 2022 she will turn 20 years working in this beautiful hotel and of which she feels very proud to be part of this beautiful history of the Farmhouse Inn family.
Teresa, or “Teece” for short is the Lead Concierge at Farmhouse Inn, though she likes to use the title ‘OG Concierge’ because she has worked there for 15 years. Her past career was in broadcast radio sales and what do you know, she has always loved talking with people, asking questions, and really getting to know people in a real and genuine way. That past experience and her passion for people translated over to her role at Farmhouse perfectly, and the schedule flexibility was great while she raised her two amazing kids on their country property with horses, dogs, chickens and a wonderful garden.
She has been through so many fun and exhilarating (and sometimes challenging) changes these past 15 years. What has always been consistent is the way that the team and the guests at Farmhouse feel like family. From a tiny 10 room B&B to a world-class resort, the people and the stories have always been her joy. She loves it when guests come into the office and they recognize each other from their previous stay. Or the couples who have been coming back every year since she’s started. Or what really lights up her day? When a sweet young honeymoon couple comes in after their first day of wine touring on an itinerary that she created and tells her all about what they tasted, who they met, what they saw and why they loved it. All of that is what makes the job at Farmhouse so special – the personal connections.
Our blue mackerel tabby, Charlie, spent his youth exploring the nooks and crannies of western Sonoma County sewing his wild oats. Ready for a slower pace, on a warm summer day in July of 2021 he sauntered up our pathway, sized up the place, and settled in to his new digs – he had arrived and Farmhouse would never be the same. Ordinarily, cats are adopted but not Charlie – he’s no ordinary cat – he adopted us. And since he arrived on that fateful summer day, Charlie has been a permanent fixture and Farmhouse has been a better place. Often found sleeping in a wine box in the corner of our lobby, Charlie is more chill than just about any house cat and is regularly referred to by guests as more “doglike” than “catlike.” While it may appear that Charlie lives a life of leisure, don’t be fooled, he works hard to earn his kitty kibble spending his days patrolling the grounds, chasing an occasional lizard, and always being a true gentleman ambassador for Farmhouse. So whether at breakfast in the courtyard or s’mores by the firepit, keep your eyes open because Charlie just may come by to say “Hi.” Oh, and how did he get his name? Well that’s a whole another story and best told over a glass of wine at wine hour…
