Lavender drying in Lynn’s Lavender barn

By now, the word has spread about last weekend’s lavender-fueled traffic snarl on Highway 12 in Kenwood and the subsequent cancellation of this weekend’s open house at the Sonoma Lavender. And there’s more disappointment: Days of Wine & Lavender, taking place this Saturday at Matanzas Creek Winery, is entirely sold out.

What’s a lavender lover to do? I’m here to help.

Lynn’s Lavender, nestled in the gentle hills above Graton off Harrison Grade Road, is hosting its annual lavender harvest and luncheon on July 2. To join in, you need to become one of Lynn’s Lavender Lovers, easy (and free) to do here. After you join, you’ll receive an invitation to the harvest. The event, which includes a catered luncheon, is $15 per person.

Lynn Rossman’s lavender is part of Tanuda Ridge Vineyards, three acres of pinot noir that she and her husband Mike Rossman sell to local winemakers. There are about two acres of lavender, in four large beds, planted in 2004. After harvest, the lavender is dried in the estate’s Lavender Barn and then processed into an array of products, including body balm, scrubs, hydrating mists, linen and room mist and more. If you can’t visit, you can shop at the on-line store.