Petaluma Top Ten

1. Frais Hand Sanitizer
You managed to avoid the swine flu but you’ve now adopted some new hygienic habits that you’re continuing to practice … and simply washing your hands with hot, soapy water is so, well, passé. Frais, a new product from Australia, might be just for you. Composed of eight essential oils and moisturizing sugarcane alcohol rather than the harsh, drying ethyl alcohol that most sanitizers are filled with, Frais is both eco-friendly and vegan, meaning it was made with no animal products or animal testing. It ranges from $3.50 for a pocket-size bottle to $29 for a full-size 15-ounce bottle. You can find it at discerning salons as well as www.beautyhabit.com or its home site, www.fraislux.com.

3. Petaluma Green Taxi
Offering hybrid and low-emission vehicles, the Petaluma Green Taxi Company is one of the first services of its kind in the North Bay. Founded by eco-entrepreneur Dion Reif last January, the company drives three new Scion XBs and a Ford Escape hybrid, which are not only fuel-efficient but extremely comfortable. In fact, creature comfort was as much on Reif’s mind as the environment; the interiors of the Scions are plush, and the bright green exterior paint is a stylish departure from the traditional second-hand cop cars used by other Bay Area taxi services. “Now people have a choice, and it won’t cost them a dime more than a regular cab,” Reif says. Pickups must be made in Petaluma but drivers will take customers anywhere. Senior discounts are available. To book a ride, call 707.769.TAXI.

5. Sonoma Valley Portworks
This small, intimate winery at Foundry Wharf is a dessert wine lovers’ dream come true. If you’re partial to sweet wines like ports and after-dinner spirits, you’ll find Sonoma Valley Portworks’ selections enticing; they’re fruitier and lighter than most ports and unlike others are pressed by hand (not foot). In fact, its Maduro won a gold medal at the 2005 San Francisco International Wine Competition and the 2008 Los Angeles Wines of the World Competition. The company produces about 4,000 cases every year under the direction of founder and owner Bill Reading. All tastings include samples of four port wines, two dessert wines, and a vinegar made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes; on Saturdays you can also enjoy cheese, pound cake and other foods to accompany your wine. The winery is open from 12-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information call 707.769.5203 or visit www.portworks.com.

7. BjornBorg.com
Watching Wimbledon the past few weeks has put me in mind of one of my childhood sports idols, Bjorn Borg, who dominated the lawns at the All England Club in the mid to late 1970s. Nearly 30 years later, Borg still cuts a dashing figure with his long mane of gray-blond hair and his trim build – which is often impeccably well dressed. The Swedish tennis star has always had an eye for fashion; he’s now marketing his own line of creative clothing through his name-brand web site. The athletically themed gear includes undies, swimwear, shoes, bags, eyewear and stockings, much of it in extravagant patterns with Borg’s name plastered around hems and seams and waistbands – a good fit for a hip, Euro trendsetter. Alas, Borg’s business managers have secured only one American concept store, that being Soho in New York City … but stay tuned. From the web site you can also watch the Swedish champ in action as he steamrolled Wimbledon five years in a row from 1976-80, get facts about his peerless tennis career, and post questions to his blog. In the mean time, peruse the full line fashionable accessories at www.BjornBorg.com.

9. RateMyProfessors.com
Before students sign up for fall semester, they’ll use this online resource to scope out the best – and worst – professors on campus. It serves as a repository for ongoing commentary on nearly a half-million college professors at more than 4,000 schools across the country. Submissions are anonymous so there’s no fear of reprisal 20 years down the line when you’re up for tenure in front of the dinosaur who redlined your essay on global warming. You can rate teachers on the basis of such traits as easiness, helpfulness, clarity and even how “hot” they are (symbolized in the ratings by a chili pepper). Some profs have complained about the site and vowed to shut it down, but in reality nearly 70% of the ratings are positive. The advice, on occasion, can be essential: As one reviewer said of his music appreciation teacher, “Don’t sit in the front of the class room … she spits when she talks.”