Wine Country Comedy Fest brings laughs to 3 Sonoma County wineries

In recent years, political comedy — once dominantly popular — has become as strident as the politicians it mocks, but now working stand-up comics are finding grateful audiences for a more personal sense of humor.

“With my comedy, I offer an escape. I share silly stories about my life,” said Joel Byars of Altanta, one of three headliners starring this month at the sixth annual Wine Country Comedy Fest, which is running three nights at three different Sonoma County wineries.

Linda Schwartz of La Jolla, who attended Santa Rosa High School in the 1990s, will open the festival July 25 at the Buena Vista Winery, 18000 Old Winery Road, in Sonoma.

Despite some rebellion in her youth, she said she is now devoted to family life.

“I’m a wife and mother now,“ she said. ”Sometimes I swear my life is like a sitcom. I think the best comedians are the ones who are relatable and can strike a chord with the audiences.“

Her credits include appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” Sirius Satellite Radio and Comedy Central.

Byars is next up at the festival, performing July 26 at Balletto Vineyards, 5700 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa.

“Clean comedy can get a bad rap. People think it’s going to be corny. I’ve always done clean comedy,” he said. “That’s what comes naturally to me. It’s a little bit of everything: My marriage. My family. My dog. My love of cereal is something I’ve been doing a lot with onstage.”

Karen Rontowski, a Californian who moved to upstate New York a few years ago to be with her ailing parents, will close out the festival July 27 at Deerfield Ranch Winery, 10200 Sonoma Highway, in Kenwood.

“I work very clean. I’m not into dirty comedy,” Rontowski said. “I’m a single lady so I talk a lot about that.”

But her interests are not mundane. She reads Tarot cards, sometimes as part of her show, and attends UFO conventions.

“One woman at a UFO convention told me that I am a captain in the Orion Interplanetary Army,” Rontowski said.

One of the shows she has done all over the U.S. is titled “Psychic Stand-Up.”

While many comedians find material in the details of everyday life, that is not Rontowski’s style.

“I’m not really observational. All things unusual — that is what I talk about, and that is what I’m interested in,” she said.

The festival is presented by The Laugh Cellar/Crushers of Comedy, which brought Byars in for one of its regular winery shows last January at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma.

“I’m excited to be back with Laugh Cellar,” Byars said.

Stand-up shows are only part of his career. For the past seven years, Byars has hosted his “Hot Breath” podcast. Past guests include Nate Bargatze and Jeff Foxworthy.

“I’ve interviewed 400 comedians,” Byars said. “I’m a comedy nerd. I came up with this show just so I could talk to my favorite comedians.”

But for Byars, touring is still the top priority.

“That’s my main gig — being on the road,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On X @danarts.