Via - May/June 2014 - California - (Page 33)
By Kristina Malsberger // PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ER IN KUNK EL
pours her small-lot, handcrafted wines in a rustic red shack
with just three stools and a crush pad out back. Or Douglas
Stewart of the stylish new Lichen Estate, who will happily
share tales of his one-man quest to produce a sparkling pinot
gris that rivals the finest French champagne.
Sparkling wine is a regional specialty-the bubbly barons
Roederer and Scharffenberger both call Philo home-but the
valley's true star is pinot noir, celebrated each spring during the
Pinot Noir Festival (May 16 to 18 this year). Pinotphiles and
dog lovers will enjoy Toulouse Vineyards, with its winning reds
and resident yellow lab, Tess. At nearby Phillips Hill Winery,
the earthy pinots complement the
CLOCKWISE FROM
recently opened tasting room in a
LEFT, vines bud out
historic apple-drying barn above a
above the 25-mile-long burbling creek.
valley; diners linger at
Alsatian whites such as riesling,
the Boonville Hotel's
gewürtztraminer, and edelzwicker are
Table 128 restaurant;
a focus at popular Navarro Vineyards,
oysters are offered
one of the valley's oldest wineries and
there on the half shell.
a lovely spot for an alfresco feast,
with scenic picnic sites and a deli case stocked with charcuterie
and artisanal cheese from the family's new Pennyroyal Farm.
Or pick up sandwiches in Boonville and head to Hendy Woods
State Park, where lunch spots overlook the lazy Navarro River.
From here, trails wind into the ancient stillness of the redwood
groves, passing sword ferns, blooming rhododendrons, and the
hollowed-out log that once sheltered a resident hermit.
More sociable types should eventually emerge from the
forest for a family-style dinner at the Boonville Hotel, a legendary outpost of California cuisine since the 1980s. The
hotel remains a culinary force. Home to Table 128 restaurant,
it also opened the Paysanne ice cream shop, helped introduce
Bite Hard cider, and continues to host the Boonville Farmers'
Market. But the valley's food scene has expanded to included
the newcomers Aquarelle, serving such inventive dishes as duck
tostadas and crab risotto with saffron, and Coq au Vin, where
diners happily ditch their diets for pork à la normande and buttery beef bourguignon. Stone and Embers, a tiny temple to the
wood oven, also opened last year in the Madrones, an inn that
includes four boutique tasting rooms-a sweet setup for wine
lovers wishing to imbibe without driving.
Still, there's something to be said for a day spent seeing
where the winding curves of Highway 128 take you. Whether
it's a sunny swimming hole, a grove of giants, a weathered farm
stand, or simply an intriguing little sign reading tastings
today, there are excellent reasons to apply the brakes. ●
kristina malsberger is a Via contributing editor.
If you're going . . .
CREDIT HERE
Request the Northern California TourBook and Mendocino
& Sonoma Coast map at AAA.com or any AAA branch.
To find a place to stay, see AAA.com/viahotels. For more
information, contact Visit Mendocino County: (866)
466-3636, visitmendocino.com. Area code is 707.
Anderson Valley Brewing Company Beer tastings,
tours, and disc golf. 895-2337, avbc.com. Aquarelle
Cafe & Wine Bar 895-2767, facebook.com/aquarellecafe.
Boonville Farmers' Market Saturdays, May-October,
mcfarm.org/boonville. Coq au Vin 895-9255. Elke
Vineyards 246-7045, elkevineyards.com. Foursight Wines
895-2889, foursightwines.com. Hendy Woods State Park
895-3141, www.parks.ca.gov. Lichen Estate 478-4218,
lichenestate.com. Navarro Vineyards 895-3686, navarro
wine.com. Paysanne 895-2210, sweetpaysanne.com.
Phillips Hill Winery 895-2209, phillipshill.com. Stone
and Embers 895-3471, stoneandembers.com. Table 128
895-2210, boonvillehotel.com/eat. Toulouse Vineyards
895-2828, toulousevineyards.com.
I
AAA VIA 33
http://calstate.aaa.com/
http://calstate.aaa.com/travel
http://www.visitmendocino.com
http://www.avbc.com
http://www.facebook.com/aquarellecafe
http://www.mcfarm.org/boonville
http://www.elkevineyards.com
http://www.foursightwines.com
http://www.parks.ca.gov
http://www.lichenestate.com
http://www.navarrowine.com
http://www.navarrowine.com
http://www.sweetpaysanne.com
http://www.phillipshill.com
http://www.stoneandembers.com
http://www.boonvillehotel.com/eat
http://www.toulousevineyards.com
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