Soul stirring beaches, Giant redwoods, Charming coastal towns, all veiled by mist. These images come to mind when people think of California’s North Coast, a land of mystery and romance. For foodies, thinking of North Coast areas like Sonoma and Mendocino prompt a Pavlovian response, whetting the appetite for some of the state’s best wineries and restaurants.
Day One: Humboldt Counties/Mendocino
If you’re feeling adventurous, venture into Humboldt County’s redwood country, including a visit to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. If you decide to stay for lunch, check out Restaurant 301 in Eureka, lauded by the likes of Bon Appetit and one of the few eateries in the world to win the Wine Spectator Grand Award. The eatery, affiliated with Carter House Inns – a group of historic Victorian hotels features garden-to-table, seasonal cuisine. Another great restaurant, but only open for dinner, is the Benbow Inn Restaurant. Located in the historic Benbow Inn near the Avenue of the Giants, this local favorite offers exquisite fine dining and excellent wines – and has received the Wine Spectator Magazine Excellence Award for six years.
Or you may choose to start your day three hours south in Mendocino, which like many parts of California, is close to great farm country, so visitors can experience a deep connection to the food they are eating. A great place that brings this concept to life is the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, the premier organic raw vegan school in the world, located a few miles north of Mendocino in Fort Bragg. Here
you can tour the school, take a workshop, eat in the café or shop in the gourmet store.
For lunch, be like the locals and kick back and relax at a fun gastropub, such as Patterson’s Pub in “so beautiful it looks almost unreal” Mendocino Village, where you can have fish cooked in Panko breadcrumbs with chips. If you’re looking for fresh microbrew, try the North Coast Brewing Company or Anderson Valley Brewing Company. In the afternoon, head inland to Ukiah, where the pioneering Mendocino Wine Company’s Parducci Wine Cellars awaits – the first winery to be carbon neutral in the country. Here vintner Paul Dolan demonstrates how organic, biodynamic and sustainable farming and business practices can translate into the finest quality wines. Visitors are welcome to participate in tours and tastings, or grab a quick gourmet meal. If you don’t have time to get to the vineyard, try the Mendocino Wine Tasting Room in the town of Mendocino. Other great wineries to try for tastings and tours are Goldeneye Winery in Anderson Valley, which also offers lodging and Pinot Noir pairing demonstrations, and Brutocao Cellars, with tasting rooms in Hopland and Philo. The Hopland tasting room features tastings of estate-grown olive oil also available for purchase by the bottle or in bulk. The winery also has bocce ball courts and its own restaurant, The Crushed Grape. The Navarro Vineyards in Philo features award-winning wines, including Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, as well as non-alcohol varietal winegrape juice for nondrinkers.
If you’re more of a chocoholic, visit the Mendocino Chocolate Company for yummy local fudge, truffles, barks and more. If you don’t trust yourself to leave enough to take home, don’t worry – they ship worldwide.
For dinner, you can’t go wrong with the Mendocino area’s charming and outstanding restaurants, such as the Little River Restaurant, featuring local and seasonal cuisine – or enjoy seafood with-a-view at Chapter & Moon (707-962-1643) or Sharon’s by the Sea. Crazy about crab? Try Café Beaujolais’s crab cakes, which won first place in the Annual Crab Cake Cook-Off If you’re a Francophile, you’ll find French cuisine at its finest at Rendevous. Other local hotspots with a local or seasonal spin include MacCallum House Restaurant and Mendo Bistro. Click here For more information on Mendocino County, Humboldt County, Mendocino wineries, and for Anderson Valley.
Day Two: Lake County/Healdsburg
Drive two hours to Nice in Lake County, home of the appropriately named Clear Lake, the largest clear lake entirely within California. Vineyards here are planted 1,300 to 2,000 feet in elevation, within sight of dormant volcano Mt. Konocti. These elevations provide a later growing season start, and conditions are great for Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Situated along 2 miles of lakeshore, the agricultural resort-style winery Ceago Vinegarden, owned and operated by Jim Fetzer of the prominent winemaking family, promotes a holistic farming environment for plant and animal life. A showcase of biodynamic winemaking and agriculture, the estate surrounds a Hacienda-style compound of buildings with herb gardens, grapes, kiwis, olives, walnuts, figs, lavender, a variety of seasonal plantings and wine grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. Domestic and wild animals wander the property, demonstrating how both the animal and plant kingdoms work together in an agricultural environment. During summer months, Ceago’s Courtyard Café is open for lunch, serving creative and inspiring dishes with a focus on estate, organic and locally produced ingredients. Special events are held throughout the year and private tours are available.
In the afternoon, drive 90 minutes to Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Sonoma County’s diverse topography, soils and microclimates is suitable for a wide variety of grapes, making Sonoma one of the most prolific wine-growing regions in the state. More than 60,000 vine-filled acres fill 13 valleys, producing primarily Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also just about every other varietal. In Healdsburg you’ll find one of the most famous vineyards in California – Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. Try some samples in the tasting room or head south 10 minutes to Fulton, site of their Wine Center, where Executive Chef Justin Wangler creates special wine and food pairings focusing on the winery’s upper-tier Highland Estates and Stature wines. Visitors to the Wine Center can sample some of the newest vintages of these rare and vineyard-designated wines, paired with a delectable array of tasty food samples, all served tapas-style. In Dry Creek Valley just outside of Healdsburg, visit the charming Lambert Bridge Winery, where shaded teak dining tables invite you to enjoy great wine and great food shared with friends and family. Herb and edible flower gardens border the alfresco kitchen and wood-fired pizza ovens that star in their seasonal events. Bring your picnic basket and make time to enjoy the beauty of this outdoor escape. Further up the road is the spectacular villa of Ferrari-Carrano Vineyards with its five acres of Italian/French/Japanese style gardens, and Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley is a short drive away, and has a unique energy-efficient straw bale winery powered by solar energy. Also outside of Healdburg in Alexander Valley is Rodney Strong Vineyards with tours, tastings, bocce courts and very popular summer concert series. For a quick gourmet meal, try slow food – fast – at Bovolo, with food by celebrated chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart. For more formal fare, visit Madrona Manor Wine Country Inn & Restaurant in Healdsburg, which is one of the top five restaurants in Napa and Sonoma counties, according to Zagat. This romantic, historic inn’s restaurant received one star in the 2008 Michelin Red Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants. Or, if you’re more into bubbly, head west/southwest from Healdsburg to Guerneville in the Russian River Valley, home of the renowned Korbel Champagne Cellars, America’s premier champagne for the past 120 years. Here you can tour the cellars for free, eat in the gourmet café or take a tour of the amazing rose gardens. To view more wineries in the area, visit www.rrvw.org.
Sonoma Country is known not only for its wine, but also for its cuisine, created by using seasonal and justpicked, locally-grown fruits, vegetables and herbs as well as local meats, fish, cheeses, olive oils and breads. Farms have supplied gourmet ingredients to elite San Francisco restaurants since Gold Rush days. In the evening, head to Santa Rosa for dinner and an overnight stay. One of the premier restaurants is Zazu Restaurant & Farm, Duskie Estes and John Stewart’s gourmet roadhouse restaurant. The food is all about the healthiest local ingredients – some from their own garden – and being “wine friendly but uncomplicated.” Or, get your garlic fix at Johnny Garlic’s, affiliated with Guy Fieri, star of the Food Network. Or try Guy’s eclectic and fun Tex Wasabi’s Rock-N-Roll Sushi-BBQ.
Day Three: Santa Rosa/Kenwood/Glen Ellen
Start the day by visiting one of the participating Farm Trails farms in Sonoma County, featuring immersive experiences like farm stays, produce farms or farmer’s markets. Oenophiles must tour or taste at Benziger Family Winery in nearby Glen Ellen, which is creating a new definition of wine quality through its certified-sustainable, organic and biodynamic winegrowing practices. Their 85-acre, certified Biodynamic Sonoma Mountain estate has become a research and teaching center for the cultivation of grapes with more flavor, intensity and site-specific vineyard character. The family shares its farming knowledge and experience with longtime grower partners throughout Sonoma County, and offer tram tours through the vineyards for visitors. Or check out Kunde Estate Vineyards and Wineries, a 100-year-old family winery with tasting room, wine cave tours and eco-tours.
For lunch, a great stop is Francis Ford Coppola’s Rosso & Bianco winery. The Yet Unnamed Café features award-winning Neapolitan pizzas with majestic panoramas of Fitch Mountain, the verdant hills, and brightly colored flowers of Alexander Valley. The café’s terrace is a popular spot for relaxing with friends and family, while savoring international recipes and great views. Afterwards you can walk off the calories with a tour of the winery and enjoy a tasting.
Chocoholics should visit the tasting room of Wine Country Chocolate & Truffles in Jack London gourmet village. Before dinner, head to the coast for a romantic walk on the beach or spa visit. Try one of the best restaurants in Santa Rosa for dinner – Syrah Bistro. Here Chef Josh Silvers offers a monthly changing menu of seasonal California French cuisine, consistently focusing on organic and sustainably farmed fruits and vegetables. Or, take a short drive to California Cider Company’s Ace-In-The-Hole Pub in Sebastopol, credited with initiating the national cider renaissance. It’s also the second-largest specialty beer and cider marketing company in the U.S. Another gem in Sebastopol is the French Garden Restaurant and Brasserie, which farms its own organic produce. Four: Sonoma/Petaluma Start the day at the historic Buena Vista Winery, one of the oldest in the state, which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. They feature a wide selection of award–winning wines, a gift shop featuring gourmet foods and elegant and whimsical merchandise, and beautiful picnic areas. Create your own wine blend at Ravenswood Winery, just outside the charming town center of Sonoma, which has a historic shopping plaza in the heart of downtown. Another winery just out of town is Robledo Family Winery, the first Mexicanowned winery and tasting room in California, a great example of an immigrant family who found the American Dream.
For lunch, check out The Girl and the Fig, a renowned eatery with a French-inspired menu, French aperitifs, an award-winning “Rhone Alone” wine list, seasonal menu, cheese and charcuterie platters and outdoor patio. Or, in the heart of Sonoma County, you can try the Kenwood Restaurant and Bar, which serves fresh Sonoma County ingredients, delightful desserts, and wine lists featuring locally grown vintages.
In the afternoon,visit the historic town of Petaluma to experience the Spring Hill Cheese Co./Petaluma Creamery, an organic Jersey cow dairy farm specializing in white, sage, garlic and Jersey yellow cheddar, firehouse, Quark, Jack, Portuguese and fresh curd. Shop in the retail store or take advantage of the petting zoo and hayride. Or visit the Adobe Pumpkin Farm, a 30-acre working farm that features a “you-pick” concept for seasonal items such as pumpkins (fall), strawberries (spring), tomatoes (summer) and fresh-cut flowers and gift shop all year. A haunted house, farm animals, hayrides and corn maze are also featured in the fall. For dinner, try Dempseys Brewery & Restaurant, a gastropub featuring award-winning brews made on-site, as well as fresh local ingredients, many grown exclusively for Dempsey’s by Red Rooster Ranch.
For more information on Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or www.sonomawine.com.
The above itinerary was created based on feedback from various destination marketing organizations, so we apologize if there are any minor inaccuracies. Dates and hours may vary so we suggest you confirm dates and hours in advance of visit.
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