Mendocino Getaway, March 26 to 28, 2003

We leave San Francisco on a Wednesday, at 12:30 in the afternoon. Within two hours we are in Geyserville. Our first stop on the way to Mendocino is the tasting room of Meeker Vineyards in the town of Geyserville. The tasting room is located in an old Bank on the main street of this tiny Russian River town. The bank still has the old teller windows and a counter that acts as the tasting area. The tasting area is small and can accommodate about six people. The winery has been in operation since 1984. Meeker does not own a single vineyard but produces some of the best wines you will find in the Russian River Wine Region. We taste an array of their fine wines and purchase a bottle each of Carnigane (Dry Creek Valley), the Petite Syrah from the Sierra Foothills, and our favorite, the Zinfandel made from grapes grown in the Russian River Valley. (Meeker Vineyards is on our list of vineyards to visit in the Russian River Region.)

We head north on 101 and exit to 128 West to head to the coast and Mendocino. In route, we stop at Navarro Vineyards, easily our favorite winery in the Anderson Valley. As it happens, we had just received their latest newsletter in the mail the day before. We try the Chenin Blanc, Anderson Valley Chardonnay, the Pinot Gris, and the always great Gewurztraminer. We stock up on their wine since their wines are only sold at the winery and through the Web site.

By this time, it is 5:00 pm and it is past tasting room hours at all the wineries. We will have to make time to visit the wineries in the Anderson Valley on the way back. We head to Mendocino and check into the Brewery Gulch Inn. The Inn has been open only a year and a half yet the accolades just keep coming. One travel magazine lists it as one of the ten most romantic spots of the year.
We stay in the Lookout Room, which is one of two rooms located in the loft. It is one of the smaller rooms but spacious enough for the two of us. It has a great view of the ocean and the gardens below.

We head down for some hors d’oeuvres and wine. The eating area is spacious and very comfortable. The furniture is mission style and fits very well with the inn that was built from virgin redwood trees that were found and salvaged from the nearby river. The wine bar features some great local wines from Mendocino County. The chef has prepared some exquisite appetizers.

We ask our host to make reservations at the Albion Inn, one of our favorite restaurants in Mendocino. The Albion Inn does not disappoint us. The meal is excellent. We rate it a 4.5 on our 5 point scale.

Breakfast at the Brewery Gulch Inn is a little different than most Bed and Breakfast spots. There is a menu of several choices. Homemade offee cake is served as well as fresh juices in addition to the menu.

After our healthy breakfast, we drive into the town of Mendocino, a one-mile drive from the Inn. On our past few visits to Mendocino, the weather has been either overcast or rainy. Today, the weather is sunny and warm. It really doesn’t matter what the weather is in Mendocino, it’s always perfect for us. We visit the shops in the town center, which are varied and unique. The town itself is a throwback to a different era. We see a rally sign to stop the latest attempt to put in an antenna for cell phone service. The town has not changed since the 1950’s.

We stop at the Mendocino Market on Ukiah St. (45051) and buy some assorted goodies to pack our lunch basket. It’s the best deli in town. Our destination for lunch is the Pacific Star Winery, about 20 miles up the coast. It’s a winery we have never been to before but have heard good things about. Unbelievably, the winery is located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The temperatures here are usually cool and moderate throughout the year. The ocean air is all the air conditioning needed for wine making and barrel ageing. The wines are made from vineyards located in various wine regions but in particular the Mendocino and Russian River area of Sonoma County. We liked the Chardonnay and the Dad’s Favorite Red.

The winery is literally on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. We choose our picnic table and munch our food with a glass of the Chardonnay. The ocean view is indescribable. It is whale season, we look but see no whales. No matter, the moment is beautiful and the setting dramatic.

There are many good hiking spots in the Mendocino area. As we make our way back to the Inn, we walk the trails of the Mendocino Headlands. The headlands are at the northern end of the town of Mendocino.

We choose the Little River Inn for dinner. We ate dinner there about five years ago and were disappointed. We heard things have improved so we decide to try again. Unfortunately things have not changed to any degree. Our dinner is good but not good enough for us to think about returning anytime soon. We rate our dinner a 3.5 on our 5 point scale.

For breakfast at the Brewery Gulch Inn, we both choose the rolled omelet. It is superb, filled with gorgonzola cheese and bits of bacon.

We pack and head back toward home but not before some wine tasting in the Anderson Valley. Our stops include Handley, Husch, Roederer, and Lazy Creek. What a fabulous group of wineries within a very short distance from one another! At Handley, we love the Pinot Noir and the folk art that decorates the tasting room. The tasting room at Husch is a delight. It’s a very tiny “hut.” The wines are very good and reasonably priced. Roedereer is high end and the tasting room reflects the quality of their sparkling wine. We try only one a 1996 brut. It very smooth and delicate on the tongue. What a marvelous sparkling wine! Our final stop is the Lazy Creek Winery. We miss it the first time around and have to double back. The entrance is easy to miss. It is about a half mile drive along the dirt road to the winery. Lazy Creek is the second oldest winery in the Anderson Valley and Josh Chandler and his wife purchased the winery a few years ago. Josh does almost everything here and is a great conversationalist. We really like the Pinot Noir here and we buy a few bottles. The Gewürztraminer is also excellent. We buy our lunch in Boonville at the Boonville General Store. We eat our lunch at the Canyon Road Winery just off Highway 101 at the Independence Lane Exit. They have a nice picnic area and Bocce Ball courts. The fields here are stunning with poppies and lupine everywhere. The late rains have made this one of the best wildflower seasons in years.

It is time to head home with our treasures of wine and great memories of our trip to Mendocino.