Road Trip Day Two: Wild and Craggy Coast

It was another late start for Maddie and Michael. We opted for the Couples Massage after a big plate of waffles and I fell asleep! Must have been good, right? Oh yeah. You really have to put the Farmhouse Inn on your list of must-see Wine Country destinations. There are so many great places here that you can go just about anywhere and say, “This is it, I’ve found my ideal _______ .” (Choose: winery, inn, restaurant, or vantage point from which to savor a glass of wine.) You can find yourself thinking you are in Tuscany, Alsace or Provence. Really, with the variety of climates and soils, and appreciation for the good life, Wine Country could be the culmination of all those places. And this trip has reminded me how lucky I am to be able to run Red House from the heart of it all.

Today we set out to explore more of the North Coast appellations. The Anderson Valley is absolutely stunning and so uncrowded. Here’s why: it’s not exactly commuting distance to SF. I love the windy roads and the openness that changes into serious forest that hugs the coast of Mendocino County. It feels secluded. I heard that lots of marijuana is grown here, but that’s not why we came. (!!) The one winery we had to see was Roederer Estate, maker of - you guessed it – sparkling wine! (www.roedererestate.com) The parent company, Roederer Champagne, has a long history making the real thing. Here, they found the right parcel of land with optimal growing conditions for making exceptional California sparkling wines. They carefully control the process, using only their own lots and even devising their own trellising system. My pick: the 2000 L’Ermitage Cuvée, their Tête de Cuvée. This is France in a flute! Ok, I’m oversimplifying, but the cuvée is a considered balancing of reserves. The best grapes are combined with a dosage of the best years’ wines. The result is more layers and textures on the palate. And the bubbles are miniscule - a sure sign that Roederer knows what they’re doing. This wine has garnered plenty of attention – look for it and taste for yourself. The Brut Rosé was delightful too, with a pale salmon color that would look wonderful against a starched white linen tablecloth celebrating a harvest dinner. Not a bad color for a Red House polo either!

What an impressive place Roederer is. There is an authentic feel to the winery and the valley itself. Maybe it’s the quieter days of fall, but I expected the tasting room to be packed with people and the roads overrun with traffic. We stayed for a couple of hours, tasting everything - but I also had to take an unexpected phone call…

I learned that there are MANY wineries and tasting rooms to visit up here. We will save them for later – and not much later, I hope. I had planned to talk about the incredible place we are staying tonight. Alas, I will have to get to that later as I have to call Andrew’s principal now. The call I got earlier was from my mother saying he stripped naked during Circle Time today!