Uncorking the Perfect Long Weekend in California’s Anderson Valley

The wineries, restaurants and unspoiled landscapes of the pocket-size valley are a sip away from San Francisco

ASK LOCALS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S Anderson Valley what sets their sliver of a wine region apart from the more expansive and more popular haunts in the surrounding area, and they’ll tell you that it’s what Napa and Sonoma were 20 or 30 years ago. This 15-mile stretch of Mendocino County between Boonville and Navarro is quiet and unassuming—a place where children abound and many tasting-room employees bring their dogs to work.

Read the full article at wsj.com.

Winery Adventure: The Madrones, Philo

Anderson Valley is an elixir for the soul. In this maritime-influenced land of cool-climate Alsatian whites and pinot noir, weathered fence posts struggle to prop up dew-laden heritage roses, ancient water towers stand sentinel over vine rows stitched into steep hillsides, and barn roofs glow green with decades of moss. Time hangs like fog.

Yet there’s a sunny garden and a shiny new collection of tasting rooms awaiting you at The Madrones in Philo. Bink, Drew, Knez and Signal Ridge all pour Thursday through Sunday here — Signal Ridge and Bink are open daily — alongside a quaint garden shop called Sun & Cricket, crammed with eclectic books, antiques, garden tools, gourmet foods and a cheese counter. A new restaurant, Stone and Embers, offers lunch and dinner Friday through Tuesday. Stay put for a night in their cozy accommodations, and you’ll never want to leave.

Read the full article at MercuryNews.com.

The PureWow guide to Inspiration Highway

Call it a night at this charming nine-room boutique inn. Ask for a room in the recently refinished guesthouse, which is decked out in modern furnishings with quirky touches (like a large framed painting of an exotic bird). 

Read the full article at PureWow.com

Once Upon a Time

Until The Madrones opened, the quirky and still great Boonville Hotel was the only decent lodging in the valley. Cloistered buildings and courtyards house four tasting rooms featuring some of the best small-batch wines around, as well as a new owners’ cottage turned guest quarters. There’s no daily housekeeping, but if that’s what you’re looking for, fancy-pants, Napa’s an hour east.

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Winter escapes for the North Coast thrifty

Tourists come from all over the world to experience the rugged North Coast during the fall, but during the winter time, it’s pretty quiet. If you live here and yearn to get away in your own beautiful back yard, you can find lots of midweek discounts and special treats.

Here are a few resorts and inns that not only offer special deals and packages but have recently expanded with new rooms, restaurants and other amenities:

Up in Philo in the deep end of Anderson Valley, The Madrones estate has opened five new guest quarters, bringing the total accommodations to nine.

The Tuscan-style spread, which also houses four wine-tasting rooms, features an on-site restaurant, Stone & Embers, serving casual but refined cuisine from a wood-burning oven.

Read the full article at pressdemocrat.com.

10 Best Wine Travel Destinations 2015

Mendocino County has 107 wineries and more than 17,000 acres of vineyards, but it draws visitors for other pleasures like giant redwoods, Dungeness crab, wild chanterelle mushrooms, an exhilarating rocky coast and, yes, marijuana cultivation. Mendocino is laid-back, to say the least. A two-plus hour drive north of San Francisco through Sonoma County, traffic is practically nonexistent except for logging trucks. Tasting rooms and restaurants are rarely crowded, but lodging options are scarce except on the coast near the New England-esque town of Mendocino. Ukiah, in the warmer, drier inland valley along Highway 101, is the biggest city, with a whopping population of 16,000. Since 95 percent of the land in Mendocino County is rolling or mountainous, it offers plenty of bends in the road to explore.

Where to Stay

Anderson Valley’s most pampering hotel is The Madrones near Philo, which has the feel of an Italian villa and underwent a recent expansion by owner-designer Jim Roberts.

Read the full article at WineMag.com.

Lovers Of California Wine, Keep An Eye On Anderson Valley

Anderson Valley is the way Napa used to be. The region, squeezed in on the west side by Hendy Woods State Park and redwoods, with the Navarro River trickling nearby, is about 100 miles north of San Francisco. It has about 30 wineries. And its towns of Yorkville, Boonville, Philo and Navarro are so unpopulated that you wouldn’t even know you were in one if the speed limit didn’t drop from 55 to 30 mph. Boonville, the main town, is about four blocks long.

The valley’s beauty is what first attracted Jim Roberts to the area 25 years ago. He owns The Madrones — which sits on land that was once a rural homestead and repair shop — doubling its size in August to include an inn, gardens, four tasting rooms and a restaurant. Bink, Drew, Knez and Signal Ridge wineries have opened in the Madrones compound within the past four years, and last year, an alumnus of San Francisco’s esteemed restaurant Gary Danko opened Stone & Embers. There’s also a dovecote, complete with exotic doves.

Read the full story at npr.org.

Decanter travel guide: Anderson Valley, California

Knez (knezwinery.com) is a fairly new winery, producing Chardonnay and Pinot from some of the valley’s top vineyards: Demuth and Cerise. Its tasting room, as well as Drew’s (drewwines.com), is in the small complex known as The Madrones. Both wineries offer first-rate wines with finesse and poise.

Read the full article at decanter.com.

Will America’s Pot Capital Choose Wine Over Weed?

Today Cahn confesses “shock” at seeing 30 wineries in her once remote and quiet valley. Of course, it’s still quiet and remote—but the young energy is promising. Notes Jim Roberts, proprietor of Anderson Valley’s boutique inn, The Madrones, “There is a whole new group of young people here who are really into food and wine. It’s a gift to have that new energy in Mendocino.”

Read the full article at Forbes.com.

New Travel Deals: March 2014

Spring is on the horizon, so why not celebrate with a trip? We’ve found some great deals for destination weddings, honeymoons or weekend getaways. Read on for a little inspiration.

Split your stay between Brewery Gulch and The Madrones hotel with the “Land & Sea” package. This includes two nights at The Madrones, two nights at the Brewery Gulch Inn, two dinners, a winery tour, an outrigger canoeing or whale watching exursion and more for $1,425 per couple.

Read the full article at Destination42.com.

Winter ski and getaway packages blowing warm and cold

Where will this winter take you? Whether to warm climes or cold, here are some fun in the sun and fun in the snow deals that might feel just right.

California Dreamin’ in Mendocino County
With an internationally acclaimed wine country, towering redwoods and picturesque seaside villages, Mendocino County is a superb getaway with all the right inclusions. Meandering roads wind through deep valleys, rolling vineyards and awe-inspiring forests. This big, undeveloped county offers solitude and tranquility with a base in world class luxury.  Two properties: The Madrones and the Brewery Gulch Inn — have teamed up to offer visitors a “Land & Sea” package that highlights the best of both worlds.

The Land & Sea package includes two nights at The Madrones in the Anderson Valley and two nights at Brewery Gulch Inn along the rugged Mendocino coast (five days and four nights total), and is priced at $1,425 (not inclusive of taxes).

Read the full article at WashingtonTimes.com.

Top 100 Wines of 2013

RHONE-STYLE REDS

The big story for the Rhone-minded this year is a great spike in the quality of California Syrah. Not all of it by any means, but whether due to the chill of 2011 or a partial weeding-out of the less than obsessive, now is a time to take heart about the state of this wonderful but often under-loved grape.

Grenache continues to show its virtues, as does Mourvedre. In all, it adds up to a terrific time to be enjoying these varieties – and to discover both old terroirs like Napa’s Phoenix Ranch and new ones like Mark Adams’ patch of Paso Robles.

2011 Drew Family Valenti Vineyard Mendocino Ridge Syrah ($45, 12.8%): Jason and Molly Drew are less well known for Syrah, but this parcel at the western border of Anderson Valley shows the grape’s beauty on an obscure coastal edge. Tons of spice here – a mix of green and black peppercorns, and a mint-leaf freshness that builds on plum and wild blueberry fruit. Its savory side is astonishing in its depth, less meaty than minerally, with perfect focus in its flavors.

Read the full article at SFGate.com.

Gals Who Grow Grapes in Mendocino

Mendocino County is growing a name for itself in the wine industry and responsible for some of that growth is a few fabulous women winemakers. These gals are committed to making great wine, and their hands on approach has them tending to grapes in the vineyards and folks in their tasting rooms and wineries.

Deb Schatzlein, Bink Wines

Bink Wines philosophy says it all: “Wine is to be enjoyed – sitting around with friends and family, relaxing, and making the most of every day.” Winemaker Deb Schatzlein talent might have something to do with genetics; her grandparents made gin in their bathtub during Prohibition. Originally an engineer, she quit her day job to make wine, working her way from the ground up, mentoring in Napa Valley before planting roots in Mendocino County. Taste a sampling of reds, whites and their popular rosé in the Bink tasting room in Anderson Valley, right off Highway 128 in The Madrones.

Read the full article at 7x7.com.

24 Hours in Boonville and Philo

With each twist and turn in Mendocino County, you never know what you might find or what you might see. Follow Highway 128 West to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. As you pass through tiny towns like Yorkville, population of 317, the only traffic you’re likely to see are clusters of deer.

Pull into Philo

Mendocino Wine Country starts to shine when you arrive in Philo. Goldeneye is hard to pass by, with Balo Vineyards just across the street. Pull into The Madrones and you can walk and sip your way through four tasting rooms. For something tasty and unexpected, try the Bubbles at Signal Ridge. There’s also a garden store and restaurant. If you’re thinking of spending the night, The Madrones is the place to lay your head. The guestrooms are spacious and look like they’re straight from a Pottery Barn photo shoot. If you stay, be sure to check out the property’s secret garden.

Read the full article at 7x7.com.

Introducing Mendocino’s New Hot Spot… Philo?!

A lot has changed in the microscopic town of Philo since Jim Roberts opened his inn, The Madrones, three years ago.  Prompted by financial woes of the recession, Roberts transformed the design center and office complex he’d owned for 25 years into a quiet four-room B&B. Now, it’s an opportune point on the skinny ribbon of highway between 101 and the Pacific to lean over the iron railing of your hotel window and pretend you’re a vintner overlooking his cache of Syrah in Provence. In the mornings, Roberts (let’s just call him Jim), Jim delivers a continental breakfast to your door, Philo style—like a fresh-baked scone with hunks of strawberries poking out in little red triangles.

Read the full article at modernluxury.com. 

Changes in the Anderson Valley

The Madrones is a complex on the east side of Philo that houses four tasting rooms, a bed and breakfast, a nice garden/housewares store called Sun and Cricket, and a new restaurant – Stone and Embers.  We heard that Stone and Embers had good pizza and tried to lunch there; only to find it closed for a special event.  Signal Ridge is the newest tasting room in the Valley.  Currently they have rose and sparkling wine available for tasting but will release a Zinfandel and Pinot Noir in the spring. Bink has been in The Madrones for a while, but we missed it on our last visit.  The winery features Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet.  Staff at both Bink and Signal Hill were most welcoming.  We did not have enough sobriety left to visit Knez Winery and Drew Family Cellars but were told that both feature Pinot Noir.

Read the full article at winecountry.blueherontours.com.

Embers Only: A Critical Five-Table Getaway Restaurant

You’ve got a date. You’ve got your wheels.

Now all you need for a monumentally sexy getaway is miles of vineyards, fluttering Egyptian-cotton sheets and a turducken pizza.

Tell your phone to point you toward Stone & Embers, a postage-stamp-sized restaurant cranking out strange and wonderful wood-fired goodness, soft-opening this weekend at the Madrones in Anderson Valley.

Read the full article at urbandaddy.com.

Rustic getaway in Mendocino County

The bucolic vineyards, sheep ranches and apple orchards of Anderson Valley often race by in a blur as drivers navigate Highway 128 on their way to the Mendocino coast.

But as more wineries plant grapes in the valley’s cool climate and new restaurants open their doors, the rural valley is gaining a reputation as a destination.

“We’re getting a lot of day-trippers from Sonoma (County),” said Jim Roberts, owner of The Madrones in Philo. “I had guests check in today who said, ‘We’ve passed through so many times. … We just wanted to stay this time.’”

Read the full article at pressdemocrat.com.

Stone & Embers fires up Mendocino

The Madrones sits in the middle of nearly nowhere, a Mediterranean mansion and gardens on Hwy. 128 in Philo. But the luxury B&B complex with shops and wine tasting rooms has attracted a notable chef, Patrick Meany, who is opening a trattoria named Stone & Embers there later this month.

Read the full article at sfgate.com.

Breezing Through Anderson Valley

If you’re making a two-nighter out of your trip, I’ll suggest the hottest new spot for lodging, winetasting and hanging out: The Madrones, in Philo. It’s just across from the Balo tasting room. Madrones proprietor, architect and designer, Jim Roberts, has created a wonderful oasis with accommodations that have fantastic beds and luxurious linens, EO salon products in the well-tiled baths, and all rooms include coffee makers, microwaves and fridges.  Each morning, proprietor Jim delivers freshly baked croissants to your room, and your fridge will be stocked with juice and yogurt to help you face another brilliant fog-kissed morning in the Anderson Valley.

Read the full article at winefoodexplorer.com.