2 Fun Days Tasting Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Fantastic wines, au courant cuisine, sticker-price delight in Mendocino County.

Northern California wine lovers nostalgic for the days before glitz and high prices overtook Napa and Sonoma often head to the Anderson Valley. The bucolic Mendocino County wine region’s three dozen or so tasting rooms pour Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other wines reflecting the valley’s distinctive near-coastal microclimate. (The Pacific Ocean is as little as 10 miles west of parts of the 15-mile-long valley.) With restaurants serving au courant cuisine based on local produce and proteins, an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir tasting trip provides a low-pressure, high-quality wine and culinary experience.

. . . Stop by the Wickson Restaurant in the Madrones for a pizza or other wood-fired dish. If Wickson isn’t open, head to Lemons Philo Market for a deli sandwich before continuing to the Madrones for the next tasting.