a ndErson vall E y Boonvill E, navarro, B , P hilo & yorkvill E

Anderson Valley, located between Cloverdale and the Mendocino Coast, stretches along Hwy 128. Yorkville marks its eastern end, Boonville and Philo are located in its center, and Navarro sits at its western terminus. The main highway is busiest on the weekends as tourists head to and from Mendocino Village and Fort Bragg on the North Coast. The valley is sparsely populated on mostly large parcels, with Boonville leading Anderson Valley in activity and population. The town holds another distinction: it has its own language, called Boontling. Widely used in Boonville during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there are still about 100 people who speak it fluently. An example: “harp a slib of the ling” (speak a little Boontling).

The Anderson Valley is filled with rolling hills, shaded with oak and madrone trees, and home to apple orchards, vineyards and colorful wildflowers. Some 1,000 acres of wine grapes are produced in the area, and many local wineries with tasting rooms are found there, primarily along Hwy 128. According to Food & Wine magazine, “Anderson Valley may be one of the best places in the country to grow Pinot Noir.”

MORE INFO: M EN d O c INO cOM/FE st I vals ht M l RoedererEstate.com

59Anderson Valley Wineries

The Anderson Valley Wine region, best known for its production of rich Pinot Noirs and smooth, dry, Alsatian-style Gewürztraminers, is the home of beautiful scenery as well as superb wines. The region is full of family-owned wineries that produce small batches of excellent handcrafted wines showing off the characteristic qualities that have made Anderson Valley a famous growing region. In this area you can even find méthode champenoise sparkling wines that originated in the Champagne region of France.

The area has a wide variety of tasting room atmospheres that range from the rustic aura of a former chicken coop to an elegant, French-inspired experience. Wine, art and beautiful natural scenery blend seamlessly in this fascinating region of Mendocino County. There is an established driving route that takes you past all of the region’s many highlights. If you’re on a tight schedule, Hwy 128, which runs east of Elk, splits the region right down the middle. See our wine section starting on page 37 for more on all Mendocino County wineries. MORE INFO: Visit Mendocino County, 866-GO-MENDO (466-3636) or 707-964-9010; VisitMendocino.com, AVWines.com

1 Roederer Estates

2 Gowan’s Oak Tree

3 Scharffenberger Cellars

4 Seawolf Wines

5 Domaine Anderson Winery

6 Anderson Valley Brewing

60Anderson Valley Brewing Beer Park

For over thirty years, Anderson Valley Brewing Company has been hand-crafting authentic craft beer in Northern California’s famed Anderson Valley region and is now transforming its Tap Room and brewery property into a Beer Park experience. The Beer Park spans almost 30 acres throughout its Boonville brewery property and redefines the concept of a beer garden. The Beer Park includes a 9,000 square foot “lounge lawn” with outdoor seating and picnic area along with an 18-hole disc golf course. Indoor seating is available in the renovated tap room along with 20 taps of everything from classic flagship beers to innovative and tap-room-only beer offerings including the highly allocated beers from AVBC’s sister brewery the Healdsburg Beer Company. Visitors are free to grab a beer and explore the property, play a round of disc golf or spend time in the tap room tasting through AVBC’s award winning line up of beers. There’s no fee for the disc golf course and the entire grounds and family and dog friendly. Check the events page on AVBC.com for the live music schedule, and check their Facebook page for updates on Farmers Market and food truck schedules.

WHERE: Off of Hwy 128, 17700 Boonville Ukiah Road.

MORE INFO: 707-895-2337, avbc.com