Northern California

By Pat Lindsey

I left my heart in San Francisco many years ago, so I was excited to have an opportunity to return to one of my favorite cosmopolitan cities this fall. We landed there on a Saturday, not knowing that the Blue Angels would be performing near the bay all weekend and throngs of people would be elbow-to-elbow on Fisherman’s Wharf. People were everywhere and I longed for the days when we could hop in the car and travel from one point of interest to another without dealing with bumper-to-bumper traffic. In spite of all those people, San Francisco had managed to retain its funkiness. The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, where we stayed one night, was the epitome of what I love about the city by the bay—funky elegance.

On Sunday, as we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and headed north, I hoped we would find some peace and quiet. It didn’t take long to get out of the traffic and into beautiful countryside not far from the Pacific Ocean. Our first destination in Mendocino County was Maple Creek Winery/Artevino on State Route 128, where I knew the frenetic pace of the big city would be erased from my mind.

MAPLE CREEK WINERY/ARTEVINO is one of the smallest and youngest of the 27 wineries in the Anderson Valley/Yorkville Highlands of Mendocino County and exactly 100 miles from the center of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its owner, Tom Rodrigues, bought it in 2001 after picking up a real estate magazine and the pages literally fell open to an ad for Maple Creek. The price and timing were right for purchasing the 164 acres, which was formerly a sheep farm and only one of ten wineries in the area then.

Since that time, Rodrigues has combined his artistic talents with wine-making. He designs all the labels for his brand, Artevino (Art & Wine), which can only be purchased in person or through the wine club at wine@maplecreekwine.com. His paintings and stained glass are displayed throughout the tasting room of the winery. Rodrigues is a self-educated artist who began making stained glass pieces before trying his hand at painting on canvas. His first attempt to paint a person is a painting of Cool Papa Bell that now hangs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. To this day, creating masterpieces of stained glass continues to be Rodrigues’s first love and wine-making his hobby.

The most important factor in wine-making is choosing the right day to pick the grapes. Brown seeds mean the fruit is ripe. Fifteen varieties of wine, ranging from dry to very sweet, are produced in this boutique winery. I think I tasted at least ten of them, but I lost count after trying Symphony. Rodrigues showed us the proper way to taste wine. He uses a minimum of sulfites in the fermentation process, which results in a nice, pleasant finish. Our wine-tasting was the perfect finish to a lovely Sunday afternoon at Maple Creek Winery/Artevino.

Dinner and our home for the next two days were waiting for us at the LITTLE RIVER INN at 7901 N. Hwy.1, so we got back into the car and headed up the winding, thickly forested two-lane highway, where Tom Rodrigues told us he loves to ride his motorcycle, to a beautiful inn overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our Little River Inn room was apartment-size, complete with a Jacuzzi tub, king-size bed, fireplace, and two rocking chairs on the deck overlooking the ocean. At sunset, all of our neighbors in the attached units were sitting on their decks waiting to raise their glasses of wine to Mother Nature’s spectacular beauty, as they listened to the tide crashing against the rocks.

Dinner was served in the restaurant and bar just a short walk down a hill from our room. The menu was extensive and the service was superb. We dined on scallops and bouillabaisse and went to bed quite content. It was a pleasure to wake up early in the morning, pull back the draperies, and look out at the beautiful coast. Then, it was back down the hill for breakfast in either a dining room with an ocean or garden view. The most difficult part of our day was deciding what to order for breakfast. It was an absolute delight spending two nights and a full day at Little River Inn and its surrounding areas before driving a short distance up the highway to Brewery Gulch Inn.

BREWERY GULCH INN has 11 rooms and a spacious lobby and common area that opens onto a large lawn overlooking the rugged coastline. The first things we noticed as we check in were the dozen Diamond Awards hanging on the wall behind the desk. They signify the excellence that this inn has earned for its impeccable service, delicious meals, and attention to every possible detail. We arrived in time for cocktail hour and the opportunity to sample more local wines and beers before dinner. It was also a good time to mingle with some of the other guests and sit on the patio to enjoy another gorgeous sunset. We met a newlywed couple, a retired couple from San Diego, and another couple from Ohio, who were staying at Brewery Gulch for their eighth time. They said, “We don’t have anything like this in Ohio.”

Cocktail hour transitioned into a light buffet dinner, where all the guests could help themselves to a lovely meal, more beverages, and dessert. One night there was not long enough, so we hope to go back. After dinner, the staff set up game tables in the dining area and showed us the extensive library of DVDs from which we could select movies to watch in our rooms.

Besides having DVD players and large TVs in all the rooms, our room had a fireplace, comfy chairs, a king-size bed, and a porch that looked out onto the ocean. The bathroom was fully stocked with everything we could have possibly wanted, including a loofa, a two-person tub, and ear plugs, in case snoring or a crowing rooster kept us awake. There was no doubt why Brewery Gulch Inn is a top award-winner. One night there was not long enough, so we will definitely put it on our list for a future visit. Travelers should know that there is a wide array of motels and inns along the cost in every price range. We were fortunate to stay in two of the best.

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