Weekend Sherpa
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09.29.11
Crush Coming On
It’s harvest season, and the wine crush is on! Here are three ways to toss some outdoor fun into your next wine-tasting adventure.
Industrial waterfront, tucked-away enclaves, zig-zagging freeways in the distance, ahhhh wine country! Make that Oakland’s urban answer to wine country, where an imaginative flock of winemakers have uncorked a grittier side of the grapevine in waterfront warehouses. The best way to explore this refreshing wine trail is by hopping on two wheels and pedaling south from Jack London Square. The first stop is just a mile away at the co-habitated warehouse of Dashe Cellars and JC Cellars. JC has a lineup of ravishing reds like the intriguing 2009 Smoke & Mirrors, an exotic Syrah-Zinfandel-Petite Sirah blend. Dashe scales things back with delicately balanced (and delicious) Dry Creek Valley Zins. Both places charge $5 for several tastings—refundable upon a bottle purchase. Back on the bike, continue south along the Embarcadero toward Irish Monkey Cellars (pictured). Its unassuming office park location is offset by a casual, indoor-outdoor tasting bar with a wine list currently exceeding 30 bottles. Sip quirkily described wines from Fumé Blanc (Sauv Blanc on steroids) to Primitivo (stepsister of Zinfandel). Wind down the tour with a picnic lunch at the new and nearby Union Point Park. Its nine acres of waterfont open space just south of the Embarcadero area shoreline is an ideal place to lay out the grub and toast East Bay ingenuity.
Dashe Cellars and JC Cellars are open Thursday–Sunday from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Irish Monkey is open Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. The ride begins at Jack London Square; bikes are available for rent at Bay Area Bikes. Ride southeast along the Embarcadero and then turn left onto Oak St. Turn right on 4th St. for Dashe Cellars/JC Cellars. Retrace your route back to Embarcadero and continue south. After approximately 2 miles, turn left on Livingston St. and left again into the gated office park for Irish Monkey Cellars. Union Point Park is then just another quarter mile farther down Embarcadero. Return to Jack London Square via Embarcadero for a 6-mile round-trip ride. Dog-friendly!
Dashe Cellars and JC Cellars are open Thursday–Sunday from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Irish Monkey is open Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. The ride begins at Jack London Square; bikes are available for rent at Bay Area Bikes. Ride southeast along the Embarcadero and then turn left onto Oak St. Turn right on 4th St. for Dashe Cellars/JC Cellars. Retrace your route back to Embarcadero and continue south. After approximately 2 miles, turn left on Livingston St. and left again into the gated office park for Irish Monkey Cellars. Union Point Park is then just another quarter mile farther down Embarcadero. Return to Jack London Square via Embarcadero for a 6-mile round-trip ride. Dog-friendly!
- Region
- East Bay
Grape Connection
Just like certain food pairings can enhance wines, walking from vineyard to vineyard can enhance your next wine country experience. Ditch the car and take a leisurely 3.5-mile (round-trip) stroll that connects two historic wineries in Sonoma. Start the walk at Sonoma’s Best—a rustic upscale new market on the east side of town that serves fantastic paninis and offers plenty of fresh fixings for a picnic. From there, it’s a 1.5-mile walk to one of the most beautiful (and friendly!) wineries in the valley: Bartholomew Park Winery has 400 acres of open space and organically farmed estate. You’ll be ready to quench your thirst with one of their crisp Sauvignon Blancs. Enjoy a picnic under one of the stately oak trees looking west across the vineyard. Then walk through the park by the gazebo, where you’ll find a secret shortcut leading from the southeastern part of the property to neighboring Buena Vista Winery; the ivy-covered stone building, one of the oldest wineries in the state, is a California Historic Landmark. Enjoy their premium Pinots and learn a little about California’s wine history—and the vineyard’s colorful founder—in the upstairs museum. Then it’s time to make the 1-mile walk back to Sonoma’s Best, where fresh gelato awaits, if you’re up for it. We knew you would be!
Bartholomew Park Winery is open daily from 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Buena Vista is open daily from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The one-way short-cut connector from Bartholomew Park Winery to Buena Vista (the gate doesn’t open the other way) is open Friday–Sunday. Park in the dirt across the street from Sonoma’s Best market (1190 E. Napa St. @ 8th St. East). From the market walk 200 feet east on E. Napa St., and then turn left on Old Winery Rd. In .25-mile. turn left on Lovall Valley Rd. (don’t follow the sign to Buena Vista). In another .25-mile, turn right on Castle Rd. and follow it all the way to Bartholomew Park Winery. Across the parking lot from the tasting room, follow the sign to the pavilion. Once at the white pavilion, follow the sign for the “park picnic areas” along a paved trail as it makes a figure eight around the lawn. Take the paved trail at the southern end of the lawn (not the one going over the stone bridge). Veer left at the old parking lot. This takes you to the gate for Old Winery Rd. Go through it, make a left, and you’ll reach Buena Vista within a few minutes. From Buena Vista, take Old Winery Rd. all the way back to Sonoma’s Best. Dog-friendly!
Bartholomew Park Winery is open daily from 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Buena Vista is open daily from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The one-way short-cut connector from Bartholomew Park Winery to Buena Vista (the gate doesn’t open the other way) is open Friday–Sunday. Park in the dirt across the street from Sonoma’s Best market (1190 E. Napa St. @ 8th St. East). From the market walk 200 feet east on E. Napa St., and then turn left on Old Winery Rd. In .25-mile. turn left on Lovall Valley Rd. (don’t follow the sign to Buena Vista). In another .25-mile, turn right on Castle Rd. and follow it all the way to Bartholomew Park Winery. Across the parking lot from the tasting room, follow the sign to the pavilion. Once at the white pavilion, follow the sign for the “park picnic areas” along a paved trail as it makes a figure eight around the lawn. Take the paved trail at the southern end of the lawn (not the one going over the stone bridge). Veer left at the old parking lot. This takes you to the gate for Old Winery Rd. Go through it, make a left, and you’ll reach Buena Vista within a few minutes. From Buena Vista, take Old Winery Rd. all the way back to Sonoma’s Best. Dog-friendly!
- Region
- North Bay
Star Attraction
It’s no secret that September and October offer some of the best weather on the Northern California coast. Which is why Pacific Star Winery shines brightly right now. Perched in postcard perfection right on the coast and 30 minutes north of Mendocino, Pacific Star isn’t your typical taste among the vineyards experience. Here, you’ll sip Pinots, Petite Sirahs, and Zinfandels amidst the rolling (or roiling) surf of the mercurial Pacific. While the tasting room itself doesn’t have an ocean view, the expansive bluff-hugging picnic grounds offer some of the grandest outdoor coastal seats. Tasting is $5, but to really enjoy the view, consider picking up a bottle of one of their signature blends (Dad’s Daily Red and It’s My Fault, at $14 per bottle, are perhaps their best) and enjoy it while sitting back and taking in the rugged coastal scenery from your Adirondack chair. You may even get lucky and spot a whale making an off-season sojourn. Gold star!
Pacific Star Winery, 33000 N. Highway 1 (at mile marker 73.58), Fort Bragg; 707-964-1155. It’s open daily from 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. No dogs.
Pacific Star Winery, 33000 N. Highway 1 (at mile marker 73.58), Fort Bragg; 707-964-1155. It’s open daily from 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. No dogs.
- Region
- Points Beyond
Free Ticket to Ride
Riding shotgun just got taken to a cushy new level with Amtrak®. Enjoy traveling through the Golden State without the hassle of rush-hour traffic or cumbersome TSA searches. Even better, right now Amtrak is letting a companion ride for free. That’s right, get your train ticket for the next weekend getaway, daylong trip, or family visit, and your companion gets a complimentary ride. Amtrak is one of the most relaxing ways to experience California’s breathtaking coastal views, national park icons, rolling vineyards, and sun-kissed foothills. Whether you’re taking a day trip to Sacramento or San Jose, or journeying to Yosemite or Southern California, your ahhhhhs begin the moment you step aboard. Relax in your wide, cushy seat while contemplating what food and wine you’ll pair with the gorgeous scenery rolling right outside your window. Trains are boarding all over the Bay Area and Northern California (plus there are convenient connecting Thruway motorcoaches for locations not directly served by rail). With Amtrak, your next great adventure starts the moment you board.
BONUS: Book your Amtrak train ticket and get a second ticket on the house!
The Capitol Corridor offers 32 daily trains serving Sacramento–Bay Area–San Jose, including connections to BART at the Richmond and Oakland Coliseum stations. The San Joaquin Route has eight daily trains connecting the Bay Area to the San Joaquin Valley, including Thruway Bus connections to Yosemite National Park and Southern California. See the full list of Amtrak Northern California routes.
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