Mendocino?
[Last updated 10/06] Unlike Napa and Sonoma, Mendocino county wineries haven’t (yet) become a tourist destination. This is in part because Mendocino county is more distant from the Bay Area than either of the more famous wine stops and cannot easily be visited on a day trip from there. For the visitor, what this means is a relatively unspoiled visit, with wineries happy to see visitors in a setting that is fabulously beautiful. Many people refer to Mendocino as what Napa and Sonoma were like 20-25 years ago. The two major centers of wine production in Mendocino are the Anderson Valley, centered in Philo, and the 23 mi stretch of US101 between Hopland and Redwood Valley. The Anderson Valley is a cool climate growing area, specializing in Pinot Noir and several different white varietals, most notably Gewürztraminer; the inland region features more red wines, especially Zinfandel. For a visitor staying on the coast in Gualala or Mendocino, Anderson Valley is the more convenient visit; fro
