While I truly enjoyed touring the winery, my favorite part of the trip came the following day when our press gang got to unwind a bit. Our day was still full, but it was less note taking and more taking in the scenery. You know I’m going to tell you all about it!
Vintners Inn
But before we dive into my favorite day of the trip, let me just say how gorgeous Vintners Inn, where we stayed for two nights, was. First off, I had the great fortune of being the first-ever person to stay in my room. That was pretty cool to me. A whole room unspoiled by other people’s weird hotel habits? Sign me up! I totally basked in all that glory. I futzed with the electric fireplace (it changed colors!), sat on the patio and happily gobbled down all the cookies that arrived with the turn-down service.
What I loved most though, was the grounds. Vintners Inn, true to its name, had a small vineyard on site with a mile walking path through it. I woke up early one morning and took a stroll around. It was super peaceful. It was a good way to center myself before all the adventure to come.
Bodega Head
Like I said in my last post, I loved the rolling hills and greenery of all the vineyards in Sonoma County; they were absolutely beautiful. This being said, I was honestly surprised by how, well, brown the rest of the countryside looked. This was totally unusual to me. I was starting to think that calling this the Gold Coast was a clever marketing campaign. But then we made our way up to Bodega Head and I changed my mind.
Climbing out of the van, I wasn’t struck by much (outside the wind). Sure, there were some dunes, a few hikers and a couple picnic tables – all normal park stuff. But then I turned the corner and saw the cliffs overlooking the ocean. This was the trip for me. I braved the cold and the wind to stand on the edge of the cliff. I’d never seen the Pacific Ocean before. I had to take it all in.
Eventually, we were all beckoned to the picnic table for a small brunch – charcuterie and wine. With the cold wind whipping around, the Pinot noir went down well. After having my fill of sopresatta, one writer mentioned how there was a path down to the beach. I thought this park was just beautiful cliffs! I made my way down the path, Cuveé in hand, with a few other gals.
Of course, I had to feel the water. I do this no matter where I am. Out at Devils Lake for a hike? Maybe I’ll dip my foot in and see if swimming is out of the question. Lake Michigan in March? Let me just see if I freeze my hand off. The ocean was cold, but in that refreshingly bracing way. I loved it. I felt totally alive, especially when the waves came rolling in faster than I expected.
Hog Island Oyster Co.
After visiting Bodega Bay, we trekked over to Hog Island. This was the part of the trip I was most nervous about. The itinerary noted that we’d be eating oysters all afternoon, and I was not looking forward to it. See, I’m not a fish or a seafood person, and the thought of trying what’s likely the most polarizing kind of seafood around made me really uneasy. Would I look bad if I didn’t try any? What if they were disgusting? What if I got hungry after all the not eating seafood?
But I shoved those questions to the back of my mind. Instead, I hunkered down at the table with the crew and grabbed a knife (and a glove – don’t worry). I watched the tour’s greatest oyster enthusiasts shuck a few and I decided I’d go for it. I surprised myself by prying it open fairly easily (at least for a first-timer, I think). I told myself all you have to do is swallow – it can’t be so bad. But then the winery’s chef piped in: “Try the first one plain and chew it once or twice.” Oh my gosh, whyyyyy? Powered by wine, I did so dutifully. And it wasn’t bad!
I tried the next with a squeeze of lemon and found I liked it even more. It was salty and briny – I could live with that! I spent the rest of the afternoon sipping on that Sonoma-Cutrer Grand Cuveé and trying different oyster combos: raw with lemon, with hot sauce, grilled with garlic-herb butter, grilled with sausage and bacon. All were great. As we slid into the afternoon, I was getting those summer camp feelings. You know, that temporary high, those close temporary friendships. I half expected us to start making bracelets. Instead, we just chatted about pets and secret shame dinners (you know, like tater tots and hot dogs or – my new favorite courtesy of one gal on the trip – Doritos sandwiches). Oh, and we sang on the bus ride back to the hotel – all the classics like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Landslide” and “Jumper.”
The trip wound down with a stunning dinner at John Ash’s restaurant at Vintners Inn. It was absolutely exquisite. My one regret is that I didn’t leave enough room for all of the short ribs. I stand by finishing every bit of my apple tart, though.
Alright, folks, that’s enough of my California adventure. I’m so incredibly grateful for the experience. And now I have a few new favorite wines to boot.
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