Half a day in Philo
A truly lovely time in the Anderson Valley
A lovely Columbine on a lovely day
There is so much to do and see and taste and experience in the Anderson Valley. From Navarro to the Yorkville Highlands, there are dozens of wineries, a majestic state park, a good number of tasty restaurants, four different communities with their varying quirky community stores, rolling hills of grapevines dotted with fluffy sheep, apple orchards… If you really wanted to take your time and explore all the nooks and crannies, you’d probably be there awhile! So whenever we get the chance to go spend some time out along the meandering route of Highway 128, we jump at it, eager to revisit favorite spots and find something new to add to the list of places we can recommend. This last weekend was one such opportunity, so off we went for a lovely half-day focusing just on the Philo area.
A glorious day at Goldeneye
First up, a late morning reservation at Goldeneye… Oh how beautiful! The weather was perfect as we pulled up, with bright skies and warm spring air brushing along the gorgeous blooms and graceful trees that filled the gardens. Monica met us at the table out front and, after a couple of COVID formalities, offered us chilled glasses of their crisp 2020 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir as she lead us around the garden path and out back. We passed through an arbor heavily covered in blooming wisteria and saw the gorgeous view of lush gardens spreading out to meet spring-green vineyards, which themselves rolled slowly up into redwood-cloaked hills in the distance. It was the perfect day and the perfect view, and we savored it fully as we meandered the lawn with glasses in hand, contentedly waiting for our table to be prepared.
And once we were seated, what a lovely tasting it was! Monica explained some of the stories and nuances of the different wines she had placed before us, then left us to sip peacefully away. Conversation flowed freely in the comfort of the well-appointed garden as we compared notes on all the wines in between discussing everything from childhood memories to the current state of affairs in the world to – oh look! There’s a hummingbird over there! The tart dried cherries and marcona almonds that Monica had set out paired perfectly with all the Pinots, and when she brought us a little taste of the 2017 Brut Rose, we were in heaven.
Perfect view for an afternoon of wine tasting
After lingering as long as we could in the sun-warmed glow of Goldeneye’s back patio, we decided our rumbling tummies could no longer be ignored, so with a friendly adieu from Monica and a couple of bottles in hand that we couldn’t leave without, we hopped back in the car for the incredibly short drive to The Madrones right next door.
Garden dining at Wickson in The Madrones
If you haven’t been to The Madrones yet, this charming little complex of buildings just outside of Philo has got pretty much everything you could possibly need to make a day in the Anderson Valley complete, including a great little restaurant called Wickson, a gift shop for essentials, a classy apothecary, three wineries, and even lodging. First stop for us had to be Wickson – we were hungry! It was a sweetly casual spot, with a simple yet intriguing menu. We ordered inside then picked out the perfect table in the shady garden out back, listening to the birds and the breeze around us as we waited for our food. And oh how tasty it was when it arrived! Each dish was at once relaxed and refined, with obviously quality ingredients and an artful combination of flavors and presentation.
The Anderson Valley Tasting room for Long Meadow Ranch
Sated, we walked to the other side of the courtyard for a visit to Long Meadow Ranch, because we had heard that this winery had fresh espresso among its various offerings – and some of us stood in need of a little zip right about then. We couldn’t resist a tasting flight of their white wines either, which were all enchantingly light and crisp. And for all you wine folk who are horrified right now that anyone would so insensibly try to enjoy white wine immediately after having a latte, never fear – the coffee drinkers stuck with the coffee and only enjoyed the wines vicariously through those not indulging in a little caffeine. We did all, however, delight in the olive oil and red wine vinegar tasting that Mark brought out for us. All three of the oils, which come from trees on one of their four Northern California estates, were complex and delicious. The Limonata was particularly outstanding, as we could really taste the brilliant tang of the estate-grown lemons, which had been pressed with the olives themselves, blending the olive and citrus oils perfectly. It got us dreaming about all the tasty, tasty salad dressings we could make with it at home…
A latte AND wine? Why not?
Not quite ready to end our little half-day excursion as we stashed our newest round of purchases in the car, we turned down Philo-Greenwood Ridge Road on our way back west to make a leisurely stop at the Philo Apple Farm and their self-serve farm stand full of homemade goodies. Apple cider vinegar and fresh apple cider secured and dollar bills dropped in the honor-system cash box, we strolled a short stretch along the one car bridge crossing the Navarro River just outside the gate and looked down to watch how the water slowed and swirled around the swimming hole below. There were still a few locals enjoying the last of the day’s brighter bits of sunshine down on the water’s edge – an idyllic picture to say the least. We could see one or two of the families packing up their things though, and it reminded us that we too were just about ready to bring this lovely day to a close and go home to take a nap!
Goldeneye is open Thursday-Tuesday, 10:00-4:00. Reservations required.
Wickson is open for lunch Friday-Sunday, 12:00-2:30. No reservations. They also serve dinner Thursday-Monday, 5:00-7:30. Mondays are pizza night! Reservations required for dinner.
Long Meadow Ranch is open Thursday-Monday, 10:30-5:00. They seem to have no reservation requirement that we can find.
Words and pictures by Laura Hockett