Picnic Time!
How to have a great picnic in the Anderson Valley
What better day and place for a picnic?
How many of us have been scrolling through more social media posts than normal lately since we’ve generally been stuck at home? And how many wonderful posts have we seen from our favorite wineries and bakeries and restaurants and getaway spots teasing us with all the delightful things we can’t have, can’t experience quite yet? Argh! Scrolling has been such torture at times over these past three months. Well we couldn’t handle it anymore, especially when Toulouse Vineyards announced a special deal for getting a bottle each of their Goose Bubbles and newly released Vermouth and when Pennyroyal Farm announced that their phenomenal Laychee cheese had come back to production on the fresh breeze of spring.
A portion of our picnic feast
We jumped up off the couch with a shout. “That’s it! It’s time for a picnic!”
We called up Toulouse right then and there and ordered that special pack of Bubbles and Vermouth.
We held a picnic council and discussed the logistics of charcuterie, crudités, fresh bread, olives, hummus, and pâté.
We peered at the forecast while discussing location.
We mapped out a plan of attack, complete with a stop at Pennyroyal for the Laychee.
At last, leaving one or two details to sort themselves out along the way, we packed everything up and went!
We highly recommend this Toulouse Vineyards pairing of Rita’s Vermouth & the Goose Bubbles. It’s fantastic!
If you haven’t tried this cheese yet, you most definitely should. This particular container is the one we got the next day after the picnic to have at home because we had eaten it all and were hankering for more…
First, a quick stop at Toulouse Vineyards for our curbside delivery of that precious liquid duo. How lovely it would have been to stay a while, but ah well, someday soon when things begin to return to something sort of normal… With the wines safely stowed, it was on to Pennyroyal Farm on the eastern edge of Boonville. As they couldn’t yet allow anyone inside, we called in our order for the Laychee and wandered around outside with the chickens and flowers while waiting. It was such a beautiful day, such a beautiful way to lead into our afternoon of picnicky feasting. Our second socially distanced transaction over, we headed back through Boonville to make a stop at Disco Ranch, a classy little wine bar and specialty market that made the Anderson Valley its home about a year ago. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get in a quick chat with owner Wendy, her warm friendliness shining out even through the subduing muffle of her facial covering, as we picked up some tasty little odds and ends for our table.
A must-stop for any picnic in the Anderson Valley.
Now for location. Well, if you’re in the Anderson Valley, it’s either got to be Hendy Woods or one of the wineries, right?! Or if all the wineries are currently closed by some pesky pandemic or other and you happen to have parents with property in the heart of the valley, like Sarah does, you traipse out with all your picnic trappings to the top of a secluded knoll with the vineyards along Highway 128 spreading out beneath you like a green and living quilt.
Such a lovely view
Oh it was lovely. To be outside in the sunshine and listen to the whisper of the free, fresh breeze through the grass. To stretch out and take in the wide world around us, clear for the moment of all the chaos and clutter of life. The worries of shuttered businesses, the stressors of home schooling, the tension of too much time indoors – it all drifted away with the clouds scudding by overhead as we gleefully arranged our feast on the picnic table in front of us.
Our feast awaits!
We sat and talked for several hours, the wine flowing generously, our plates continuously filling and refilling as the food on the table slowly disappeared. We marveled at the refreshing floral lightness of the Vermouth and delighted in the perfect balance of the Goose Bubbles (oh how delightful they were when combined!). We put Laychee on almost everything possible (our favorite combo of the day was a tender leaf of Baby Gem lettuce from Fortunate Farm wrapped around a dollop of Laychee and a smear of pâté). We popped the corks on some ice-cold Vouvray (which you can pick up at Disco Ranch) and Smith Story Sauvignon Blanc (a new favorite at The Madrones). We smilingly watched the dog as she alternately chased wandering sheep, laid on our feet, and begged for bits of watermelon in between long, leisurely bouts of petting.
How can you resist such a face?
At last, the bottles were down to their last few drops, the cheese was running out, and the light breeze that had been fanning our faces grew into something a bit brisker as it stitched the clouds together in a solid dome across the sky. It was time. We packed everything up and got ready to head back down the hill and towards real life, drowsy smiles tugging contentedly at our lips. Our hearts and our stomachs were full. This day’s picnic adventure may have been sparked by a quarantine-induced binge-athon on social media, but ah well. However it started, it was just what we needed.
Happy flowers
The chickens at Pennyroyal Farm out enjoying the sunshine.
Some of our favorite wineries for picnics in the Anderson Valley include Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger Cellars, and Toulouse Vineyards. Hendy Woods is great if you’re more in the mood for a backdrop of towering redwoods to go along with your meal.
Ferrington Vineyard, the private property where we had our picnic, is the home base of Fathers + Daughters Cellars, which many of you may be familiar with if you have stayed at the inn or gotten a chance to taste their lovely wines at restaurants and events along the coast.
And so the day draws to a close on Ferrington Vineyard…
Words & pictures by Laura Hockett