Three Delicious Days Exploring the Bounty of Western Sonoma County
Natalie Goble and Lowell Sheldon are leaning over the table, tracing a route on a map dotted with wineries, restaurants, cheesemakers and other local purveyors. The artfully illustrated map, the West Sonoma County Field Guide, is part of an effort organized by the chef-restaurateur couple to build community within, and encourage visitors to seek out, the bounty of western Sonoma County, locally referred to as “West County.”
“There’s such a strong food and wine community here, but it’s not always immediately visible to people,” says Sheldon. “Out-of-town visitors were always asking us about what to see and where to go, so we decided to create something that could serve as a guide to the unique combination of agricultural, culinary, outdoor and nature experiences we have here.”
We’re sitting in Lowell’s restaurant, Sheldon’s first project, now open 11 years and a standard-bearer for Sebastopol’s commitment to creative, locally sourced food. And we’ve just finished touring Fern Bar, Sheldon and Goble’s latest project that opened in December at The Barlow, a collaboration with a bevy of other local luminaries. Two years ago they transformed a former Foster’s Freeze into Handline, where tacos featuring fresh, locally caught fish and grass-fed beef lure large crowds on weekends.
“There’s something different about this community,” agrees Goble. “It’s more humble, and that’s where experimentation and creativity can thrive. We’re able to dream up these things and produce them because there are all these growers we can source from who are equally inspired.” The couple, who both grew up in Sebastopol, have become the center of a whirlwind of artisanal food production, much of it by people they’ve known as far back as junior high school.
“It’s about relationships and creating a community of like-minded people who are sourcing organically and sustainably and are united by respect for the growth and health of this agricultural community,” says Sheldon.
Ask people to define West County, and you’ll hear a variety of geographies, but it’s generally considered to be the area bounded by Highway 116 to the east and the Russian River to the north, and continuing west to the Pacific and south to the county line with Marin. And while it’s tempting to stay in the general environs of Sebastopol, which is ground zero for West County food and wine, some of the most exciting discoveries are to be had along the winding backcountry roads that connect smaller communities like Forestville, Graton, Occidental and Valley Ford.
“An important part of this experience is to have time to settle in and get out into the corners of West County, whether that’s driving down to Tomales Bay to see the oyster beds or going out to some of the smaller wineries that are doing new and exciting things,” Sheldon tells me.
It’s these thoughts I have in mind as I set out on my own road trip a few days later, map in hand and friend in tow. The plan: to sample the wares of as many growers, purveyors, producers, winemakers and chefs as we can fit into a three-day itinerary, while leaving ourselves time to explore West County’s wild beauty as well.
DAY 1
As soon as we turn off onto Highway 116, we can feel it—that tingle of adventure that comes with heading towards the ocean and away from the snarling traffic of the 101.We kick things off with a hearty breakfast on the sunny creekside patio of Fork Roadhouse, long a standby for farm-style fare. We share a kale and mushroom scramble and their French toast of the day, made with bread pudding.
Now we’re primed for a tour of the West County wineries earning respect for pushing the limits of cool-climate viticulture, growing grapes on steep slopes, west-facing ridges and valleys cooled by the fog that blows in off the Pacific in the mornings and evenings. For this reason, many wineries in the area specialize in Pinot and Chardonnay, grapes that not only survive and thrive in these more challenging conditions, but produce complex, earthy wines for those who know how to work with them.
Ken and Akiko Freeman have been here since 2001, making small-lot Pinots and Chardonnays with grapes grown on the property and at their Yu-Ki vineyard four miles farther west—and just six miles from the ocean. Tastings at Freeman Winery are intimate, appointment-only affairs held in the winery’s cave—the only one in this area—and include a tour of the winemaking facility and a visit to the adjacent vineyard.
Next on our list is Iron Horse Vineyards, considered one of the top makers of sparkling wines in the country. The rustic shed high on a hill that serves as their tasting room has to be one of the most picturesque in the area, with views over vine-covered hills and tables made from planks laid across barrels. The relaxed and informal setting perfectly suits these fresh, bright bubbles. To handle visitor demand in such a tiny space, Iron Horse now requires appointments, but even on short notice it’s worth a call to see if they can fit you in.
Good wine calls for good cheese, of course, so we stop at Bohemian Creamery, where cheesemaker Lisa Gottreich makes and sells her wildly creative European-style cheeses in a rustic converted barn on her ridge-top ranch. Found in top restaurants around the Bay Area, from Chez Panisse and Masa’s to Dry Creek Kitchen and Cavallo Point, Gottreich’s cheeses are the “stinky, moldy, gooey” kind, as she puts it: “I don’t try to hide the fact that these are living, breathing creations.”
Gottreich credits the start of her cheesemaking to her love of goats— she now has 91 of them—but she also uses sheep, cow and buffalo milk in her cheeses, sometimes in combination with other local ingredients and all adorned with imaginative names. Flower Power features specks of bee pollen, Surf and Turf is rolled in local nori seaweed, and The Bomb is washed in Consecration Beer from the Russian River Brewing Company. But don’t count on finding those specific cheeses when you come by—while Gottreich has some regulars, she’s always introducing new varieties and taking others out of the lineup. “I get inspired and want to try something new and, before I know it, there’s a new cheese!” she exclaims.
From there we continue west to Occidental, where Bohéme winemaker Kurt Beitler maintains a tasting room showcasing his Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Syrahs that take their character directly from grapes grown at his ridgetop vineyards just five to six miles inland from the coast. [Editor’s note: See the full article on Beitler and Bohéme also in this issue.]
Dinner tonight is an easy choice: Friday night is pie night at Hazel in Occidental, and if that weren’t draw enough, we’re craving their signature wood-fired pizza and hearty, Mediterranean-influenced fare. Jim and Michele Wimborough, who opened Hazel in 2016 in the former Bistro des Copains, wow locals and visitors alike with dishes like Petrale sole with Manila clams and roasted chicken with smashed Yukon Gold potatoes.
After a dessert of honey lemon chess pie, we head down the road to our hotel, the Inn at the Tides in Bodega Bay. Just up the hill from The Tides Wharf, the Inn at the Tides is the perfect mix of casual relaxation and luxurious comfort. We finish the day with a night swim in the heated pool and a soak in the Jacuzzi, watching the stars come out through the steam.
DAY 2
Waking up to the high-pitched conversation of seagulls, we take our coffee onto the balcony and watch the fog roll back from the coastline until we can just make out the outline of bluffs and the waves crashing against the rocks below. We want it to clear because today’s first stop is Bodega Head, the high knob of land that protects Bodega Bay’s sheltered harbor, where we’re crossing our fingers we’ll catch sight of the humpback whales and occasional gray whales currently in the midst of their late-winter migration.
Getting out there is half the fun, as the drive loops along the edge of the bay, passing docks busy with the work of an active fishing fleet. Few people make it by without a stop at the Spud Point Crab Company, renowned for its chowder and crab sandwiches.
Next, we head north up Highway 1, watching the waves spray high against Gull Rock and Arched Rock and marveling that the dramatic vistas on this stretch of road that rival Big Sur’s in beauty are still so little known. Today’s hiking adventure is the Kortum Trail, which runs the length of the coast from Shell Beach at the south end to Goat Rock Beach at the north.
At Goat Rock Beach, located at the mouth of the Russian River, we amble down to the sand spit where harbor seals come to give birth and raise their pups. Ropes designate the pupping area and signs ask us to stand back, but with binoculars we get a good look at the seals’ playful interactions.
Having worked up an appetite, we head inland to Valley Ford for the fluffiest biscuits around at Estero Café, which serves up all-American comfort fare prepared “Slow Food”-style. Owners Samantha and Ryan Ramey have gradually expanded the café’s offerings since buying the longtime local hangout in 2014.
Later this spring, Karen Bianchi-Moreda will open a retail location of her Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery next door to Estero, where picnickers will be able to pick up her Italian farmstead cheeses, as well as other locally produced provisions before heading to the coast.
After breakfast, as we drive past herds of sheep and cattle grazing in green valleys, their newborn lambs and calves beside them, something Lowell Sheldon said comes back to me: “The farms are the anchor of West County—they’re not here for tourists, so they may not seem as approachable, but the fact that all the producers are here as working businesses is at the root of everything we do.”
One of our top food goals today is a visit to Wild Flour Bread, a wood-fired bakery in blink-and-you’ll miss- it Freestone best known for their dense, flavorful breads, rich in ancient grains. But it’s their scones I’ll drive miles for, moist with fresh fruit and spiked with cardamom and other aromatic spices. After sampling as many of the day’s offerings as we can reasonably get away with, we take cups of their spicy homemade chai into the bakery’s Eden like garden.
The drive along River Road through Monte Rio and Guerneville is fun this time of year, with the river below running high after the winter rains. We stop for a stroll through the redwood groves of Armstrong Woods State Park, often overlooked by those more focused on the river itself. The trees here, while not as ancient their old-growth neighbors down south in Muir Woods, are stately enough and the misty groves are remarkably uncrowded.
At dinnertime, a visit to Backyard in sleepy Forestville feels like stumbling into a friend’s rollicking barbecue— if the grill was helmed by chefs as renowned as Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire. The couple, who met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America, pride themselves on sourcing their ingredients as locally as possible, whether it’s the chickens from down the road or produce from their own organic Bee Run Hollow farm, and the result has earned them a Bib Gourmand designation by the Michelin Guide.
Backyard is a favorite hangout of local winemakers, who can often be found around one of the long picnic tables chatting about everything from growing conditions to local gossip. The buttermilk fried chicken, Backyard’s signature dish, is so popular that they now sell it in to-go boxes on weekends.
DAY 3
Our final day on this idyll begins with an early walk through the California Coastal Conservancy’s Bird Walk Coastal Access, where we stalk herons and egrets, and watch in vain for the bald eagles said to make rare appearances here. Across the Cheney Creek footbridge, we walk a stretch of two-mile-long Doran Beach before saying goodbye to the Pacific and turning inland.
Heading to the tiny town of Graton in the Green Valley just outside of Sebastopol, we find seats in the sunny dining room of Willow Wood Market Café and order up a couple of their wildly popular chicken potpies. Across the street is Underwood Bar & Bistro, Willow Wood’s more formal sibling, an Old World bar where people enjoy oysters and cocktails in a dark wood interior reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy.
The former site of an apple cannery, Graton was once Sebastopol’s rowdier cousin, but the rough edges have been all but smoothed out and today its two-block-long main street is home to several tasting rooms, along with an eclectic cluster of shops and galleries. At Bowman Cellars, a spacious sunny patio offers seating to enjoy tacos from the adjacent taco truck. At Paul Mathew Vineyards we learn about winemaker Mat Gustafson’s low-input winemaking techniques. Gustafson eschews commercial yeast in favor of the native yeast that occurs naturally in vineyards, resulting in wines that are aromatic and fruity, while remaining light, almost delicate, in nature. A standout in the Paul Mathew line is their Cabernet Franc, a Loire Valley red that’s the genetic parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.
A little farther south, on the edge of Sebastopol, we arrive at the tasting room of Horse & Plow, a biodynamic winery and cidery that’s become a destination in itself with its sunny patio and farm wagon stocked with produce, flowers and other local products. Owners Suzanne Hagins and Chris Condos met while both were working at wineries elsewhere in the state, and when they decided to put down roots, West County was an easy choice.
“A big part of healthy organic farming is diversity—you want to have not just grapevines, but orchards, dairies, flower farms and lots of grazing land, and that’s what Sonoma County, and particularly West County, is just bursting with,” says Hagins.
Horse & Plow produces 5,000 cases of wine a year, and in 2014 added hard cider, using more than 30 varieties of apples gleaned from local orchards. While wine remains their primary focus, the cider has been a surprise hit, now accounting for half of tasting room sales, Hagins says.
They’ve joined a growing community of fellow hard cider makers in Sonoma County, including Windsor’s Tilted Shed and ACE, Golden State Cider and Devoto Orchards in Sebastopol. Sheldon’s Lowell’s makes a cider too, as do several other wineries. “There’s a lot of interest and support, and it’s a great way to support a local crop,” says Hagins.
At this point we’re craving something sweet, so we make a quick stop at Patisserie Angelica in downtown Sebastopol, a local landmark recently purchased by Jennifer Bice, founder of Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery. We’re tempted by the bakery’s new West County High Tea, but content ourselves with a fruit galette.
We’ve made sure to leave enough time to tour The Barlow, a 12-acre outdoor market district composed of repurposed former apple-processing facilities on Sebastopol’s east side. The bustling four-block area hosts an eclectic collection of unique businesses including Spirit Works Distillery, several breweries and wineries, galleries, designers and other makers of all types. Taylor Lane, the Sonoma County–based organic coffee roaster, has a café at The Barlow, as well as its corporate offices and Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers produces its delicious signature British-style cheddar and Stilton-inspired cheeses here. At California Sister Floral Design, designers Nichole Skalski and Kathrin Green assemble locally farmed flowers into artful arrangements.
Food offerings at The Barlow include longtime Sonoma County standout Zazu, the newly opened modern Japanese and sushi restaurant Kosho Sushi, Kendra Kolling’s The Farmer’s Wife, grilling up quite possibly the best grilled cheese sandwich on the planet, and Barrio: Fresca Cocina Mexicana, where chef/owner Carlos Rosas serves beloved Mexican street food reimagined using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Village Bakery and Two Dog Night gelato-style ice cream round out the something-for everyone selections.
We’ve saved The Barlow’s newest addition for last—on purpose. Fern Bar, which lives up to its name as a lush oasis of garden-inspired cocktails, eclectic small plates and Beaux Arts décor, is the latest in Sheldon and Goble’s collection of unique and uniquely West County food and drink ventures. At Fern Bar, the pair teamed up with former Sebastopol schoolmate Sam Levy, who won renown—and Michelin recognition—as bar manager for Napa’s Meadowood, and Joe Zobel, head chef at Lowell’s.
Gia Baiocchi, whose The Nectary is a fellow tenant at The Barlow, is also a key partner at Fern Bar. At The Nectary, Baiocchi offers cold-pressed juices, kombucha, kefir and other concoctions made from locally grown fruit and herbs. At Fern Bar, those ingredients contribute to a dizzying array of housemade infusions, syrups and fermentations. Take the Hot-Blooded, which features a jalapeño– blood orange cordial, and Bar Manager Alec Vlastnik’s take on a Moscow Mule, made with rosemary-infused apple cider. My favorite Fern Bar discoveries were the mocktails, sophisticated nonalcoholic libations with depth and edge.
The network of longtime relationships that link the Fern Bar team epitomizes the artisan food and drink culture of West County, where the towns are small and people’s support for each other runs deep.
As Goble explains: “The dream of this thriving agricultural and artisanal food community is something we hold very dearly here.”
LowellsSebastopol.com • Handline.com • ForkCatering.com • FreemanWinery.com • IronHorseVineyards.com • BohemianCreamery.com • BohemeWines.com • RestaurantHazel.com • InnAtTheTides.com • Facebook.com/EsteroCafe • ValleyFordCheese.com • WildFlourBread.com • BackyardForestville.com • WillowWoodGraton.com • UnderwoodGraton.com • BowmanCellars.com • PaulMathewVineyards.com • HorseAndPlow.com • PatisserieAngelica.com • TheBarlow.net
