Celebrating our wedding anniversary is often about recreating moments from our honeymoon, where we spent two weeks riding a rented motorcycle on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from L.A. almost to Oregon. We were living in New Jersey at the time and we were simply enthralled by California, the coast, and the vineyards we saw from Santa Barbara to Mendocino.
For our 10th anniversary in 2009, we visited Bodega Bay, arguably best known for its portrayal in Hitchcock’s film, The Birds. Grotesque images of attacking birds notwithstanding, the town is a fun, friendly, and oddly small place, given its prime position just north of San Francisco and on a beautiful stretch of coastline. We stayed at Bodega Bay Lodge, which I highly recommend for its beautiful rooms and resort feel, along with its delightful restaurant, The Duck Club.
One of our favorite haunts in Bodega Bay is a little place right on the bay, Gourmet Au Bay. This tiny wine shop more than makes up for limited floor space by having an outstanding selection of wines and just about the best way to taste them that I’ve ever experienced. After selecting your tastings, the friendly staff slide your glasses into a boat-shaped holder, and you trot your happy self out to their deck overlooking the bay. Part of it is enclosed for those famously foggy and/or rainy northern California days, and part of the deck is bathed in sun (when it shines.) Many a time we’ve sat in the sun, soaking in the view and tasting one wonderful wine after another. Pure bliss!
Wines Tasted:
Napoma Zinfandel 2006 ($20)
A very smooth, spicy, and juicy wine with notes of black cherry, cinnamon, briar, and clove. Not a particularly bold wine, and the finish was quite smooth for a zin. I gave this a 7 out of 10.
York Creek Cuvee Red Wine (blend of cabernet/merlot/petit verdot/pinot blanc) – Non-vintage
This had an odd nose of toast and yeast. The wine was spicy and a bit tannic, with notes of vanilla and current. I thought it would pair best with red meat, and gave it a 6 out of 10.
Lapis Luna Petit Syrah (I did not note the vintage…oops!)
The nose was a little floral and slightly musty, which I found off-putting. The main notes were of dark plum, blackberry, and black pepper, and the wine was rather tannic. The middle was rather bland, although the finish was smooth and creamy. I did not particularly care for this wine, I prefer a Petit Syrah with a better balance of fruit/floral/spice, so I gave it 4 out of 10.
We dined at The Duck Club at Bodega Bay Lodge on 6/7/09 , and had two pinot noirs, a Kenwood and a Sebastiani. Both were just okay, so I made very few notes. The food, however, was divine. Maybe I should start a food blog?
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