Wind Your Way Through California's Back Roads

Although grapes are thought to have been grown here as early as the late 19th century, Anderson Valley's increasingly visible stance as a producer of high-quality wines didn't really take root until the 1970s.

Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn, owners of Navarro Vineyards in Philo, were part of that wave of wine pioneers. Today the family-run winery, known for its gewurztraminer and pinot noirs and committed to sustainable viticulture, is an Anderson Valley must-see. Tours are arranged in advance, and the tasting room offers free pours. Buy what you like while you have the chance: Navarro sells its wines directly, which means that although you might see them on a restaurant list, you're not likely to find them on liquor store shelves.

Most Anderson Valley wineries are right off Highway 128, and many are in the valley's northwest end, referred to locally as "down valley." Other local producers to visit include Goldeneye Winery, Handley Cellars, Lazy Creek Vineyards and sparkling-wine maker Roederer Estate.

As you continue north, the road snakes along the Navarro River and zigzags through Navarro River Redwoods State Park, a densely forested corridor to the coast, before emerging within sight of the water -- if it's not too foggy to see, that is. From here it's about 10 miles on Highway 1 to Mendocino, a tidy village of wooden New England-style homes seemingly plunked down en masse atop a bluff licked by the wild Pacific.

Unwind in Mendocino

A logging port in the 19th century, Mendocino today is home to Victorian B&Bs and upscale inns, many of them popular with repeat visitors who book months in advance.