This past weekend, Kara and I rolled up to Bodega Bay for an impromptu celebration of the engagement of our friends Richie and Erin.
Tucked along the Sonoma Coast, Bodega Bay is a small fishing town North of San Francisco. It’s a trip that should have taken us a little over two hours to accomplish, but after fighting rush hour traffic on Friday afternoon through San Jose, Oakland, and San Rafael it took us about three and a half.
We spent the majority of our first night in Bodega Bay celebrating the newly engaged couple with dinner, drinks, and a badass round of Apples to Apples.
A blast to be sure…
The next morning, we headed over to The Tides Wharf right along the Pacific Coast Highway to get some breakfast. While we were waiting to be seated, I walked out on the back patio to snap a few pictures…
The Thick Coastal Fog. The Signature of Bodega Bay.
To those not expecting it, the thick fog that covers Bodega Bay can come across as being quite eerie. It’s for this reason that Alfred Hitchcock chose this spot as the backdrop for his 1963 film, “The Birds”. Many of the scenes were filmed in the parking lot of The Tides Wharf.
Here’s a few of the local celebrities.
For breakfast, I ordered the Hangtown Fry…
The Hangtown Fry: Fried Oysters, Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns, and Rye Toast.
I love me some oysters, but I’ve never had them fried before. These ones were great. The outside was just crispy enough to give the oysters a snap without making the inside all rubbery.
After breakfast, we spent the rest of the day at the beach. Trust me… It was beautiful… Foggy… But beautiful. I’d show you some pictures, but I left my camera at the rental home.
After a fun day at the beach, and a tasty dinner, it was wine time.
On Saturday evening, we popped open quite a few bottles. Here are some of the highlights…
Rombauer Vineyards 2009 Zinfandel
Rombauer Vineyards 2009 Zinfandel:
Rombauer is a Napa winery that is more well-known for their Chardonnays, but I have always been a fan of their Zinfandels. Kara and I picked up this California Zinfandel on a trip to their tasting room. The fruit is 60% from their vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, with the other 40% from various vineyards throughout Northern California.
Color: Dark, dark burgundy red.
Nose: Raisin, cranberry, and plum fruit with red bell pepper and tobacco notes.
Taste: This is a big boy. Super concentrated plum fruit layered with sweet oak and tannins.
Score: This wine was a real crowd pleaser. It’s got that big fruit and alcohol that many folks love about Zinfandel. It does have that “smooth” taste that is easy to fall in love with. My only problem with this wine was that it didn’t bring anything else to the palate. A bit one-dimensional… You dig? 89
Haraszthy 2009 Dunbar Vineyard Zinfandel
Haraszthy 2009 Dunbar Vineyard Zinfandel:
Haraszthy is one of the oldest wine-making families in Sonoma County. The 2009 Dunbar Zinfandel is their first single vineyard wine.
Color: Dark red.
Nose: Black pepper, blackberries, and raspberries.
Taste: Green peppers, raspberries, and cranberries.
Score: A solid Zinfandel. A cool label. Give it a try. 88
De Loach 2008 Von Weidlich Zinfandel
De Loach 2008 Von Weidlich Vineyard Zinfandel:
Kara and I visited De Loach on our first wedding anniversary, and picked up this bad boy. The Von Weidlich Vineyard is in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County.
Color: Dark burgundy red.
Nose: Tobacco leaf, blueberries, blackberries, and bell peppers.
Taste: Tobacco and mint dominate the palate. There is a good black pepper spice, along with some blackberry and cranberry fruit.
Score: This was my wine of the night. Hella complex. Hella balanced. 89
The De Loach also had something in it that the other wines did not…
The cork was covered in diamonds… Wine Diamonds!
On Sunday morning, after saying our goodbyes to the newly engaged couple, Kara and I headed South on Highway 1 to check out some of the fishing towns of Tomales Bay. We stopped at The Marshall Store in Marshall, CA to get us some more oysters…
Oysters! Dope oysters!
If you’ve never had a chance to visit Bodedga Bay, and the surrounding areas, I would definitely recommend you checking it out.
It’s not just for the birds…
It’s for oysters too.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad 