Rustic Wine Country
Twenty-five miles northwest of the Cloverdale turnoff
on Highway 101, Boonville is the center of an
agricultural area based on orchards and sheep farming.
Recently, the establishment of a growing wine industry
here has broadened the economy and brought many more
travelers to the Anderson Valley.
The valley is the newest and a fast-growing wine
region, boasting new wineries each year. A tour of the
valley offers much in the way of winery visiting and wine
tasting.
Not always friendly to visitors, Boonville residents
invented a language of their own in the late 1800s --
called "Boontling" -- to keep their conversations
private. The language has become a part of the valley
folklore. There's a handy guide to Boontling titled
A Slib of Lorey (A Little Bit of Folklore)
available at local stores. The telephone is "telef" or
"Buckey Walter;" men are "kimmies"; women are "dames"; a
meal is a "gorm."
West of Philo, Greenwood Road offers a sideroad drive
south of the Navarro River. This is a scenic alternative
way to get to the coast.
Where to Stay and Eat
Boonville boasts several good restaurants, and
the outstanding Anderson Valley Brewery, supplying
some of the best microbrews in the country.
Boonville is home to 700 people and has several good
bed and breakfast homes. Toll House Inn
(707-895-3650) is the best of the lot&emdash;a 1912
Victorian farmhouse on 360 acres with fireplaces in the
rooms, a garden with a hot tub, antique furnishings, and
full breakfast is served.. Dinner is available in the
excellent restaurant. Another fine place to stay is the
Anderson Creek Inn (707-893-3091) a modern ranch
house with four rooms, fireplaces, swimming pool,
library, bicycles for exploring the countryside and full
breakfast. Picnic baskets are available on request.
Bear Wallow Resort (707-895-3335) is four miles
west of town on Mountain View Road with one and
two-bedroom cabins set in the redwoods. Prices are
moderate, including the cost of meals served in the
Dinner House restaurant.. The restaurant is closed
during winter months.
New Boonville Hotel is a rustic and ramshackle
place, which has quite a remarkable restaurant with
California cuisine the specialty, using locally grown
fresh vegetables and herbs, plus local lamb).
West of Boonville, Philo marks the beginning of the
winery area and here the Anderson Valley Inn
(707-855-3325) provides B& B accommodations in its
seven rooms. The inn is located on Hwy. 128 ($).
Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast (707-895-2961)
has four rooms in a modern home with a swimming pool.
The Anderson Valley has become home to a growing group
of artists and crafts people. Philo Pottery Inn
(707-895-3069) offers the intriguing combination of a bed
& breakfast operation with a pottery gallery and
store that displays local crafts.
