Today I channeled MFK Fisher in Sonoma County wine country and the town of Glen Ellen, about 40 minutes north of San Francisco. The remarkable sage of food writing and gastronomic pleasure died in 1992, and her cottage retreat, “Last House,” is now part of the Audubon Canyon Ranch’s 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Chronicled in Luke Barr’s Provence, 1970, “Last House” was the scene of lively foodie gatherings by his great-aunt MFK and her other renowned guests like Julia Child and James Beard.
Glen Ellen is off the beaten path in Sonoma’s “Valley of the Moon.” The village presents itself more like a Gold Rush town than a swanky wine destination, quirky and bohemian with a few remaining brick and frame buildings from the early 1900s and deeply shady streets, crisscrossed by freshwater creeks, with sprawling Victorians, tiny cottages and simple ranch style homes. Ordinary people live and work around here – or they pretend to be ordinary while hiding out not far from the proliferation of luxury in Napa Valley next door to the east.
What to do in Glen Ellen
Southern Sonoma’s wines are classy, its farm produce abundant, its countryside exquisite and award-winning restaurants, both funky and upscale.
Turn of the century (the 20th century, that is), Glen Ellen had five hotels and two train lines and 12 restaurants. There were thousands of tourists. The devastating 1906 earthquake that did huge damage to San Francisco leveled Santa Rosa up the road and drove tourists elsewhere. Much of the beautiful land lay fallow for 60 years until the wine business reinvigorated the region.
Three country roads intersect at Glen Ellen’s center, providing many options.
For a terrific meal, one recommendation is Fig Cafe and Wine Bar, a casual chic relaxed getaway on Arnold Drive and a sister to the popular Girl and the Fig Restaurant in downtown Sonoma on the Square, a few miles southeast. Glen Ellen Oyster Grill & Martini Bar is situated creekside for an assortment of tastings at the Glen Ellen Inn, which has “secret cottages” nestled on the property.
The other direction up the hill are woodlands, hiking, and wine. Jack London State Park, celebrating the writer’s centennial, delivers stunning hiking and adventures into diverse ecosystems across the 80-acre preserve that the novelist (“Call of the Wild”) called Beauty Ranch. Jack and his wife Charmian entertained many guests in their home, London Cottage, between 1911 and 1916. He also had a dream of restoring the land and creating a sustainable farm. Docents or a self-guided tour will tell you more about their adventurous life and this historical site, where he died in 1916.
West and northwest of the village are a handful of wineries, such as Talisman, Laurel Glen and Meadowcroft. Among them, the Benziger Family Winery estate straddles an exquisite setting of rolling hills, tiered with vineyards, caves, and lessons about biodynamic (eco-friendly) winemaking. Its shady trellises and cool ponds were soothing on an excruciatingly hot day.
To the east and northeast are a dozen more, including Mayo, Ledson, St. Francis, Arrowood, B.R. Cohn, Chateau St. Jean, Lasseter, Landmark, and Kenwood. (If you are reading this after 2016, this is the region that in October 2017 had major devastation in the California wildfires, but it is coming back and worthy, as ever, of a day trip or overnight visit.
