Not far from well-trodden central Napa-Sonoma valley, there is a magical place where winemakers craft new tastes from old world vines. The drive out from San Francisco is well worth it. You’ll pass enchanting redwood forests and murmuring river coves. Then - just over the sweeping foggy ridge - discover the romantic tucked-away enclaves of California’s north coast ocean trail. Here are three unique road trips centered on viticulture, rustic getaways, and idyllic hideaways

I. From hippie to hip in Healdsburg

There’s a reason Healdsburg is a favourite with San Francisco locals. First, it’s an hour’s straight shot on highway 101 from city to wine country. Secondly, not one, but three wine regions - the Russian River, Alexander and Dry Creek valleys - converge near Healdsburg. And most of all, herein lies pinot noir’s lesser-told story - a north coast alt lit to the blockbuster Napa-Sonoma central valley. Small batch winemakers here are determined to bring the sultry grape to its most individualistic expression of terroir, or “sense of the land” in Northern California.

But it’s a challenge. Pinot noir grapes require careful climate control and must undergo a complex fermentation process. With focused care, though, they can deliver a singularly stunning sensation. Healdsburg winemakers amp up these big flavors. It helps that the town is small enough that many of the region’s tasting rooms are within walking distance. No more tipsy stumbles onto tour coaches.

La Crema is a good start for your first plunge into the grape's house style: garnet hued, with hints of strawberries and rose petals. Next door, Stephen & Walker shares this basic beat. Then, cross the town square to sample Alan and Serena’s quirky spin at Cartograph. Their vines are pulled from around the region including the rugged Mendocino ridge. Wine nerds geek out on the Floodgate or Perli lines: earthy, challenging, filled with berry notes clipped with smoked spruce. Nearby, Banshee Wines counters with vines drawn from even more remote vineyards to blend some of the smokier, sturdier, and spicier pinot noirs in town. Super shiok with roast pork or char siu rice! For an offsite winery visit, do Copain. There’s a small fee online, but you get to see and taste with one the valley’s most innovative winemakers.  

The town is also a foodie hideout. Barn Diva is an exuberant mash up of art gallery, craft cocktails, and seasonal barnyard lúxe foods. At Bravas Tapas, local ingredients run gloriously amok in an Andalusia outdoor boîte. Go wild on pork cheek mini burgers spiked with piquillo peppers, salsa verde, chased with a Basque txacolina fizzy white wine. Parish Café, at the edge of town, slugs sugar and spice with New Orleans-style beignets and amazing jambalaya. For even more feisty fare, Mateo Granada’s Mateo Cocina Latina, protégé of Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen and Spoonbar across the street, serves buzz worthy Yucátan fare coupled with a well-stocked tequila bar. Finish with Noble Folk hand made ice cream and pies. The cheerful cardamom salted caramel vanilla reflects the joyful view of the nearby town square, replete with an old fashioned bandstand. 

Healdsburg has evolved from a hippie hideout to a nonchalant cool that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Chill out at the mod Tuscan Hotel Healdsburg, or bunk in at the green friendly H2 Hotel. Both feature loft-like airy spaces with sun drenched rooms, sunken baths, and awesome heated pools. The former has a spa, but small luxuries like Akoia Day Spa are also a treat. If all this sounds too tepid, there’s always cutting edge art at the Slaughterhouse, an abattoir turned gallery that doubles as a late night hangout. 

II. Redwoods meet Riesling in Anderson Valley

There really is such a place called The Greatest World Famous Hamburger and Ranch & BBQ. Welcome to Cloverdale, a town forked off the 101 highway. Travelers to the ocean make this a homey pit stop for Kansas-style smoked ribs and down home fried chicken. Sustenance before you hit coastal Route 128 to take you into the valley.

Many stay at the Philo Apple Farm before they start on the valley’s wine groves. Hush now, as starry night skies blanket rustic cabins set along apple orchards in this wifi and tv-free zone. The heart and hearth feel is typical of Andersen Valley’s vintners, too. They toil as family winemakers in this rugged high ridge valley. They stay in super hot temperatures during the day, and make do with rapidly cooling nights when banks of ocean fog roll in. The payoff? A fantastic showcase for fabled Rhine-based grapes like Riesling, one of the world’s three noble white grapes.

Slaphappy from the valley’s tough climate, riesling’s teutonic hardiness starts to soften to lush flavors; honey crisp apple, stone fruits, and in premium vintages, a racy petrol-like mouth feel. Spicy curries, even a punchy laksa, pair well with its wide fruit long acidity profile.

At Greenwood Ridge, Allan Green was the first few to experiment with Rieslings while winning several awards along the way. Navarro Vineyards, too, was one of the earliest to adopt these Rhine vines. While it continues with a stellar riesling collection, the growers also focus on the flowery Gewürztraminer, another German-Alsace grape. Try their local Edelzwicker, a zesty combo of riesling and gewürz grapes rarely seen in local Singapore restaurants. At Husch, hit the delicious gewürz late harvest dessert wines. Its creamy sweetness is created from “noble rot,” a deliberate growers’ act to allow friendly spores to mature grapes till over ripeness, forcing out super duper flavours of eternal spring flowers.

Tucked away at valley’s end sits Roederer Estate, a discrete American outpost from the French makers of the hyper bling Cristal champagne. Inside a tasting room fronting rolling hills, sip a seasonal L’Eermitage Rose sparkly. The bubbly is a delightful blend of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, a stylish coda to your valley tour.

And just as you take that last turn from the wine groves, the valley’s bucolic magic revs up again. The Navarro Redwood forest is a fairy tale of speckled sunshine on giant trees, mossy riverbanks, and shy forest creatures. This 18-kilometer redwood pass forms a primeval tunnel along the Navarro River before disgorging onto the vast Pacific Ocean. Spend some playtime in the Paul M. Dimmick Campground as deer, foxes, and kingfishers curiously wander by. Much like what the native Pomo Amerindians saw as first settlers in this magical forest.

But paradise is a funny business. Everyone wants a piece, and they are usually brusque about it. First, British explorers came land plundering in the early eighteenth century. Russian fur trappers followed. Then came the American loggers that stripped the mighty trees to the stumps while floating the lumber down river towards the Gold Rush boomtown San Francisco of the late 1800’s. It’s a wonder the now protected second growth Redwoods made it so far for all to enjoy. Look for the Driftwood beach near the river mouth to reflect on the good vibes of landmarked conservation as the ocean roars ahead.

III. Talk to me of Mendocino

Close your eyes, and you’ll hear the sea. Route 128 ends just over the fog ridge before joining the Pacific Shoreline highway. On this ocean route, the scenery takes a dramatic turn from lush greens to majestic marine headlands tumbling into azure surf. Its foggy coves were once littered with shipwrecks from days of yore. Now, they are strewn with some of the north coast’s most idyllic hideaways.

Start at the Little River estuary to make the Inn at Schoolhouse Creek your snuggles basecamp. Romantic ocean cottages have full sea views and a range of spa services. Or, relax inland at Glendeven Inn’s modern farmstead. Huge rhododendron and rosemary alcoves lovingly scent inviting contemporary cottages.  The Van Damn State Park with glorious walking trails surrounds both. There’s a half hour comfortable stroll along the ocean. For a more tricked out trek, take a two-hour ramble into the faraway feel of Fern Canyon. In the vast shaded canopy, a prehistoric flora diorama awaits. Catch your breath for supper at Wild Fish, where the daily catch is sustainably sourced from local purveyors.  

Up shore, Big River offers even bigger drama, not least with the infamous San Andreas Fault running underwater along the Mendocino coast. As they say, dramatic earthquake zones make for even more dramatic landscapes. Witness the mighty Big River. It’s been a hot bed for salmon fishing since the last Ice Age. These days, the sheltering skies entice travellers to hang out in barefoot luxury at Stanford Inn by the Sea, famous for its wellness activities including yoga, swimming, meditation and river canoeing.

Perched on the inner banks of the stunning Mendocino Headlands park is the village itself. Mendocino, population 894 (according to the most recent census), went from a fading lumber town in the late nineteenth century, to a blooming artist colony during the bohemian 1960s. Today, it still attracts travelers from afar to its quaint surroundings and folksy feel.

As the late morning fog burns off slowly with the rising sun, get a feel of the town’s history at the Temple of Kwan Tai, one of the oldest joss houses along the rural north coast. This registered landmark is set in a striking red and green traditional wood house. Immigrant Chinese in the late nineteenth century fled the south coast Californian gold mines and settled here. The temple was a safe house - a remembrance of their past, and hopes for the future in the new land. Next stop, the Mendocino Art Center, founded by Bill Zacha in 1957 as part of the village’s revival. Regional artists still work here, continuing the town’s artistic beat.

Stop for a sunny outdoor lunch at Trillium Café before strolling the main streets. Water towers, restored seaside homes, whale sightings and scented gardens dot this picturesque Victoriana. Several “Murder She Wrote” episodes were filmed here, back dropped by wondrous windswept scenery. As the afternoon wanes, catch the sun setting over the ocean from the shore. Then, head to Café Beaujolais for a quiet French inspired supper. Lovely gardens and local wines complete the ethereal setting in one of the north coast’s loveliest coastal villages.