Tasting room manager Janeann Erickson does an incredible job of waiting on several groups of people at a time and convincing each group they are the only ones in the room. The sparkling wines are dry, with wonderful bright fruit as well as great acidity and a tasty yeastiness. Their Syrah is particularly nice, with great concentration of flavor and a very long finish. But the most fun are their horizontal tasting of two very different Pinot Noirs made from grapes from two different vineyards and a great vertical tasting of Cabernet Sauvignons from the same vineyard, but several different vintages. The tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to 5:00. The winery address is 12700 State Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, CA  94956. The phone number is 1-800-516-1011.

In addition to this winery, Pacheco Ranch Winery is located about 30 miles east of Point Reyes in the city of Novato. They offer tasting of their Cabernet Sauvignon wines Tuesday thru Sunday by appointment. Call 415-883-5583 to inquire further. Their address is 235 Alameda Del Prado, Novato, CA 94949.

 The Route:
The bike ride we chose is a loop that started and ended in Point Reyes Station. It travels away from the coastal region, and into the inland redwood covered or oak woodland valleys. If you aren't a bicyclist, it makes a beautiful drive as well, so read below about what you will find around the route. The following is the specific directions to take to make the ride or drive:

Park at Point Reyes Station. Access State Highway 1 and ride south to the town of Olema, almost 3 miles. In Olema turn left on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and ride approximately 10 miles to San Geranimo. Just past San Geranimo turn left on Nicasio Valley Rd. Ride 7 ½ miles to Petaluma Road. Turn left on Petaluma Road and ride just under 3 miles to the turn right at the bridge to go toward Point Reyes Station on Point Reyes Road. Ride 3 ½ miles back and follow the signs to Point Reyes Station.

The ride covers just under 27 miles and has approximately 1400 feet of climbing.

Route Description:

The first three miles of the ride on State Highway 1 pass through a definite coastal region of tall grass covered pastureland scattered with oak trees. The road has a fairly wide shoulder and follows a climb so gently it almost feels flat, allowing for pretty good speeds. It takes almost no time to arrive in Olema, less than three miles from Point Reyes Station.

The quaint persona this little town exudes belies its wild, bawdy past. During the heyday of logging in the late 1800s, Olema was a center for saloons, gambling establishments and houses of ill repute that catered to the men who worked in what was then a remote and wild area. Today it is full of romantic bed and breakfasts, a few restaurants and some very unique specialty shops.

From Olema the route takes a left turn onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Immediately the road starts up a pretty stiff climb as it heads out of town. The climb to the top is about 450-feet creating some great views looking back down to the Olema Valley and Inverness Ridge. From here the road undulates up and down through some massive Redwood forests that all but block out the sun. The road is pretty wide for the next few miles until you get to an old bridge. At this point the lanes become very narrow and road surface is like a concrete driveway, complete with cracks just wide enough to grab a bicycle tire, requiring you to pay more attention to the road than the incredible scenery. Luckily, this is usually a fairly quite road with considerate drivers.

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