Ocean Drive Along Highway 1 in Sonoma County

So many things were different this Memorial Day weekend. It definitely felt more somber with shelter-in-place orders. Its purpose also felt more glaringly obvious as we support brave healthcare professionals on the front line of our current enemy - COVID 19.

Every year when the weather warms up, the rains stop, and the roads dry up, we usually head to the coast in Sonoma County regularly to enjoy the mega sand box, calming sounds of crashing waves, hope of a whale siting, and the familiar cool, salty breeze. The change of scenery and perspective feels like a true adventure. With the parks still closed to encourage social distancing, we decide we would just drive by, take a look, and soak up the awesome Pacific views.

In Sonoma County, Highway 1 follows the coast for 56 miles (SF Chronicle). We focused on the stretch from the port town of Bodega Bay (Hitchcock’s The Birds, anyone?) to the delta where the Russian River meets the sea. For more history on the region, check the Sonoma County’s Coastal History.

In terms of wines and vines, the salty, cool air is vital to our micro-climate growing regions of the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley AVAs. Along with the foggy marine layer, the cloudy blanket that rolls inland and covers the sky in the evening, and rolls back out to sea in the morning, comes a daily cooling. This break in temperature gives the wine-grape-producing vines a much deserved and desired break. As the vines rest, the grapes maintain their flavor-balancing acidity. Cheers to that!

Here are some photos from our ocean drive.