The Society now provides personally escorted, guided, VIP sightseeing private tours of small, exquisite, and superior wineries in California's Napa and Sonoma valleys of California. 

These personally escorted, guided, private tours have developed out of our pages of "Places Named Bucklin", and the resulting society members' request to supply leadership in visiting the area. Tours include  special distinctive restaurants, an educational focus on history, with fun things to do, and visits to places that most tourists never see.  Read more about tours.

If you do not use our personally escorted tour service, here are some travel trips to make your visit to "a place named Bucklin" more enjoyable.

Sonoma Valley

In the Glenn Ellen area is the Jack London State Park, 24000 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, CA; (707) 938-5216, www.parks.ca.gov. There's hiking, horseback riding, a museum devoted to Jack London and the ruin of his home, Wolf House.

Glen Ellen (once the home of writer Jack London is north of the city of Sonoma.  Although the location of sophisticated people and wineries, et cetera, "country not fashionable" is the three word description of Glen Ellen. Glen Ellen's main street (Arnold Drive) has wooden sidewalks, clapboard cottages and a saloon. An example of the sophistication hidden behind the country is the Gaige House, a luxury hotel with a Victorian facade and Japanese-style suites.

Just south of the town of Glen Ellen is the Jack London Village, 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, CA 95442,  an old mill building complex now chopped into a few shops/ This old mill building has something to offer.  The almost unmarked Village is not designed to draw many people to its practically unmarked locations.  When we say "unmarked" we mean it.  You will drive past it if you are not careful. (See photo of what a drivers sees as he/she approaches the mill.)  As a landmark you can use the Eric Ross Winery, which is  located  across from the lovely Jack London Village. I'm not a big fan of the Eric Ross wines, but at least they have a map at their website, so take a look at the Eric Ross website map for directions to the Jack London Village mill complex.

Tucked in a corner inside the Village is a cheese merchant (Raymond & Co. Cheesemongers) which supplies huge wheels of cheese to restaurants and wineries for their cheese trays.  If owner John Raymond is there, his charm and quick hand carving a cheese and passing you a sample will quickly have you buying cheeses of superior quality.  Raymond says that San Youchin Gold is the best cheese in the world, and you may agree and buy some as we did. 

 Around the corner on the north end of the Jack London Village, and down overlooking the river, is La Estancia Argentine Grill.  Outside seating is great during the summer. La Estancia Argentine Grill, 14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442. Phone 707/933-0118.

Also at the Village is now Figone's Olive Oil Company. Owner Frank Figone was one of the first to press and sell olive oil in California, and his shop is a destination for serious cooks that cook with olive oil and want to taste before they buy. (The much written about Olive Press, that used to be in the Jack London Village, has more upscale surroundings in its new location in the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards Winery, 24724 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA.  Check it out at www.theolivepress.com )

North of the Jack London Village is the fig cafe and wine bar (That is not a typo, they use lower case in the company name), also on Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen.  The fig  is owned by the same person who owns the well known and more expensive "girl and the fig" in Sonoma. The fig in Glen Ellen has a simple menu .(If you call pot roast, chopped salad, duck confit, steamed mussels, and lavender creme brulee:simple.)  It does not take reservations, and there is often a wait unless you go early.   Open only at night for supper except open Saturday & Sunday 9:30 - 2:30 pm . They do not charge corkage on wine! Locals go in hordes and bring their own wine.  "the fig cafe & wine bar",13690 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, CA, 95442  (See their website for directions. Their good directions map is helpful www.thegirlandthefig.com/figcafe

Do not confuse (1)the fig cafe with (2) the girl and the fig restaurant in Sonoma. The Sonoma restaurant is larger, has a larger menu, and charges corkage.  Inside is cozy and a nice place to have supper.  Outside will remind you of the outside seating many restaurants in out-of-the-tourist-way in large cities in Europe.

For equally good food, try  La Salette for their "small plates" , a smaller portion than the usual entrees, and the absolutely delicious and different food. (It's Portuguese!) You won't see La Salette from the street.  It is cleverly hidden back in what looks like an oversize pedestrian alley.  They serve approximately 5 or 6 different appetizers and entrée seafood specials daily.  Ports and pastries are my downfall, so this is a place for me.  But the main courses have well-executed Portuguese entrees.  La Salette,  www.lasalette-restaurant.com 252-H First Street East, Sonoma,

!Juanita Juanita! (that is not a typo, it's their way of emphasizing they sell Mexican food) is a Mexican food joint on well traveled Arnold Drive in Sonoma. The service is surly and the interior is inferior, but if you like chicken in a hot! chili cream sauce served on a bed or spinach, or tacos as a quick lunch, the soft carnitas tacos are worth a special stop there. !juanitajuanita!, 19114 Arnold Drive, Sonoma.

Cafe La Haye , just off the main town square in Sonoma.   Simple food cooked well and served well (take a look at the Zagat Survey for the raves). The owners are absolutely aiming directly at pleasing you, and give evidence that they enjoy doing it. Of course, for us, they gain a point because La Haye has the Bucklin gewürztraminer on their wine list!  Cafe La Haye 140 E. Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476, (707) 935-5994 and be sure to call for reservations, because this is a small place: at 32 capacity person dining room.

Lovely is the word for the rooms at Ramekins Bed and Breakfast Inn, west of the city square of Sonoma. The cooking school is the main event at Ramekins, but they do have six luxuriously appointed rooms. The cooking school is downstairs.  The six guest rooms, all upstairs, are usually booked well in advance by the persons attending the cooking school. Ramekins Bed and Breakfast Inn, 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. 707/933-0452.

Pay $800 for a two day minimum stay at world class Ledson Hotel & Harmony Restaurant, at a corner of the city square in Sonoma.  "Steve Ledson" of Ledson winery decided to build a world class hotel that one could go to for complete pampering and unwinding, and he got it. Stay there to feel like royalty.   (Or find one of the other great places to stay in the Napa or Sonoma region that charge much less, but nevertheless eat at the Ledson hotel restaurant, which has entrees in the $25 - $ 30 range.)  Read more about the Harmony Restaurant and additional distinctive places to eat that we might use on a customized Bucklin Society VIP tour for you.

Napa Valley

Want to picnic?  In Sonoma, the place to get the food, wonderful food, is at the Sonoma Market.  It also is wise enough to carry the wine from the local Bucklin Old Hill Vineyard. Sonoma Market, 500 W. Napa St., Sonoma, CA 95476.

In Napa, Vallerga's Market # 3 has first class selections for your picnic, although it really is a full service grocery store, albeit on the selective goods side of the economic market. Vallerga's Market # 3, 301 First Street, Napa Ca 94559 (707) 253-1656. More expensive, but with a stock of food geared almost entirely to picnics, is the Oakville Grocery, which has built quite a reputation for being the place to pick up wonderful food in the middle of Napa Valley.  Oakville Grocery, Oakville CA 94562, (707) 944-8802.

For dinner in Napa, try ZuZa.  It is cozy and casual and only serves small plates (tapas), but two or three small plates will make an excellent dinner.  It's fun to share, and they offer unusual items such as salt cod, that you will not find elsewhere.  ZuZa, 829 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559 (707) 22408558

If in Napa on Thursday, check if  Julia's Kitchen in COPIA is having a Thursday Local's Night.  Julia's Kitchen is the place for locals and visitors to gather for a fabulous three course menu at a special prix fixe $35 price and no corkage fees that night. Named for the patron saint of the pantry Julia Child, Julia's Kitchen features French-Californian cuisine in an elegant yet casual atmosphere. Set in COPIA (The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts) Copia is worth some time, for its exhibits and museum offerings regarding food. . Julia's Kitchen, 500 1st Street, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 265-5700.

Read more about additional distinctive places to eat that we might use on a customized Bucklin Society VIP tour for you.

Now for wines.
That is why you are in Napa/Sonoma/Russian River. Right?

Buy Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Zinfandel wine in the local Sonoma market.  If you do not buy it there you probably will not be able to get it elsewhere.  There just is not that much produced.  Hence, it is only sold at the winery and the local Sonoma market.  and "those who know" make each year's vintage a "sold out" in about nine months every year. See the website of the Bucklin Old Hill Winery. or See our notes on the Bucklin winery and ancient vines.

Visit Ravenswood winery, tucked in the hills at the edge of the city of Sonoma.  Like Ledson, Ravenswood had vineyard designated wines.  Ravenswood is known for its treatment of Zinfandels.  Now that Ravenswood no longer has access to the Monte Rosso vineyard, we favor the Barraicia and Old Hill designates (Ravenswood buys Bucklin's grapes for their Old Hill designate - "An acknowledged benchmark in California wine")   Go to Ravenswood to buy their vineyard designated wines that are available only at the vineyard. Check their website before you go.  They may possibly have a special event going on.  Ravenswood's special events are worth the price. (E.g., noon Saturday barbecues June through September.)  Download a map with directions to the winery.  Ravenswood  winery, 18701 Gehricke Road, Sonoma, California 95476, 888-669-4679 or 707-933-2332 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There are lots more we can say about the wineries of this area.  And we will -- go to our More Wineries page for more special tips.

More Tips on Little Known Places

Not going with us and need more resources?  Take a look at:

Now, back to more places named Bucklin -- Click here.