California Here We Come

America’s most exciting food and wine town might be one you’ve never heard of.

- By Evie Carrick

THERE AREN'T many places with 275 residents that have a Michelin two-starred restaurant and are next door to a renowned wine region. But Elk, a tiny speck on a bluff along the Pacific Coast Highway in California's Mendocino County, is quietly making a name for itself as a destination.

WINE DOWN

A great place to get acquainted with the region is Drew Winery, just outside Elk, which got its start as an apple orchard. Next, wind your way through the Anderson Valley, stopping at wineries like Husch, Toulouse, Goldeneye, and Pennyroyal Farm, which also has an on-site creamery. One of the state’s coolest-weather wine-growing regions, the valley is known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as Alsatian varieties like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris.