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Yolo County proved to be a perfect match of Town and Country
by Joe Hilbers
The wonder of California is that
no matter how long you live in the State there are
always new places to explore and discover.
This was made evident to us, once
again, when we recently had the opportunity to learn
more about Yolo County.
As you leave Sacramento heading north
on Interstate 5 you will first pass the Sacramento
Airport, and then a sign will proclaim that you have
entered Yolo County. The surrounding
countryside is a mix of orchard and pasture.
Then another sign will
point to Historic Downtown Woodland. This is the
Yolo County Seat and moves
one from countryside to a bustling community which
is a wonderful mix of the old and the new.
On Main Street there is still to be
found classic earlier century buildings mostly made
of brick. Streets are tree lined and filled with
small shops, businesses and restaurants. But further
investigation reveals modern retail centers with all
the familiar names of today's America.
We thought Yolo County the perfect mix
of Town and Country and in Woodland settled in at
Marriot's Fairfield Inn. It was new, opened a few
months earlier, and located, just off Interstate 5,
one in a row of modern hotels. We were here for a
two day exploration of just what Yolo County and its
idealistic communities can offer the visitor.
Besides Woodland,its major cities
include Davis, Clarksburg, Winters and Knights
Landing. Davis is home to University of California
Davis which enjoys a world wide reputation for its
leadership in many subjects. Clarksburg as the
center of the thirty two wineries that are part of
Yolo County. All these communities were founded in
the 1800s as centers of a vast, unbelievably
productive agricultural region. And hubs on the
railroad line that extends from Mexico to Canada.
The railroad is still in place and often seen
adjacent to Interstate 5 which now links the county
from south to north.
With so much to see and do the Yolo
County Visitors Bureau chose, for us, places and events as examples of the extent of
activities. For water sports we visited Velocity
Island Park in Woodland which
offers wakeboarding, something completely new to
this Writer. Using overhead cables
it whisks the boarder across the water at, to us,
seemed dazzling speed. The Park
is completely devoted to the sport with a gift shop,
rentals, and professional staff for guidance and
instruction. The sport uses much the same techniques
as snowboarders.
A visit to the Farmers Market in Davis
displayed such an assortment of agricultural
products that we wondered if there was anything that
can not be grown in the combination of rich soil,
ample water and perfect climate that is offered in
Yolo County. The Davis Farmers Market has a rich
history extending over decades and is one of the few
that has overhead cover for inclement weather. It is
open Saturdays and Wednesdays and includes local
wineries.
Davis has a population of 65,000 and a
student body of 35,000 enrolled at the University of
California Davis. Founded in 1905 UC-Davis enjoys a
world wide reputation for its Viticulture and
Enology Courses under the Robert Mondavi Institute
for Wine and Food and attracts students from almost
every wine producing country. The University is also
considered the world leader in veterinary medicine.
To see more of the agricultural
countryside one day we took a tour of the Capay
Valley offering a lush land for growing many
different plants but also natural beauty with its
rolling hills and flowing Cache Creek. It is also
home to the native Americans that occupied the
valley before the coming of Europeans and here we
found the Seka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room.
This is part of the Yocha Dehe Winbtun Indian Nation
and puts on display how the Tribe continues to
contribute to Yolo County in several ways.
Olive trees are only one of sixteen
crops under the Tribe's farming operations. But the
Seka Hills Olive Mill has become the center for
almost all the processing of olive oil in Yolo
County. This last year 90 local growers of olives
used the Mill to process their oil and often bottle
it under their own name there as well.
We were awed at the stainless steel
equipment, all made and exported from Italy, that
the Mill has and uses during the pressing season that extends through
the Fall of each year.
Then there was a tasting of olive oils
that included five different varieties.
Wine tasting is also available
at this facility,that besides it industrial use, is
beautiful in design both inside as well as the
landscaping
surrounding it.
Nearby is the Cache Creek Casino
Resort, also owned by the Yocha Dehe Nation.
Winters was first settled in 1832 for
agriculture before the discovery of gold in nearby
Sutters Mill in 1849. We were there to visit Putah
Creek Nature Park and learn the story of how one
whole community got together to bring about the
return of Putah Creek to its original natural state
including the reintroduction of salmon. Our visit
was also in timing with the dedication of a newly
built bridge spanning the Creek. And an opportunity
to cross on the original railroad bridge that was
built in 1906 and still stands majestically in place
for foot and bike traffic.
We had two more stop before leaving the
Capay Valley. It was to visit with Fred Manas, owner
of Manas Ranch Meat Market, famed for both its
peaches and its beef. Here is an old style deli
store which features the Ranch's own award winning
beef as well as jams and jellies.
As a wine writer we felt right at home
when we visited Matchbook Wine Company in Zamora. We
were greeted by Owners John and Lane Gigmiere whose
winery and vineyards are located in the Dunnigan
Hills. Long time vineyard owners the Gigmiere family
also gained fame with their Toasted Head Chardonnay.
John Gigmiere decided Dunnigan Hills fitted the
terroir of Spain's wine regions and now has
vineyards of Ribera del Duero , Rioja and Graciano,
the traditional varietals for making
Tempranillo.
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with John
and Lane Gigmiere and then moved to the winery where
we met Winemaker Dan Cederquist. A graduate of
nearby UC-Davis he has enjoyed a 25 year career
first with Stag's Leap, then DeLoach before joining
Matchbook in 2005. We took part in a barrel tasting
but what we noted most was how Dan uses the wine
barrel as an important tool in producing his
outstanding wines. Barrels from many countries and
how they are toasted were evident in this winery.
Matchbook wines include Chardonnay,
Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Two
chardonnays are bottled under The Arsonist Label and
another under Guguiere Mosque label. The Mossback
label features wines from the Russian River Valley
and Chalk Hill and include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
and Cabernet Sauvignon.
After tasting wines from several
different regional wineries we came to the conclusion that there was hardly a
varietal that does not do well in Yolo County.
Geographically it is separated from Napa and Sonoma by a small range of
mountains.
Our stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites
by Marriott was very special. We liked the fresh
contemporary decor and ambiance of the public areas
and our room which was complete with micro wave and
refrigerator. The staff was courteous and most
helpful and the complimentary hot breakfast was the
best we have experienced in some time. It is located
close to the Sacramento Airport and most convenient
for all the attractions available both in Woodland
and the surrounding cities and countryside. For more
information call 530 723-5067, web
fairfieldinn.com/sacwo..
We quickly discovered that chefs in
Yolo County know what to do with the bountiful
produce and products grown on their doorstep. We
will tell about out culinary adventures in a
separate Vittles story.
This is also true for the unusual
museums we were able to visit on this
trip to a region that blends the past with the
present and urban California with the pastoral.
© 2016
Joe Hilbers All Rights Reserved.
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