Spas In Mendocino

Hoppy valleys

Rule number one: never drive yourself to the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival in northern California (yes, “legendary” is officially part of its name). Rule number two: leave the parents and kids at home. Boonville, a sleepy town of 1,000 that’s set amid towering redwood forests and bucolic pastures in Mendocino County, has an independent streak. The residents even created their own system of slang, called Boontling, back in the 19th century, and locals still say “bahl hornin’” (“good drinking”) when raising a glass.

The drinking is certainly good – and heavy – at the rollicking annual May beer fest, which features more than 80 small, mostly west coast breweries spread across the Boonville fairgrounds. For four hours the taps flow freely, serving 5,000 visitors everything from German-style pilsners to Belgian-esque sours to American imperial stouts and IPAs (or India Pale Ales), the citrusy, often high-alcohol versions of the hoppy beers once shipped from Britain to the subcontinent. The brewers pitch tents on the grounds of the host Anderson Valley Brewery, cooking on grills and sharing their latest experimental beers.

“A real slice of old-school California – no stop lights, no chain stores, no traffic jams, just a lot of beautiful countryside,” said Anderson Valley’s brewmaster, Fal Allen. The taps stay open late in Anderson Valley’s barnlike tasting room, open year-round to visitors who can sample 10 to 15 draught beers, including the brewery’s signature Boont Amber and Hop Ottin’ IPA.

I had to settle for a takeaway bottle of the award-winning Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale for later, as Boonville was just my first stop on a beer-drinking tour that took me from Mendocino County down through the celebrated corridors of Napa and Sonoma , both about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. It might seem an unlikely itinerary to those who know the area as the US’s pre-eminent wine country. But these Elysian fields for oenophiles are also home to some of the top names in the flourishing US craft beer industry, which in the past five years has seen annual sales jump by more than 50 per cent to nearly $8bn, according to the Brewers Association. Among those who care about food and drink, it’s becoming almost as essential to be able to appreciate the malty molasses flavours of your brown ale as it is the earthy barnyard notes in your pinot.

If you’re coming for the wine and food first and simply want to mix in a few hoppy diversions along the way, expect to spend time on the road, as the best breweries are scattered around. Designated driver take solace: what glorious scenery it is, especially on the back-country roads, winding through ancient forests and golden meadows, past old farmhouses and endless fields of cabernet, chardonnay and pinot noir .

Belgium Rally Champion Enters Mendocino Rally | SpecialStage

David Sterckx Rally Sport has announced the entry of their Mitsubishi EVO at the August 6th Mendocino Red Tail Rally in Ukiah. The team of David Sterckx and Karen Jankowski-Wagner are looking forward to their first event together. The Mendocino Red Tail Rally is sanctioned by Rally America, and is part of the California Rally Series, and the Bilstein Southwest RallyCup Series Championship.

Sterckx may not be a household name here in the USA but in Belgium he has made a name for himself ever since he started racing in 1999. He has amassed multiple Belgium Rally Championships and wins, competed in rallies all over the world like RAC and Acropolis and was an official driver for the WRC Skoda Octavia Rally Team. He is also a double threat because he has also spent much of his career racing sports cars around the world. He has raced for such teams as Aston Martin Prodrive and Jaguar at such tracks as Spa (finished 1st twice and 2nd), Anderstop Sweden, and Zolder 24 hour race. In the USA he competed at the Long Beach Atlantic race where he started last and finished 10th in 2004.

Jankowski-Wagner has been rallying since 2006 and has won the Rally America National 2wd and G5 Championships, the MaxAttack! Championship and several rallies along the way.

With her experience running many of the same rallies the team plans on competing in, and David’s wealth of racing experience the team plans on gelling together quickly.

The team is competing in select events in 2011 in order to prepare for a full season in 2012.

For team updates visit: http://davidsterckx.virb.

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