Redwood Valley offers a range of ways to shape your stay: wine, a self-guided walk through vineyards, and places to have a picnic. A private tasting is available by advance booking; the walk focuses on the route through the vineyards and possible encounters with farm animals. For a break, you can choose either a park with various facilities or the outdoor gardens and picnic tables at BARRA of Mendocino. Which option suits your plans depends on whether you want to arrange a tasting, spend time outdoors, or use a picnic spot.
Wine and tastings
The Redwood Valley Appellation runs north along Highway 101 in the inland wine-growing region of Mendocino County. It places the area in a broader regional wine-growing context. Cesar Toxqui Cellars is a small, family-run winery in Redwood Valley, Mendocino County. The winery offers private tastings by phone reservation or through an appointment form. If you plan a tasting, book it using either of these methods; it is arranged as a private appointment.
BARRA of Mendocino Winery & Event Center is also rooted in winegrowing. The property covers 50 acres, around 20 hectares, planted with organically farmed Cabernet and Zinfandel vines. The acreage gives a concrete sense of the site’s size, while the grape varieties named indicate which vineyards are farmed there. With its outdoor gardens and picnic tables, BARRA also offers guests a place to enjoy a picnic.
Explore the vineyards on foot
The Testa Ranch Walk is a self-guided walk through vineyards. Along the way, visitors may encounter Highland cattle and other farm animals. Here, the focus is on walking through the vineyards, while a private tasting is the reason to visit Cesar Toxqui Cellars. Possible animal encounters are an additional aspect of the walk, but sightings are not guaranteed. Check the operator’s current visiting hours before your visit.
Picnic options and park facilities
BARRA of Mendocino offers outdoor gardens and tables for picnics; the invitation is for guests. Redwood Valley Lions Club Park has different facilities: a softball field maintained by the local Little League, as well as a basketball court, a volleyball court, and a playground. There is also a covered picnic area, barbecue grills, public restrooms, and paved parking. The specific facilities make it easy to distinguish the park option from the picnic option at BARRA.
Reservations for the picnic area at Redwood Valley Lions Club Park can be made through the General Services Agency administrative offices. If you want to reserve this area, confirm the current process with the relevant office in advance. Also check the current condition of the park facilities before your visit. This is especially useful if your plans depend on specific amenities such as the covered picnic area or restrooms.
You can choose based on what you want to focus on: a private tasting by appointment, a walk through vineyards with possible animal encounters, or a picnic break. For the latter, the settings differ: BARRA invites guests to enjoy outdoor gardens with picnic tables, while Lions Club Park offers several designated sports and park facilities. Reservations are available for the park’s picnic area.
Discover more destinations: Hopland, Point Arena, Fort Bragg, Philo, Mendocino, Ukiah, Willits, Dos Rios.
Return to the main travel overview: Mendocino.
