A Picturesque Picnic On The North Coast

Bright white skies, soft sand and wildflowers galore are the essential elements to an adventure. After a long desire to drive up the North Coast, we packed a picnic and headed to Caspar, California in search of fresh air and cool vibes. While the ocean washed up seaweed along the shore and the flowers rooted in the sand danced in the wind, I couldn’t help but appreciate everything the earth provides to us. We set up our beach blanket and had a mini-wine tasting of our own on a mild Saturday. For most traveling on Highway One, Caspar Beach can easily be missed as bigger towns such as Fort Bragg or Mendocino are popular destinations. Lucky for us, the beach was close to empty and the dunes were just begging to be enjoyed.

As the late morning turned into the early afternoon, we soaked in the natural elements of our surroundings and indulged in Bridge Lane Wines (it was after all, a romantic getaway!) We tried three different wines and came to the conclusion that the rosé was our favorite. Not only was it light and flavorful, Bridge Lane sells it in a 4 liter box that can be tapped and untapped- talk about convenient! It was so fun using the spout to pour a glass and was so easy to bring along on the picnic. I’m seriously in love with this idea of classy boxed wine! In addition, we tried the Rumor Mill Hard Cider and the 2013 White Merlot. These bottles are great for an afternoon at the beach or a summer picnic because of their crisp taste. The small batch wine is produced in Long Island, which was part of the adventure tasting wines that were produced outside of California.

The atmosphere at this hidden beach north of Mendocino was beyond relaxed. Because there is a campsite across the way, the main store here offers fun activities such as ocean kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. We didn’t have any wetsuits and judging that everyone in the water had one on, we opted to stay dry and cozy up in the sand dunes. We discovered this location by following a small ‘Coastal Access’ sign on the side of the highway and after driving an additional 2 miles, we ended up here.

What is your take on quality wine packaged in a box? Do you like the idea or do you prefer the classic bottle? Is planning out trips or being spontaneous more your style? Where’d you go for your latest trip?

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This post was made possible in partnership with Bridge Lane Wines. As always, all opinions are my own.
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