Jimtown Store Truck*

It seems to be de rigeur for anything connected with wine country to have an old truck. This one belongs to the Jimtown Store, an old time country store which has been turned into a deli serving breakfast, sandwiches and salads and wonderful coffee (including my favorite, an affogato, espresso poured over ice-cream). The store has a lovely patio behind it, covered by a grape arbor--a pleasant place to enjoy our Brie and olive spread sandwiches and hand pressed pear juice from Nana Mae, one of the few working orchards left in Sebastopol.

Only a block away is another old Alexander Valley general store, which has been turned into another of our favorite places, the Medlock Ames tasting room. We dropped by there to pick up our case of wine, which we get four times a year as members of their wine club.

Originally the Alexander Valley was planted with prune orchards and it was The country stores were important. It was a long haul into town in those days. Now it takes ten or fifteen minutes. Ames Morrison and Chris Medlock decided to keep the old bar in the back of the store which they call the "Speakeasy". At 5 pm when the tasting room closes, they open the speakeasy which features cocktails made with botanicals from their extensive gardens behind both the tasting room and on their 300 plus acre ranch at Chalk Hill.

Every time I come to the Alexander Valley, I have a sense that I have spent time (perhaps in a past life?) in a similar place--hot and agricultural. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my mother grew up on a prune orchard near Salem, Oregon, and OilMan's grandparents had a pear orchard in the Redwood Valley, outside of Ukiah, California.

I love both these repurposed old stores because they are unpretentious, interesting, and have stayed true to the timeless feel of the Alexander Valley. And they both offer an wonderful, nostalgic product and experience.

If it is possible for you to get the movie "Bottle Shock", about the year the upstart Napa County winemakers at Stag's Leap entered a prestigious and snooty French wine competition, and won, I recommend it. It features a truck much like this one, and is a delightful portrait of the beginnings of the California wine industry..