Discover Fine Wines and Cannabis in the Anderson Valley
At the intersection of world-class wines and cannabis, California’s verdant Anderson Valley lies at the heart of the Venn diagram. Just north of Sonoma in Mendocino County, the Anderson Valley is among the northernmost wine-growing regions in California. The valley’s cool coastal climate and rich alluvial soils produce a range of ultra-premium wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Alsace varietals (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris). Flanked by towering redwoods, the 15-mile-long valley is home to more than 60 family-owned wineries and dozens of charming tasting rooms. The experience recalls an earlier time in California’s wine history: one far removed from the crowds and far more intimate and approachable.
The same terroir that produces phenomenal wines also produces exceptional cannabis. Combined with its relative remoteness, the Anderson Valley flourished as a destination for cannabis cultivation. The bucolic valley lies at the southernmost tip of Northern California’s famed “Emerald Triangle.” The families that settled in the region during the 1960s and 70s gave rise to a community of artists, musicians, and healers with cannabis farming as a common thread. A new generation of farmers is now wading into a changing landscape with the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Borrowing a page from the hospitality playbook, second-generation cannabis farmer Jim Roberts and his partner Brian Adkinson have crafted a unique destination that blends wine and cannabis with a boutique hotel concept inspired by Italian agriturismos. Nestled amid the vineyards outside of Philo, The Madrones features elegant guest rooms with an onsite wine-tasting room, restaurant, gift shop, cannabis apothecary, consumption lounge, and lush gardens.
For decades, Jim’s mother Rosemary grew cannabis in a small garden just a half mile from The Madrones at Sugar Hill Farm. She worked the garden until she was 90, creating balms to treat her rheumatoid arthritis. When Jim and Brian inherited the garden, they wanted to honor Rosemary and the other legacy growers in the region. The hotel’s herbal apothecary, The Bohemian Chemist, showcases products of small local farmers. In 2023, the hotel debuted its own brand of sun-grown cannabis including premium flower, pre-rolls, and concentrates. The products feature Art Deco-inspired packaging that draws upon the products’ medicinal roots.
The Bohemian Chemist eschews the typical cannabis dispensary trappings. As an interior designer with an eye for repurposing salvaged materials, Jim designed the shop with a sophisticated 1920s flair featuring vintage apothecary cabinets imported from Europe, antique glass pharmacy bottles, and photographs by Man Ray.
Tucked behind the gift shop, The Madrones offers a cannabis consumption lounge where guests 21 and over can relax in an enclosed outdoor courtyard. Through the growing season, The Madrones also hosts a monthly Cannabis Farmers Marketplace where consumers can purchase premium-quality cannabis directly from small, local farmers.
As with the apothecary, Jim designed the stylish guest quarters at The Madrones around salvaged architectural treasures. Jim hails from a family of collectors who dealt in antiques. For a while, he made a hobby of buying windows and designing buildings around them. The arched windows at The Madrones include many of his finds. Inside, Jim’s eclectic design blends antiques and Asian imports with contemporary touches. He creates spaces that feel at once vintage and of-the-moment. Just outside the door, the rooms open to beautiful gardens blooming with peonies, roses, and lilies that Jim began planting decades ago.
A short distance away, The Madrones’ sister property, The Brambles, is a whimsical Victorian-meets-industrial steampunk-inspired hideaway nestled deep in the redwoods. Also crafted from repurposed materials and Jim’s imagination, the guest cabins each offer a one-of-a-kind retreat. Unique features of the 12-acre property include the platform decks built atop the stumps of old-growth redwoods and an unusual redwood burl that resembles an elephant’s head.
Overnight guests of The Madrones and The Brambles are treated to many perks including discounts on wine tasting and wine purchases from local wineries, discounts at the hotel’s gift shop and cannabis apothecary, and a complimentary glass of wine with dinner at Wickson Restaurant. Located onsite at The Madrones, the intimate Wickson Restaurant crafts rustic, Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a wood-fired oven featuring locally sourced ingredients. In the warmer months, dining spills out into an outdoor courtyard with trickling fountains and string lights.
Also located at The Madrones, the winemakers from the family-owned Long Meadow Ranch pour tastings of its sustainably produced Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. Guests of the hotel are treated to two tastings for the price of one.
The tasting room for Maggy Hawk is located directly across the road from The Madrones. The winery is known for producing elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Guests receive two tastings for the price of one and 10% off wine purchases. Neighboring wineries Domain Anderson and Goldeneye are within walking distance. Many more wineries, including Toulouse Vineyards, Weatherborne Wine Corp, and Fathers + Daughters Cellars are located just a short drive away.
Other nearby attractions include the magical old-growth redwood forests at Hendy Redwoods State Park, the delicious farmstand at The Apple Farm, and Pennyroyal Farm, which crafts seasonal small-batch artisanal cheeses from its resident herds of goats and sheep along with estate wines.
