Gourmet Au Bay, Wine Bar with a View

Gourmet Au Bay is a cool wine bar, bottle shop, and gift store combo right on the water in the heart of Bodega Bay. They feature a wide selection of wines and gifts for sale, a tasting area, and a beautiful deck that looks out over Bodega Harbor, with stunning views of the water, the marina, and Bodega Head. In addition to traditional tastings, they offer “World Famous Wine Surfing,” consisting of three wines of your choice served on a mini-surfboard.

We’d heard from locals that this was a happening place but hadn’t had a chance to stop by. Then, Bodega Bay Grange held a raffle to raise money for their scholarship fund and we won a prize—a gift certificate to Gourmet Au Bay!

No further prompting needed, we went down to check it out on a Friday evening. The place was packed yet the owners, Bob and Sissy Blanchard, immediately came over and greeted us. They welcomed us warmly and introduced us around to other local patrons. We were surprised and delighted to meet other working folks like ourselves. Bodega Bay has a large population of retired people and other than local merchants, we hadn’t met anyone who was still in the workforce. So this is where they hang out! Everyone was very friendly and made us feel right at home.

Sissy explained Wine Surfing to us (a clever Bodega Bay spin on the “flight”) and we made our selections. They offer six selections daily, three reds and three whites. Recent examples were:

WHITES
Chenin Blanc by Man Wunters, South Africa
Pinot Grigio by Tutu, California
Chardonnay by Heron, California

REDS
Pinot Noir by Balletto, Russian River Valley
Zinfandel by Sausal, Alexander Valley
Claret by Steltzner, Napa Valley


We’ve been back several times since then. It’s a fun place to bring guests from out of town, as well as run into locals. Last time, we ran into our auto mechanic and his wife. They’d come over the hill from Sebastopol for the afternoon, and were soaking up the sun on the deck and sipping chilled glasses of Pinot Grigio. (Didn’t I tell you this was paradise?)

Bob and Sissy are good people. And in a way, we can relate to them because they too are following their dream. Last year, they bought this establishment and moved here from Orlando, FL to run it. Since then, they’ve been working hard to provide outstanding customer service, maintain a collection of over 200 premium, boutique and everyday wines, and a gift shop that carries wine- and beach-themed gifts and décor. They also host special events. One Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed live music by guitarist Jason Herum on the deck. Another time, Bob gave out free bowls of his homemade chili, can you believe it? I highly recommend that you stop by and see them.

Gourmet Au Bay, 913 Highway One in Bodega Bay - Just North of the Tides, (707) 875-9875. Open Thursday thru Tuesday 11am to 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays 'til 8pm.