This week, the talk in Guerneville is about tails and bottoms.
Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. Specifically, the small West County town is celebrating two important openings of two creatively named businesses on Main Street — Whitetail Winebar, and right next door, Big Bottom Market.
That’s a lot of hubbub for a tiny river town that the 2010 Census pegged at just 4,534 residents. Because as odd as it may sound, this is the first time Guerneville has had a dedicated wine bar and a real gourmet grocery, even though its Russian River address puts it at the crossroads of some of Northern California’s most important food and wine country.
Here are the details on Big Bottom.
As for Whitetail, it’s all about the many boutique wine producers that populate the Russian River and Sonoma, but are generally too small, too artisan, or too budgeted to have tasting rooms or distribution. They’re pouring their best in this intimate lounge, and to nibble alongside are small plates like locally made artisan salumi, cheeses and crostini.
Whitetail owner Leslie Bahr is a boutique type herself, as a San Francisco-based interior designer who fell in love with Guerneville and is making plans to build a home amid the redwoods. She’s put together an urban chic décor of overstuffed couches in forest tones of beige and gray, hardwood floors, and bistro tables carved from tree trunks, while the tin-topped bar is decorated with candelabras made from antlers.
Amid the wine tasting, Bahr envisions a meet-and-greet forum for guests to visit with the winemakers, and she also plans to showcase local chefs with special food pairings.
Whitetail Wine Bar, 16230 Main St., Guerneville, 707-604-7449, Facebook.
Big Bottom Market, 16228 Main St., Guerneville, 707-604-7295, bigbottommarket.com.
