On the same night the Martinezes are uncorking their debut syrah-heavy blends , visitors are also huddled around the corner at fire pits gleaming against the salmon brickwork of Turkovich Family Wines . This shabby-chic spot for drinking tempranillo is owned by Tony Turkovich and his family , who have worked the land in Winters for decades . Other wellentrenched personalities from Winters who have opened businesses in recent years include Cole and Sara Ogando , owners of the elegant restaurant Preserve ; Joanne Martin , owner of the sultry Spanish tapas bar Ficelle ; the Stocking family , owners of Hooby ’ s Brewing ; and Melanie and John Pickerel , a former butcher whose original Buckhorn Steakhouse is the old school carnivore ’ s paradise that first started drawing day-trippers to Winters nearly four decades ago .
“ The people who are investing in and growing this place are almost exclusively local families ,” Corinne says . “ It seems like the next generation has been coming back to say , ‘ I want to do something in this town .’”
That tie between family histories and dining options seems to have given Winters a genuine appeal for those who were searching for driving-distance discoveries during the pandemic .
“ We absolutely saw trends like that during the lockdowns ,” says Carey Bettencourt , vice president of sales and marketing for Berryessa Gap Vineyards . “ From a macro perspective , what I can say is , all of a sudden we ’ re not flying to Europe for a big vacation . We ’ re getting in an RV . We ’ re driving . It ’ s a road trip . And I think for Californians in particular , there ’ s so much to discover — so many places that we haven ’ t been to yet . It just felt like more authentic types of trips were happening .”
The COVID-era tourism convoys were also noticed by Guysell Geter , general manager of Hotel Winters , the biggest , latest — and some say most important — addition to hit the town in the last three years .
Prior to Hotel Winters , visitors to this serene growers ’ hamlet had to be careful about how much fun they had with its historic bars , wineries , breweries or its new distillery , Patio29 Spirits Co ., which offers tastings of whiskey , gin , vodka and rum . The reason was simple : There were few places to stay overnight . The hotel that Geter runs brought a boutique establishment to the heart of downtown , complete with a spa , a meditative outdoor courtyard and a Mediterranean-style rooftop terrace gazing out onto the Vaca Mountains over Lake Berryessa . And its highly-rated Italian restaurant Carboni ’ s is connected to all those amenities .
From Geter ’ s perspective , it was the new hotel ’ s many outdoor options that made it enticing to those around the state experiencing a little wanderlust during the worst of COVID .
“ People wanted to take staycations away from Sacramento and San Francisco and that really helped us ,” Geter says . “ We did see a lot of tourists who would have been on international trips but for the travel bans and what COVID was doing . We saw families , we saw couples , we saw birthday celebrations , we saw Valentine ’ s Day trips — and we saw that from a lot of the regional community . We greeted folks from Yuba City to Vallejo . I think people really needed that getaway staycation spot , versus going to Hawaii or New York .” With a smile , he adds , “ In Winters , we have that charm ; but the next step for us is going from being the hidden gem to just the gem .”
Rediscovering the river
The Sacramento River is a midnight-blue mirror as people stroll under battered wood balconies along a stretch of Isleton that was once its Chinatown . The old buildings lining Main Street are dappled in red and beryl lights that make their shadowed fronts glow like some scene from a neo-noir film . Down the way , inside the Mei Wah Beer Room , Delta-dwellers , as they ’ re known locally , gather amid its Cantonese banners , jeweled spinning mirror lantern and authentic , century-old bunk from a Chinese opium den .
Mei Wah Beer Room ’ s owner , Iva Walton , works alone behind her sleek bar . Customers have questions for her about this rare place , especially the 24 tap handles hanging off an iron draft tower that are fixed to a Chinese altar table carved in the 1870s . This feat of improv means the beers flow over wood from the same era as the original gambling hall and brothel that stood at this very spot .
“ I decided to create a fantasy of the past , which was drawing on the building ’ s history ,” explains Walton , a former theater stage designer who opened the business four years ago . “ I just love the Chinese-western vibe . … I ’ m creating a fantasy of the past , and definitely honoring the past , because , to me , that ’ s always what has made this town intriguing .”
For many crowding into Mei Wah on this night , Walton ’ s singular vision is part of what ’ s putting Isleton back on the map after years of decline . The event is a mixer
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