Northern California

Northern California is everything the guidebooks skip. Above Interstate 80, the valleys get wider, the traffic thinner, and the wine country stranger — Shasta County reds grown in volcanic loam, Trinity Alps pinot tucked into granite pockets, Modoc high-desert grenache nobody’s told about. The drive is the point. Two-lane blacktop, shade under pine and oak, a dog’s head out the window. Tasting rooms lean small and family-run; patios wrap a creek or a chicken coop. Pair a glass with a hike into the Lassen or Trinity backcountry. Bring layers, bring water, and bring a dog who likes the long road.