Cloverdale draws a wine bar, pushes to boost tourism

Cloverdale has tried various marketing slogans to try and lure visitors and boost its economy: “Where the vineyards meet the redwoods,” “Genuinely Cloverdale” and “Gateway to the Mendocino Coast” have been trotted out over the past dozen years.

Now, make way for “eXperience Cloverdale.”

That’s the latest tag line being proposed by the Chamber of Commerce as part of a low-cost social media campaign to debut in June.

The objective is to establish a distinct brand that will attract people to Cloverdale, boost tourism and local spending,” Chamber of Commerce President Neena Hanchett told the City Council this week.

The campaign aims to entice wine lovers, entrepreneurs, foodies, techies, millennials and retirees to find out what Cloverdale offers.

Local officials believe the promotional push comes at the right time for Sonoma County’s most northern and remote city, which has added new restaurants, coffee shops, a community market with organic produce, and a vintage clothing boutique.

And now the city is about to get a wine bar and outdoor cafe at a prominent downtown spot on Cloverdale Boulevard.

Wilson Artisan Wines, owner of nine boutique wineries and two Healdsburg inns, was granted approval this week by the City Council to use the sidewalk as part of an outdoor cafe and wine bar going into an old bank building.

“This is the catalyst our downtown really needs from an economic development standpoint,” Mayor Gus Wolter said Wednesday. “This just sends a message to the rest of Sonoma County that Cloverdale is finally coming into its own from a tourism standpoint and having a viable downtown business area.”

Downtown Cloverdale businesses have struggled since the early 1990s, when Highway 101 was routed out of the center of town to instead become a bypass freeway to the east.

“This is exactly the kind of project that the boulevard has been designed to accommodate,” City Councilwoman Mary Ann Brigham said of the outdoor seating area that will use some of the wide sidewalk created when the street was made more pedestrian friendly.

While tourist favorites Healdsburg and Sonoma worry about an over-concentration of tasting rooms, Cloverdale officials aren’t concerned they will end up crowding out other businesses.

“The City Council here in Cloverdale will recognize when we have enough tasting rooms,” Wolter said.

Cloverdale officials said there is no construction schedule yet for the wine bar and cafe going into the former Westamerica Bank and historic Bank of Cloverdale building. Winery owners Ken and Diane Wilson could not be reached for comment on details of their project.

But indications are that the Wilsons want to feature all nine wineries at the bank building they purchased several years ago, according to Assistant City Manager David Kelley.

The company’s portfolio of wineries includes the namesake Wilson, along with Pezzi King, Mazzocco, Matrix, Soda Rock, DeLorimier, Greenwood Ridge, St. Anne’s Crossing and Jaxon Keys.

And Chamber officials are also hoping to get traction with their “eXperience Cloverdale” campaign using Facebook and Instagram and other social media platforms.

It will take turns highlighting all the different experiences available in the town of 8,500 population, from skydiving to boating on Lake Sonoma, fishing, swimming and rafting on the Russian River.

The performing arts center, history museum, arts alliance, sculpture trail, film festival and live Friday night concerts will also be featured.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 707-521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com.