I’ll meet you at “The Best Deli by a Dam Site” I declared to my friend.  “Where?,” he asked.  “You know,” I replied, “the deli, the deli on Dry Creek.”  “Oh,” he responded, looking uncertain.  I tried again, “The store on Dry Creek at Lambert Bridge Road.”

It turns out my companion had never seen the sign that had once declared the Dry Creek General Store to be “The Best Deli by a Dam Site”.  He had moved to the valley sometime after 2001 when Gina Gallo acquired what was a rapidly deteriorating property crying out for the paint job that did away with that picturesque bit of nomenclature.  I hadn’t noticed its absence, probably because the necessary primping and preservation that Gina has done left the structure pretty much like it was in 1881 when it was the local Dry Goods Store for valley farmers.  Necessary restoration has been carefully and slowly accomplished to insure the almost 128 year old store retains its historical roots.  The “Dam Site” reference would have been added in the late 1970’s after construction of the Warm Springs Dam. 

A designated historical landmark, the Dry Creek General Store is the only deli/ bar and retail store of its type in the Valley.  Valley old-timers know it is one of the best places to watch the sunset.  Its appeal is broad. On any day you will find a day-tripper from San Francisco placing an order with a worker just in from the field, the owner of a local winery, a bicycle/motorcycle rider, or a fisherman on the way to Lake Sonoma. While retail items like children’s books, dishes, and locally produced gourmet products fill some shelves, the emphasis is on picnic supplies, typical deli offerings, sandwiches and what is reputed to be the “coldest beer in town”.  Those on the way to the lake can pick up ice chests and ice. 

The Dry Creek General Store is a great place for locals to get together for a quick and convenient meeting or for friends to share their outstanding daily special or made to order sandwich---these days a bargain at $6. Most locals have learned that calling in advance puts them ahead of tourists that inevitably queue up for lunch around noon.  Charcuterie Boards, box lunches, and sandwiches for gatherings off or on the property can be arranged with 48 hour notice.  And, you may not realize it but if you run out of butter, eggs, bread and a number of other staples you might be able to save yourself a trip to town and have the added benefit of reconnecting with neighbors. 

 Despite original fears that the general store would be used to highlight Gina’s Gallo connections, Dry Creek residents have come to appreciate that 70% of the products used in food preparation or on display within the store are local and that wine from any of the valley wineries is considered whenever a local vintner brings them in for a tasting.  The reality is that despite being known as the “voice and face” of the largest family-owned winery in the United States and a 3^rd generation winemaker much of Gina Gallo’s personal history is local. 

Her grandfather began buying grapes from the Frei Vineyard in 1934 and Gallo bought the property in 1977.  It is this land she calls home despite spending her early years “as a farmer’s daughter” in Modesto.  Keeping the business in the family and preserving the ranch’s natural habitat are two of her stated goals.  Additionally, she has been quick to credit her success as a winemaker to “the special combination of rich soil and textbook climate found in Dry Creek.”  Preserving the Dry Creek General store appears to be an additional way to hang on to her historical roots---and to occasionally whip up a sandwich for a farmer or a tourist.

The Dry Creek General Store is located at 3495 Dry Creek Road.  It opens at 6 AM and closes at 5:30 PM, seven days a week. The Bar (and the beer garden) are generally open from 3 or 4 PM until ???  If you would like to place a special order or just pick up a sandwich on your way home the next time you are too tired to cook and/or the fridge is empty, call 433 4171.