Hip alternative for wine tasting

About the time most wine tasting rooms were closing up for the day, the party at Mercury was just getting started.

Wine and conversation flowed, glasses clinked, iPhone cameras blinked. A woman from behind the bar sauntered over to an old turntable and put on a Big Band record - the vinyl kind. Along with the funky mercury-themed artwork (including a jar of Mercury dimes), the scene had a chic hipster vibe not unlike one you'd find in San Francisco's Dogpatch or downtown Oakland.

I almost forgot I was in Geyserville.

For years, this sleepy little spot was just that - sleepy. Since 2008, however, new restaurants and open-late tasting rooms have awakened the one-stop-sign town from its slumber.

The newest of these attractions, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, reopened in July in the (renovated) Chateau Souverain facility off Independence Lane. Much like Coppola's toehold in Rutherford, this one is part winery, part restaurant, part memorabilia collection. Still in the works: a pool, outdoor cafe. amphitheatre and bocce courts.

Other hot spots, including Diavola Pizzeria, as well as Mercury and nearby Terroirs Artisan Wines, have brought to this rural outpost different flavors of urban sophistication - chic, edgy and, well, modern.

Why now? Harvest in Sonoma County should kick off any day now, which translates into constant activity in vineyards and on crushpads around town. It's also a good time to check out Coppola, while it's still a relative secret and visitors have the wine-tasting bar and memorabilia (the surfboard from "Apocalypse Now" is in the house) to themselves.

The back story: As recently as three years ago, the best reason to visit town was Taverna Santi, a stellar Italian restaurant that closed in 2009 and moved to Santa Rosa. Soaring rents in in nearby Healdsburg have driven a few winemakers and restaurateurs up Highway 101, into vacant storefronts along Geyserville Avenue.

Checking in: Considering this stretch of "downtown" is only a few blocks long, lodging is scant. The Geyserville Inn, a 41-room hotel at the north end of town, is not fancy but it is efficient. My standard room had a modest-size bathroom, queen-size bed, television and a mini refrigerator (which hummed sporadically all night). Oddly, the room also had a gas fireplace. Though my reservation didn't include breakfast at the Hoffman House restaurant next door, the desk clerk threw it in upon request. It never hurts to ask.

Spend your day: This is Wine Country, so you might as well indulge. Wines at Coppola are reliable but nothing spectacular, while Terroirs Artisan Wines pours four labels crafted by cult winemaker Kerry Damskey. There's also Mercury, which specializes in Pinot Noir and Bordeaux-style blends. The latter two tasting rooms are open until at least 6 most nights.

If you gamble, it's worth a trip to River Rock Casino, which recently completed a $4 million renovation.

Dining: Rustic, the restaurant at Coppola, has been packed since Day 1. Classic Italian dishes such as Braciole and Lemon Chicken are billed as some of "Francis's Favorites," and the guy's got good taste. Equally delicious are Aunt Christine's Pettole - rings of fried dough served with powdered sugar in a white paper bag. If possible, book a table on the heated outdoor patio; the vistas of the Alexander Valley and Mount St. Helena rival those in most films.

Elsewhere in town, Diavola Pizzeria serves thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven imported from Italy. Chef Dino Bugica also cures addictive salumi.

Don't miss: Savor a latte at Geyserville Mud, the town's lone coffee shop. Owner Valerie Blanchard used to run the store out of a closet-sized space down the street.

Don't bother: Locals, a tasting room that pours 70 wines from 10 producers, is a great concept, but many of the wines aren't as good as what you can drink nearby. Also, on my recent visit, the staff was less than friendly.

Word to the wise: Geyserville Avenue is patrolled ubiquitously; take speed limits seriously and stay off the phone while driving.

Matt Villano last wrote for Travel on Napa Valley. E-mail comments to travel@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page N - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle