VILLAGE 360 UNITES SEVERAL ELEMENTS
Despite technically being an unincorporated part of Fairfield, Suisun Valley is a community unto itself. Residents and visitors alike have plenty of amenities in the viticultural region to rival Napa, including eateries, coffee shops and, of course, an abundance of wineries.
Now the valley has a new business that combines all three into a shared space that also serves as a place to host events, hang out and even take classes. As it brings all elements of Suisun Valley full circle, it is appropriately called Village 360.
The business is owned by Jeff and Jody Anselmo, who previously founded BackRoad Vines, and features a coffee shop, wine tasting room, restaurant, cocktails and a private club space all in two connected buildings along Suisun Valley Road.
Jody Anselmo said that despite Suisun Valley’s growing status as a tourist destination, it did not have community parks or other venues to hang out and host events like chili cookouts or other pageants.
“We don’t have anything out here,” she said. “We don’t have anything where the community can gather.”
Anselmo said when her children attended Suisun Valley K-8 School across the street, she would host events there, but Village 360 is seeking to fill that void by providing a space where people can hang out, enjoy things like coffee and wine and food, and even hold events such as weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and baby showers.
People looking for a place to celebrate any occasion can do so at Village 360, Anselmo said.
“Me and my husband are all about celebrating,” she said. “Whatever reason we can celebrate, we celebrate because you never know what tomorrow brings.”
The Anselmos have been involved in winemaking for a number of years and opened BackRoad Vines in 2015 when the family of longtime resident and ac
tive community volunteer Mary Rodriguez died that year. The winery was a big hit, offering wines, Boccee ball, a picnic area and even has been the host venue for Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Art Association’s annual Art on the Vine event, where artists have exhibited their works as patrons enjoy wine, food trucks and live music.
The decision to expand even further, Anselmo said, came from a desire to serve food to pair with the wines. She and her husband believe that wine should be more than just sipped.
“You need food and wine,” she said. “We tried getting food down there. We fought with the county on every end, getting food trucks and stuff like that.”
The Anselmos decided a full-scale kitchen was the solution, which evolved into a new idea of a new, expanded space just a stone’s throw away from the original BackRoad Vines. Village 360 is located in two steel buildings connected by two skyways with a large courtyard in between.
The main building on the right serves different functions throughout the day. From 6 to 11 a.m. every morning, it is known as Buzz Coffee, giving visitors an opportunity to start their day with everything from espressos to lattes to cappuccinos to teas. They also can order small breakfast foods such as bagels, avocado toast, yogurt parfait, BLTs and lemon bars.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the focus transitions into a wine bar serving BackRoads Vines wines and a menu of small bites. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., Village 360 offers a restaurant and a cocktail lounge. The lounge is known as The Beacon and serves cocktails as well as local craft beers on tap, such as Bruehol from Benicia, Blue Note from Woodland and True Symmetry from Suisun City, and patrons may enjoy them alongside a view of the vineyards as the sun recedes.
The restaurant is called The Landing and offers different menus each week under a different theme. This week, the theme is burgers in honor of a favorite 4th of July cookout item, and The Landing ‘s menu consists of a brisket burger, French dip sandwich, lemon dill salmon burger, and a garlic black bean burger for vegetarians. Sides include a salad and french fries, and all vegetables used in the meals are grown locally.
The Landing also offers a Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This Sunday, it will be serving a patriotic buffet in honor of Independence Day, featuring a red, white and blue parfait; scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage and “American flag” waffles, flavored with cranberries, blueberries and vanilla.
Anselmo said a fine dining restaurant with a pre fixe menu is also expected to open.
An additional feature is a private club room for members of BackRoads’ Wine Club, which people can get into by purchasing two cases of wine with a 10 percent discount. The space has the feel of the world’s coziest living room, complete with couches and coffee tables.
Anselmo said Village 360 will also be a place to take classes, such as cooking, master gardening and even a salsa dancing course, which is slated for August.
“We want to be a place where you can do a little or you can do a lot,” she said. “You can either just sit back, have a glass of wine, and drool, or you can engage in a class, have dinner, do wine tasting, wine education…we have a big list.”
There will also be live music on Friday nights. All of the elements tie into the Village 360 name, not just because it is bringing all elements of Suisun Valley full circle, but because Anselmo said it would be her and Jeff’s last project.
“It’s kind of like our village of people, places and things that we’ve gone through our whole life, bringing it together and hoping that people make their own villages,” she said. “We make a lot of people friends here.”
Anselmo said Village 360 has been a hit since it officially opened June 14 and has seen patronage from throughout Solano County and beyond, including other Suisun Valley vintners.
“We’re a tight group here,” she said.
Village 360 is located at 4949 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. For more information, go to Village-360.com.