WHAT TO DO, SEE AND DRINK
Think of California wine country and it’s likely that Napa Valley comes to mind first. But if you’re planning a visit, the wine valleys of Sonoma County provide a less crowded, more relaxed experience. The perfect place to base in Sonoma wine country is the captivating town of Healdsburg, nestled along the Russian River at the juncture of three prime winegrowing regions — the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley wine appellations. Centrally located to over 100 world-class wineries and tasting rooms, Healdsburg is the ideal spot to discover Sonoma County wine country.
Healdsburg combines small-town charm, stunning vistas, and award-winning vintages; all centered around a picturesque town plaza lined with boutique shops, restaurants, tasting rooms, art galleries, antique stores and bars. The vast majority of these are locally owned and operated; one of the most pleasing things about Healdsburg is that there isn’t a chain business to be found. No Starbucks, no Olive Garden, no McDonald’s.
THE WINERIES
Let’s start with the most important aspect — the whole reason you came to wine country to begin with. For an in-depth understanding of the area valleys and winemaking process, start at Ferrari-Carano, a fairly large winery in Dry Creek Valley, founded in 1981 by Don and Rhonda Carano. Here you can take an extensive tour of the winery that provides an excellent base of knowledge for the rest of your wine country experience. The grounds provide an entire experience, from the beautiful cultivated gardens to the grape vineyards; and from the processing and barrel rooms to the three tasting rooms. Ferrari-Carano operates from the spirit of La Dolce Vita. “Life is better when we have some good wine, good friends, and a beautiful place to enjoy it,” says Patrick Mukaida, Director of Hospitality.
An entirely different experience can be found at Quivira Vineyards, a certified biodynamic winery that showcase the unique terroir of the region with a dedication to artisanal winemaking. Quivira specializes in small-lot wines from varietals specifically matched to the soils, seasonal strength of sun, and coastal influenced nights; resulting in varietals such as Zinfandel and a spectacular Sauvignon Blanc. Quivira also has gorgeous gardens, which are functional as well; plants are used as natural pesticides along with their farm of goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and cows which produce natural fertilizer and other sustainable wine farming methods. “We don’t throw around our biodynamic methods as a buzz word or to be trendy; we do it because we just think it grows better fruit,” says Doug Allan, Brand Manager.
Small wineries are also fun to check out, for a low-key experience. A couple in the area worth visiting include Martorana Family Winery, set on just 35 acres and producing 2,000 cases a year (they do not distribute so you can really only taste their wines here). Martorana also produces an acclaimed olive oil, and is a great spot to have a picnic lunch. Nearby is Sbragia Family Vineyards, a father-to-son operation whose family has been grape farming here for over a hundred years.
If you enjoy biking and want to take full advantage of the stunning scenery, take a Wine Country Bike tour. This is a very fun way to visit a few wineries, led by extremely knowledgeable guides who are passionate about the region. The bicycles are easy to use and the terrain moderate (some rolling hills that aren’t terribly steep), making it doable for most all cycling abilities. The day tours start at 10 am and end back in town around 4, biking a total of 15 miles or so and including a gourmet picnic lunch.
OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS
Northern California is known for its majestic redwood trees, and Sonoma County is no exception. Head about 20 minutes outside Healdsburg to the Armstrong Redwoods State National Reserve, a serene 805-acre park with easy walking paths that wind between the ancient coast redwoods — some are up to 1,400 years old.
If you’re more into olives than grapes, check out Trattore Farms, the home ranch of Dry Creek Olive Company. Olive growing here dates back to the mid-1800s, and the farm offers a tour through the orchards and mill, ending with a food, wine and olive oil tasting.
Simply walking around Healdsburg, enjoying the town and all the shopping, wine tasting and art that it has to offer, is an experience in itself. Don’t spend so much time afield in the vineyards that you don’t have time to appreciate the town.
WHERE TO EAT AND SLEEP
Healdsburg is the culinary epicenter of the region, and home to many fine restaurants from celebrated chefs. Café Lucia is a traditional Portuguese restaurant run by the brother and sister team of Manuel Azevedo and Lucia Azevedo Fincher, who grew up in the area after their parents emigrated from Portugal. The team serves up authentic dishes from their family recipes, using Mediterranean and Iberian staples along with local California ingredients.
Dry Creek Kitchen is an upscale dining experience with a relaxed atmosphere, from award-winning chef Charlie Palmer. Mixing vibrant American cooking with world-class wines in an intimate setting, Palmer offers visitors a glimpse of the culinary magic that made Michelin-starred Aureole one of the most celebrated restaurants in Manhattan.
Dry Creek Kitchen is located within Hotel Healdsburg (From $309), a luxury hotel that helped revitalize the town when it opened at the most prominent plaza corner in 2003. Its LEED-certified sister property down the block, h2hotel, is more budget friendly and has a younger vibe (From $219).
IF YOU GO
Some tourism websites that provide visitors’ guides and can help with your planning process are:
- Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce â?© and Visitors Bureau
- Sonoma County Tourism
- Sonoma County Wineries
