In California, visit to Healdsburg a gateway to sipping several wonderful Sonoma County experiences
Friends celebrate a birthday on a private food-and-wine walking tour with Savor Healdsburg Food Tours.
Because we headquartered in Healdsburg, Sonoma County beckoned. The small town at the confluence of the county’s three wine valleys — Dry Creek, Alexander and Russian River — is home to more than 35,000 acres of vineyards and more than 200 wineries.
Locals wax nostalgic about how their small town has become big-league in the past 20 years. While the population is just 12,000, tourism is expansive. Today, the town has 35 tasting rooms scattered amongst a Chagrin Falls-like retail scene. Culinary offerings span genres from farm-to-table and modernist American to tapas, ramen and various international influences.
At the urging of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, we sampled a breadth of lodging and dining options. The first bedroom was at Madrona Manor, an 1881 estate-turned-inn about a mile south of town. The thoughtfully preserved 8,400-square-foot manor has 22 guest rooms and suites and a Michelin-starred chef in the kitchen. The experience is vintage-luxury from original antique furniture to Persian rugs in generous bathrooms. Judge for yourself whether the lack of a television is a romantic asset.
The second night was at Camellia Inn, a quaint bed-and-breakfast two blocks from the main avenue bisecting town, with a gentler price. Owner-innkeeper Lucy Lewand was a valuable local resource, educating us about the town. We learned where to shop and dine, something hard to determine in this retail-heavy destination.
The final two nights were Two Thirty-Five Luxury Suites. Healdsburg’s Deas family developed four three-bedroom suites so families or friends can travel together and share an apartment-like space with hotel amenities. In each suite, three master bedrooms share common living, dining and cooking spaces. I marveled that the touch of a button makes 43-inch televisions arise from the footboards of queen-size beds.
Girlfriends, time for a getaway.
Dining experiences were elevated. If there were any challenge, it was the lack of simple diner food. And that’s probably because rent is too high for that food-service segment.
Madrona Manor’s Michelin-starred kitchen feeds a special-occasion dining room, though many guests dress casually. Green ingredients come from the manor’s gardens, thus estate kale retains its sweet nuttiness and stands up to Japanese Wagyu steak bites. As if five courses on the Winter Tasting Menu paired with wine weren’t enough, Chef Jesse Mallgren sent out a complimentary smoking egg amuse bouche to announce a playful yet classic style that delighted the senses.
Across town, Spoonbar is a contemporary American restaurant that relies on locally sourced ingredients in the hands of husband-wife chefs Casey and Patrick Van Voorhis. Casey is from Versailles, Ohio. The duo does a little molecular gastronomy in its poke bowl, turning yuzu juice into caviar-like spheres.
Around the corner, Café Lucia mixes it up with Portuguese food and wine. After a busy week, we both settled into ethnic versions of comfort food: mine the wild prawn risotto and his the Caldeirada-Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew.
We lacked a winery plan, so instead we wove them into daily activities. Our first winery was Korbel, the American Champagne house. And, yes, they can call their sparkling wine “Champagne” because they’ve been making it since 1882, long before U.S. winemakers were required to NOT do so.
We stumbled upon Korbel during a motorcycle jaunt to Jenner to see the Russian River meet the Pacific Ocean. Fog defeated that goal, but the twisty ride to the coast was worth it.
Korbel has combined old and new in a charming facility where tastes are free. There, they changed my perception of the brand as entry-level bubbles. While Korbel wines are available at many Ohio retailers, selective products are available only on site and by mail order. And they don’t ship to Ohio.
The next wine experience was during our Savor Healdsburg Food Tour with owner Tammy Gass.
Among our five stops was the tasting room at Portalupi, which calls itself a Cal-Ital winery. There, Jane Portalupi paired four samples of Italian-influenced wines with a charcuterie tray. Full-bodied, yet lacking aggressive tannin, a 2015 Old Vine Zinfandel was jammy and kept revealing new layers. Wines are available on premise and online. They ship to Ohio.
The third winery was recommended by the manager of Two Thirty-Five, the tiny boutique Cartograph. Owners Serena Lourie and Alan Baker specialize in single-vineyard Pinot Noir and offer crisp, dry Alsatian-style Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Enthusiastic newcomers to the area, the duo has been buying grapes for several years and in 2016 purchased 14 acres — 10 planted in Pinot Noir — in the Russian River Valley. They make 2,000 cases per year. For perspective, compare that to Korbel’s 1.5 million cases per year. Cartograph wines are available on premise and online. They ship to Ohio.
The fourth and final winery, 43-year-old Lambert Bridge Winery is where winemaker and Sonoma native Jennifer Higgins specializes in soft, elegant reds. Like the other wineries, its best selections are available onsite, mail order or to members of their wine club. They ship to Ohio.
Before, during or after wine tasting, surveying the town’s offerings is a no-brainer. Throughout our food tour, Gass introduced us to must-have micro-experiences. Shed, for example, is a James Beard-winning farm-inspired, from-scratch deli and restaurant, as well as a retailer and events space. Taste of Tea is a tea-lounge where docents guide guests through tea offerings including non-alcoholic “marteanis.” Gourmet ramen noodles are also on the menu. Gass knows all the best places and coordinates public or private tours to show them off.
Because I had time and desire for something different, I indulged in a flower arranging class at Dragonfly Floral, an organic flower farm on the edges of town operated by Bonnie Z. Z, who was Bonnie Zivny when she graduated from Riverside High School in Painesville Township, bought her farm in Sonoma County in 1990. Classes at the farm are advertised on the website and should be reserved in advance.
Sonoma County is so rich with experiences; we just dabbled in a few during our five-day visit. Planning ahead helped us squeeze in the best and most.
TRAVELERS’ CHECKS
Planning ensures an enjoyable Wine Country visit. While you can drive to more than 200 wineries, you’ll save time and frustration if you check hours, tasting prices and reservation requirements. Tastings range from free to more than $50. And some wineries require appointments for tours and tastings.
Throughout your visit to Wine Country, you’ll be encouraged to join wine clubs. These commit you to certain purchases and offer benefits such as discounts and more. After a few sample of excellent wines, it’s hard to say no. So, plan ahead, before alcohol’s influence loosens your purse strings.
Café Lucia: 235 Healdsburg Ave., Suite 105, Healdsburg 707-431-1113, cafelucia.net.
Camellia Inn: 211 North St., Healdsburg, 707-433-8132, camelliainn.com.
Cartograph Wines: 340 Center St. Healdsburg, 707-433-8270, cartographwines.com.
Dragonfly Floral: 425 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-3739, dragonflyhealdsburg.com.
Korbel Winery: 13250 River Road, Guerneville, 707-824-7676, korbel.com.
Lambert Bridge Winery: 4085 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 800-975-0555, lambertbridge.com.
Madrona Manor: 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-4231, madronamanor.com.
Moustache Baked Goods: 381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-395-4111, moustachebakedgoods.com.
Portalupi Winery: 107 North St., Healdsburg, 707-395-0960, portalupiwine.com.
Savor Healdsburg Food Tours: 707-385-9811, savorhealdsburgfoodtours.com.
Spoonbar: 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-7222, spoonbar.com.
The Taste of Tea: 109 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1995, thetasteoftea.com.
Two Thirty-Five Luxury Suites: 235 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, 707-473-3500, twothirty-five.com.
