NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S SONOMA COUNTY, AN AREA ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, CONTAINS ENDLESS MILES OF RURAL VINEYARDS, FARMS, LITTLE HAMLETS, MOM-AND-POP WINERIES AND THE WILD AND BEAUTIFUL SONOMA COAST. By Bob Ecker Photos: RELISH: RELISH CULINARY CENTER
In the north, an hour from San Francisco, the town of Healdsburg (population 11,700) has hit the big time. A thriving, exciting place to explore or call home base while you venture into the idyllic surroundings, it has evolved from a small rural community into a flourishing hotspot with the upscale amenities one might expect to find at the epicenter of a world-class wine region: fine dining, chic shopping, spas, luxury accommodations and, of course, plenty of excellent wines to sample.
It’s easy for visitors to spend a couple of days entirely within Healdsburg without driving anywhere. Tasting rooms such as Rosenblum Cellars (rosenblumcellars.com), La Crema (lacrema.com) and Kendall-Jackson (kj.com) are usually open all day without appointment, and they’re all steps away from one another. If you opt to take a break from wine, Bear Republic Brewery (bearrepublic.com) is a worthy stop (try a Racer 5.)
WINING & DINING
Top off your day spent exploring the Sonoma countryside with a dinner at an exquisite Healdsburg restaurant.
Finding superb dining is easy in this town, but you may need reservations. CYRUS received two Michelin stars last year—so book up to two months ahead. Bar manager Scott Beattie’s 42-page spirit and cocktail menu changes seasonally. “If you use quality ingredients, you make quality drinks,” Beattie says. www.cyrusrestaurant.com | 707-433-3311
SANTI—an authentic Northern Italian restaurant in a historic Geyserville building—is a gathering place for winemakers and other locals. Hearty dishes include rib-eye steak and roast pork with seasonal vegetables. www.tavernasanti.com 707-857-1790
WILLI’S WINE & SEAFOOD BAR is the place to go for fresh seafood and a happening Healdsburg vibe. It has excellent oysters, mussels and tapas, plus a fine Sonoma wine selection. www.willisseafood.net 707-433-9191
Run by famed New York Chef Charlie Palmer, DRY CREEK KITCHEN is adjacent to the prestigious Hotel Healdsburg. This fine American restaurant is also very popular with the folks from the hospitality crowd. www.charliepalmer.com/dry_creek 707-431-0330
RAVENOUS is one of Healdsburg’s most popular spots. Fun and friendly, its food is enjoyable and reasonably priced. The service can be slow at times, so grab an iced tea and enjoy the funky décor. 707-431-1770
Set in a magnificent 1881 mansion, the MADRONA MANOR is a Michelin-starred restaurant where old-world service and stunning décor balance modern haute cuisine. Try their delectable liquid-nitrogen ice cream. www.madronamanor.com 800-258-4003
SLEEP IT OFF
These luxury accommodations might be just what your heavy head needs after all that tasting.
LES MARS HOTEL, right off of the town square, is among the most exclusive properties in the state. You’ll feel like you are on Île Saint-Louis or at a country escape in the Dordogne. The 16 perfectly appointed rooms have lavish touches like four-poster beds with embroidered canopies, antique mahogany furniture and fireplaces. www.lesmarshotel.com | 707-431-4211
The swanky HOTEL HEALDSBURG offers ultra-modern, trendy luxury in neutral colors with lots of sunlight. Equipped with all the tech accoutrements one could want, this place is the cool spot to see and be seen, and its central location is ideal. www.hotelhealdsburg.com 800-889-7188
CALDERWOOD INN, a beautifully restored 1902 Victorian, is a quiet, comfortable retreat a few blocks from the town square. Ever-present chef/owner Susan Moreno makes sure that guests have everything they need, and her specialty breakfasts are known far and wide. calderwoodinn.com 707-431-1110 Down Highway 12 from Healdsburg, the KENWOOD INN & SPA is a true hideaway. For the ultimate in seclusion, the rooms don’t have TVs. Lush courtyards and a cute wine bar reflect the hotel’s Mediterranean villa inspiration, and the spa uses high-end ARCONA products. www.kenwoodinn.com 800-353-6966
Spotlessly furnished and featuring luscious four-course breakfasts, the GRAPE LEAF INN also boasts a charming “Speakeasy” after-hours wine tasting room in the basement. A resident friendly ghost reportedly stops by the inn from time to time. www.grapelea.#64257; nn.com 707-433-8140
There are, however, more than 250 wineries in Sonoma County and hundreds only a short hop from Healdsburg. Three distinct AVAs (American Viticultural Areas)—Russian River Valley to the south, Dry Creek Valley to the west and Alexander Valley to the north—touch base in Healdsburg. Pick any direction and go.
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY Pinot Noir and Chardonnay truly shine here. The towns of Sebastopol, Guerneville, Windsor and Graton share small roads with dozens of excellent wineries. Breezes from the river and the ocean keep this area foggy at night and hot in the long summer afternoons. It’s pretty common for temperatures to swing 40 degrees in a day, creating perfect conditions for growing layered, textural grapes.
A premier “bubbly” house making fine sparkling wines, J Vineyards and Winery (jwine.com) also produces the fantastic Nicole’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, and nearby Sheldon Wines (sheldonwines.com), a funky boutique winery with a tasting room in a red caboose, opened last fall in Sebastopol. Owned and run by a young couple, Ryan and Tobe Sheldon, it is the epitome of handcrafted winemaking. All of their wines are foot-stomped, with no fining or filtering. They specialize in Rhone grapes. Sample the 2005 “Vinolocity”—a complex, thoughtful Grenache-Syrah blend.
MAP BY MARIKO JESSE
BOUTIQUE BLEND
With a variety of upscale stores interspersed among its tasting rooms and restaurants, Healdsburg makes it very tempting to drink and shop.
Clutch
Plenty of trendy shops dot Healdsburg’s town square. CLUTCH (clutchhealdsburg.com) sells handbags, wallets, luggage, briefcases and—of course—clutches, while LIME STONE (limestonehealdsburg.com) is the place to go for home furnishings and décor. Start your own wine journal with something from VIGNETTES (vignetteshealdsburg.com), a shop filled with local art and gifts. THE 
Lime Stone
CHEESE SHOP (doraliceimports.com) sells more than 240 different types of cheese and is right off the town plaza.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The Relish Culinary Center is cooking up an education for foodies.
A new addition to Healdsburg, this great little cooking school across from the Hotel Healdsburg offers fun demonstrations, private events, talks and all types of classes in an eco-friendly, modern farmhouse-styled kitchen. The Relish team has been operating for five years and is already well respected in the difficult-to-please, Sonoma foodie scene. This new center is becoming quite the attraction. relishculinary.com
DRY CREEK VALLEY
Jordan Vineyard &
WineryThe Dry Creek Valley is Zinfandel land, but its rocky clay soil, like that of the Mediterranean, and cooler climate (not unlike the Bordeaux region) produce outstanding Cabernets and Sauvignon Blancs. Sbragia (sbragia.com) is a relaxed family winery that offers a tremendous view from the picnic area. Winemaker Adam Sbragia says, “Everything we make is from a single vineyard—a true expression of terroir (a French concept that implies that the land from which grapes are grown influences the wine that is made in that region).”
The Pedroncelli family, of Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards (pedroncelli.com), has been farming the land in Dry Creek for more than 80 years. “The Pedroncelli family are real people who have lived here their entire lives,” says John Pedroncelli, one of the owners. Their serene 105-acre site is like much of Dry Creek Valley: hot days, stone-filled soils and good drainage. Zinfandel may be their hallmark, as they’ve been crafting a Zinfandel Rosé for more than 50 years, but don’t miss the powerful Petite Sirah.
Hawkes WineryALEXANDER VALLEY
Over to the east, Alexander Valley’s temperatures tend to run hotter than in the west—particularly in the north—and its gravelly bench land is perfect for Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Beautiful, European-inspired Jordan Vineyard & Winery (jordanwinery.com) celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. Both of Jordan’s wines—an elegant Cabernet and a bold Chardonnay—have become legendary. This is one of the premier Alexander Valley sites to visit; try their library selections.
J Vineyards and WineryHawkes Winery (hawkeswine.com) is another simple, family-run operation, but there is nothing humble about their wines. Alexander Valley is the heart of Sonoma’s “Cab country,” after all, and Hawkes’ wines— both Cabernets and Merlots—stand up to the best. The charming Jimtown Store (jimtown. com), a fine little market for locally grown gourmet goodies, is next door.
Part of the art of crafting—and appreciating— a good wine lies in understanding how the environment affects the grapes as they become wine. After a few days eating delicious meals, exploring the countryside and tasting the work of some of the best vineyards in the world, you’ll also understand why this place seems to get better as it ages.
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