If you are a Zin fan then Dry Creek is a must.
+1 on Arista
+1 on Gary Farrell. . . . love the Hallberg Pinot
Don’t stress about hitting too many places. . . I think 5 is the most we’ve done in a day, and I was almost too wiped out to go to dinner. ![[truce.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/d/d33e712b50d5efc2425bf219c404fbdb7ed0ba50.gif "truce"){kind=small}
I have had that same experience in Napa, too many wineries = don’t want dinner or at least can’t even conceive having wine with dinner. Three is my max and I will be spitting for the most part.
Drew and Kenez tasting rooms are in AV about 45 minutes north of Healdsburg and in the same complex just south of Philo. Like most small family places up here your best bet is Fri-Mon as only the bigger wineries are open 7 days a week up here. I would be happy to privately walk you thru the wines of Londer/Foursight. That is if you have some time to geek out over some bottled and 2012 barrels of Pinot Noir.
Oh and don’t forget to mix in a few breweries after all the wineries close. The bear republic in Healdsburg and Boonville Brewing Company are both great spots to refresh your palate.
Interesting – they used to only see mailing list buyers there, but I looked on their website (which they finally have in recent years) and you are correct: http://www.dehlingerwinery.com/Pages/DehlingerVisiting.htm
That would be a great place to visit for people with serious wine interest. But like the man and his wine, there is nothing the least bit fancy, flashy or glamorous about the winery or the property. It’s just about quality and nothing else.
You’ve got lots of great winery suggestions, so I’ll weigh in on food. Highly recommend Scopa for dinner but make reservations as early as you can. We also really enjoy Baci and Dry Creek kitchen. For a tasty lowbrow lunch I highly recommend Tacqueria El Sombrero - everything’s great but I’m addicted to the shrimp tacos!
And while we’re doing lowbrow meals the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, The Wurst Grill, and the Bear Republic are where I can afford to go. El Farolito if you want to cleanse your palate with a shot of tequila. lol
+1 on Bear Republic, was just about to add them. If you go be sure to post in the “what Beer are you drinking” thread about how fresh the Racer 5 is. It will drive a certain Leeds, UK resident mad with envy. But besides that, all their beers are great and the food is above-the-bar grade pub fare.
If someone s available you can visit Scherrer by appointment. Had a wonderful visit there last year. Fred scherrer is an extremely knowledgable and engaging guy.
Plenty of awesome advice here.
I’d just add that if you dabble in the Dry Creek Valley–which is right next to Healdsburg–Unti is worth a stop. You make an appointment and taste in their completely unpretentious warehouse. Friendly people. Delicious rhone varietals. Moderate prices. $5 tasting fee, as I recall.
Also, a few miles further up the valley, Preston feels like a slice of heaven. Winery/organic farm. Tasty wines + tiny farm store at the end of a gravel road.
One of those places that makes you want to move to Sonoma.
I might just need to summer there in order to take advantage of all these great recommendations!
A fantastic suggestion. Be sure to observe the rolling nature of the vineyards and inquire about the different soil types.
Unti is another unique experience well worth seeking out.
While I am not adding any new wineries, we are going to be in Sonoma for a wedding on Memorial Day weekend and were planning to spend 1 day in or around Healdsburg. Our tentative plan was:
Holdredge
Arnot Roberts
Wind Gap
You really can’t go wrong with any of the recommendations. On Sunday, our plan was to hit Siduri/Novy, Zepaltas, and Keating.
Adam
I’m not certain but I expect there is little to no waiting list to get some allocation from Dehlinger these days. The Chardonnay shows up in my local Whole Foods and they were allocating something like 24 bottles even when I hadn’t bought more than a couple recently. The wines are excellent and age very well.
Highly recommend Cobb, especially if on a sunny day. You will understand that once you are on the property.
Also recommend Joe Donelan (fka, Pax). Had a killer tasting with him back a few years ago. Did the complete lineup from barrel and bottle, plus a few back vintages.
Just FYI, once you are out driving, cell coverage is spotty. Make sure to get turn by turn instructions for off the beatin path places.