Wine, Dine and Wine Some More

You’re in Healdsburg, now what?!

Drink wine! While Napa may have bigger name recognition, we prefer Sonoma’s big reds and laid back attitude.  Healdsburg is at the heart of it all, with the Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley producing some of the best wine in the region.  We hope you’ll enjoy exploring the amazing geography and even better wine, some of our favorites are below, note all of these require a car/driver:

Hawkes winery: Home to our favorite cabs, Doug and I are loyal wine club members.  They offer tastings at their Healdsburg tasting room as well as reserve tastings out in the vineyard.  Appointments recommended.

A Rafanelli: A small, family run vineyard with amazing cab and zin in Dry Creek Valley.  Reservations and required but well worth it, with the owner often providing a private tour of the facility.  

Gary Farrell:  Gary Farrell sources its grapes from Sonoma and Napa producing unique varietals and blends.  Reservations are recommended and required on weekends.  Fun fact, Doug proclaimed himself a chard guy upon tasting their chardonnay, who knew!

Kamen: With a tasting room in downtown Sonoma as well as private vineyard tastings (by appointment only), Kamen is a great stop on your wine tour.  Not only do they produce amazing blends and syrahs, the owner is an accomplished screenwriter, having written the Karate Kid and Taken.

Arista:  Popular with a fun atmosphere.  I was pretty drunk by then but we bought a bunch so I must have liked it.

Porter Creek: A tiny tasting room belies big tastes, the zin and viognier were some of our favorites!

In addition to the many vineyards and wineries, there are a number of tasting rooms in downtown Healdsburg making it easy to ditch the car and do a wine crawl along the town square. For a thorough listing of walkable wineries in Healdsburg, check out Wine Walk Healdsburg. Some of our favorites include:

Hawley: Great meritage and zin, plus a cool storefront. make this a worthwhile stop.

Williamson:  With a sampling of wines and fine foods, their chocolate and cheese pairing is among the highlights of a Healdsburg wine crawl.  

When you’re done drinking, it’s time to eat!  

Among the many amazing restaurants to choose from in Healdsburg, below are some of our favorites for a quick bite or indulgent dinner.

Brass Rabbit: Opened in 2016 and was a huge hit on our last visit.  We recommend the grilled octopus while sitting at the bar to enjoy the views of the open kitchen and wood burning grill.

Barndiva:  A gorgeous space with food to match, with french fries shaped like potato chips, you can’t go wrong.  Reservations are recommended.   

Spoonbar:  When your tired of wine (impossible) head to Spoonbar for some of the best cocktails on the left coast.  The creative cocktails pair perfectly with a market driven menu.  Sit at the bar and enjoy the open-air format into the evening or grab a table.

Campo Fina: A great spot for a hearty italian meal or thin crust pizza, this is a great, more casual option for lunch and dinner.

Great for a casual bite or glass of wine, Oakville Grocery has both prepared food and made to order sandwiches.  If you’re planning a long day of wine tasting stop by Oakville Grocery on your way to the vineyards and grab lunch!

Also check out the Dry Creek General store for lunch while out tasting, the sandwiches and salads will line your stomach before your next tasting.