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Healdsburg recommendations - 1/29/2019 2:09:46 PM

Wine Grove

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Going to be in Healdsburg in late Summertime for a couple days ....I hear great things about the area. Will be my first time on the Sonoma side.

Any restaurants or tasting experiences that cannot be missed??

Thanks!

< Message edited by Wine Grove -- 1/29/2019 2:23:29 PM >

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 1/29/2019 2:56:39 PM

recotte

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For dining, I'm a big fan of Cafe la Haye in the town of Sonoma.

Littorai provides one of the best tours/tastings I've done. It's a great education on what all goes into bio-dynamic viticulture.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 1/29/2019 5:18:35 PM

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https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=97754&sid=e6d95c9b27e92337edf00f1cc0065a87
/thread

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 1/29/2019 8:24:11 PM

WineGuyCO

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We were just there for Christmas. Bravas is exceptional. The food is outstanding. Great Craft beer collection also. Be sure to check out Silver Oaks new facility and tasting room in Healdsburg. It is really great. Siduri also has a tasting room in Healdsburg. Campo Fina is also an outstanding restaurant. Be sure to sit out back on the patio weather permitting.

Rick

< Message edited by WineGuyDelMar -- 1/29/2019 8:27:30 PM >

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 9:20:49 AM

Wine Grove

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Bumping this thread to find any more Recent Healdsburg tips from this Forum?

We are going to hit Valette for dinner one night for sure. Still weighing other options on lunch / dinner.
I am flabergasted by the pricing I see at Single thread- I mean really?? $100 corkage fee? and all your bottles on the menu are triple the market price or higher? Obnoxious.

Was thinking to check out Seghesio and Silver Oak but still undecided on the winery/vineyard visits, if there are any amazing ones in the area???

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 10:03:36 AM

Oenophiliac

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The Dry Creek Kitchen (Charlie Palmer) has free corkage for Sonoma Wines. Maybe 2 bottles?

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 10:15:39 AM

Chip Merlot

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You will find some helpful advice from several CT members in this thread from last year: https://www.cellartracker.com/forum/tm.asp?m=451872

Spoiler alert: Our favorite restaurant there was Barndiva and my favorite winery visit was Limerick Lane. Also enjoyed dinner at the H2 Hotel, where we stayed. I recommend it for lodging and also their policy on waiving corkage fee for local wines.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 1:38:46 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: S1

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=97754&sid=e6d95c9b27e92337edf00f1cc0065a87
/thread

Seriously!
Our own River Rat manages that thread. He lives just off River Road so he knows the territory.
https://www.cellartracker.com/forum/tm.asp?m=434312

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 1:42:05 PM

desertwine

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Spent last week there for the Santa Rosa 70.3 Ironman.
Didn't eat out once! Had a great rental with awesome kitchen and just chilled.
Oh well, next time...

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 1:58:51 PM

thesternowl

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It depends on your flexibility but Diavola was a real surprise and it's just a few miles up the road in Geyserville. They're known for their Neapolitan-styled pizzas but everything we tried on the menu was really good and their wine list was thoughtfully put together with some local gems. And if you need to drink something other than wine for a change, you can hit the Gun Club next door. Good craft cocktails.

If you're into the bio-dynamic thing (I am), an alternative to Littorai (which was a great suggestion) would be Quivera in Dry Creek right down the street from Rafanelli. The rose and the Sauvignon Blanc were really good but the tour of the property and the charcuterie plate with fruits, vegetables and cured meat, all sourced from their estate...was really cool. At least, I thought so.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 3:06:59 PM

Wine Grove

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quote:

ORIGINAL: S1

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=97754&sid=e6d95c9b27e92337edf00f1cc0065a87
/thread

Thank you, Sir, I did read through this thread. I think this is where I first stumbled on the VALETTE suggestion, which I'm feeling confident is probably one of the best dinner choices.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 3:22:16 PM

Wine Grove

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Chip Merlot

You will find some helpful advice from several CT members in this thread from last year: https://www.cellartracker.com/forum/tm.asp?m=451872

Spoiler alert: Our favorite restaurant there was Barndiva and my favorite winery visit was Limerick Lane. Also enjoyed dinner at the H2 Hotel, where we stayed. I recommend it for lodging and also their policy on waiving corkage fee for local wines.

Chip - Nice thread/write up on your trip in there. We are Only there for 2 days so we will probably make 2 property visits, and a few stops in tasting rooms in downtown.

Couple follow up questions for you from your write up:

Are you suggesting Martinelli was probably a "pass"? Silver Oak, Hawley and Kistler were a few of my leading contenders for property visits...sounds like perhaps Limerick Lane should be one of them ??

Seghesio and Hartford are the top of my list of tasting rooms in downtown, perhaps Siduri? Any other tasting rooms in town w/ strong recommendation?

(in reply to Chip Merlot)

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 3:39:00 PM

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Oliver’s Market
Like Whole Foods, but good.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 8:24:35 PM

KPB

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I’ll second Diavolo (about five miles from Healdsburg). The Coppola winery is worth checking out: they have amazing film memorabilia like the desk from the Godfather, a really good cafe for lunch, and the wines are very reasonable at their various price points. Among the ones you mention, Silver Oak would be my first choice. Not on your list but really good would be Ridge Vineyards.

Sidurai is actually in Santa Rosa, and their tasting room has a great range of wines. So yes, absolutely. And the Seghesio Zinfandel lineup is good.

Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa has all sorts of wines you won’t find elsewhere, often at great prices...

< Message edited by KPB -- 7/31/2019 8:27:10 PM >

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 9:03:46 PM

BenG

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I really liked Mazzocco Zinfandel about 10 years ago when Whole Foods used to sell it. We bought about 30 bottles of it. It still gets high CT scores I noticed but I've never been to the winery.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 7/31/2019 10:37:22 PM

jonboy74

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Barn Diva is awesome, lunch is great there too. Brava another winner. Best meal I had was Chalk Board . The octopus was so good we actually ordered it for dessert. Wine flights were excellent way to sample lots of wines from the area.

Tasting - Selby was good (right next to Barn Diva), Portalupi tasting room in town is my favorite, I love their Barbaras and the Charbono, and their Vaso de Marina wine is an excellent wine for parties (and it comes in glass milk jugs, which is unique!). Seghesio tasting room is very near downtown, their non-zinfandel wines are some of my favorites, especially their barbara, aglianico, arneis and vermentino. Lots of other options outside of the city center.

Restaurant reservations are important. Uber was not really readily available when I was there, and the one cab company was hit or miss (we stayed in an AirBNB just outside of town).

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 8/1/2019 1:12:12 PM

ramwines

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Was in Healdsburg in May. Managed to get to both Valette and the Baci Cafe and Wine Bar. Both are exceptional. My personal preference of the two is Baci. Owned and operated by locals with an outstanding menu and wine list. For starters, this is the only restaurant in the world that gets an allocation of J Rochioli Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs. Joe Rochioli is a personal friend of the Baci owners.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 8/1/2019 2:27:41 PM

Chip Merlot

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quote:

Chip - Nice thread/write up on your trip in there. We are Only there for 2 days so we will probably make 2 property visits, and a few stops in tasting rooms in downtown.

Couple follow up questions for you from your write up:

Are you suggesting Martinelli was probably a "pass"? Silver Oak, Hawley and Kistler were a few of my leading contenders for property visits...sounds like perhaps Limerick Lane should be one of them ??

Seghesio and Hartford are the top of my list of tasting rooms in downtown, perhaps Siduri? Any other tasting rooms in town w/ strong recommendation?

YMMV, but for me Martinelli was a pass -- everything seemed overly high (and obvious) in the alcohol department, i.e., unbalanced. It also is a bit on the touristy side, again a personal perception. Limerick Lane has a relaxed and comfortable feel in the tasting room and is very close to downtown Healdsburg, which is a plus if you're swallowing the tastes at all. Appointment recommended, even though it worked out for us without one.

In town, I did like Hartford. Just know that they're on the pricier side. I remember going into Stonestreet and it was sweltering in there, perhaps their A/C was broken that day....

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 8/1/2019 2:48:29 PM

Neat Water Back

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Chip Merlot

quote:

Chip - Nice thread/write up on your trip in there. We are Only there for 2 days so we will probably make 2 property visits, and a few stops in tasting rooms in downtown.

Couple follow up questions for you from your write up:

Are you suggesting Martinelli was probably a "pass"? Silver Oak, Hawley and Kistler were a few of my leading contenders for property visits...sounds like perhaps Limerick Lane should be one of them ??

Seghesio and Hartford are the top of my list of tasting rooms in downtown, perhaps Siduri? Any other tasting rooms in town w/ strong recommendation?

YMMV, but for me Martinelli was a pass -- everything seemed overly high (and obvious) in the alcohol department, i.e., unbalanced. It also is a bit on the touristy side, again a personal perception. Limerick Lane has a relaxed and comfortable feel in the tasting room and is very close to downtown Healdsburg, which is a plus if you're swallowing the tastes at all. Appointment recommended, even though it worked out for us without one.

In town, I did like Hartford. Just know that they're on the pricier side. I remember going into Stonestreet and it was sweltering in there, perhaps their A/C was broken that day....

My experience at Martinelli mirrors yours, hard pass IMO. If you are going to be in that neck of the woods, I would set up a visit to Joseph Swan. If it's during the week you'll need an appointment, weekends they are open for walk-ins. And I'll second the many recommendations for Limerick Lane, also an extremely enjoyable visit.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 8/1/2019 5:49:29 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ramwines

Was in Healdsburg in May. Managed to get to both Valette and the Baci Cafe and Wine Bar. Both are exceptional. My personal preference of the two is Baci. Owned and operated by locals with an outstanding menu and wine list. For starters, this is the only restaurant in the world that gets an allocation of J Rochioli Pinot Noir Blanc de Noirs. Joe Rochioli is a personal friend of the Baci owners.

Ram is (again) spreading the gospel of Rochioli...
(because he is right!!)

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Tous les chemins mènent à la Bourgogne!
"One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and -- one talks about it!" (in memory of drycab)

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 9/4/2019 4:47:16 PM

Wine Grove

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Getting closer and amped up for a couple days in Healdsburg. After all your suggestions and my own reasearch have a short list of definite places to hit.

Here are my wine/food hit lists:

-Limerick Lane tasting appt
-Silver Oak visit
-Hartford & Seghesio in town, and Find some Rochioli to taste
- Valette for dinner, Baci and Campo Fina also in consdieration
- Diavola Pizzeria in Geyserville

Anything in the northern end of Sonoma county that is a must-do/try?

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 9/4/2019 6:37:27 PM

KPB

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Verite, Cornell Vineyards, Arnot Roberts... reservations required, potentially fairly hefty tasting fees too.

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 9/25/2019 11:03:18 AM

Wine Grove

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Added a Tasting at KISTLER.... I have really liked their Chardonnays. Anyone here a regular or on the list of Kistler? Suggestions about their current offerings?

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 9/25/2019 11:49:33 AM

KPB

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I've tasted at Kistler, back in the spring of 2017. For me the style had drifted from what I used to look for with Kistler and there was a bit too much of the California "butter" on most of their wines, although they did have one that felt more crisp and delineated to me: the 2014 Kistler vineyard Chardonnay (and I liked the 2014 Kistler Pinot Noir too -- only red they poured at that visit). In contrast, their 2014 Vine Hill and Trenton wines were both very flabby, relative to my taste. But people who are focused on Chardonnay to pair with lobster and crab, for example, where the buttery elements are key to why it works, could have the exact opposite reaction and find those two to be ideal, and the Kistler vineyard one too "sharp" or "steely".

Now, those comments related to the 2014 vintage, a good vintage from a fairly ripe year. In contrast by now they would be pouring 2016 or 2017. In terms of weather, 2016 was like 2014 but by then the ground was very dry, so I doubt that the 2016 style was extremely different -- if anything, the wines might be expected to be even more exotic.

2017 started off very wet (lots of spring rain), and then during the late summer started to have these extreme heat spikes, to 105 or 110 degrees (maybe even more in some vineyards). Spikes can give you excessive ripeness very suddenly. So you won't find high acidity in 2017, and might notice some exotic aromas (sweet pineapple, for example, or passionfruit) that wouldn't be common in cooler years.

By the way, Steve Kistler himself no longer makes the wines -- he is at Occidental now, although presumably he consults during the final blend stage. Still, during the 2014 to 2017 period, the new winemaker will have taken on more and more decisions, so one factor, other than weather, is that the house style itself may shift. Should be an interesting tasting!

Check out the volcanic stone they have in the tasting room. As light as a balloon... very surprising when you first pick it up!

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RE: Healdsburg recommendations - 9/25/2019 1:40:36 PM

Wine Grove

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Thanks, Ken! Should be interesting and fun. We will head north along the russian river to Healdsburg afterwards.

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