Wine tasting in Healdsburg
Tasted August 14, 2015 - August 15, 2015 by TashNYC with 513 views
Flight 1 - Seghesio Family Winery (6 notes)
$10 wine tasting fee. The homemade salami platter ($15) is not to be missed.
Flight 2 - Ridge winery (4 notes)
We got this tasting for free, with cards we picked up at Seghesio. So we did a 2nd tasting (and paid for it), too.
Flight 3 - Ridge 2 (4 notes)
$10 tasting fee / person.
There was an option for the Monte Bello 2012 for an extra $10, but we know the wine is tight and primary, so we passed on it.
Ridge makes 4 chardonnays. The Monte Bello is a barrel select of this.
Flight 4 - J Winery (6 notes)
$20 tasting fee / person. Kind of a rip-off for what it was. Kindly, they charged us for only 1 person, although we were two people tasting.
Flight 5 - Donatiello tasting Room (7 notes)
$10 tasting fee. Very pleasant tasting and learned a lot about the wine.
We especially loved the Peters Vineyard Chardonnay -- available only at the winery. (We didn't buy because we were still planning on doing only carry-on bags for the flight, and not checking bags).
(After the tasting, we bought some Donatiello pinots on-line).
Flight 6 - Roadhouse winery (7 notes)
$10 tasting fee. We got some 2-for-1 tasting cards at Seghesio, so it was $5 / person.
We met the Winemaker at the tasting room, too.
Flight 7 - Macrostie (8 notes)
The winery was brand new (finished Feb 2015) and had breath-taking views of the surrounding area.
Very civilized tasting, with a seating area, multiple glasses, water and breadsticks to clear our palette. (We wanted to have a picnic there, but they didn't have the right license for it).
$15 tasting fee. We got a free upgrade to the Single Vineyard tasting, via a card we picked up at Seghesio.
Flight 8 - Rochiolo Tasting (4 notes)
$10 tasting fee, completely refundable against a purchase of 1 bottle of wine.
We bought 2 bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc (for net $18 / bottle), which was completely delicious and an amazing buy, too. (The SB is $40 retail on the East Coast these days].
We were so in love with the Sauvignon Blanc that we decided to check bags on our flight home to NJ, so we could buy some and bring it home! (And that is a compliment).
We also had a lovely picnic on the outdoor patio, amid the flowers and hummingbirds, before tasting. Recommended.
Flight 9 - Dry Creek Vineyards (6 notes)
We visited this winery because we had tasted the dry Chenin Blanc at Cafe Lucia on Thursday night (by the glass) and it was delicious, because it was a family wine and since we were attending a wedding in the same appellation.
Unfortunately, while the Chenin Blanc was tasty, the rest of these wines were either mediocre or dreadful.
$10 tasting fee, refundable against a bottle of wine purchase. We bought 2 of the Dry Chenin Blanc 2014 (net $2 / bottle after tasting fee)
I've had some good wines from Dry Creek Vineyard -- but this tasting wasn't one of those experiences.
That was ok in the end, as it was our last tasting before the wedding, as we were rushed, anyway.
Closing
It was a great 2 days tasting wine in California!