Best vineyards and best (cheaper!) hotels in Healdsburg and Sonoma
Feb 17th, 2010, 05:58 PM
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Best vineyards and best (cheaper!) hotels in Healdsburg and Sonoma
I will be in wine country for 4 days in early May and want some recommendations. I don't have a ton of money to spend and want to know a few things:
1. Sonoma or Healdsburg - a good but inexpensive hotel/inn in both towns. Would like to be in walking distance of restaurants or wine bar areas (never been up there so I don't even know what is available).
2. Good restaurants - willing to splurge a little but want to know tips for getting reservations
3. Good wineries to visit. I want to visit Armida because I love the wine. Any other suggestions. Good wine/low cost/great experience a plus!
4. Any other tips? I don't want to spend the whole vacation loopy on wine but would also like to see nearby attractions. I am flying into SFO and will have a rental.
Thank you for any advice!
1. Sonoma or Healdsburg - a good but inexpensive hotel/inn in both towns. Would like to be in walking distance of restaurants or wine bar areas (never been up there so I don't even know what is available).
2. Good restaurants - willing to splurge a little but want to know tips for getting reservations
3. Good wineries to visit. I want to visit Armida because I love the wine. Any other suggestions. Good wine/low cost/great experience a plus!
4. Any other tips? I don't want to spend the whole vacation loopy on wine but would also like to see nearby attractions. I am flying into SFO and will have a rental.
Thank you for any advice!
Feb 17th, 2010, 10:54 PM
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There is a Travelodge in Healdsburg, but it is not within walking distance of the center (by center I mean the Plaza). There is another Travelodge in Santa Rosa. In either case, though, you would need a car to get to wineries or popular restaurants.
Bistro Ralph, Ravenous, and Zin are smaller, casual restaurants with good food in downtown Healdsburg.
http://www.zinrestaurant.com/
Dry Creek Kitchen is also good. This is a larger, bustling place, with more elegant decor (it is in the centrally located Hotel Healdsburg). You can go to dinner here in jeans or business attire. Here's their website:
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DryCreekKitchen
Also good, on the outskirts of Healdsburg on Westside Road, is Madrona Manor Restaurant in the stately Victorian-era Madrona Manor Inn. This is a great place for a special occasion dinner or a romantic meal for two. It is cozy and elegant, and its decor is more traditional in appearance than the contemporary Dry Creek Kitchen.
http://www.madronamanor.com/restaurant.htm
Cyrus is a splurge restaurant (caviar, foie gras, etc.) that has received rave reviews, but I have never been there.
We've never had any problem booking a restaurant on the same day of our visit, though it is tougher during summer or during special Sonoma County events, such as the "Wine Road Barrel Tasting" or "Passport to Dry Creek Valley" or "A Wine and Food Affair."
If you really have your heart set on visiting a certain restaurant, I would suggest trying to book at least a couple of weeks in advance.
Tip: Many Sonoma restaurants will wave their corkage fee, if the wine you bring along to drink is a Sonoma wine. But check with the restaurant first.
I am sure you will receive plenty of restaurant and winery recommendations.
Right in downtown Healdsburg, you can visit the tasting rooms for two excellent wineries, Seghesio and Rosenblum. Here is the link for Rosenblum:
https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/pag...d=487&catid=48
Both of the above wineries are famous for their Zinfandels. By the way, if you like Zinfandel, other wineries work seeking out are Ridge Lytton Springs and Ravenswood (the latter being closer to Sonoma town).
http://www.ridgewine.com/visiting_wineries/ls.tml
http://www.ravenswood-wine.com/about/index.asp
I believe Chateau Souverain also has a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg.
There are so many wineries in Sonoma. It would probably be best to rent a car and tackle one or two areas that are close together each day you are there.
Here's a link to a great map:
http://www.sonoma.com/visitorsinfo/S...Winery_Map.pdf
Bistro Ralph, Ravenous, and Zin are smaller, casual restaurants with good food in downtown Healdsburg.
http://www.zinrestaurant.com/
Dry Creek Kitchen is also good. This is a larger, bustling place, with more elegant decor (it is in the centrally located Hotel Healdsburg). You can go to dinner here in jeans or business attire. Here's their website:
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DryCreekKitchen
Also good, on the outskirts of Healdsburg on Westside Road, is Madrona Manor Restaurant in the stately Victorian-era Madrona Manor Inn. This is a great place for a special occasion dinner or a romantic meal for two. It is cozy and elegant, and its decor is more traditional in appearance than the contemporary Dry Creek Kitchen.
http://www.madronamanor.com/restaurant.htm
Cyrus is a splurge restaurant (caviar, foie gras, etc.) that has received rave reviews, but I have never been there.
We've never had any problem booking a restaurant on the same day of our visit, though it is tougher during summer or during special Sonoma County events, such as the "Wine Road Barrel Tasting" or "Passport to Dry Creek Valley" or "A Wine and Food Affair."
If you really have your heart set on visiting a certain restaurant, I would suggest trying to book at least a couple of weeks in advance.
Tip: Many Sonoma restaurants will wave their corkage fee, if the wine you bring along to drink is a Sonoma wine. But check with the restaurant first.
I am sure you will receive plenty of restaurant and winery recommendations.
Right in downtown Healdsburg, you can visit the tasting rooms for two excellent wineries, Seghesio and Rosenblum. Here is the link for Rosenblum:
https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/pag...d=487&catid=48
Both of the above wineries are famous for their Zinfandels. By the way, if you like Zinfandel, other wineries work seeking out are Ridge Lytton Springs and Ravenswood (the latter being closer to Sonoma town).
http://www.ridgewine.com/visiting_wineries/ls.tml
http://www.ravenswood-wine.com/about/index.asp
I believe Chateau Souverain also has a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg.
There are so many wineries in Sonoma. It would probably be best to rent a car and tackle one or two areas that are close together each day you are there.
Here's a link to a great map:
http://www.sonoma.com/visitorsinfo/S...Winery_Map.pdf
Feb 17th, 2010, 11:52 PM
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I have just noticed that you will definitely have a car for the entire time you are there. That's good.
By May, the weather should be beautiful. I live in the area and its already beginning to warm up (though we expect a storm this coming weekend). But we've had glorious weather the last few days, lots of sunshine.
Apart from visiting the wineries, you might want to admire some of our beautiful coastal scenery. If you enjoy hiking or walking along rugged beaches or visiting oyster farms, Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County (just north of Sonoma County) is beautiful. Beware of sneaker waves at the beach. The Point Reyes Lighthouse offers stunning views. Park roads can be very winding. If you wanted to make a day of visiting this area, you could easily find a place to stop for lunch in Point Reyes Station (a very small town) or Inverness (another small town).
http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/index.htm
The area around Bodega Bay is also pretty. It's a nice setting for a simple seafood meal or for enjoying a glass of wine or beer with barbecued oysters. Bodega Bay was made famous as the setting for Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."
http://www.bodegabay.com/index.shtml
If yow will be traveling from SFO to Sonoma via Highway 101, you will be passing through Marin County, which is adjacent to Sonoma County. In Marin, there are some beautiful areas worth visiting, such as the giant redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument:
http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
From Muir Woods you can drive north through the twists and turns on Highway One down to Stinson Beach. On a clear day, this is a thrilling drive. Actually, if you continue along this road you will eventually reach Point Reyes (but this would take two to three hours). It is a lovely drive that takes you past Bolinas Lagoon, which serves as feeding grounds for egrets, herons, sandpipers, pelicans, and dozes of other bird species (the Audubon Canyon Ranch is based here). Though this is a good distance from Healdsburg. Ideally, to visit this area, you'd have to see it on you way up to Sonoma or after you'd left Sonoma. This would be a fairly time consuming detour.
You hadn't mentioned if you had ever visited the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is the park at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. If you haven't, you can easily stop here on you way up to the wine country to have a look at the spectacular views of S.F. across the bay. Unlike the above suggestions, it wouldn't take you too much out of your way. You could cross the bridge spend about an hour in the GGNRA and then continue along Highway 101 to Sonoma, which should take you about two hours, depending on how much traffic you encounter around Santa Rosa.
By May, the weather should be beautiful. I live in the area and its already beginning to warm up (though we expect a storm this coming weekend). But we've had glorious weather the last few days, lots of sunshine.
Apart from visiting the wineries, you might want to admire some of our beautiful coastal scenery. If you enjoy hiking or walking along rugged beaches or visiting oyster farms, Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County (just north of Sonoma County) is beautiful. Beware of sneaker waves at the beach. The Point Reyes Lighthouse offers stunning views. Park roads can be very winding. If you wanted to make a day of visiting this area, you could easily find a place to stop for lunch in Point Reyes Station (a very small town) or Inverness (another small town).
http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/index.htm
The area around Bodega Bay is also pretty. It's a nice setting for a simple seafood meal or for enjoying a glass of wine or beer with barbecued oysters. Bodega Bay was made famous as the setting for Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."
http://www.bodegabay.com/index.shtml
If yow will be traveling from SFO to Sonoma via Highway 101, you will be passing through Marin County, which is adjacent to Sonoma County. In Marin, there are some beautiful areas worth visiting, such as the giant redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument:
http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
From Muir Woods you can drive north through the twists and turns on Highway One down to Stinson Beach. On a clear day, this is a thrilling drive. Actually, if you continue along this road you will eventually reach Point Reyes (but this would take two to three hours). It is a lovely drive that takes you past Bolinas Lagoon, which serves as feeding grounds for egrets, herons, sandpipers, pelicans, and dozes of other bird species (the Audubon Canyon Ranch is based here). Though this is a good distance from Healdsburg. Ideally, to visit this area, you'd have to see it on you way up to Sonoma or after you'd left Sonoma. This would be a fairly time consuming detour.
You hadn't mentioned if you had ever visited the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is the park at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. If you haven't, you can easily stop here on you way up to the wine country to have a look at the spectacular views of S.F. across the bay. Unlike the above suggestions, it wouldn't take you too much out of your way. You could cross the bridge spend about an hour in the GGNRA and then continue along Highway 101 to Sonoma, which should take you about two hours, depending on how much traffic you encounter around Santa Rosa.
Feb 18th, 2010, 03:20 PM
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Thanks for the compliment, sf7307!
Another sightseeing/nature hike activity right in Sonoma wine country would be a visit to Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen. It houses the ruins of the home of and grave of Jack London, who wrote "Call of the Wild", "White Fang" and "The Sea Wolf." There are also some good trails here that offer views over Sonoma's Valley of the Moon. Douglas fir, redwoods, maple trees, madrones, and more grace the landscape.
http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/jacklondon.html
http://www.parks.ca.gov/DEFAULT.ASP?page_id=478
While in Glen Ellen, you can also pay a visit to Benziger Winery--pretty grounds. Chateau St. Jean (also an attractive winery), St. Francis, and Kunde are also in this area. All make excellent wines.
http://www.benziger.com/
http://www.chateaustjean.com/stjean/index.jsp
Another sightseeing/nature hike activity right in Sonoma wine country would be a visit to Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen. It houses the ruins of the home of and grave of Jack London, who wrote "Call of the Wild", "White Fang" and "The Sea Wolf." There are also some good trails here that offer views over Sonoma's Valley of the Moon. Douglas fir, redwoods, maple trees, madrones, and more grace the landscape.
http://www.bahiker.com/northbayhikes/jacklondon.html
http://www.parks.ca.gov/DEFAULT.ASP?page_id=478
While in Glen Ellen, you can also pay a visit to Benziger Winery--pretty grounds. Chateau St. Jean (also an attractive winery), St. Francis, and Kunde are also in this area. All make excellent wines.
http://www.benziger.com/
http://www.chateaustjean.com/stjean/index.jsp
Feb 18th, 2010, 05:44 PM
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Yes, great advice from diamantina. We live in Napa Valley, but I'll mention a winery we enjoyed last Fall in the Dry Creek area of Healdsburg (Sonoma County): Bella Wine Caves. We loved the country drive and the rustic quality of this winery. Yet the wine caves are very nice as are the wines. You can sit under the trees in an Adirondack chair, enjoy a glass of wine with the views across the valley, and feel like you belong there.
Feb 18th, 2010, 05:53 PM
#8
When you first posted I thought of a hotel option but it wasn't where you were asking about.
But Dia has mentioned the Jack London SP in Glen Ellen. At the base of it is the Jack London Lodge - http://www.jacklondonlodge.com/
It's a relatively inexpensive option, nice and in the cute little town of Glen Ellen. We discovered it when we had a hard time finding a place that allowed a one night only on weekends. Really enjoyed it. We went up to the park "for just a little while" before hitting the wineries - and spent half the day there.
It may suit your needs if you are flexible on your location.
But Dia has mentioned the Jack London SP in Glen Ellen. At the base of it is the Jack London Lodge - http://www.jacklondonlodge.com/
It's a relatively inexpensive option, nice and in the cute little town of Glen Ellen. We discovered it when we had a hard time finding a place that allowed a one night only on weekends. Really enjoyed it. We went up to the park "for just a little while" before hitting the wineries - and spent half the day there.
It may suit your needs if you are flexible on your location.
Feb 20th, 2010, 02:00 PM
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For less expensive places to stay check out www.vrbo.com/healdsburg These are vacation rentals by owner and can be a much better buy than a hotel. However, you'll need to drive to wineries and restaurants. No big deal IMO. The privacy and experience of living in the wine country makes up for any time spent driving.
Feb 23rd, 2010, 10:14 AM
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There is two vacation rental properties listed on VRBO that are just a block off the plaza in Healdsburg and right next door to Cyrus Restaurant - www.allseasonsvacationsuites.com. The Best Western in Healdsburg is a good deal and it's very nice - it's called the Dry Creek Inn. For an affordable B&B there is the Camellia Inn. They have a budget room in the neighborhood of $139 per night and you get a full breakfast and evening wine and cheese tasting. There are two very good and inexpensive Mexican restaurants in Healdsburg. One is across from the Oakville Grocery and one is just off the plaza. Bovolo is an excellent but casual restaurant - it's in the back of the Copperfields book store. There are 13 wineries - all small case producers on Front Street in the old Roma station. You can walk to all of them and a block and half further on there is Longboard winery. Some of the wineries, like Simi, do food and wine pairings. Those are fun.
There is also a Best Western in Sonoma owned by the same family that owns the one in Healdsburg. I am less familiar with downtown Sonoma as I always stay in Glen Ellen at the Glennelly Inn.
There is also a Best Western in Sonoma owned by the same family that owns the one in Healdsburg. I am less familiar with downtown Sonoma as I always stay in Glen Ellen at the Glennelly Inn.
Feb 24th, 2010, 04:24 AM
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We stayed at the Healdsburg Hotel and loved it. The location can't be beat - you can walk to restaurants, some shopping, coffee shop, small grocery, etc. . .It is not a budget hotel, but you may be able to find a good deal on priceline or the like. We had dinner at Cyrus (big time splurge but it was my husband's 40th birthday), Zin and Dry Creek Kitchen. We enjoyed them all and would go back. My girl friend raves about Ravenous, but we didn't get a chance to eat there on our trip.
Regarding wineries, our favorites were Bella (mentioned above), Jordan (absolutely beautiful - felt like we were in France) and Coppola/Rubicon (another beautiful setting). Part of the fun of driving through wine country is stopping on a whim if you see a winery that appeals to you. We had lunch at a wonderful old country store type place kind of in the middle of nowhere but near several of the wineries. I can't remember the name, but I bet someone on this board will know it. It is pretty famous and has wonderful sandwiches.
Have a great trip!
Regarding wineries, our favorites were Bella (mentioned above), Jordan (absolutely beautiful - felt like we were in France) and Coppola/Rubicon (another beautiful setting). Part of the fun of driving through wine country is stopping on a whim if you see a winery that appeals to you. We had lunch at a wonderful old country store type place kind of in the middle of nowhere but near several of the wineries. I can't remember the name, but I bet someone on this board will know it. It is pretty famous and has wonderful sandwiches.
Have a great trip!
Mar 11th, 2010, 06:31 PM
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There is a wonderful little bed and breakfast located in Windsor that are reasonably priced. Windrose Romantic Cottages. Some of the rooms have their own hot tub. My husband and I really enjoyed staying here.
http://www.windroseromanticcottages.com/
There are so many great restaurants in Sonoma County. We definitely recommend A Girl and a Fig and Zin - both in downtown Healdsburg. We've been to both many times. Our favorite place though is probably Restaurant Mirepoix. The food, service, and wine were outstanding. This small restaurant only seats 24 so make reservations in advance: http://www.restaurantmirepoix.com/
Save money wine tasting at wineries with free wine tasting coupons. You can find and print them online before you leave home. Do an online web search for free wine tasting coupons. http://www.cheers2wine.com/free-wine...g-coupons.html
Make reservation to taste wine at Paul Hobbs Winery. Other favorities include Benziger Winery, Imagery, and Wilson Family.
http://www.windroseromanticcottages.com/
There are so many great restaurants in Sonoma County. We definitely recommend A Girl and a Fig and Zin - both in downtown Healdsburg. We've been to both many times. Our favorite place though is probably Restaurant Mirepoix. The food, service, and wine were outstanding. This small restaurant only seats 24 so make reservations in advance: http://www.restaurantmirepoix.com/
Save money wine tasting at wineries with free wine tasting coupons. You can find and print them online before you leave home. Do an online web search for free wine tasting coupons. http://www.cheers2wine.com/free-wine...g-coupons.html
Make reservation to taste wine at Paul Hobbs Winery. Other favorities include Benziger Winery, Imagery, and Wilson Family.
Apr 4th, 2010, 09:01 PM
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Girl and a Fig is in downtown Sonoma.
Go to Geyserville and have wood oven pizza at Diavolo's. The real thing. Visit locals in Geyserville, plus Meeker. There's another, but I am in zombie mode.
Camellia Inn in Healdsburg is reasonable and walking distance from the square. Don't stay at a cheap hotel, the personal service is SO nice. Preston is a fun stop, but best bet is to stay at a small B&B and get personal advice. I HIGHLY recommend a stay with John and Keren at the Haydon Street Inn in Healdsburg. Good rates, incredible food and very helpful in finding VERY special wineries. We go every year and their suggestions were over the top unique.
Go to Geyserville and have wood oven pizza at Diavolo's. The real thing. Visit locals in Geyserville, plus Meeker. There's another, but I am in zombie mode.
Camellia Inn in Healdsburg is reasonable and walking distance from the square. Don't stay at a cheap hotel, the personal service is SO nice. Preston is a fun stop, but best bet is to stay at a small B&B and get personal advice. I HIGHLY recommend a stay with John and Keren at the Haydon Street Inn in Healdsburg. Good rates, incredible food and very helpful in finding VERY special wineries. We go every year and their suggestions were over the top unique.
