Healdsburg - 2014 Anniversary Trip

Tuesday 7/22/2014

Left home at 12:10pm

Stopped for lunch at Taco Bell in Sonoma at 1:45pm. Heading to Healdsburg in the north part of Sonoma County to do some winery hopping. On our first full day we'll tour Dry Creek Valley with its 63 wineries and 9,300 acres of vineyards in a valley only 16 miles long by 2 miles wide. The next day its off to Alexander Valley to savour their offerings. On each day we'll drive first to Geyserville, north of Healdsburg, and slowpoke our way south, back to the hotel.

Checked into the Best Western Dry Creek Inn in Healdsburg and were given the card key to the room.  Pam checked it out while Norm moved the car.  It was on the first floor facing the stairs and next to the fitness room.  "What?" we said!  We both headed back to the desk and asked to be moved upstairs like we'd requested in the on-line reservation.  The girl at the desk said that it's best to phone for reservations rather than use the BW website and said that we had requested a "mobility impaired" room with special features.  We swore that we didn't but sure enough...we looked at the confirmation and it said "mobility" on it.  The clerk was adamant that they were fully booked and there was no other room available. However, after much back and forth and increasing irritation on our part, she "found" a room on the 3rd floor that was just what we'd ordered.  We then asked how long it is to walk into town and were told about a mile.  

The clerk must have had it in for us because the walk into town was almost 2 miles - not . Norm commented quite often that it was the most boring walk he'd been on in ages...it was through a rather rustic residentual area. Once in town we saw all the locals gathering in the town square for the weekly concert.  What a bonus for us!  The people start putting chairs and picnic tables and blankets on the lawn starting at 4pm for the 6pm concert by a band called "The 88". It was packed with people, their dogs, and some very nice vendor tents set up by several local restaurants to provide food on the go. Such a fun atmosphere.  

 

I saw this sheepdog-type dog in the pet supply store in town.  Sooo cute.  I've seen this type before and its out of paper mache, I think.  

Took this photo for Robert of the Masonic Temple sign.

Norm and I went to the only coffee house on the town square, Old Goat Coffee.  Very coffee house-ish (no chain coffee house within miles), but the iced mocha we each had was way smaller than the (not too) Tall at Starbucks, yet priced as the (much, much larger) Venti...tasty, but why so tiny?  

 

As I was taking Norm's photo, a man got out of his car and offered to take a photo of us together. Norm joked with him about how he now had to stand closer to the horse's ass.

We came back to the hotel and enjoyed wine and a picnic dinner in the courtyard, by a fire pit and fountain.  Some other people settled in nearby and we found that it was an extended family that had come from far and wide to gather for a family reunion to celebrate their Dad's 90th birthday.  We had a nice, relaxing evening.  (as a side note, Pam went to her ukulele practice on Saturday and was approached by a woman that asked if we'd just been in Healdsburg at the Best Western.  Sure enough, "Janet" was with her family for the reunion - what a small world).

Wednesday 7/2/2014 - Anniversary:

After breakfast we headed up toward Geyersville then back down toward Healdsburg.  We went to 6 different wineries.  Beautiful weather and scenery.

1.  Pedroncelli Winery- $5 tasting fee waived if you buy a bottle.. We shared a tasting.  Rose won gold at state fair.  We didn't like any that we tasted except the port.  We have plenty at home so didn't buy it.

  
2.  Zichichi Winery -  $10 tasting fee - waived if you buy a future. Barrel tasting only - no bottles available to purchase.  We didn't taste.

3.  Bella Winery - $10 tasting fee waived if purchase 2 bottles.  Liked the all the wine - especially rose and late harvest.  Nice picnic area.

4.  Dutcher Crossing Winery - we rec'd free tasting with our signature Visa card.  We liked all of the wines.  They only sell their wine at the vineyard - no stores.  Beautiful landscaping.  

A lot of the wineries are hosting wine cruises nowadays.  Only 7 days - and oh so pricey!!!

5.  Chateau Diana - $15 for tasting, waived with purchase.  We liked all of the ones we tasted.  We bought a bottle of the Rose (just another dollar after paying for the tasting - not a bad bargain!)

6. Truitt Winery - free wine tasting if we mentioned the "Day Trips" magazine.  Nice landscaping.  

Back at the hotel,  after refreshing ourselves in the spa and heated (yay!) pool, we headed into town for our anniversary eve dinner.

Dinner:  Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar

Marinated chicken skewer $10
Sourdough bread w/garlic parsley butter $5
Spinach salad- goat cheese, cracked almonds, warm bacon dressing $10
Dean's salt & pepper baby back riiblets. $11
Grilled fish tacos $13

Stout beer for Norm and Wine for Pam
with drinks and tip, paid $100 - really nice dinner

Thursday - July 24:

1. DeLorimier Winery - liked the peppery Zin and dessert wine
Nice picnic area - fountain and artsy but rustic look to the bldgs

2.  Robert Young Winery - liked all the wine - buildings looked like a colonial mansion - we were tasting zin when a lady that we saw at the last winery entered with her Yorkie pup.  He squatted and laid a couple loafs which gave a different aroma to the zin.  She quickly cleaned it up.  The server was very entertaining with telling us about the owners. No, they are not related to the actor.

3.  Stryker Winery - did not taste the wines.  Nice picnic area and view.  Lots of shade and building was pleasantly airconditioned.  Shaded walkways reminded Norm of a monestary.  

4.  Soda Rock Winery - liked the Gewurtztraminer, Chardonnay, Merlot, cab Sauvignon- the general, Zinfandel, Primitivo - recd hard sell for wine club membership from Grace, but she did love my earrings. They were just setting up for a wedding that afternoon.

5. Hanna Winery - Sauvignon Blanc - wonderful,  Chardonay also good, Rose - ok but nothing special, Pinot - wonderful, Two Ranch Red - very good - sitting outside...a gust of wind blew over both our wine glasses and shattered. Norm gratiously got the broom and started sweeping when one of the servers took over.  It all happened so fast.  

Summit wine cooler - holds 8 bottles - clever cooler that a lot of the wineries are using to hold their open bottles.

6.  Simi Winery - Pinot Gris - really good, Viognier - ok, Chardonay ok, Cuvée really good , Pinot Noir, Zin Dry Creek Valley, 2011 Petite  Sirah, 2009 Cab Reserve, 2009 Late Harvest

4:30pm - Best Western happy hour is actually wine tasting from a local winery - Merrium Winery.  Sauvignon Blanc was good but the rest were just ok.  Just got a little taste in the glass.  Not what we expected.  Where's the cheese?
5:10 we're back in the room eating pretzels and surveying the local restaurants in Open Table.  

Baci Cafe - in downtown Healdsburg.  Recommended by everyone we asked.  Ordered a bottle of Kelley & Young "Nuit de Young" Rose Wine ($32) - super!!!! Appetizer of Bruschetta ($8).  Pam ordered a thin crust Margherite Pizza ($16).  Norm had Gnocchi a la Bolognese ($20).  They brought us Tiramisu dessert for free to celebrate our anniversary.  Waiters-Food-Everything was yummy - well, maybe not the waiters.  Plus tip, paid $100.

Once back the hotel, the spa and pool again beckoned. We had them all to ourselves, just missing a mom and three loud kids who came marching in as we slipped away.

Doesn't Norm look relaxed???   Lots of wine, good food....and of course, good company!

Friday - July 25:
Left for home at 11:00, after the complimentary full breakfast.  Traffic was stop and go quite often for no apparent reason.  Much, much worse traveling the other way toward San Francisco.  We got home around 1:30pm.  Sure was a nice time!