Sonoma: November 2010 Archives

One of our WineCountry.com readers (known to other message board posters as "Hawkeye") recently posted a very detailed report of his recent wine tasting trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley Wine Country. The trip spanned 7 days and was jam packed full of wine tasting experiences. Day 3 of the trip was spent exploring the wineries of Healdsburg. See his suggested itinerary and read his reviews of the wines below.

Day 3, Saturday, October 23
The day began on a very special high note! I had been corresponding with Cabgirl for a month or so about joining us for a tasting. She and her mother met us in Calistoga for our tasting in the Healdsburg area. I think Cabgirl probably knows more about wine that all of us together.

We had a nice visit as we headed over the two mountains to Healdsburg. On the way we ran into construction twice, both one way bridges, and both about a 15 minute wait.

We arrived at Duex Amis at our appointed time of 10:00 AM. There were now 10 of us in the group. The two owners, Phyllis Zouzounis and Jim Penpraze greeted us. This is one of those charming small wineries where we tasted in the winery barn. The tasting bar is a plank held up by two wine barrels. I had tasted there about a year ago and thought their Zin and Pino were pretty good. This time, I did not have the same experience. Their wines just did not have enough body for me.

HEALDSBURG, CA - When looking to experience as many wines as you can in one place in the town of Healdsburg, you may want to opt for a collective winery such as Hudson Street Wineries. Originally the site of the historic Roma Wine Company, founded in the late 1800's, it has since been carefully restored into a tasting lounge. Surrounded by hundreds of barrels, the tasting room has a relaxing atmosphere where you will enjoy wines by boutique, limited production wineries who include Bluenose Wines, Rocking Z Vineyard, Sadler-Wells Wines, Teira Wines, and Willowbrook Cellars.

By Courtney Cochran

When visiting the achingly cute hamlet of Healdsburg - replete with lovely shops, fabulous markets, quaint tasting rooms and Michelin-starred cuisine - it can be tough to motivate to venture outside city limits.  But with some of the world's foremost vineyards beckoning just beyond, it's a sure thing your efforts will be rewarded with sweeping scenery, warm hospitality and - natch - delicious pours.