Sip and Savor on Northern Sonoma’s Wine Road

Story & photos by Barbara Beckley

Sniff. Swirl. Sip. Savor. This was my mantra on a recent trip along the Wine Road in Northern Sonoma County. While it may be named the “Wine Road,” I discovered that it offers so much more. Beautiful fall scenery, excellent food, shopping and accommodations and friendly interesting locals, makes it as delightful for casual “winos” (like myself) as for serious wine enthusiasts.    

And – perhaps most important — unlike many destination “roads” that are simply a self-guided map – the Wine Road, Northern Sonoma County is a full-service organization. 

Its friendly folks are happy to act like a travel agent — for free. Tell them your wine, food, activities and lodging preferences and they will give you recommendations for wine tasting rooms, restaurants and accommodations! Just fill out their simple online form and a real person will email you back pronto with recommendations. These aren’t computer generated. It’s a real person who is helping you plan your trip. They even helped me find a fabulous clothing resale boutique!  

The Wine Road, Northern Sonoma County encompasses top wine regions: the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Rockpile AVA and Chalk Hill (a sub-appellation of Russian River Valley). All anchored by the cozy, walkable town of Healdsburg – which makes an ideal headquarters destination, since more than 200 wineries are only a 10- to 20-minute drive away. Wine Road tastings generally begin at $15 to sample five wines. Many tasting rooms also feature gourmet cheese pairings with the wines at a higher price.   

I stayed at the Calderwood Inn in Healdsburg, a sunny, 10-bedroom, 1902 Queen Anne-style mansion-turned bed & breakfast, within easy walking distance to “downtown” Healdsburg’s shops, restaurants, hotels and wine tasting rooms.

Sonoma’s friendliness embraced me the very first night. Following the inn keeper’s recommendations, I dined at the bar at Valette, one of America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants, according to Wine Enthusiast magazine. I hit it off with the woman next to me, who was also alone and also enjoying Valette’s signature Scallops en Croute – a delicious concoction served in a pot under a dome of pastry. It turned out she was from West LA and loved Northern Sonoma’s wines enough to have a second home in Healdsburg.

The next morning, I’m at breakfast in the inn’s formal dining room, when in she pops – with a bottle of Northern Sonoma’s J Vineyards sparkling wine as a welcome gift! Talk about a heartwarming moment.  

After breakfast, I and my local friend, Mysty, hit the road – driving through emerald hills and valleys to 13 winery tasting rooms in three days. (She was driving.) Along with fabulous wines, I quickly discovered the vintners are all like the darling woman I met at Valette. No wine snobs here. Just friendly, talented wine specialists who love what they’re doing.  

“What does this pair with?” I asked John Viszlay, the owner/winemaker of Viszlay Vineyards, which overlooks the Russian River. He moved here from Chicago 10 years ago to fulfill his dream of being a vintner. I was sipping his signature Five Vines Estate Red Blend 2015.

“A glass,” he replied, with a twinkle in his eye. I loved him instantly. He doesn’t do tasting notes either. “I prefer you to tell me what you taste,” he said. “Bold and delicious” was how I described his wonderful Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Just because Viszlay has a fun personality, doesn’t stop him from making award-winners. All his wines are small lot estate vintages made from the grapes on his 10-acre vineyard. Or from leading the charge as president of the Wine Road Board of Directors. “The number and diversity of varietals in Northern Sonoma County is unmatched,” he declared. “In my neighborhood alone there are 80 different varietals!” 

A 30-foot bronze pig, nicknamed Lord Snout, signaled good times at the Soda Rock Winery in the Alexander Valley. The winery is famous for Bordeaux varietals. I relaxed on a sofa inside the Tasting Bar & Lounge, nibbling from a cheese plate and savoring the dark cherry and dusty oak nuances of its 2015 Boar D’Eaux blend. (As a writer, I also loved the label’s play on words.) It’s made from 86 percent cabernet sauvignon, nine percent merlot and five percent Primitivo.    

Farther into the Alexander Valley, a narrow country road led to the Robert Young Estate Winery and its new hilltop Scion House, a stylish tasting facility designed in a home-like style with indoor and outdoor seating options. The Young’s have worked this land since 1858, and a family member is always on duty in the tasting room. They were the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the valley in 1963. “We want visitors to share the joy and to feel as at home here as we do,” Joanne Young, one of the sixth generation, told me. I certainly did. Relaxing on a patio overlooking their vineyards and sipping their flagship cabs – including the 2014 Big Rock Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, with rich flavors of currants, cassis, plum and dried herbs.  

Given the family’s longevity in the wine industry – I asked the loaded question. “What’s the difference between Sonoma and Napa wines?” “Authenticity vs. marketing,” Young replied without hesitation.    

Back in Healdsburg, shopping was as wonderful as wine tasting. Susan’s Basement wholesale boutique was a gem, featuring men’s and women’s fashions including styles that simply didn’t sell fast enough at Saks and Bloomingdale’s in San Francisco. I bought a peplum-style cashmere sweater coat for pennies on the dollar.

Dinner that night was amazing — a melt-in-your-mouth char-broiled filet mignon — at celebrity chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in the modern Hotel Healdsburg.   

Back on the Wine Road the next day, a red fire engine added zing to tastings at the Hook & Ladder Winery in the Russian River. Founded by a San Francisco fireman back in the 1970s, it’s famous for pinot noirs. I loved the estate 2018 Rose of Pinot Noir, with strawberry tones and a delightful dry finish, and the Third Alarm Chardonnay’s oaky, buttery taste.   

Our final tasting, the Rockpile Vineyards Tasting Lounge, was in Healdsburg and sported a hip diner-like ambiance, with high-top tables, a counter-like tasting bar and views of the town’s round-about intersection. Sitting at a high-top table, I watched the world go by, enjoyed locally made cheeses and cold cuts, and tested my new-found wine-tasting skills on their award-winning single-vineyard estate wines. Mysty agreed. The single-vineyard estate 2015 Petite Verdot was deliciously smooth and jammy with a soft finish. And their gold-medal 2016 estate Zinfandel was phenomenal – bright and spicy with a memorable finish. Just like this trip!

For more information on Northern Sonoma County’s Wine Road, visit here.