Healdsburg is one of the great wine towns of California and is the perfect place to make your home base for exploring this western part of Sonoma County. Nearby are three famous wine Appellations: The Alexander Valley, the Dry Creek Valley, and the Russian River Valley. On WCG we have wine trails and maps for each of these spectacular wine growing regions. Healdsburg backroads are breathtaking. You will see Redwood Trees, the Russian River, rolling hills of vineyards, and of course wineries. What a delight! In Healdsburg and surrounding its famous Plaza, there are many wine tasting rooms. You can spend an entire afternoon sipping wine walking from one wine tasting bar to the next.
For dining, the Healdsburg restaurant scene is fantastic. Food critics rave about the varied cuisines and the fresh ingredients supplied by local purveyors. Outside of the town you find other favorites restaurants including the Farmhouse Inn and the Madrone Manor. There is plenty of lodging in town, but be sure to book early, Healdsburg is a popular destination for wine and foods lovers.
Most of the wineries in Sonoma have picnic areas. What fun it is to pack a lunch and picnic in the vineyards. Choices for buying your picnic goodies are Big John’s Market and the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg, the historic General Store on Dry Creek Road, and the funky Jimtown Store on Highway 128 in the Alexander Valley.
There is much more to do in this area than exploring food and wine. Healdsburg has many boutique shops and art galleries. There are two golf courses or you can head to the resort town of Guerneville and hike among the Redwoods in Armstrong Grove State Park. During the summer months, the Russian River beaches are popular and a fun family activity. Many wineries have Bocce Courts, and that’s always another exciting thing to do.
Our Healdsburg planning guide is packed with all this information and much more. Spend some time with the manual planning your trip, and you are sure to have a fantastic time in Healdsburg wine country.
On the Road in Sonoma County
Take a tour of Sonoma County, California as you discover vineyards, redwood forests, beaches and rivers.
Can you name all the spots in the video? See below for a quick list of where to find this scenery...
00:00 Sonoma Valley 00:02 City of Sonoma 00:04 Sonoma Coast State Beach 00:07 Highway 12 in Sonoma Valley 00:09 Washoe House in Petaluma 00:11 Gravenstein Apple Trees in Sebastapol 00:12 Bodega Harbor 00:16 Jimtown Store in Alexander Valley 00:22 Downtown Guerneville 00:24 Jenner 00:26 The Barlow, Sebastopol 00:28 Town of Bodega 00:32 Outside Duncans MIlls 00:34 Dry Creek Valley, Healdsburg 00:35 Jenner 00:37 Glen Ellen 00:39 Alexander Valley 00:47 Bodega Bay Harbor 00:54 Windsor
A Winery erupts in flame as the Kincade Fire continues to burn in Healdsburg, California.
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