NorthWest Airlines Magazine

3Sonoma
DAYS
Explore the
landscape
and culinary
splendor of
California’s
low-key
wine
country.
By Olivia
Herstein
Photos by
Andy Katz
Opposite Page:
Relax on the shaded
porch at Dry Creek
General Store, in
the heart of Dry
Creek Valley.
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he wine regions of Sonoma County charm
visitors with their oak-shaded, winding roads,
friendly vintners and slower pace. Long a
quaint country cousin of the adjacent, more
glamorous Napa Valley, Sonoma has come into its own
during the past decade as a wine lover’s paradise.
Three prestigious wine-growing regions—Dry Creek
Valley, Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley—
converge in northern Sonoma County in the town of
Healdsburg, the perfect base for three days of
exploring. A sampling of the area’s obligatory tastings,
winery tours and gourmet dining reveals why Bay
Area locals often prefer this bucolic wine country
escape just north of San Francisco. >>
T
3
DAYS
DAY 1
MUST DO:
Cyrus pampers
dinner guests with
plenty of attention.
Find out why
Gourmet magazine
ranked this new
culinary star as one
of the “Top 50
restaurants in
America.”
Reservations can
book up weeks—
or even months—
in advance, so
call early.
For a day in town, put the top down and
soak up the sun as you cruise north from
San Francisco on Highway 101.Take in the
splendor of the Golden Gate Bridge on the
65-mile jaunt from San Francisco
International Airport to Healdsburg.
Make your first Healdsburg stop an early
lunch at Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar .
Ask for a table on the delightful patio, where
it’s easy to watch all the action on busy
Healdsburg Avenue.
This town encourages visitors to stroll,
with plenty of public parking and shops
surrounding its central Plaza Park. Browse
through the dozens of alluring apparel, book
and houseware shops nearby.
Stop in The Wine Shop , right off the
park, for a warm wine country welcome.
The 10-year-old shop stocks the best
vintages from local wineries large and small,
and the colorful characters behind the bar
offer a relaxed wine-tasting education.
Don’t leave the plaza area without a visit
to the Healdsburg Museum .
The charming venue, housed in the
Carnegie Library, a local landmark, packs in
a wealth of information on the region’s
winemaking history.
Check into the airy, sleek luxury of the
Healdsburg Modern Cottages , tucked
into a quiet, convenient spot just off the
main drag. Relax on your private deck or
cool off in the pool.
Co-owners Nick Peyton and Douglas
in
Keane opened restaurant Cyrus
downtown Healdsburg to much fanfare in
2005, raising the bar for fine dining in
Sonoma to new heights. For dinner tonight,
don’t miss this gourmet experience, which
includes three, four or five courses, a phalanx
of attentive staff and a tempting cart of
caviar and champagne.Try the seared foie
gras with pineapple baba au rhum for a bit
of tableside fireworks.
DAY 2
MUST DO:
Founded in 1976,
Jordan Vineyard
and Winery offers
one of the most
lively and
comprehensive
winery tours in the
region. Tour the
impressive grounds,
check out the
fermentation tanks
and sample Jordan’s
current cabernets—
and even some
homemade olive oil.
By appointment
only. Call 707-4315250.
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Before a day of wine tasting, stroll out of
your private cottage and across the street for
breakfast at the venerable Costeaux French
Bakery & Café . Chat with locals on the
patio and try the robust coffee,West Street
garden omelet or light quiche. Pick up a
gourmet box lunch of fresh baguettes, fruit,
salads and pastries for a picnic later among
the vines.
If your visit falls on a Tuesday or Saturday,
check out the bustling Healdsburg
Farmers’ Market . On Saturdays from
9 a.m. to noon, the market sprawls across the
West Plaza downtown. Meet some of the
area’s friendly growers, pick up locally raised
berries or artisan cheese and enjoy the
colorful scene.
Try the road less taken and venture out
narrow West Dry Creek Road to hit the
wineries. Explore the Dry Creek Valley on
your own by car, or rent a bicycle and join
one of several tours that start in Healdsburg.
At the end of the road, don’t miss the
unique man-made caves and outstanding
old-wine zinfandels at Bella Vineyards &
Wine Caves . Help yourself to a picnic
blanket, or reserve a picnic table and take in
the fantastic view of the valley.
Cut over on Canyon Road to the tiny,
magnetic town of Geyserville, at the top of
Alexander Valley. Every inch of the twoblock town is packed with personality. Belly
up to the bar at Locals , an authentic
tasting room that pours wines from 10
smaller, local wineries.
Work up an appetite visiting a couple of
other nearby wineries, such as Jordan
Vineyard and Winery, then stop for dinner
. A classy,
back in Geyserville at Santi
candlelit atmosphere hides behind the
restaurant’s unassuming front door. Soak up
the friendly, Italian ambience in one of
several dining rooms and try the gnocchi
with monkfish or house specialty pasta—
a spaghettini in rich beef and pork sauce.
Linger over a glass of port and a luscious
Meyer lemon tart with huckleberry
creme fraiche.
Long a quaint country cousin of the adjacent, more
glamorous Napa Valley, Sonoma has come into its own
during the past decade as a wine lover’s paradise.
Clockwise, From Top:
Hanna Winery &
Vineyards at sunset;
Serving up lunch at
Costeaux French
Bakery and Café;
A local vintage;
Tasting zinfandels at
Bella Vineyards & Wine
Caves.
Dry Creek General Store beckons visitors to rest on its porch and enjoy a wide variety of sandwiches and cold drinks.
DAY 3
MUST DO:
Don’t miss the
romance of a hot-air
balloon flight over
Sonoma County with
Up & Away
Ballooning. Take in
the panorama of
vineyards and
foothills, and
experience an
occasional “splash
and dash,” when the
pilot lowers the
balloon’s basket
slightly to kiss a pond
and then lifts back up
into the air.
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Rise and shine with locally roasted coffee at
Downtown Bakery & Creamery ,
a Healdsburg institution. Sit elbow to elbow
at the communal tables or share a bench
outside—a great spot for people-watching.
Head out of town early for the ultimate
wine country adventure, taking in the
splendor of Sonoma County from the air
. Flights
with Up & Away Ballooning
begin after sunrise and take just over an
hour, starting from the Santa Rosa area and
flying past the small town of Windsor. Drift
over the vineyards in your hot-air balloon
and marvel at the blue Pacific Ocean in the
distance. Back on the ground, take
advantage of the champagne brunch
package and feast on chocolate-dipped
strawberries and coffee cake.
Travel back through the rolling hills of
Alexander Valley for a memorable stop at
Hanna Winery & Vineyards .
The welcoming, sophisticated tasting room
boasts a knowledgeable staff and beautiful
view of the valley. Call ahead to request a
special reserve tasting, and don’t miss the
family-owned winery’s hallmarks, a light
and fruity sauvignon blanc and a rich
cabernet sauvignon.
For a late lunch or light dinner, make a
mandatory stop at Dry Creek General
Store , which claims to serve “the best
sandwiches you ever saw!” Sandwich choices
range from curried egg salad to Toscano
salami, and the rustic store stocks plenty of
cold drinks. Relax on the shaded porch or
take the delicacies to go.
Bid a reluctant farewell to wine country
with a nightcap and perhaps a sweet finale of
crème brûlée at local hangout Ravenous
in downtown
Café & Lounge
Healdsburg. Bask in the café’s jazzy, mellow
atmosphere and vow to return soon for more
Sonoma surprises.
NWA WorldTraveler Editor Olivia Herstein is
a native of the Bay Area and longtime fan of
Sonoma County.
3 WHERE TO GO
DAYS
Map by Joe Le Monnier
Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar
403 Healdsburg Ave.
707-433-9191
willisseafood.net
The Wine Shop
331 Healdsburg Ave.
707-433-0433
Healdsburg Museum
221 Matheson St.
707-431-3325
healdsburgmuseum.org
Healdsburg Modern Cottages
425 Foss St.
800-454-6674
healdsburgmoderncottages.com
Cyrus
29 North St.
707-433-3311
cyrusrestaurant.com
Costeaux French
Bakery & Café
417 Healdsburg Ave.
707-433-1913
costeaux.com
Healdsburg Farmers’ Market
West Plaza
707-431-1956
healdsburgfarmersmarket.org
Saturdays, 9 a.m.–noon,
May–November;
Tuesdays, 4–6:30 p.m. on the
Plaza, June–October.
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves
9711 West Dry Creek Road
707-473-9171
bellawinery.com
Locals
21023-A Geyserville Ave.,
Geyserville
707-857-4900
tastelocalwines.com
Up & Away Ballooning
P.O. Box 68, Windsor
707-836-0171
up-away.com
Hanna Winery & Vineyards
9280 Highway 128
707-431-4310
hannawinery.com
Santi
21047 Geyserville Ave.,
Geyserville
707-857-1790
Dry Creek General Store
3495 Dry Creek Road
707-433-4171
dcgstore.com
Downtown Bakery &
Creamery
308-A Center St.
707-431-2719
Ravenous Café & Lounge
420 Center St.
707-431-1302
HOW TO GET THERE
Northwest Airlines and its partner KLM Dutch Royal Airlines
connect San Francisco to its worldwide network with daily
service to Amsterdam, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Honolulu, Indianapolis and Tokyo-Narita. NWA WorldVacations
offers air and hotel vacation packages, including The Lodge at
Sonoma. Visit nwaworldvacations.com.
Inside SCOOP
Cruise from winery to winery in style—and
safety—with a chartered van or limousine,
depending on the size of your party. For a special
occasion or when no one wants to be the
designated driver, this is a great way to explore
the wine country. A number of reliable
transportation companies serve the Sonoma
County area. Contact Black Tie Taxi at
707-259-1000, or California Wine Tours at
800-294-6386 or californiawinetours.com.
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