Healdsburg

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Head north of Napa Valley and treat yourself to amazing vistas on your way to where three important wine producing regions [Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River] come together: Healdsburg, founded in 1857.

I discovered Healdsburg on my first trip to wine country several years ago, and it wasn't hard convincing my friends to head that way this year. We had a blast, especially when we ran into a red light on a section of the road where there was no intersection. As we waited for nearly 15 minutes for the light to change--with no traffic in sight, we realized they had road construction with only one lane open. Finally one truck came rolling into view from the opposite direction.

Before reaching the main drag, we stopped at the tasting room of the award winning Seghesio, my first love in Zinfandel's. Even after several years, we still got more 'bang for a buck' with the wine tasting with the friendly and knowledgeable staff. The store also has unique gifts for the wine lover.

Once in Healdsburg you'll find the charming 19th plaza in the town center with towering redwoods and the square of eclectic shops and restaurants. The weather was gorgeous and we wandered in and out of the stores. The bookstore had a few friends' books in the front display.

Here's a sampling of photos from Healdsburg: