Sonoma County Wine Tasting

Until COVID put a stop to travel, theTravelsketcher and I would take a yearly trip to Sonoma County to collect wine. We did a lot of entertaining (again, pre-COVID) and enjoyed finding new and interesting wines to share with our guests. We missed our trips to Sonoma during the pandemic, so we were really happy to get back a few weeks ago. It is such a beautiful place, and the weather was perfect during our stay; mid 60s and sunny.

We had an appointment in San Francisco, to submit our applications for long term stay visas in France (which have since been approved – yah!), after that, we headed straight for Healdsburg. This small, quaint town has, on multiple occasions, won the award for one of the top ten best towns in America. The town square with a park in the center will make you feel like you’re stepping back in time.

There are shops, tasting rooms, art galleries, and restaurants all around and off the square.

Last week my blog focused on Soda Rock Winery; our favorite winery in the county. The historic building was the site of the original Alexander Valley general store and post office. Sadly, the historic building was ruined in the Kincade Fire in 2019. You can read about that here.

theTravelsketcher, likes to find what he calls “dirt road wineries.” As the name implies, we find them at the end of dirt roads and off the beaten path. One such winery is Martorana Family Winery. They have been making wines for many years, starting in Italy, before settling in Dry Creek Valley. They have a California organic certification, and in addition to delicious wines, they also make olive oil.

Bella Winery another small, family run winery is located off the beaten path and offers delicious Zinfandels in a rural setting.

We enjoyed our tasting at Mazzocco Winery where the tasting room associate was friendly and extremely knowledgeable about their wines. They have a nice variety of Zinfandels; something for everyone.

You’ll find an abundance of great restaurants in Healdsburg. Last week I wrote about Barndiva, one of our favorites. Another one of our favorite restaurants is Bravas Tapas, located just a block off the square. This is a fun and lively place for tapas and paella.

The Sonoma County area is beautiful and you’ll find photo opportunities everywhere you turn.

You’ll find a wide variety of B&Bs, hotels and other accommodations in Healdsburg and the surrounding area. Some of the hotels even offer wine tasting discounts for their guests. We stayed at the historic Calderwood Inn. This Victorian Manor built in 1902 has an interesting history.

There are a multitude of great wineries in Sonoma and I have just barely scratched the surface with the ones I have mentioned here. Do you have any favorites wineries in Sonoma?

As always, please leave a comment, I would love to hear you.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia