Wine Country Getaways – Healdsburg, Sonoma County

Stryker Sonoma, Stonestreet and Tasting in Town

We traveled to Healdsburg for a two-night stay in the beautiful Russian River Wine Country.  On this trip we decided to rent a home on Fitch Mountain Road, the Riverwood Lodge. It is one of four houses available for rent in Healdsburg from Wine Country Lodges. It is a four-bedroom deluxe house along the Russian River on Fitch Mountain Road. The rental is not cheap, it is $1900 or so for the weekend. Our friends, three couples, are sharing the cost of the rental so the cost per couple is reasonable. Our plan is to spend the weekend wine tasting, preparing gourmet meals, and lounging on the Russian River, which runs just out the backdoor about 150 feet away.

We arrived in Healdsburg just in time to enjoy a picnic lunch among the vineyards. We phoned ahead to the old-country Jimtown Store and ordered box lunches. The famous and historic Jimtown store is right around the corner from Stryker Sonoma winery. See our map for the exact location of Stryker Sonoma.

After lunch we want to visit one more winery. We just heard through the grapevine that the Stonestreet winery has opened a tasting room. The winery has been closed to visitors and, for the longest time, we have driven past this winery wishing we could visit. From Stryker Sonoma, we head back to the Alexander Road and then drive past the Jimtown Store. As the Alexander Road banks sharply to the right, the entrance to Stonestreet is immediately to the right.

Our three favorites wines of the day were the 2002 Sauvignon Blanc Upper Barn Vineyard, 2001 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard, and the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. Stonestreet is one of the many wineries owned by Jess Jackson.

Big John’s Market is the best of the markets in Healdsburg. They have a wonderful cheese shop, olive bar, and many other gourmet delights. We purchased two organically raised chickens from Petaluma farms and many other delights.  We barbequed the two chickens, “beer-can” style.  A half–emptied 16 oz can of beer (in this case Guinness) is inserted into the chicken cavity. The chicken is placed on the grill with the beer can and legs balancing the chicken upright.  A Stryker Pinot Noir was a delicious match for the chicken.

Sunday  - Healdsburg Tasting Rooms

We decided to be lazy on this Sunday and visit a few of the many tasting rooms that are in Healdsburg. We visited Chateau Felice, Selby, and Seghesio. Felice and Selby are next door to each other on Center Street, and Seghesio is about a half mile away on Grove Street. Here is a complete list of tasting rooms in Healdsburg.

Chateau Felice’s winery is on Chalk Hill Road, a small country back road in the area. Needing more access to the wine country tourist, the winery decided to open a tasting room in Healdsburg. The tasting room is at 223 Center, right by the Barndiva restaurant. The winery is very new and will eventually concentrate on estate wines. We tasted several good wines and our favorite wine was a 2000 Alexander Valley Cabernet that sells for $38. This is a very full Cab, lush and full of complex flavors.

Selby is right next door to Chateau Felice at 215 Center Street. We really liked the wines here. The atmosphere was a little more laid back and relaxed than Chateau Felice. We tasted four wines, all very nicely produced but the 2002 Melbec as our best of the tasting.

We ended our wine tasting up the road in Healdsburg at Seghesio, the ever-popular winery known for its outstanding Zinfandels. We only did a small amount of tasting and then proceeded to play a couple of games of Bocce Ball in the gardens of Seghesio. The courts are well shaded and it’s a perfect setting to relax enjoy a picnic lunch, a glass of the Segheso Pinot Grigio, and play a game of Bocce Ball.

Later that evening we enjoyed the Stonestreet 2003 Alexander Valley Cab and the Chateau Felice Zinfandel with slowly barbequed baby back ribs. What a way to end the day and a lovely trip in the wine country.