Why you should visit Healdsburg wineries
This blog post covers the best wineries in Healdsburg, California.
Healdsburg wineries are world renowned for their charm, beauty, and excellent wine. Healdsburg is an historic town in Sonoma County, California that’s full of wonderful restaurants, bars, and wineries.
This wine country town is nestled at the center of three of California’s best wine growing regions: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley.
Healdsburg is often compared to other California wine country towns like the upscale Yountville and St. Helena in Napa Valley. Healdsburg offers the world-class wine and food of its more glamorous counterparts while maintaining its original charm as a small agricultural community.
For example, you can enjoy a meal at the Michelin starred restaurant SingleThread or you can grab delicious Oaxacan-style tacos in town.
Some boutique Healdsburg wineries produce premium single vineyard wines while some big-box wineries produce affordable wine. Healdsburg wineries strike a balance between formal and casual, which makes this small wine country town the ideal destination for wine lovers.
How to access Healdsburg wineries in Sonoma County
The best way to reach Healdsburg in Sonoma County is by plane and then car.
Travelers can fly into the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS). This is a small airport serviced mainly by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Allegiant Air, and United Airlines. The Sonoma County Airport is a fifteen minute drive to downtown Healdsburg.
Travelers can also fly into the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or the Oakland International Airport (OAK). The Oakland airport is a two hour drive to Healdsburg. The San Francisco airport is a roughly two and a half hour drive from Healdsburg.
Once you’re in the town of Healdsburg, it’s easy to explore on foot.
For example, the best tasting rooms, boutiques, and art galleries grace the town square. These tasting rooms near Healdsburg plaza are within easy walking distance of one another.
If you’d like to explore wineries located outside of town you should rent a car. The wineries listed here are spread between the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley. These three wine valleys cover a large swath of land, so it’s easiest to drive between wineries.
The best Healdsburg wineries for a wine tasting
Seghesio Family Vineyards
Seghesio Family Vineyards was established in 1895 by Italian immigrant Edoardo Seghesio.
Over the last five generations Seghesio Family Vineyards has earned praise for their exceptional Zinfandels. This winery in Dry Creek Valley is located a short distance from downtown Healdsburg.
Guests can learn about the art and science of winemaking during their “Behind The Scenes Tour & Tasting.” There’s a bocce court, where you can play a competitive or friendly game of bocce. Those looking for a chill atmosphere can relax in The Grove with a glass of wine.
Flowers Vineyards & Winery
Flowers Vineyards & Winery absolutely earns its name. Their home in Healdsburg is surrounded by lush gardens full of flowers.
The House of Flowers offers two exclusive experiences. There’s the “Sonoma Coast Journey,” which highlights their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the region. This guided flight includes a selection of local treats.
The “Estate Vineyard Immersion” explores Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards, Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge. The House of Flowers culinary team crafts small bites to accompany this guided tasting.
Tastings take place in either their stylishly decorated interiors or in their lovely gardens. Reservations are required and children and pets are not allowed.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery
Enjoy French-inspired wines and beautiful views at Jordan Winery, which is nestled in the rolling hills of Alexander Valley.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery is a large 1,200-acre estate located just five miles north of Healdsburg. Their flagship wines are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Second-generation owner John Jordan recently remodeled the Jordan Chateau salon and lobby. Under the direction of Maria Khouri Haidamus, the stately yet dated interior blossomed into a stylish space. Above a large neoclassical marble desk hangs a seventeenth century tapestry depicting a landscape that resembles either France or the Alexander Valley. This combination of California meets France echoes throughout the design, wine, and vineyards at Jordan Winery.
Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards
The Chalk Hill Estate vineyards provide some of the most breathtaking views in the Chalk Hill AVA of Sonoma County. Chardonnay is their flagship varietal.
Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards offers two outdoor wine tastings. The “Vineyard Overlook Experience” is a seated tasting on the terrace overlooking their estate vineyards. Each tasting includes a flight of four wines. Guests can add a “Cheese and Charcuterie Platter” or the “Classic Caviar Pairing” to accompany their wine.
For those who crave a little more adventure, the “Estate & Garden Hummer Tour & Tasting” takes guests on a unique and immersive tour through the estate vineyards. The tour begins on the terrace with a seated tasting of Chalk Hill Estate white wines. Next guests pile into the Hummer to tour the estate’s sustainable vineyards, native oak woodlands, and organic culinary gardens. The tour ends with an estate wine tasting paired with seasonal snacks.
Medlock Ames
Medlock Ames focuses on sustainability and organic farming practices.
They allow the majority of their land to grow wild and unhindered. The remaining acres are home to organically-grown olives and grapes that thrive in the heavy clay loam soils.
Medlock Ames crafts Bordeaux blends as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Merlot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay wines.
Their Alexander Valley Tasting Room offers two wine pairing experiences. One is a traditional tasting. And the other is a lunch and wine pairing. The “Signature Tasting” is a seated tasting that explores their organically-farmed Bell Mountain Vineyard. These outdoor wine tastings take place on the patio overlooking the garden.
The “Wine Pairing Lunch with SingleThread” is a unique experience offered only a few times a year. For this tasting, the Michelin-starred restaurant SingleThread crafts a “bento box.” Each item in the lunchbox pairs perfectly with one of the Medlock Ames wines. SingleThread is a fabulous restaurant and wine and food pairings like this are rare and special. Reservations are required.
SUTRO Wine Co.
Alice Warnecke Sutro is an artist and winemaker who founded SUTRO Wine Co. in 2012.
She clearly comes from a family who loves art and wine. Alice sources grapes for SUTRO from the Warnecke Ranch & Vineyard, which her aunt manages. Alice also holds degrees in Art History and Painting and Drawing and exhibits her work locally. Her grandfather founded an artist residency on the Warnecke Ranch.
SUTRO offers visitors a unique experience… a hike! Guests can book the “Hike & Taste” tour, which begins with a hike at the Warnecke Ranch & Vineyard on Chalk Hill Road and ends with a wine tasting at the Medlock Ames Bell Mountain Estate & Winery. Those who wish to taste but not hike can meet at Medlock Ames for the tasting portion. This small winery requires reservations.
J Vineyards & Winery
J Vineyards & Winery is a stylish and modern tasting room in Healdsburg with a heavy focus on intimate food pairings. Their specialties are single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and sparkling wine.
They essentially have three wine pairings. The Bubble Room offers a five-course pairing menu that celebrates their award-winning varietal and sparkling wines and local produce. Menus change regularly to reflect the seasons. The Legacy Lounge offers flights of five wines. Guests can choose either the Sparkling Flight or a flight that includes both sparkling and still wines. An optional cheese pairing is available too.
And for those who’d like to focus solely on wine there’s the Signature Tasting, which showcases their Russian River Valley wines. This standing tasting takes place indoors and does not include food.
Lambert Bridge Winery
Lambert Bridge Winery boasts a beautiful interior and a lovely garden.
They produce wines such as Viognier, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
Lambert Bridge Winery offers two classic tasting experiences. The “Barrel Room Tasting Experience,” is a seated tasting in their beautiful Redwood Barrel Room that features four of their member-exclusive wines. And the “Cellar Room Tasting Experience,” is a private tasting in the Cellar Room that includes five limited production wines with local food pairings.
Rodney Strong Vineyards
Rodney Strong is one of the largest producers in the Healdsburg area.
What began as a small operation in the 1950s has grown to encapsulate five brands today.
Their recently remodeled tasting room has an elegant Sonoma County farmhouse feel. Guests can enjoy the indoor tasting room or they can enjoy outdoor wine tastings on the Rodney Strong Terrace or the Concert Green.
Visitors can choose between four different flights: the Rodney Strong Flight, the Davis Bynum Flight, the Rowen Wine Flight, or the Library Flight. No matter which flight you choose, be sure to try both a Chardonny and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Rodney Strong Vineyards.
Limerick Lane Cellars
Limerick Lane is a charming winery at the end of a dead-end road in the Russian River Valley.
While most of Sonoma grows Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Limerick Lane Cellars specializes in Syrah, Zinfandels, and Rhone-style blends.
This self-described “perennial underdog” applies a holistic approach to winemaking that allows the landscape to flourish with minimal intervention. Their wines boast names like Rocky Knoll, Stomping Grounds, and Bedrock. For example, the 2021 “Rocks & Fog” blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Petite Sirah is an earthy wine that captures the “essence of the rocks and fog that inspired its name.”
Their small tasting room offers vineyard views and, when the weather is good, tastings can take place outdoors. Wine tastings are available by appointment.
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery is an over-the-top Italianate villa in the Dry Creek Valley AVA.
Visitors may stroll through the lush expansive gardens or enjoy a wine tasting. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards offers one tasting for wine club members and three different tastings for non-members.
The “Pergola Experience” allows guests to enjoy a flight of five reserve wines beside a beautiful fountain and towering olive trees. The “Reserve Wine Tasting” is for the passionate wine enthusiast. This flight of five single-vineyard wines is available in the Salon of Villa Fiore or in the underground cellar Enoteca (which means “wine library” in Italian). The “Classic Wine Tasting” is a flight of four award-winning wines served outside in the gardens or inside the luxurious Villa Fiore Hospitality Center.
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards also serves multiple food tastings including a brunch menu (Sunday Wine & Brunch), a wood-fired pizza menu (Pizza & Vino night), and a three-course food and wine menu (Molto Bene Wine & Food Pairing).
Similar wine regions to explore
California wine towns worth a visit
Healdsburg wineries are glorious with their stylish yet down-to-earth tasting rooms and rolling green vineyards. If you’re looking for other wine tasting adventures in California, we’ve got you covered.
Our list of Yountville wineries to visit in Napa Valley is a great place to start. Yountville has fantastic wine, fabulous food, and top-notch boutique wineries. You really cannot go wrong with a trip to this wine paradise.
And if you’re going to visit the Napa Valley you have to visit the town of Napa. We compiled a list of over two dozen downtown Napa tasting rooms. All of these winery tasting rooms are within walking distance of one another. It’s a safe, easy, and delicious way to sample local wine.
If you’d like to venture outside downtown Napa, check out our list of the best boutique wineries in Napa. Boutique Napa wineries offer tasting experiences that are more intimate and personalized than their larger counterparts.
If your’e already in Northern California wine country then don’t miss Sonoma. These wineries in Sonoma Square make delicious natural and organic wines. Plus they’re just a short walk from one another. Easy!
Northern California is the epicenter of the California wine industry. But Southern California is putting in the work too. Our list of the best wineries Los Angeles offers might convince you to visit the city of angels for a glass of wine. Malibu is right next door. Our blog post on Malibu wineries is a short but sweet list of one of the smallest AVAs in California.
Wonderful wine regions in other states
The Applegate Valley is a fifty mile stretch of land in Southern Oregon State near the California border. These six Applegate wineries make delicious and unique (and sometimes organic) wines.
Ashland is another Southern Oregon gem. The best wineries in Ashland combine award-winning wines, beautiful patios, and spectacular views. Most people come for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival but they should definitely stay for the wine.
