The White Flag in Sonoma

I had grand plans to write a piece this week on “California wine country.” When I sat down to do so, though, I was smothered under the volume of available material, so I gave up. Instead, I chose to write about one town in Sonoma County. I made this choice because I happened to be in Sonoma for a client this week – alas, not a WINE client – and had one evening to myself.

Having been to Napa and Sonoma a number of times previously, I knew of the throwback village of Healdsburg, but had not spent much time there. So… that’s where I ended up. Good choice, as it turned out.

Dinner and a Show

I sat down for a light dinner at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, kitty corner from Healdsburg’s Plaza Park, which harks back to the days when every small town in America had a town square that created a sense of true community. I enjoyed a killer local Zinfandel, garlic fries that made my eyes water, and macaroni and cheese. Weird choice, I know, but the mac-n-cheese is made with Fiscalini Gold cheddar, which is one of the best cheeses I have ever tasted. Lund’s carries it occasionally; if it’s available, try it!

By dumb luck, I was in Healdsburg on a Tuesday, and the local farmers’ market group has put together “Tuesdays in the Plaza” all summer, through Oct. 28. A band called Poor Man’s Whiskey performed the night I was there; they played everything from an old Irish drinking song to reasonable covers of current alt rock. Plus, they clearly were having a blast, which made it even more fun.

After asking around, I was told that Plaza Park is basically full of locals every Tuesday for these events. Many people bring their own picnic lunches – in one case, I saw a sumptuous spread that covered two tables. Bands play under an old-time gazebo, the organizers set up a dance floor in front of the band and, unlike at most such events, the dance floor was packed.

It’s the Wine, Stupid

Of course, you can’t talk about a town in Sonoma County without mentioning wine, and Healdsburg alone claims something like 83 vineyards/wineries. While certainly no exhaustive, the following list represents some names you probably recognize and some I hope you don’t. No matter which type of operation interests you, don’t forget that what you see (and can buy) at the winery is likely different from the mass-distributed wines we see here in flyover land.

• Ferrari-Carano – Offers a wide selection of wines, but try the Eldorado Noir dessert wine if you can. I have never had anything like it (it’s particularly superb with chocolate-covered cherries). Full disclosure: I am a member of F-C’s wine club.

• Foppiano – One of the oldest family-owned wineries in the area. I enjoyed a petite sirah at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill that rivaled any I have had anywhere.

• Francis Ford Coppola – More of a novelty than anything, FFC has carved out a nice niche making Italian-style wines well.

• La Crema – Known for its Burgundian varieties, La Crema makes a pinot noir you’ll want to write home about at a surprising – in a good way – price point.

• Michel-Schlumberger – Has made a name for itself, particularly in Bordeaux varieties. You can only visit if you have an appointment, but you often can get the owner on the phone if you call to do so.

• Toad Hollow – Produces a variety of whites and reds, all fair to pretty good, and all reasonably priced.

Stumbling “Home”

As the liquor companies say, please drink responsibly… To help you do so, a number of the operations noted above have tasting rooms in Healdsburg. So, if you decide to stay in town, I recommend the Hotel Healdsburg. A couple of years ago, I attended an event at the hotel and came away impressed. On my recent visit, the sales manager, Jason Farmer, was kind enough to show me around, and I was even more impressed. Jason also let me know that the hotel offers “frequent stayer” discounts. Combined with my local client’s “songs of praise” about the Hotel Healdsburg, I feel comfortable offering with pretty unabashed enthusiasm a strong recommendation to stay here if you can, even if I can’t claim that distinction.

Even throwing in the towel, and writing about just one town in Sonoma County, I still wrote long. I apologize, but hope this is helpful.