Healdsburg, California: Where to Eat, Sip, and Stay in Wine Country

Jordan Vineyard & Winery is a family-owned winery located on Alexander Valley Road. Tom and Sally Jordan founded the winery, and they originally bought the land with the idea of planting a vineyard. Consisting of more than 1,000 acres and a chateau, the vineyard produced its first vintage in 1976.

Eventually, the ownership of the vineyard passed down to Tom and Sally’s son John, and the vineyard was opened to the public for tours in 2013. Guests are invited into the library of the chateau for a wine tasting that includes food prepared by the winery’s chef. Wines at the tastings include such choices as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, California, Phone: 707-431-5250

Costeaux French Bakery has been a Healdsburg landmark since 1923. Their artisan breads have won multiple awards, they baked the largest pumpkin pie according to Guinness Records, and their spectacular wedding cakes are a must for any happy Healdsburg bride.

The café is unmistakably French in theme, with small cozy bistro tables, comfortable banquettes, and pretty flower arrangements surrounded by cheeses, charcuterie, and pastries that would make any Parisian bistro owner proud.

They serve their fabulous breakfast all day, and, their delicious soups, quiches and sandwiches are available for lunch. Everything is available for takeout – they even have gourmet boxed lunches for your trip through the wine country.

417 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, California, Phone: 707-433-1913

If you have a foodie and wine connoisseur in your family, taking him or her on a Healdsburg Wine Walking Tour would be a well-appreciated birthday gift. Tours start with a pleasant walk through the historic downtown Healdsburg at the very heart of Sonoma Country, where food and wines are considered responsible for making the world go round.

Local guides, foodies, and wine connoisseurs themselves teach the art of pairing wine and food, and they make suggestions such as Cabernet combined with St. Agur blue cheese drizzled with honey and served with Bosc pears, or pairing port and chocolates.

They explain appellation and varietal comparisons, organize private tastings at exclusive boutique tasting rooms, and explain the latest trends in the wine-making practices of the area. Wine Country Walking Tours offer five tours that last about four hours.

Wine Country Walking Tours, 1083 Vine St., Suite 182, Healdsburg, California, Phone: 707-758-4725

Healdsburg Plaza is a popular and charming square located in Healdsburg. After several buildings went up in the area, including a general store and a post office, the city hired a surveyor to map out the streets of the city, including the plaza. It is a beautiful grassy square with benches and tall shady trees including Canary Island date palms and redwoods.

The plaza features wide sidewalks and many retail businesses such as art galleries, bookstores, boutiques, hotels, restaurants and wine-tasting rooms. The plaza is popular with residents because it has an inviting small town feel. During the summer months, the plaza serves as a venue for performances including music concerts.

Attractions for Couples

Located on Lambert Bridge Road, Dry Creek Vineyard is a family owned winery in the Dry Creek Valley. Consisting of more than 185 acres, the vineyard was founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, who wanted to begin producing Sauvignon Blanc wine. He opened the first winery in Dry Creek Valley after the end of Prohibition.

Today, 40 years later, the winery produces a variety of wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Zinfandel, and more. The vineyard’s tasting room is open every day, and the picnic grounds are a popular place to taste the wine and enjoy a meal.

3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg, California, Phone: 707-433-1000

Art lovers, enthusiasts, budding artists, and collectors will love a trip to the Healdsburg Center for the Arts. This non-profit establishment was opened in 1993 and works hard to promote the arts in the community through exhibitions and events open to the public. By hosting these events, the center hopes to inspire more artists to get creative and hone their craft. New exhibits are regularly launched and held at the gallery while several artists have pieces on regular display such as Abby Bard, Alex Hunt, Bill Burch, Daniel Oliver, and Hiroko Ishida. At the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, visitors can also participate in regularly held classes and workshops, private art lessons, and annual summer art camps.

334 Center Street, Healdsburg, California 95448, Phone: 707-431-1970

Adventures in Cycling is a cycling tour company that offers a variety of cycling tours, from one-day tours up to five-day tours. Their one-day tours are quite popular, and activities include wine tasting rides through the Russian River Valley in Sonoma Country and through Calistoga in Napa County.

The Big Red Wine Tour takes guests for an 8- to 17-mile ride through the vineyards of Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg, with several stops at wineries for tastings and a stop for lunch. Guests ride on comfortable 21-speed hybrid bikes on safe and quiet country roads.

707-326-0236

Healdsburg Wine Tour offers luxury tours of Healdsburg and the wine country around Healdsburg in Sonoma County. For nearly 30 years, owner Sid Sadeghian has been active in the hospitality business and has been a resident of Sonoma County for many years. Tours last between four and five hours, and guests are picked up in a town car, SUV, or passenger van.

During the narrated tours, guests learn about the history of Healdsburg and Sonoma Valley, as well as things about the vineyards and the winemaking process, organic gardens and sustainable farming, and olives and olive groves. Tours can be designed to cater to each guest’s interests.

707-849-0503

The Taste of Tea is a teashop where tea is for drinking, eating, or even pasting on your face. This cozy little tea room/restaurant/spa shows the many uses of tea for the body and soul by offering a large selection of loose leaf teas from all over the world, a nice selection of Japanese dishes, many of which use tea as an ingredient, as well as a small spa, where tea is used to cleanse the skin and relax the body.

While tea lovers find the large selection of high quality teas they can drink in the tearoom or buy for later absolutely thrilling, the menu has some very interesting dishes for those who have an appetite. Try Salmon Ochazuke with a salmon-flavored and grilled rice ball soaked in Kyoto Bancha tea and topped with wasabi caviar, served with pickled plum (Umeboshi) and cucumber salad.

109 North Street, Healdsburg, California, Phone: 707-431-1995