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Healdsburg is at the epicenter of three world-class American Viticultural Appellations. Just a few minutes outside town in any direction, estates and tasting rooms dot the rolling hills of vineyards wrapped around two-lane country roads.
“We gave our babies a huge haircut this year, and it wasn’t easy.” Katie was referring to the 117-year-old Zinfandel vines on the property her family has owned for almost 150 years.
When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, only 40 wineries had managed to survive and hundreds were left abandoned. Called “ghost wineries,” most were lost forever, but a precious few were later restored to their former glory. These wineries make up some of the oldest, most iconic, and cherished properties today.
In wine country, the gentle cadence of the seasons grows stronger with each stage; it begins softly in winter when the vines are clipped and bare, and steadily intensifies through the first signs of life at bud break, then becomes steady but more urgent during the slow pace of summer when gloriously green vineyards sway across the valley, marching in time toward the crescendo of harvest.
Enriquez Estate is more than a winery and vineyard—it’s a wine country experience. Visitors to the estate can tour the beautiful 8.5-acre estate on ATVs, enjoying breathtaking vineyard views and then relaxing with a picnic lunch prepared by a private chef at the property’s lookout point.
Grapes are at their peak for only a few days, and uncontrollable events like weather can change plans instantly. Vineyard workers and machinery must be ready at a moment’s notice, and when it’s time to go, it’s go-go-go.
Technically, it’s the French who say rosé; the rest of us have adopted their usage of the word. It’s right that we use the French version; France is the indisputable land of rosé wine.
James believes there is an exciting movement happening with American wines. He’s working on a documentary titled “American Wine Revolution,” which looks at “how wine began in America, all the way back to the pilgrims.” It will be his third documentary.
The Tormaresca estate is almost as remote as Tasca D’Almerita’s Regaleali in central Sicily, and both are well worth the trip. We parked in what we later found out was the back of the winery and searched on foot for five minutes to find the entrance.
The winery, named after the original owner, Jerry Lambert, is also a reference to the iconic bridge that marks its 100th anniversary this year. Established in 1975, Lambert Bridge is one of the oldest wineries in Dry Creek Valley.