Less than two hours from the San Francisco Bay Area, Healdsburg is located in the heart of Sonoma County and home to more than 80 vineyards throughout the destination and 40 tasting rooms in the historic downtown plaza. Among new food and wine experiences this spring, the destination is blooming with seasonal and VIP wine tasting events, and new programming at lodging properties.
New Hotel Experiences and Packages
Walk Among Wildflowers with Hotel Healdsburg – Through May, Hotel Healdsburg invites groups up to six to enjoy a two-hour guided wildflower walk paired with a gourmet picnic lunch from Dry Creek Kitchen. Led by Karen Austin, local Healdsburg trail guide and certified health coach, the hikes immerse travelers in the colors, scents and views of Sonoma County wildflowers. Tip: The hike can be customized to fitness levels and interests.
h2hotel Relaunches “Living Room” – h2hotel, the sustainable-chic and hotel located off the historic town plaza in Healdsburg, relaunches its “Living Room” styling amenity that offers guests the opportunity to decorate a suite with a variety of plants from Dragonfly Floral, a Healdsburg-based organic flower farm and full-service florist. For those not ready to part with their new foliage friends, guests can choose to take one home and purchase others off a price list.
Piazza Hospitality Hotel Collection Partners With Pro Cyclist Pete Stetina – Hotel Healdsburg, h2hotel and Harmon Guest House have partnered with Pete Stetina, a professional cyclist based in Sonoma County, to offer guests cycling adventures and customized routes to explore the region on wheels. The new “Pro Cycling Experience” package includes a private, guided ride with Stetina for up to four people on a route tailored to guests’ skill levels and preferences, plus a two-night stay in one of the hotels. For every ride booked, a $400 donation will be made to provide a new bike, helmet, lock and cycling adventure to a local child in need through the B-Rad Foundation, which creates kids’ leadership programs and community-based environmental stewardship projects on the Sonoma Coast and the Island of Kauai.
New Restaurants and Wineries
The Matheson by Chef Dustin Valette
The Matheson by Chef Dustin Valette – Opening this spring, The Matheson is a farm-focused restaurant, sushi kitchen, dining loft and rooftop cocktail lounge from chef and vintner Dustin Valette and partner Craig Ramsey. The three-story restaurant, bar and wine destination is set in a preserved historic building redesigned by architect Cass Calder Smith. Wine will be front and center with The Wine Wall, which will have 88 wines on tap, along with the wine vault and wine lists offering many of Sonoma's favorite and hard-to-source winemakers, including Valette's wine partners in Valette Wines. Valette has crafted a menu that includes flatbreads cooked in a custom wood-fired pizza oven.
Black Oak Coffee Roasters Arrives in Healdsburg – After becoming a hometown favorite in Ukiah (less than one hour by car from Healdsburg), Black Oak Coffee Roasters puts down roots in Healdsburg this April with the opening of a new café. Black Oak Coffee Roasters is located in a remodeled historic building and focuses on bringing innovative, seasonal food to pair with its coffees, which have earned Black Oak Coffee Roasters the two-time title of “America’s Best Espresso” from North America’s largest coffee roasting competition. The beverage menu will include house-made signature drinks like the Lover’s Lane Latte, a honey latte garnished with local bee pollen; the food menu, created by in-house chef Beryl Adler, will include an array of café classics like a Soft Scrambled Breakfast Burrito with Chorizo Mushrooms and the grab-and-go Carrot Cake Muesli.
Marine Layer Wines Brings California Cool Tasting Room – Opening on the Healdsburg Plaza in June, Marine Layer Wines will offer an authentic approach to winemaking, focusing on cool-climate, small-batch wines. Founder and owner Baron Ziegler of Banshee Wines and Winemaker Rob Fischer are spearheading the project, which will encompass a tasting room with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Champagne. The tasting room, designed by local Sonoma’s Hommeboys, will exude a California coastal chic ambiance with casual sophistication. Seasonal small plates will be offered alongside a tasting menu.
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