Passalacqua Winery, just off Dry Creek Road in the DCV, just before Lambert Bridge.

Passalacqua Winery, ensconced on Lambert Bridge Road in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, is surrounded by vineyards and a spectacular deck and garden area, opening out of the Tasting Room; small production, family-owned and guided from dirt to done, small production, and you can be adopted by joining the amazing Wine Club,  four levels to deliver to you, just what you desire.  Here there is a commitment to quality and subsequent small lot production; a vineyard expressionist approach is used, allowing the talents and attributes of each vineyard to shine through in the finished wines.  This is guided by winemaker Margaret Davenport, whose hands on, controlled, small-lot approach makes the vintages glow with flavor, quality and depth.

Gorgeous wisteria surrounded winery....

Approaching....

Outside the wisteria.

Gorgeous deck.

The View.

My favorite- an Adirondack hide-away....

And now some interior shots:

Warm TR scene.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Passalacqua Winery.

Hartford Family Winery, hidden away off River Road on Martinelli Road, near the Russian River, perfect example of a Green Valley/RRV estate & winery.

An incredibly beautiful approach through softy rolling hills of vineyards lashed lushly with towering redwoods, about 15 miles from the cool coast and smack dab under the awesome, coveted influences of the Pacific Ocean, Martinelli Road wends its way to Hartford Family Winery, across a bridge to estate vines warmly encircling the lovely winery building and tasting room, home to exceptional pinot noir, chardonnay and old vine zinfandel, delicious wines of high personality, small-production, sourced from vineyards with adverse conditions that make the vines struggle to produce intense berries and wines with “character through adversity.”  Hartford Court produces pinot noir and chardonnay; Hartford Family, zinfandel.  Small lots of estate grown RRV pinot, chardonnay and zinfandel are offered as well as wines sourced from other Wine Road AVA’s and environs.  The winery lends itself to providing warm hospitality and hosts its Wine Club members often during the year.  Gardens, lush lawns and graceful fountains, abundant flowers and vineyard vistas tempt the eye, while the interiors of this elegant winery make it a must see.

Green Valley/RRV gently rolling coastal hills, vines, redwoods....make those vines embrace the adversity of their surroundings!

RRV vista.

Martinelli Road in Forestville, meandering toward Hartford Family....

Almost there!

Crossing the creek into RRV Hartford Wonderland...

Vineyards along the driveway to Hartford Family.

Cascades of roses in bowers....

Bower close-up!

Garden path leading to Hartford....

Gorgeous....

Hartford Family exudes warm hospitality....

The tasting bar.

Elegant touches....

Relaxing.

The grand staircase...elegance, refinement....warmth, family....

View from the garden back out towards the entrance.

Highly acclaimed, Don and Jennifer Jackson Hartford love their family business- along with Jeff Stewart, Winemaker, they craft lovely, amazing wines, from this romantic RRV idyll.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Much like Christmas, so anticipated, so far off- and then, all of a sudden, right upon us, imminent, our 13th Annual A Wine & Food Affair, Tasting Along the Wine Road,  is here NOW!  Arriving in the  midst of an especially glorious autumn, #wfa11 (for tweeting- follow me!) promises to be another boffo, SRO production, with over 100 wineries participating, preparing a special dish and pairing it with just the perfect wine, all immortalized in our fantastic TASTING ALONG THE WINE ROAD  Cookbook, Volume 13.

This Event promises to sell out- ticket sales end on Halloween night- so do not delay!

Please click HERE to purchase tickets.

You will be asked to choose a starting winery location when you purchase your tickets…you might want to choose one as far from your lodging as possible and then work your way back “home”.  The wineries that are marked as “sold out for check in” are only sold out for check in- you can visit them all during the Event after you have checked in- just sayin’.

And do note, you may only check in at the winery at which you have chosen to start…please print your ticket and have your ID to show proof of age…you may be asked to show that ID during the event, even after you are banded…it is the law, after all- and nice to know how young you must look!

And hey, have you secured your awesome Wine Road Lodging?

Now you are set, so off to AW&FA!  When you check in do get a program with Event map…out along the Wine Road look for the official Wine Road Event Signs to pinpoint official member participants:

I peruse the program and take a gander at the map and decide on an area that I want to concentrate on and off I go; I do bring along water and some high-fiber snacks to graze on in the car…the recipes are so delicious that I am often sated- however, last year I did take my group out for great dinners on both Friday and Saturday nights…remember reservations at some awesome Wine Road location restaurants!

I love to purchase wines at this Event- souvenirs of my days…to take home and also to bring to restaurants to continue my local adventure.  I also purchase great wines for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas…and there I am again along the Wine Road with my memories to share with my family and friends with each bottle I open.

Click to see what I did last year, 2010: : Saturday & Sunday.

Check us out on Facebook.

I’ll see you along Wine Road. I am here to help; post a comment if you would like assistance planning your Wine Road adventure and I will contact you.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Welcome to Amista Vineyards!

Amista Vineyards, a place of friendship, with its spectacular approach through an ocean of vines,  reveals its warm, architecturally-pleasing, wooden “Our Lady of the Wine Press Church”-barn-style winery and tasting room at the end of a gravelled drive,  seemingly floating amidst part of their 20 estate vineyards near the Creek in Dry Creek Valley, beckoning, and, indeed, aptly named, Amista, loosely translating as “making friends”.

First part of the drive in....

Sanctuary....

 Wine Club Members are greeted with personalized signs displayed behind the bar- the communication and connection is such that they let Amista know when they are coming; this is THE spot for proposals, too…. Great backyard/garden area for picnicking, with tables and umbrellas feeding into the vines, draws guests out from the warm TR,  permanent home to artist Carole Watanabe, impressive bar, lounging area, soaring ceilings and architectural angles, well-crafted accessible wines that are friendly and pair well with food- plus educated, hospitable staff or proprietors on site will make you a friend.  This is a Sheltie paradise!   Vicky and Mike Farrow, Proprietors and Wine Maker, have rescued in the past and currently have two famous winery Shelties, Torin (translates as Thunder) and Finnegan (as in James Joyce’s wake); Amista is not just friendly, it is also VERY dog friendly!

Art by Carole Watanabe.

Lounging area, comfy furniture.

Great TR bar....

Great lighting, great ambient light, lots of sunshine splashing on the walls, impressive interiors.

Amista pizza oven....

Picnic!

Gardens, Prickly Pear and then the vines...close.

Mysterious-Origin-Unknown Tricycle; it just appeared here one day- often photographed, and I carried on that tradition.

Sparkling Syrah- cheesecake photo in the back garden...bubbly. Limited; special.

Torin & Finnegan!

Vicky Farrow with Torin and Finnegan....

View out, back down the driveway....

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Lambert Bridge Winery, glowing in the fall sunshine, ensconced on West Dry Creek Road just outside of Healdsburg.

On a recent visit to Lambert Bridge Winery, incredibly altruistic and giving to our community, I was greeted by sweet dogs and a puppy, welcoming staff and TR and a chance to observe the spot where the meticulous, special berry sorting goes on, another step in the process, with two world-class accessible winemakers, to lovely, exquisite Lambert Bridge wines, home to the Liquid Assets Wine Club and about to be launched,  Food & Wine pairings in the Barrel Room, just off of the Tasting Room with The Famous Fireplace (only lit on appropriate days after harvest is done and the grapes are on their way to becoming wine….)

Lovely grounds and picnic areas, al fresco Mugnaini Italian pizza ovens and food and wine events, liquid amber trees lining the drive, so striking in the fall, flowers galore and spectacular architecture delight the visitor- not to mention the vintage Lambert Bridge flatbed truck parked outside- all giving a feel of sophisticated, expert hospitality, wines and food; this is the place for great wine served with great food and shared with great friends.

Lambert Bridge, the trestle-style bridge from which Lambert Bridge Winery takes its name- the approach, off of Dry Creek Road.

Liquid amber trees line the drive at Lambert Bridge.

Glowing with the fall sunshine....

Gorgeous trees....

Enter for warm hospitality!

Mugnaini ovens....

Ready for my pizza oven closeup.

Time to sort those berries....

Labor intensity, deliciousness intense....

Bernie.

Gus.

Wile E the Puppy! (Named, perhaps, along the lines of the famous Wile E as in the Roadrunner oeuvre?)

Fluffy.

Wine Club lodging....Membership does have its privileges!

Barrel Room.

Fermentation tanks....

View from the Barrel Room towards the TR...

Here’s looking at your, kids.

TR

The distinctive, eye-catching, e.e. cummings-ish, appealing orange logo of the boon hotel + spa, on Armstrong Woods Road, just off River, convenient to downtown Guerneville....

Boon: A gift or benefit. And, in this case, too,  a beloved dog.

Truly true dat here in this unexpected location of luxury in the rustic outpost of what was a logging camp, Stumptown USA- home of the Big Bottom Trees (redwoods, that is.)  And right on the same road as Armstrong Woods….

There are three sisters in the boon family, the first-born being boon hotel + spa, where you are indeed, gonna love it, lovingly renovated, perfect cottage-type lodgings, nestled under the redwoods around a centrally located pool, tranquil wedding site across the stream, and spa.  A boon for your dog and for you.

Dogs are welcomed and embraced- and even given the distinctive orange logo to play with ....

Welcome to boon....delicious, special touches await you.

Wisteria bedecked arbors leads to the private courtyard and accommodations.

Relaxing....comfortable....

Out in the garden.

Very near Armstrong Woods, boon has its own redwood forest.

The wedding site....

boon for body and soul.

Close to town, Guerneville is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump down the road from boon. You can visit the other two members of the boon family:

boon eat + drink, a modern California bistro, and middle-child:

Familiar orange logo....

Cannot miss this deliciousness!

Crista Luedtke, proprietor of all boon, wrote the foreword for our Wine Road TASTING ALONG THE WINE ROAD cookbook for this year’s 13th annual A Wine & Food Affair.

The newborn in this close knit family is big bottom market, a wine bar, delicious food purveyor, sandwich makers extraordinaire, fun place to be and even a wine club spot, neighbors with boon eat + drink.  It has a great, entertaining facebook page….

Great ambiance, touches, feel, vibe- boon knows how to welcome and delight.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Russian Hill Estate Winery's distinctive ante bellum entrance sign, just off River Road, near Olivet Road cross, on Slusser Road in the RRV....

Russian Hill Estate Winery is truly a family-run enterprise of love- husband, wife and winemaker nephew; completely hands on, personally producing exquisite, small-lot pinot noir and syrah (and a bit of viognier, port and….) from their estate vineyards (including the Tara vineyard, named after their David O. Selznick, gorgeous residence) and neighboring vineyards in the RRV, founded from the ground up in 1997.    Lots to see and do along Slusser Road and environs!

With God as my witness I will never be hungry again! Katie Scarlett O'Hara is walking the hillsides here...what a gorgeous estate and the views are also amazing.

View to the west- more antique hop kilns/barns at neighboring winery, Sonoma-Cutrer.....

Enjoy that view with your picnic and a bottle of Russian Hill...romantic paradise....

The approach to the TR...staffed with family and warm-family-like TR folks.

Kiri and Ruska- completely eluded my photo snapping attempts or eluded me completely...cheating with these pro pet portraits...I have scores of photos of pet Netherlands....Ruska escorted me to my car- but was obviously used to dealing with the paparazzi....

Ethereal night harvest shot, October 2011 (yeah, I cheated again on this photo- thanks Facebook.)

Lots of special times at Russian Hill; and also,  check out the newsletter….  Exquisite wines, exquisite location, lovely family, delicious wines; visit this idyll on a hill in the Russian River Valley.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Seth Rogen and his fiancee, Lauren Miller, escape to Healdsburg, CA for their wedding festivities. Will Healdsburg be able to conduct itself admirably?

Healdsburg often finds itself a Hollywood/Bollywood North, being a shooting location for many films, as well as a trendy spot for celebrity visitors to relax and vacation.  And of course, celebrity sightings have increased greatly along with the rising popularity of Healdsburg as a fine destination.  (I remember being thrilled back in about 1997 to meet the actor, David Leisure, who played Joe Isuzu….but all my co-workers in the TR at the time denied even knowing who he was….but maybe it was because they were all so younger nor I.)

“Hi, I’m Joe Isuzu and I used my new Isuzu pickup truck to carry a 2,000 pound cheeseburger. You have my word on it.”

Of course, I behaved with decorum, delighting Leisure with my cracker-jack customer service, keeping his famous identity under wraps so that he could enjoy our TR and wines just like a regular guy….or did I?  Hmmm…maybe I became star-struck and googly, grinning and tongue-tied…letting him know that I recognized him at all, was perhaps my first mistake.  Not to mention having his baby- but I digress….

If we want celebrities (meaning in this context, actors and musicians, not necessarily Nobel Prize winners or famous architects) to make Healdsburg their own, they need to be able to maintain their privacy.  Staff in hotels, restaurants, stores and wineries will need to treat them like Average Joe’s and Josephine’s.  Of course, some actors say that they worry when people don’t recognize them- but that is different from locals hounding them or making them feel uncomfortable.  Maybe distant appreciation is a goal.

Facebook and Twitter were agog with celebrity sightings, reported by our very own Press Democrat, SF Gate and Healdsburg Patch.  If you link over you can read the incredible chains of comments from locals weighing in- some of it is contentious.  And you may recognize names….

So in addition to OMG! Seth Rogen, we had OMG! Jack Black, Judd Apatow, Paul Rudd, Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell…and they even went canoeing down the Russian River set up with River’s Edge Canoe & Kayak.  Our very own paparazzi were out to deliver photos- turns out the luxurious HH1 and h2 were the lodgings and Barndiva was the spot for the delicious rehearsal dinner….and of course, Seth, dog lover, had grooming and purchases at the Healdsburg Doghouse….

Getting the dog grooming done....

Rehearsal Dinner at Barndiva shot over the wall by a sneaky, star-struck Healdsburgundian.....

The wedding itself took place at a winery not along the Wine Road…I suspect that Seth must have forgotten to request a free Wine Road Map and also consult our Wine Road Concierge Weddings/Meetings area of our website….Next time, for sure….

I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

What would Harmon Gregg Heald SAY? (WWHGH do?)

Founder of Healdsburg….how far we have come…..well, relatively celebrity speaking.

Dawn Ranch Lodge with fantastic Russian-River-Wedding Location; recently changed the restaurant name from Roadhouse to Agriculture Bar & Restaurant.

Agriculture Bar & Restaurant: certified organic, locavore Bar Food and RRV wines- also full bar....they have their own gardens, orchards and fresh, local sources...salmon is not only fresh but wild caught....

I so get a kick out of Dawn Ranch Lodge!  This is a resort of resorts; 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, nestled in the tiny California-River-Town of Guerneville, historic, comfy, darling white-washed rustic cottages dotted over their 15 acres of orchards, bamboo groves, redwood trees and gardens, with pool,  locavore restaurant Agriculture, wines (even their own label), bar and romantic, lovely wedding site.  Variety in accommodation and specials galore make this place HOME.   This is just my kind of favorite spot.  And right on the gorgeous Russian River- otters, Great Blue Herons,  even, perhaps, some Not-So-Great Blue Herons, and cormorants gamboled about on my visit….

Strolling through the acres....

Spring-time grounds, grassy slopes towards the Russian River....

Incipient blossoms about to burst onto the scene....

The eternal redwoods...they know no season, as all seasons show them in their glory.

Rambling through the lovely Dawn Ranch.

Full Bar and RRV wines at Agriculture.

Dinner service....

Welcome....

Welcome, welcome...

Oasis on the River.

I want to check in now!

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR

Pool at the Dawn Ranch Lodge....Agriculture is right there- just in case you are hungry or thirsty.