Walling Road in Dry Creek Valley

September 19, 2017 by Joe Becerra

Vineyards on Walling Road

Hidden wine country backroad – Walling Road in Dry Creek

Walling Road is lovely road lined with beautiful vineyard views including the one above. The road dead-ends after two miles. Frick Winery and Ramazzotti Winery are the only wineries along Walling Road. Frick Winery is open on weekends and Ramazzotti is not open for visits. Ramazzotti does have a tasting room in Geyserville and their wines are worth tasting. At Frick, Bill Frick is a Rhone-style winemaker. If you love Rhone wines, Frick is a must visit. There are two ways to get to Walling Road. From Highway 101 take the Canyon Road exit in Geyserville just north of Healdsburg. Go under the freeway and up Canyon Road. When you see Pedroncelli Winery, Walling Road is on the left. Secondly, you can get to Walling Road from Dry Creek Road. Turn on Canyon Road and travel up the road to Walling. More on Walling Road, a secret and spectacular backroad.

Travel Notes for Walling Road

Walling Road – Secret wine road in Sonoma

April 30, 2015 by Joe Becerra

Walling Road in Geyserville wine county – Views of Dry Creek Valley AVA vineyards

Walling Road, a secret wine road in Sonoma County

Walling Road is a secret wine road in Sonoma County, very near the town of Geyserville. There is only one winery open to visitors at the end of Walling Road, but it is the sheer beauty of this road that is attractive to wine country purists. Hardly any wine country travelers venture down this road. It is lined with vineyards and has expansive views of the Dry Creek Valley. Many of the vineyards are said to be owned by the Gallo Family. Walling Road is only a couple of miles long, and it’s worth the short drive down this road to visit the Frick Winery. It is a one-person show at Frick Winery. Bill Frick is the winemaker and handcrafts an array of Rhone-style wines in tiny lots. These wines include ones made with Syrah, Viognier, Cinsault, Grenache, Counoise, Carignane, Grenache Blanc, and Mourvèdre. The tasting room is open on weekends only. Consult the Frick Winery Website for current tasting room hours. To get to Walling Road, take the Canyon Road exit from Highway 101 and head west until you see Pedroncelli Winery. You should see the sign for Walling Road and Frick winery on the right.

Pedroncelli winery is also worth a visit. The Pedroncelli winery is one of the oldest in the area (founding date of 1927) and is family-owned. The Pedroncelli Winery is open daily and makes terrific wines at reasonable prices. We love the Friends White and the Friends Red. These are blended wines and are very tasty for around $10. The best wine at Pedroncelli is the Mother Clone Zinfandel. For $18, it is about the best “Bang for the Buck” wine in Sonoma County. If you are adventurous, you can also visit the J Rickards Winery and the Silver Oak Cellars, both near each other on Chianti Road. Chianti Road is the first right as you exit Highway 101 to Canyon Road. For more wineries and wine tasting, after visiting Frick and Pedroncelli, continue along Canyon Drive until it ends at Dry Creek Road. Dry Creek Road has many exciting wineries and tasting rooms.

Walling Road Winery Map

Additional Geyserville resources

Geyserville Wine Country – secret wineries

September 10, 2014 by Joe Becerra

Owner Jim Rickards of J.Rickards Vineyards north of Geyserville

About Geyserville Wine Country

Ten minutes north of the famous wine country town of Healdsburg lies the sleepy town of Geyserville. Geyserville wine country is the Russian River’s secret wine region. So what wineries are there to visit that are so secret? The most popular winery in the area is the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. But aside from that, the others are wonderful hidden wineries with few visitors compared to the wineries closer to Healdsburg. The Geyserville area encompasses two distinct wine AVA’s or wine appellations. These are the Alexander Valley AVA and the Dry Creek Valley AVA. In the Alexander Valley we have the Trione Winery, Trentadue, Simi, and the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Up north in Cloverdale, don’t miss the J Rickards Vineyards right next to the famous Silver Oak winery. Owned and operated by Jim and Eliza Rickards, the winery has recently improved the quality of its wines. It is a hidden winery worth a visit. In the Dry Creek Valley we have the Pedroncelli Winery, family run since 1927. The Pedroncelli Family owns some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in the area. One of the best kept secrets in this area is the backroad of Walling Road. It is just around the corner from Pedoncelli. Drive along this road and you will see some of the most amazing vineyard views anywhere. About a mile along this road is the Frick Winery. Bill Frick is a master at making Rhone-style wines. The winery is very small and only open on the weekends. If you are there during the week give the winery a call to see if they can squeeze you in for a tasting. The wines are terrific.

There is a small selection of lodging choices in Geyserville, the Geyseville Inn is the largest. There is a B&B, the Hope Merrill House. The best restaurant, bar none, is Diavola Pizzeria and Salumaria. Why Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle hasn’t been to dine here is beyond me. It is an amazing Italian restaurant. Fresh foods and creative pizzas are the signature of this Italian gem.

Additional Geyserville Wine Country

Geyserville Wine Country Excursion – Five Lovely Wineries to Visit

April 13, 2011 by Joe Becerra

Who would of thought that the tiny Russian River town of Geyserville would someday emerge as a destination spot for wine tasting and gourmet dining? Yes, amazingly, this little town and its surrounding countryside has much to offer for those who love to visit wineries. Here are five wonderful wineries to visit in the surrounding area of Geyserville. This route will take you to some absolutely beautiful vineyards along the Alexander Valley and into the Dry Creek Valley.

Head north on Highway 101 and take the Independence Lane exit some 20 miles past Santa Rosa.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

You will either love it or hate it. This is Hollywood time in the Alexander Valley. It’s got swimming pools, cabanas, Bocce courts, the Tucker automobile, movie memorabilia and something for the entire family to enjoy. The Rustic Restaurant is a “must” for lunch and if the weather is nice you should ask for an outside table. What a view! You can take a tour of the winery and taste wines galore; there are many options at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. The winery is open daily 11 to 5 pm.

Poolside at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery