Solitude at Mill Creek Winery

Here is a winery that is easy to miss among the big names near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Mill Creek Vineyards and Winery is a small family-owned winery on Westside Road. The second and third generations of the family are at the helm with a production of 7000 cases from 45 acres of vineyards. We … Read more

Wine Fun in the Alexander Valley

January and February is an excellent time of the year to visit the Alexander Valley and the surrounding communities. Why now? This is a particularly beautiful time of the year in these parts. The air is clean and clear. The traffic is less on the roads and in the tasting rooms. Most of all, the … Read more

Sonoma or Sonoma Valley, what’s the difference

what is sonoma wine country

This very confusing for wine country travelers.  We recently met a couple in a tasting room on Westside Road in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. They mentioned they were staying in a B&B in the town of Sonoma. When they decided to visit this tasting room from their B&B, they had no idea … Read more

Dry Creek Road Wineries

Dry Creek Wineries

Dry Creek Road Wineries The Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma is one of the most densely populated wine regions with regard to vineyard acreage and number of wineries. There is a number of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Sirah, Chardonnay Vineyards. Most of the wineries are small and family-owned. As you can see from the roadside … Read more

Looking for Zinfandel in all the right places: Dry Creek Valley

We are big fans of Zinfandel wines, especially from the Dry Creek Valley in the Russian River wine region of Sonoma County. The Dry Creek Valley is one of the prettiest wine country areas in California. This AVA (wine appellation) is small by most standards, only 16 miles long by two miles wide. Yet it … Read more

Bistro Ralph – 19 Years of Delicious Dining in Healdsburg

Note: Bistro Ralph has closed its restaurant.

On the spur of the moment, we decided to take a quick overnight trip to the wine country in the Russian River area. We have a couple of favorite spots in this area that we love to visit during the Fall. The colors are absolutely beautiful in the Dry Creek Valley, the Alexander Valley, and the Russian River Valley.

Besides the Fall colors another good reason to travel at this time of year, and in midweek, is that you can get a better lodging rate and things are much less crowded everywhere you go.

Liquid Amber on West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
Liquid Amber on West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg

We found a room at the Best Western Dry Creek Inn for a measly $69. The room is in the new Tuscan center of the hotel and has a fireplace, large screen TV, and a Jacuzzi tub. We don’t really need those things but why not take them if they come with a room that normally prices well over $200? For you travelers to Healdsburg, this online midweek offer is probably going to continue to run during the winter months.

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