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.