You are here: Home / Archives for West Dry Creek Road

West Dry Creek Road in November

by

west dry creek road

A relaxed pace in wine country

West Dry Creek Road in November

West Dry Creek Road in November is one of the most serene and pleasant roads in wine country. The smell of Fall is in the air around every wonderful twist and turn of this laid-back wine country road. West Dry Creek Road begins at Westside Road just outside of the Healdsburg downtown area. The majestic Madrona Manor is where you start your journey along West Dry Creek Road. The West Dry Creek Road stretches along Dry Creek for ten miles to the Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves. There are two other entrances to West Dry Creek Road from Dry Creek Road. There is the Lambert Bridge Road four miles from Highway 101 and the Yoakim Bridge Road about eight miles from Highway 101. If the weather permits, a November picnic along this road is a must. We have some favorite picnic wineries along this route: The Lambert Bridge winery, Quivira Vineyards and Preston Vineyards at the far end of West Dry Creek Road. Both Quivira and Preston are organic and sustainable wineries. You can purchase a picnic lunch in Healdsburg at Big John’s Market or the Oakville Grocery. On Dry Creek Road, there is the Dry Creek General Store. This area of Sonoma County is famous for Zinfandel. But just about any wine, red or white, is delicious. Most of the wineries along this route are small, boutique, and family-owned. Here is our list of favorite wineries on the West Dry creek Wine Trail.

More information on West Dry Creek Road in November

Early spring vines

by

early spring vines

Early Spring vines on West Dry Creek Road

Early Spring vines on West Dry Creek Road

What a lovely view of early Spring vines in wine country. This photo was taken on the beautiful wine country backroad of West Dry Creek Road in Sonoma County. This is close to the end of West Dry Creek Road near Preston Vineyards and Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves. What we enjoy most about this time of the year is the beauty of the vines as they awaken and embark on another growing season. At this point, most of the rows have been plowed and there is a very clean look to the vineyards. The only vegetation are bud-break leaves and a smattering of wild poppy flowers.  On West Dry Creek Road, there are several small, family-owned wineries to visit. We love Preston for its cozy tasting room and organic farming. We also love the vegetable garden and the daily baked bread accompanied by their olive oil.  We enjoy a visit to the Hawley Winery up on Bradford Mountain. Hawley has a tasting room in nearby Healdsburg, but has tasting and tours by appointment at their wine cellars on West Dry Creek Road. Usually, winemaker John Hawley leads the tasting and tours. It is a most interesting location and the views area very special.

Additional information on this area of Sonoma wine country

Wine Country Backroads West Dry Creek

by

west dry creek wineries

This wine route signage is on West Dry Creek Road at Lambert Bridge Road

Wine Country Backroads West Dry Creek

We have many favorite backroads in wine country. The West Dry Creek Road is at the top of our list. It is very near Westside Road and begins at the entrance to the famous Madrona Manor Inn. West Dry Creek runs from the Madrona Inn and ends at the Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves, a distance of ten beautiful secluded miles.

To get to West Dry Creek Road, take Westside Road from Healdsburg and when you see the Madrona Manor Inn, turn to the right. West Dry Creek Road is a lovely backroad and a favorite of cyclists, runners, and walkers. Our favorite wineries on the West Dry Creek backroad are Quivira and Preston. Both Lambert Bridge and Preston’s vines are certified organic. Both have lovely picnic facilities. Picnicking is so enjoyable at either winery.

As you can see from the wine route signage at the intersection of Lambert Bridge Road and West Dry Creek Road, there are many exciting wineries to visit. Stop in at a winery that meets your fancy and tell us about your experience.

If you find yourself without a deli lunch, you can stock up at the General Store on Dry Creek Road. Take Lambert Bridge Road over Dry Creek, and you will see the historic General Store.

finding fall colors wine country west dry creek road

West Dry Creek Road with fall colors. What a treat!

 

Additional Information on West Dry Creek Road

West Dry Creek Wineries

by

west dry creek wineries

This wine route signage is on West Dry Creek Road at Lambert Bridge Road

West Dry Creek Wineries

This is one of our favorite wine country backroads. The West Dry Creek wineries are small and family owned. They are all tucked away and can be easily missed. You can get to West Dry Creek Road from three different entrances. We like to start at Westside Road where the Madrona Manor B&B is located. In Healdsburg head down Headsburg Avenue and turn right on to Mills Street. Mills goes under Highway 101 Freeway and becomes Westside Road. Turn right at Madrona Manor and head along West Dry Creek Road. West Dry Creek Road is also a popular spot for walkers, runners, and cyclists, so be careful around every beautiful bend of the road. On a nice warm day, be sure to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy it at Lambert Bridge, Quivira, or Preston. I took this photo a few years ago at the junction of Lambert Bridge Road and Dry Creek Road. There might be a few more wineries on the wine route indicators, but the ones you see are all wonderful to visit. One winery not on the list is a secret boutique winery. It is Montemaggiore ,and it’s located about three miles up on of the side roads from West Dry Creek Road. The winery is owned by Lise and Vince Ciolino. They make about 1000 cases of wine, specializing in Rhone-style red wines. They are open by appointment only. Vince is the grower and all his vines are biodynamic. Lise is the winemaker. This is short slide video we made on the biodynamic farming at Montemaggiore.

Other important information about West Dry Creek wineries

Preston Vineyards on West Dry Creek

by

Lou Preston

Lou Preston in his tasting room on West Dry Creek Road

About Preston Vineyards on West Dry Creek

West Dry Creek Road near Healdsburg is one of the best of the backroads in this area. It is a favorite among walkers, runners, and cyclists. There are several wineries and tasting rooms but, at just about the end of West Dry Creek, there is one winery not to be missed by wine country travelers. It is Preston Vineyards on West Dry Creek. In our estimation this winery exemplifies the word “Boutique.” The winery is owned by Lou and Sue Preston and they have been there since the 1970’s. The winery is small and, in addition to producing wines, they also bake bread, make olive oil, and grow produce. Everything is organically farmed. The tasting room is very quaint and the staff always seems to be jovial. The Prestons produce several Rhone-style wines in both white and red varieties. Last time we visited, they were selling a red wine in a cute small jug. Preston Vineyards also has a very attractive picnic area and it is a perfect and peaceful spot to enjoy lunch with a glass of the Preston wine. Preston also offers a self-guided tour of the farm. The tasting room is open from 11am to 4:30pm daily.

Additional information on West Dry Creek Road

Visit Dry Creek Valley

by

visit dry creek valley

Exploring wine country would not be complete without a visit to the Dry Creek Valley

About a visit to the Dry Creek Valley

A visit to the Dry Creek Valley will take you to mostly small, family-run wineries. These families have been farming the Dry Creek Valley for generations. Many, like the Mauritson Family, have been grape growers for years, selling their prized grapes to other wineries. In recent times, many growers like the Mauritsons have decided to use their best grapes to produce and sell their own wines. There are two main roads in the Dry Creek Valley. Take the Dry Creek Exit on Highway 101 and head west. Dry Creek Road is ten miles long from Healdsburg to the Lake Sonoma Fish Hatchery. Along the way are numerous wineries to visit. On the opposite  side of Dry Creek (which empties into the Russian River) is West Dry Creek Road. West Dry Creek Road is a serene backroad and a favorite of runners and cyclists. There are two bridges you can use to cross from West Dry Creek Road to Dry Creek Road. One is the Lambert Bridge and the other is the Yoakim Bridge. Before you begin to explore the Dry Creek wineries, make sure you purchase a picnic lunch. Big John’s Market is immediately east of Highway 101 on Dry Creek Road. They have a fabulous Deli. On Dry Creek Road, there is the historic Dry Creek General Store. It is a busy place with wine tourists and boaters heading to Lake Sonoma. We have a list of the best picnic wineries along this route.

More information on the Dry Creek Valley

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

Sign up for wine country news from Janelle and Joe

* indicates required