Tasting In Wine Country: Healdsburg

As I have said before, we love wine. We enjoy a great bottle every now and again;  not nearly as often as we use to since becoming parents though. But none the less, it’s a fun hobby we have and I love sharing it with you. Living so close to Wine County and so many amazing wineries, there is no shortage of places to share with you. When people are coming out here I always get the “Where are the best places to wine taste?”, so I decided I’m going to share a few places every month with you. So you can get a preview of some amazing places around here. This month we’re wine tasting in Healdsburg. A couple of my ALL TIME FAVES are here.

Wine Tasting in Healdsburg

Bella Vineyards And Wine Cave

The first place we went was Bella Vineyards and Wine Cave. Ok so it take a few small gravel roads to get to the place, but you guys it’a so worth it. It is the cutest place, and you taste in the cave. This is a smaller place, which is what I love about it. Bella is dedicated to handcrafting small lots of zinfandel. They own century old vineyards as well as those tended by other small, passionate growers who are extremely dedicated to the heritage and quality of these vines planted so many generations ago.

The staff was so nice and very knowledgeable. Tasting here was so much fun. We got to walk in the barrel room (I love the smell wine and oak) The wines were good, they also had two types that we in the cutest bottles, grolwers Here are my favorites from the day and ultimately what I bought: Ten Acres Pinot Noir and Riesling. So you might be thinking “Really a reisling? I usually only seeing you drinking reds.” So, this is a true statement, I am primarily a red wine drinker. But you guys this one was good! It was light and crisp, not over sweet like most.

Seghesio

Seghesio is one of my first wine love affairs. I was introduced to is over 8 years ago. James and I were dating and his parents invited us along to our FAVORITE restaurant in Kansas City for a wine pairing dinner. Jasper is the sweetest, kindest Chef and his food is UHH-MAZING, but then pair with Seghesio wines. It was one of the best wine events I have ever been to. To top it off Peter Seghesio was there talking and sharing these fabulous wines. I have been obsessed ever since. We were even wine club members for while, until I went to nursing school and became a poor student, Ha.

The tasting room is exactly how I remembered from the first time I ever tasted here (we did the food and wine pairing then…Highly suggest this). They are primarily a Zinfandel producer, but they have some amazing Italian varietals as well. there’s a Barbera, Chianti, Sangiovese and a few more. Here is what I’ve had before and loved: An Aglianico, Barbera, Sangiovese, Marion’s Reserve and these Zinfandels: Sonoma County, Old Vine, Rock Pile, and Cortina.

So I have had almost all, but there are several I had not had before, at let that I remember or documented. I ultimately bought these wines during this trip: Venom, Carignane and Maffei Zinfandel.

Papapietro Perry

It was actually when we were at Seghesio, like seven or eight years ago, that we learned about Papapietro. The lady hosting our tasting and tour there said it was the only place she was a member, so naturally we had to go. Boy are we glad we did. We love their Pinot’s here! It’s funny, we only ever talk about the pinot’s, and have bought many bottles since tasting there, but when I look at our originally tasting notes…it was their Zinfandel’s that we marked as our favorites.

During our tasting we did the Pinot on the Patio tasting. This was so fun. The day was gorgeous, warm and sunny and perfect for having some wine and cheese. I think this is one of the best options, to do a wine pairing. It really helps you taste and explore the wine. Wines are great on their own, but when paired with the right thing…Whew, they become even more spectacular! Plus, it’s always a good idea to have some snacks while tasting! We always love the wines here and like Seghsio, wish we could buy everything they do. But, we can’t. So here is what we ultimately bought: 777 Clones Pinot Noir, Peter’s Vineyard Chardonnay and Dry Creek Zinfandel.

To follow along with all of the wines we drink you can follow me on the Delectable App. It’s the perfect way to log the wines you have, and write a memory of when, why and who you drank the with with. If you plan on heading to wine country, definitely check out Healdsburg. It’s a little further and much more homey and personal than the larger places in Napa/Sonoma. Bella, Seghesion and Papapietro Perry are three amazing places. Be sure to add them to your itinerary when planning your trip this way.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

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