8 wineries in 2 days? Too much? Probably

Day 1

Twomey – About a 5-8 minute drive away from Healdsburg Square. This was the BEST vibes. The view was so beautiful and the lawn was so perfect to just relax. We wished we planned longer than 90 minutes here. We tasted a Sauvignon Blanc and 3 different Pinot Noirs with different terroir. We also opted in for their charcuterie board. They even gave us a cute birthday card for our special occasion.

Siduri – Healdsburg square wine bar. Offered fun North to South tasting covering Oregon to Southern California wines. Chris Harrell was the best host and helped plan a lot of the trip. They even had a record player and offered us to pick out a favorite (yes, they had Midnights). The basic tasting included multiple different Pinot Noirs with different terroir including Anderson Valley, Russian River, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. The Santa Lucia Highlands was my favorite.

Lioco – Healdsburg square wine bar. Honestly this one was really crowded when we were there. We wanted to sit outside, but then got overheated in the sun. I’m sure the wine was good, but we were crashing at this point. This was also right after we had BBQ for lunch. They offered 3 different flight tastings with a range of wine and prices. I opted for the Headwaters tasting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with reserve level bottlings. Four single vineyard wines from extreme and distinctive sites. My mom got the Deep End tasting which was 4 different wines that were more regional bottlings often from a blend of proximate vineyard sites. They also offered light snacks to pair with the wine.

Marine Layer – Healdsburg square wine bar. Loved this vibes at this one. We had a reservation so we sat on the front couch by the windows and the fireplace. This one also offered 2 flight options. I got the Single Vineyard Exploration that included 2 Chardonnay, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 1 Cabernet Sauvignon. Focus was on showcasing the unique terroir and diversity within the Sonoma Coast. My mom got the Seasonal Selection tasting which was 4 different wines that embody coastal California, light and bright for Spring. They were also having a special event while we were there for the Vermentino Release and had a Thai Street Food Menu. We got some sort of snack (maybe Puffed Prawn Chips?) that had a good spicy kick to pair with the wine.

Day 2

Dry Creek Winery – Back up North in Healdsburg, but the timing worked better to do it first one the second day. My favorite bottle of wine was here. It just happened to be a $100 Cab Sauv. Also great vibes with yard games and picnic tables. I didn’t grab a copy of the tasting menu, but it was pretty standard and highlighted wines grown on the property.

Russian River Winery – Great lunch spot that offers flight tastings. Also has games, live music, and cool location. The lunch menu offered 2 different tastings so I chose the estate option. I really enjoyed the last 2 in the tasting.

Martin Ray – Might be my overall second favorite. Great vibes, good wine, and a fun host. Could have definitely spent more time here as well. Their tasting menu has 9 options, but I’m not sure which ones we actually tasted. The host just picked a range and poured for us. Nouveau of Pinot Noir was the super notable one just because it was so different from all the other wines. I think the Clone 37 Estate Pinot Noir was another Porch Pounder favorite.

Merry Edwards – Once again, I was crashing at this point. There was a cat which was cool. Good outdoor seating. I’m sure the wine was also good. The Terroir Tasting offered 4 Pinot Noirs and 1 Sauvignon Blanc. The poured it as a sort of pairs parallel tasting. We sampled the Sonoma Coast and Russian River side-by-side. Then the Anderson Valley and another Russian River side-by-side. Honestly ending with a Sauv Blanc was shocking, but so pleasant. I think we were tired of Pinots at this point and the white was a refreshing change.