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Russian River Valley Recommendations?

5,087 Views | 42 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Diggity
Boat Shoes
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AG
My wife and I are planning an anniversary trip to wine country and are considering the Russian River Valley rather than Napa as we've done Napa and Sonoma in the past. Does anyone have suggestions on vineyards to visit as well as lodging, restaurants, etc? We'll be there in late March or early April.

Thanks!
DiskoTroop
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Belle Glos does several fantastic Pinot Noirs from RRV we love. Dairyman, Las Alturas and Clark & Telephone.
Sooner Born
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If you're at all a beer person, hit up Russian River brewing. One of the best breweries in the business that makes one of the highest rated beers in the business; Pliny the Elder.
HTownAg98
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Benovia
J
Arista
Siduri
Rodney Strong
Gary Farrell
Martinelli
Papapietro Perry (There's a bunch of smaller place around them to try, so ask the people at Papapietro who they recommend.)
Siduri
I think both Kendall-Jackson and La Crema are on the square in Healdsburg. If you stick with their vineyard designated wines, it's a really good tasting. if you like anything from those two, buy it there and ship it back, because you won't find it here.


Can't do any recommendations for food. All the places we went to are now closed.
JJWAGGIE
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AG
A few other winery suggestions in the area:
VML
Armida
Desmond
Thomas George

Other suggestions:
-Take some good cheese, bread and a bottle for lunch at Armstrong Redwoods Park and enjoy a short hike.
- make reservations immediately at Farmhouse Inn. Do the full dinner with wine pairings. Phenomenal!

Can't really recommend much in terms of lodging... we typically are with a few other couples and have rented homes settled within the redwoods from Russian River Getaways.

Enjoy! This area is our favorite.

752bro4
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AG
Done this trip a few times and am planning it again for February.

#1) pliney the elder/Russian river brewery is a great stop. Expect lines on Friday-Sunday. Food is above average, beer is great. More on the menu than just pliney. If I recall, pizzas were what we ordered.

#2) you cannot ship beer, so if you get the wild hair to buy a couple of 12 packs for home, I hope you're driving or have a lot of free space in your luggage.

#3) I personally thought Farmhouse was overrated. It's a long way from Napa or Sonoma, and the chefs menu didn't blow my hair back for what was a $400-$500 meal. Distance won't be as bad from Santa Rosa.

For Downtown Sonoma, El Dorado and Girl and the Fig would be my suggestions.

#4) wines weren't that great, but the views are unbeatable at Repris

#5) best meal we had last time we were there was at St. Francis for their pairing lunch. Doing that again next month.

#6) hotel wise - we stayed at the Kenwood Inn last time and will do so again this time. Great place.
notheranymore
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We enjoy Rodney Strong, Ridge, Lambert Bridge, La Crema on Healdsburg square. We stayed at H2Hotel and loved it.

Willi's Seafood & Bravas were delish.
bularry
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depends on what you want to do.

do you want the "big" Napa experience? then places like Rodney Strong (available in all grocery stores!!) is there for you. If you want to do smaller places that you generally don't see in Texas, then there are lots of smaller options mentioned above and you can google RRV vintners or RRV AVA and find lots of other small places.

I haven't been, but if you are in Healdsburg area, check out Valette as a potential dining experience. Had a few recent visitors tell me it was great.
BBRex
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AG
I really liked Russian River Brewing when I was there. Do some research before you go wildfires were all around that region, and I'm not sure it is all back to normal yet.
BadAzzBohemian
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AG
We love Honor Mansion in Healdsburg.

Russian River-
Gary Farrell
Thomas George
Arista

Dry Creek is nearby also.
notheranymore
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I'll also mention Korbel and Mauritson.
Scriffer
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AG
752bro4 said:

#1) pliney the elder/Russian river brewery is a great stop. Expect lines on Friday-Sunday. Food is above average, beer is great. More on the menu than just pliney. If I recall, pizzas were what we ordered.

#2) you cannot ship beer, so if you get the wild hair to buy a couple of 12 packs for home, I hope you're driving or have a lot of free space in your luggage.


The key is to have the box already taped up.

"Do you ship wine?"

"Yes."

"Good to know. Here's this."
BSD
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AG
Lots of good info here, including Armstrong State park and shipping beer. I'd add that Flying Goat Coffee is some of the best in the world.
JJWAGGIE
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AG
We purchased two double walled cardboard boxes with styrofoam wine bottle inserts. They go out with us under the plane empty and come back full. Never had a problem.
752bro4
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AG
BSD - you seem to be the resident Napa/Sonoma expert. Care to give a couple of recs?

Headed there Feb 24-27 with the wife for an anniversary trip.

Current itinerary is below, have some openings to fill... bolded.

Friday:
Arrive in SFO around 9:00pm.
Dinner: TBD

Saturday:
Depart San Francisco around 9:00-9:30
11:30 Modus Operandi tasting
Lunch: Gott's
1:30: O'Brien
Late Afternoon: Far Niente or Nickel & Nickel (will be one or the other)
Dinner: Bottega

Sunday:
Ad Hoc Brunch
12:00 Napa Tasting (Cake Bread, Odette, Trident, or Darioush...not married to any of these, just wines we like)
Drive to Sonoma
Hotel: Kenwood Inn
Afternoon: Sonoma Tasting TBD
Dinner: Sonoma Dinner TBD

Monday:
Breakfast: TBD
11:00 St. Francis Tasting/Pairing
2:00 En Garde tasting room
Late afternoon: TBD
Dinner: TBD

Tuesday:
Depart to SFO
752bro4
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AG
Scriffer said:

752bro4 said:

#1) pliney the elder/Russian river brewery is a great stop. Expect lines on Friday-Sunday. Food is above average, beer is great. More on the menu than just pliney. If I recall, pizzas were what we ordered.

#2) you cannot ship beer, so if you get the wild hair to buy a couple of 12 packs for home, I hope you're driving or have a lot of free space in your luggage.


The key is to have the box already taped up.

"Do you ship wine?"

"Yes."

"Good to know. Here's this."
Ha! My convo with the UPS girl:
Me: (while carrying 3 12-packs of Pliney) "Do you guys ship beer?"
Her: "Beer? No. Wine and Olive oil? Yes."
Me: "Okay. Do you guys ship this.....Olive oil?"
Her: "I don't think so, good try. Here are some boxes for $25 each."

At that point, I was pot committed.

All-in for 36 beers, I was almost $400 ($11/beer) deep between the beer, boxes, tape, packing material, and additional baggage fees. It managed to get all the way home unscathed and quite delicious.

Lesson learned.
djmeen95
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AG
Love that area. Recommend a stop by Medlock Ames and Bacigaluppi (used to be John Tyler).

Also another recommendation....We setup a full day tour through Healdsburg Wine Tours with the owner/driver - Sid. Gave him an idea of what we liked in wines and he planned an AWESOME day visiting vineyards for us including a picnic lunch. Plus we both drank and didn't have to worry about any of the driving!!! Strongly recommend.

http://www.healdsburgwinetours.com

Holy heck - just checked his website and I'll be darned if a pic of me and the wife aren't on it! Lol. Never knew that was there. (It's the third pic on the landing page and shows me holding up grapes and my wife pretending like she's about to eat some - so consider that my Rule 1 compliance).


Scriffer
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AG
752bro4 said:

Scriffer said:

752bro4 said:

#1) pliney the elder/Russian river brewery is a great stop. Expect lines on Friday-Sunday. Food is above average, beer is great. More on the menu than just pliney. If I recall, pizzas were what we ordered.

#2) you cannot ship beer, so if you get the wild hair to buy a couple of 12 packs for home, I hope you're driving or have a lot of free space in your luggage.


The key is to have the box already taped up.

"Do you ship wine?"

"Yes."

"Good to know. Here's this."
Ha! My convo with the UPS girl:
Me: (while carrying 3 12-packs of Pliney) "Do you guys ship beer?"
Her: "Beer? No. Wine and Olive oil? Yes."
Me: "Okay. Do you guys ship this.....Olive oil?"
Her: "I don't think so, good try. Here are some boxes for $25 each."

At that point, I was pot committed.

All-in for 36 beers, I was almost $400 ($11/beer) deep between the beer, boxes, tape, packing material, and additional baggage fees. It managed to get all the way home unscathed and quite delicious.

Lesson learned.

Worth it for Pliny.
ThreatLevel: Midnight
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AG
Lodging:
The Allison is very swanky but pricey with good service & dining as well as wine selections (Jory is their estate wine) . Tends to be an older crowd (likely due to price point).
Dining:
The painted lady is terrific but is pricey and reservation only. It is a lengthy dinner.
I would highly recommend walking around the tasting rooms & shops downtown and stopping in at Recipe part deux. The original location suffered fire damage and had not reopened while we were there last year.
Wineries/Vineyards:
Would def recommend Soter for its wine. Penner ash is quite scenic but most of the wines can be purchased retail.
Many many good places to visit among many AVA's.

I know this is an anniversary trip but if you're nearby (and enjoy golf) send the Rib to the spa for the morning and check out Chehalem Glenn golf course.

Enjoy the trip
Thanks & Gig 'Em
bularry
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thunderkatalyst said:

Lodging:
The Allison is very swanky but pricey with good service & dining as well as wine selections (Jory is their estate wine) . Tends to be an older crowd (likely due to price point).
Dining:
The painted lady is terrific but is pricey and reservation only. It is a lengthy dinner.
I would highly recommend walking around the tasting rooms & shops downtown and stopping in at Recipe part deux. The original location suffered fire damage and had not reopened while we were there last year.
Wineries/Vineyards:
Would def recommend Soter for its wine. Penner ash is quite scenic but most of the wines can be purchased retail.
Many many good places to visit among many AVA's.

I know this is an anniversary trip but if you're nearby (and enjoy golf) send the Rib to the spa for the morning and check out Chehalem Glenn golf course.

Enjoy the trip
this is Williamette Valley
bularry
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djmeen95 said:

Love that area. Recommend a stop by Medlock Ames and Bacigaluppi (used to be John Tyler).

Also another recommendation....We setup a full day tour through Healdsburg Wine Tours with the owner/driver - Sid. Gave him an idea of what we liked in wines and he planned an AWESOME day visiting vineyards for us including a picnic lunch. Plus we both drank and didn't have to worry about any of the driving!!! Strongly recommend.

http://www.healdsburgwinetours.com

Holy heck - just checked his website and I'll be darned if a pic of me and the wife aren't on it! Lol. Never knew that was there. (It's the third pic on the landing page and shows me holding up grapes and my wife pretending like she's about to eat some - so consider that my Rule 1 compliance).



I'm a big fan of Medlock Ames
HTownAg98
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I forgot to mention Martinelli.
ThreatLevel: Midnight
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AG
Ahh you are correct. My mistake.
Thanks & Gig 'Em
Boat Shoes
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AG
We've finalized our itinerary and would appreciate thoughts from the group. We'll be staying at the H2 Hotel in the Healdsburg Square .https://h2hotel.com/ Anything we're missing out on? Anything we should pass on?

Day 1
Land in San Francisco

Breakfast at Mr. Holmes Bakerhouse
http://mrholmesbakehouse.com/

Lunch and drinks: Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA
https://russianriverbrewing.com/

Tasting at Twomey
https://www.twomey.com/

Dinner at Barndiva
[url]http://www.barndiva.com/ at Dukes[/url]

Nightcap at Dukes
http://drinkatdukes.com/

Day 2
Breakfast/coffee: Flying Goat Coffee
[url]http://flyinggoatcoffee.com/[/url}

Tasting at Hanna Winery
https://www.hannawinery.com/

Tasting at Ridge Vineyard at Lytton Springs
[url]https://www.ridgewine.com/visit/lytton-springs/[/url]

Healdsburg Walking Tour
[url]https://winecountrywalkingtours.com/tours/sonoma-summer-evening-sip-savor-stroll-tour/[/url]

Brava for Tapas
http://www.starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/bravas-bar-de-tapas/

Day 3
J Vineyards Bubble Room
https://www.jwine.com/Visit-Us

Tasting at Martinelli
http://www.martinelliwinery.com/tasting-room/

Tasting at Seghesio
http://www.seghesio.com/

Dinner at Chalkboard
https://www.chalkboardhealdsburg.com/

Day 4
Brunch at the SHED in Healdsburg
https://healdsburgshed.com/

Possible visit to Armstrong Redwoods Park.

Dinner at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco
http://statebirdsf.com/home/

Day 5
Breakfast/coffee at Tartine
http://www.tartinebakery.com/

Sober up and fly home

Thoughts?




[/url]
Boat Shoes
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AG
Im getting errors when trying to fix the links. I apologize for the sloppiness.
HTownAg98
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Everything on that trip looks good.
bularry
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I'm going for a short trip in May. Staying in Healdsburg. Not at H2, but at the Healdsburg Inn.

Only certainties is we'll go to Flying Goat Coffee every morning and wineries I've targeted to visit are Limerick Lane, Idlewild, Davis Family, Anthill Farms, Papapeitro Perry and Medlock Ames. Likely to change, but want to taste some Pinot/chard and want to try some zin and cali field blends.

Probably do drinks at Dukes one night, too. Not sure on dinners yet, but Valette and Campo Fina and Bravas are likely. Maybe SHED for lunch one day. We've done Barndiva a couple of times and Chalkboard, so trying some new places.


Wife and I are going with friends, so we'll see how that goes.
notheranymore
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You'll love H2. I'm a sparkling water freak and they have it cold and on tap for free. Their breakfast is great. Brava was delicious too. And Ridge Lytton Springs Zin...yummmmm
FancyKetchup14
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AG
Boat Shoes said:

We've finalized our itinerary and would appreciate thoughts from the group. We'll be staying at the H2 Hotel in the Healdsburg Square .https://h2hotel.com/ Anything we're missing out on? Anything we should pass on?

Day 1
Land in San Francisco

Breakfast at Mr. Holmes Bakerhouse
http://mrholmesbakehouse.com/

Lunch and drinks: Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA
https://russianriverbrewing.com/

Tasting at Twomey
https://www.twomey.com/

Dinner at Barndiva
[url]http://www.barndiva.com/ at Dukes[/url]

Nightcap at Dukes
http://drinkatdukes.com/

Day 2
Breakfast/coffee: Flying Goat Coffee
[url]http://flyinggoatcoffee.com/[/url}

Tasting at Hanna Winery
https://www.hannawinery.com/

Tasting at Ridge Vineyard at Lytton Springs
[url]https://www.ridgewine.com/visit/lytton-springs/[/url]

Healdsburg Walking Tour
[url]https://winecountrywalkingtours.com/tours/sonoma-summer-evening-sip-savor-stroll-tour/[/url]

Brava for Tapas
http://www.starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/bravas-bar-de-tapas/

Day 3
J Vineyards Bubble Room
https://www.jwine.com/Visit-Us

Tasting at Martinelli
http://www.martinelliwinery.com/tasting-room/

Tasting at Seghesio
http://www.seghesio.com/

Dinner at Chalkboard
https://www.chalkboardhealdsburg.com/

Day 4
Brunch at the SHED in Healdsburg
https://healdsburgshed.com/

Possible visit to Armstrong Redwoods Park.

Dinner at State Bird Provisions in San Francisco
http://statebirdsf.com/home/

Day 5
Breakfast/coffee at Tartine
http://www.tartinebakery.com/

Sober up and fly home

Thoughts?


[/url]


Yeah, my thought is that none the clothes I brought would fit at the end of the trip. Crazy jealous.
jh0400
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AG
Hopefullly you have more self control than I do. We usually try to end a day at RRBC, because I tend to go nuts. I've been known to alternate Pliny and Supplication for hours.

ETA: If you have some free time in Healdsburg, check out Hudson Street Wineries. It's a shared tasting room for five or six small production wineries. Also, Bear Republic is worth a visit as well. They usually have several beers on tap that don't see distribution.
HTownAg98
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Make sure that you have shipping arrangements taken care of BEFORE you go. I bought two cases of wine out here in Paso, only to find there isn't anyone in town that will ship a mixed case of wine because the one place that would do it stopped doing it. So I was sitting at our vrbo this morning frantically trying to figure out how the hell I'm getting two cases back to Texas. Thankfully, the people at Herman Story are still willing to ship for industry people, and they took care of me. But I wouldn't count on that working for everyone.
Orozco05
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Industry people...what exactly do you do? If you don't mind me asking?
HTownAg98
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I pour wine and do food pairings at a wine bar in Lakeway.
Orozco05
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Word. Want to bring on some of the brands I represent? ">
Jk. I'm in the tine.
bonfirewillburn
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AG
Glad to see Arista getting some love! They just "won" Pigs and Pinot event last week. Got married there! Love the juice. Love some Lambert Bridge too, just wish they still distributed. Solid Recs!
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