Healdsburg Specialty

Healdsburg’s farmers market draws some of the area’s best farms—and the most incredible produce is grown here in Sonoma. See Dry Creek Peach for organic peaches and peach jam, Front Porch Farm for flowers, and a bunch of crafts vendors for pretty pottery and handmade leather purses.

Never mind that grounds are airy and lush, with cute corners to tuck into for private chats. The wine itself (mostly pinot noir and chardonnay) is complex and flavorful—a result of grapes grown at high elevations along the Sonoma coast. Best of both worlds: You get the minerality of the ocean and the earthiness of the mountains.

The team farms the vineyards organically, avoiding the use of insecticides, herbicides, or chemical toxins, and solar power provides the energy to keep the 330-plus acre spread running (80 percent of which they keep wild to allow for the natural growth of local trees and other botanicals).

You’ll be stunned by the wide-open space replete with floor-to-ceiling windows and a grand patio that offers some of the best views in the valley.

While this is the spot to discover the region’s best produce and artisan-made goods, from olive oils to fresh bread, it’s also mecca for drop-dead gorgeous design.

Shed occupies what is possibly the most elegant pre-engineered metal garage we've ever seen: It's equipped with all kinds of innovations for efficiency and sustainability, like photovoltaic panels, elegant exposed wood, and wide garage doors that can be opened up for ventilation on hot days. They call their space a grange, which is a British term for a house with farming sheds attached, and the space certainly has an agricultural feel. It's a unique hybrid that's part market, part café, and part farm, with a community garden and fermentation bar to boot—it's also a community space where they host events and workshops about cooking and gardening (we're signing up for how to make preserves and saving seeds).

Open in Healdsburg since 1881, this is the kind of place we'd be regulars at if we lived in the area.

This local store, which has been open in Healdsburg since 1881, is the kind of place we'd like to be regulars at if we lived in Healdsburg. There's a quirky collection of oddities and antiques hanging from the ceiling, an attached farm, a solid deli, and you can still pick up bait and tackle for a fishing trip.

This no-frills, old-school winery is best known for Zinfandel, but they make a great rosé and some whites as well.

This no-frills, old-school winery is best known for Zinfandel, but they make a great rosé and some whites as well—either way, it's a nice break from Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting room can feel a little bit industrial, but it's a familial place with a vibe that's not at all touristy.