When we were planning our trip to Healdsburg, obviously the most important thing to plan was which wineries to visit. There are an insane amount of wineries to explore, so picking where to go was no easy task.
Healdsburg is surrounded by some fantastic areas for wines including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley. We didn’t plan on only visiting one area as we enjoy most varieties of wine, but ultimately the wineries that drew our attention all happened to be in Dry Creek.
As we researched all the options, we were looking for small, family-run wineries with a laidback atmosphere that you can’t find back home. If that fits your vibe then this guide is for you. Luckily, we ended up picking some phenomenal wineries that we wholeheartedly recommend with each offering different types of experiences to really diversify our visits.
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How to Plan Your Dry Creek Day(s)
Now, you can definitely visit multiple wineries in one day if you are trying to fit in as many stops as possible but in our opinion it’s best to spread them out.
We decided to visit just one winery per day and enjoyed the pace. At most you could fit in 3 wineries per day if they are all in the same area, but really I wouldn’t recommend more than two. We found that the pours at all the wineries we visited were very generous, so it’s a lot of wine!
One thing we’d encourage you to do is to check if your hotel accommodations have any wine partners. We stayed at the Farmhouse Inn and one of the huge perks were the complimentary tastings at their with their wine partners, which is what we did with one of our winery visits at Reeve Wines.
It’s a really great offer and our hotel had quite a long list of partners. We should have taken advantage of some of the other wineries on the list, but it all worked out since we loved the wineries we picked so much. Check out our Best Boutique Hotels in Healdsburg guide if you need recommendations on where to stay.
We’ve got some winery recommendations below that include food so you don’t even have to worry about lunch, but if you do need an option try Journeyman in Healdsburg. They have some fantastic sandwiches and are perfect for a pit stop or take it to go and enjoy on one of your winery visits. We’d suggest doing your first tasting around lunch time and then a second stop mid-afternoon.
Our Favorite Dry Creek Wineries
Capo Creek Winery, Best for Foodies
Tastings & Experience Prices: Range from $55-$350/pp
Varietal Focus: Italian Varietals
Wines We Loved: Rose, Old Vine Zinfandel, Grenache Noir
Capo Creek hasn’t been around long, but it truly is one of a kind. They specialize in Italian varietals and provide a range of food and wine pairing tasting experiences. As soon as we stumbled upon this winery, we knew we had to visit. It seemed like the perfect experience for our 10th anniversary and it did not disappoint.
We booked the Mary’s Table experience which consists of six courses of food and wine with the owner, Mary. It was a perfect way to slow down, relax and hear the story of Capo Creek Winery straight from the source. Mary was delightful and truly had a unique and interesting story behind how Capo Creek came to be. Not only that, the food and wine were exceptional.
The menu is seasonal, but our six courses included shrimp, poblano soup, a fruit tostada, steak crostini, ravioli and cheesecake. The dishes were delicious and innovative from start to finish. Mary even has a Substack where she shares some of her recipes. Along with the food, we got to enjoy a Rose, an Italian white varietal and a variety of Italian reds.
This was absolutely our favorite winery experience. It was a personalized and unique tasting that you will remember forever. This tasting is more expensive than your typical winery, but you get so much more. If you don’t want to do the full six course tasting there are other food & wine pairing options that are cheaper and shorter including brunch, a four course lunch, or small bites.
We ended up booking this 6 months in advance, not sure we needed to book out that far but it’s best to be prepared and we wanted to ensure we were able to snag a reservation. You’ll have to call to book.
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves, Our Favorite Winery in Dry Creek
Tasting Fee: $35/pp
Tour Prices: $95-$150/pp
Varietal Focus: Zinfandels
Wines We Loved: Rocky Ridge Zinfandel, Westphall Zinfandel, Earl Stephens Pinot Noir
If you love Zinfandel, Bella should be on your list to visit. This winery had our favorite wines of our whole trip. The wines are bold and full-bodied. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, but the wine is just more flavorful and stands out than many of the wines we get in our hometown.
They have three different labels including Bella, Ten Acres and ru - all focusing on different wines. The Bella line includes all of their Zins, while Ten Acres focuses on Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay while ru has a mix of Rose, White varietals, and some Pinot Noirs as well.
We got to taste a Sauvignon Blanc from ru, a Rose and Pinot Noir from Ten Acres and from Bella a variety of Zinfandels plus a late harvest Zinfandel that perfectly paired with a delightful gourmet peanut butter cup at the end of our tasting.
We did a tour here where we walked into the vineyard with wine in hand, got a thorough explanation of the winemaking process and into the wine caves to finish our tastings. Our tour guide was fantastic and it was just us, so the whole experience was intimate and personal.
This spot is worth the visit. We booked here two months in advance.
Reeve Wines, Best for a Laidback Tasting Experience
Tasting Fee: $50/pp
Tour Prices: No tours offered
Varietal Focus: Italian & Pinot Noirs
Wines We Loved: Vermentino, Rhoda Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc
Reeve was a little bit different in that they don’t actually have many of their own vineyards, but source from some of the best vineyards in the area to create their wines. You can immediately tell that it’s a labor of love both from the tasting experience and the actual wines themselves.
This is the perfect place to land if you are looking just for a straight forward tasting since they don’t offer any tours. We loved the atmosphere here with patio seating overlooking the small amount of vines they do own plus a few goats.
Another perk that sets them apart? Each tasting comes with a fresh, wood-fired pizza. It ended up being some of the best pizza we’ve had. Our wine tasting included a Vermentino, Rose, a couple of Pinot Noirs, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
We also booked this about 2 months in advance.
Aesthete Wines, Best for Outdoor Tastings
Varietal Focus: Sparkling, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir
We didn’t actually make it to this winery, but it was on our list. We wanted to mention it because it has the best ambiance for an afternoon of drinking wine.
Here you can book reservations in Adirondack chairs along the river or picnic tables that are perfect for larger groups near the farm. It’s just a cool, unique, relaxing atmosphere to taste wines. Plus enjoy wood-fired pizzas and seasonal dishes from Friday-Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does wine tasting cost in Dry Creek Valley?
We found that most tastings we researched for around $50. We found some (like Bella!) where the tastings were a bit more affordable and others that were more pricey, but overall $50 seemed to be pretty typical. Like mentioned previously, check with your hotel to see if they have any wine partners where you can get complimentary or discounted tastings.
Is Dry Creek Valley worth visiting?
Absolutely! There are tons of wineries to visit, not just the ones we recommend above. You could spend days tasting all the wines the area has to offer and while it focuses on Zinfandels we found there were many different varietals to taste.
How far Dry Creek is from the Healdsburg Plaza?
Most wineries are within 15-20 minute drive from downtown Healdsburg.
Do you need reservations?
Yes, reservations are highly recommended. You can’t just walk into most wineries for tastings without one. There are tasting rooms in Healdsburg that you can likely walk in to, but for the actual vineyards and wineries you will want reservations. Depending when you go, you may need to reserve months in advance (weekends or peak season).
What’s the best way to get around to wineries?
It’s recommended to use transportation services especially if you will be visiting more than one winery per day. There are tons of transportation services you can book and some hotels offer services as well. For a cheaper option, you can book services where a driver will drive your own personal car or rental car which is a great option to save some money.
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
Check out our related blog posts:
Two Day Healdsburg Itinerary
Where to Stay in Healdsburg: Our Favorite Boutique Hotels for Every Budget
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