A View of Healdsburg, CA

Just messing around with Google Maps (what can I say? I'm part of the "ADD" generation), and pulled up a memorable corner of the world. The "Street View" option has really branched out, even to more remote areas of the world. This is the corner of Dry Creek Rd. and Lambert Bridge Rd. in Healdsburg, CA...the heart of "Dry Creek Valley" wine (if you only see a blank white rectangle, click "View Larger Map" below it).


View Larger Map

If you look around- to the West (down Lambert Bridge Rd.)- are some vines and Passalacqua Winery, which has some really great views, and good Zinfandel. Here's Heather standing in front of that great view:



To the east of the road, up the hill is one of my favorite places, F. Teldeschi winery. Our first experience there started with Bill Wertzberger walking into the delightfully unimpressive tasting room (reminded me of the "pakjuan" room at Woodrow in college), wiping his eyes and exclaiming that it "sucks to get citric acid in your eyes." I loved this place already. We went through a completely laid-back tasting, in no particular order, tasting outstanding zinfandels, syrahs, and delicous "field blends". Then, an unassuming guy walked in in jeans and a t-shirt and started chatting us up. Sure enough, it was Dan Teldeschi, one of the owners. You would have never known it. We talked about NASCAR and how much he loved Atlanta. He referred to the city of Smyrna as "Schmegma"....ha ha ha. My friend Jeff built a house in Schmegma. Anyway, Dan and Bill were simply not who you would expect running a winery; especially if you hang out in sometimes-to-often pretentious Napa Valley. Oh yeah, and the wine tasting was $2. You can't beat that. If you see their wines, I highly recommend them, especially the Zinfandels and the Terranova blend. Try The Wine Cellars in (hee hee) Schmegma Village Market, or Harry's Farmers Market.

Finally, if you look to the right of that, there's a place to get a good sandwich: The Dry Creek General Store. Eating a meat-filled loaf of warm, crusty bread while half-cocked on great wine is almost on par with a Sunday-afternoon "Quantum Leap" marathon on the tellie...you know, with Cheetoes stains all over you sweat pants and a 3-day old neck beard.

"Joe, you wear sweat pants?"

Shut up. They're flexible.