Wed 16 May 2007
The Great Wine Tasting Battle of Healdsburg ‘07
Posted by aria under family , holidays , yum[20] Comments Send to del.icio.us
We just returned from a trip to Healdsburg, Sonoma where we taste wine, explore, have picnics, taste more wine, play scrabble, eat at fine restaurants, drink more wine, and play more scrabble. Wake up, wash, rinse, repeat. We rented a house that was tucked away in this little bohemian community along the Russian River. Quiet, no cell signal, clean air.
We did a couple wine pairing tastings that were so delicious. Small bites with intense flavors designed to bring out the unique characteristics of each wine. That is the life! We saw adorable little Sweetpea again at Rochioli, you might remember her from last year, visited some of the most beautiful wineries, and took a day trip to Mendocino where we had burgers on the coast. (Also having burgers on the coast was Doctor Addison Shepherd and her boyfriend McCheesey who were making out like nobody’s beeswax, fyi.)
Here are some pictures from the trip, I don’t want to go to work tomorrow! Sniff, grrrrr.
If you are in the area, make sure to eat at Mirepoix. Just look at the menu, avec frites – excuse et moi! Also, we had the best french onion soup I’ve ever slurped at John Ash, yum.
Our favorite tasting was at Lynmar overlooking their vegetable garden and rolling vinyards whilst sipping delicious chardonnay, adrift…
{tags healdsburg mendocino}
















Oh, Aria, these photos are splendid. You captured the beauty and culinary innovation of wine country perfectly!
Makes me sad not to still be there!!
fabiolla
Aria,
I wasn’t that impressed with John Ash, but I do love Sonoma from mid-April to mid-May.
Wow, all that great food makes me drool!!! Your trip must have been very exciting…
******************
I just wanted to let you know that I am organizing a meme/event (closing date is June the 30th 2007):
http://rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com/2007/05/sunday-brunch-meme-freng.html
I hope that you’ll find the time to participate!
Please spread the word!!!
Kind Regards,
Rosa
These are such little wonderful treats for the eye, to certainly whet my appetite. WoW! The spring roll with plum sauce looks good.
thanks susan! it was so nice, the food is always so good there its like being in europe.
susie, me too! scrabble was so much fun
:)
roberto, why thank you!
kevin, i agree – its so pretty up there right now!
rosa, we sure did fit alot in to just afew days, thats for sure! looking forward to brunch
tigerfish, thanks arent they so cute, i could just eat them all day long! the spring roll was so good we tried to get the sauce recipe but the chef wouldn’t give it up, phhht!
Wow, this looks like a wonderful place. It is definitely making it on my list of places to visit someday.
Gorgeous photos, as always.
Aria, the photos are wonderful – I can’t believe you ate so much delicious food! Lucky you!
..and who had the best Scrabble word of the trip?
Ding ding, it’s Aria, with…
whoring
Ahh–what wonderful photos! It’s hard to choose my favorite–so I guess I have to love them all.
The food (and kitty) are just fabulous! Glad you had such a great time.
Bee-u-tiful pics! I heart Sonoma like no-ones business. It’s so incredibly beautiful – and I found the area more friendly/easier to wander & discover random gems than Napa. Doesn’t it make you wanna drop everthing & become a winemaker? I actually went down there in March, but um, haven’t blogged it yet. *gulp*
Those photos are simply amazing, and the food!!! Oh, my god. So jealous. And the wine. More jealousy. Looks like it was a delightful trip. Good going!
I briefly lived in Forestville years ago, near the Russian River. What a magical place! All these people and their funky cabin-houses, tucked away in the trees…
I’m glad I stopped by for a visit. It sounds as if you had an idyllic trip – the photographs are gorgeous, the food looks delicious and the wines would have been perfect accompaniments.
It all sounds so good, Aria. Will you take me, next time? I promise i won’t beat you at scrabble…
Simply majestic. I want to vacation to Healdsburg, Sonoma now. Your fantastic photos are the best advertisement ever for that place!
jenjen, hiya, it really is i just know you woud love it!
patricia, thanks! me either we ate our way through sonoma, hic.
chris, hahaha thank you, i hope you can someday find in in your heart to forgive us for not allowing RUGSTAIN…
Thanks sher! we had such a great time, i just love it up there so much.
binulatti, i totally agree re sonoma vs napa. i’m still traumatized by all the tour buses in napa, no no no…
It does, every time i go i want to just stay :*(
hiya lisa, thx so much. it was just what the doc ordered! yeah, all those little places snug together along the windiest roads, i loved it.
kate, all i can say is YUM, it was pretty great!!!
mae, of course you are invited! just let me at scrabble win every so often
i’m a sore, sore, loser 
the best part is i always come back inspired to cook different things
passionate eater, hahah thanks! free brochure
sooo many beautiful bites i would love to shove in my mouth! i heart the russian river area. ooooo sweetpea looks mighty friendly too!
Hey Aria, glad that you guys had fun, did you steal anything back like your last last last trip hehe ..a brick or cartons of wine bottles ? *grin* By the way, how far of a drive is LA to Sonoma ? Never been there b4
Dang, the pictures are absolutely gorgeous !:)
Magnifique blog!