10 Fun Things to Do in Healdsburg Right Now
Author:Annette HanamiHealdsburg is not just Wine Country, it’s a natural base for exploring the natural beauty of the Sonoma winter landscape and everything it inspires through a wide variety of guided outdoor foraging and excursions, hand-crafting decor and unique food, drink and dining experiences. Here are 10 seasonal, interactive and sensual experiences to explore this winter through a series of masterclasses coming up in Healdsburg January 24-26, 2020 during the First Annual Healdsburg Tastemaker Weekend.
High Tea in High Style at Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley
Jordan Winery’s new Geoffrey De Sousa’s designed dining room is the perfect, glamorous setting for High Tea. The earthy yet sophisticated woodlands design sets off Executive Chef Todd Knoll’s foraged ingredient-driven pairings for this elegant, 1 ½ hours tea service. In Jordan’s take, a variety of tea sandwiches are paired with wine, while the petits fours and fresh berries lead to the finale of high tea.
The Coffee Lover’s Workshop at Wolf Coffee Roasting Company
Now three decades strong, the 2nd generation Sonoma owner of Wolf Coffee, Nick Castelli will lead guests through an intoxicating morning of crafting, smelling and tasting coffee in the traditional cupping method, during the process, learning about coffee places of origin and roasting and brewing techniques to make the best cup of joe at home. The 2-hour workshop ($75 pp) includes two bags of your favorite blends to take-away.
Foray and Forage On the Farm to Create a Winter Floral Design
In this design class by Dragonfly Floral, students will have the rare opportunity to forage for late season flowers, moss-covered branches, willows, seed pods and other found treasures on Dragonfly’s own 6-acre organic floral farm, to bring back to the barn and create a lasting, sculptural and natural winter design for the home. Seasonal floral designer Pam Bell will guide foragers but the experience and creation will be as spontaneous and unique as nature. The 3-hour journey ($150 pp) includes materials, supplies, hot tea, cheese and chocolate.
Spirited Sensations at Alley 6 Distillery Class and Tasting
Alley 6 Head Distiller and co-founder Jason Jorgenson will walk spirit lovers and novices through the craft of small-batch spirit production using traditional 132-gallon Alembic Copper pots that create complex and unique flavor profiles. In this discovery session, Jason will also teach guests how to make simple cocktails. The experience is $100 pp and includes cocktails, nibbles and a personally hand-dipped wax top Rye Whiskey to take home.
Master the Versatile Pâte à Choux pastry at Healdsburg Icon Costeaux Bakery
Expand your repertoire with this classic light pastry dough used widely for both savory and sweet French treats like éclairs or cheesy gougères. The 2 ½ hour hands-on experience ($125 pp) taught by Costeaux Bakery owner Will Seppi and Head Pastry Chef Karah Williams is infused with French baking creds that go back nearly a century.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Local Mushrooms
In Relish Culinary’s 4 ½ -hour Mushroom Forage and Lunch ($154), foodies will venture out in the field and learn the fundamentals of searching the best habitats, identifying the most recognizable edible local varieties, safety and etiquette. After two hours of tromping in the woods, guests will return to Relish Culinary’s demo kitchen for more important information on handling, storing and cooking these delictables to get the most flavor out of them. The foray ends with a 4-course mushroom lunch paired with Passalacqua wine. Relish offers another session on February 29.
South of the Border Cooking Class and Lunch at Mateo’s
In the cold of winter, think south of the border and warming slow-braised stews. In this cooking class and lunch, Chef Mateo Granados will teach guests how to make home-made masa tortillas followed by chicken stew and baked rice. The 2-hour experience ($120) at Mateo’s Cocina Latina includes lunch and a seasonal margarita or agua fresca.
Discover Walking and Running Trails on Fitch Mountain
Come alive in Sonoma’s natural beauty and brisk air with a run up Fitch Mountain open space preserve with Healdsburg Running Company on Saturday Jan. 25 from 8-10 a.m, rain or shine. The run is free and available to enthusiasts of all levels. Meet at 333 Center St. Healdsburg
Celebrate the New Year with Aplomb at Breathless Wines Sabrage
Open the new year, literally, with a splash by sabering traditional method sparkling wine at Breathless Wines in Dry Creek Valley, and savor the wines throughout the year as a reminder of the sister owners’ motto to “take each breath we are given as a gift to be cherished.” The tour, sabrage and tasting includes a bottle of wine to take home.
Relax and Unwind in Healdsburg Plaza
Schedule in some downtime between activities, stay and spa at Hotel Healdsburg or flow with vinyasa yoga at the very green H2Hotel, also available to guests at the adjacent Harmon Guest House, both LEED Gold certified designs by David Baker Architects. Then venture out to visit the many art galleries, shops and tasting rooms in the Plaza. Tastemaker Weekend guests receive 50% discount on stays at select Healdsburg hotels when mentioning the code.
See the broader list of activities, schedules and to book the First Annual Healdsburg Tastemaker Weekend on the Healdsburg website.
