It’s no secret that Healdsburg is a fantastic place to drink wine. Home to Dry Creek, Russian River and Alexander Valleys, there is a winery for everyone’s palate and a ton of variety. That said, many people do not realize there is actually a lot more to Healdsburg: it has an incredibly active population and many locals are avid runners and bikers, as well as an impressive culinary scene – it’s home to one of the seven 3 Michelin star restaurants in the entire state (Singlethread Farms.)
This January, the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce has put together its Inaugural Healdsburg Tastemaker Weekend to showcase all of the incredible things Healdsburg has to offer, many of which extend beyond the wine for which the region is primarily known. I had the pleasure back in December of attending a preview of what this weekend will entail and I am excited to give you all a sneak peek of it.
Where did I stay?
I had a pinch me moment staying at the beautiful and luxurious Hotel Les Mars, which is part of the Relain & Chateaux group. This hotel has impeccable attention to detail and has thought through everything. You are greeted with a glass of champagne and brought up to your room which includes complimentary snacks, wine and sparkling water. There is a deep soaking tub in each room and an aromatherapy kit that includes scented bath salts and candles for creating a spa-like environment in your hotel room. If this is not enough, there is a complimentary wine and cheese reception in the lobby each evening featuring local winemakers as well as French breakfast delivered to your room each morning.
What did I eat?
We ate lunch at Mateo’s (see more below!) and then had a decadent dinner at my favorite Healdsburg restaurant, Valette. Valette features a $75 per person “trust me” menu, which is a chef’s tasting menu that is personalized for each individual. We did a variation on this which was all delicious – I think I cleaned each of my plates! For wine, we were lucky to try some of the wines from Valette’s new wine label. Chef Dustin Valette worked with legendary winemakers Bob Cabral (Three Sticks/Williams Selyem) and Jesse Katz (The Setting/Aperture Cellars) to produce his own pinot noir, Rosé and cabernet, all of which were delicious examples of these winemakers’ expertise. Needless to say, I left full and happy from indulging at this incredible meal. Valette is a MUST when you’re visiting Healdsburg!
Lastly, you may be wondering, what else did we do?
We started by congregating in the Healdsburg Square. Our first stop was a trip into Healdsburg Running Company, where a lot of the group discussed their plans for a stroll in the vineyards the next day (which I unfortunately missed along with the Journeyman Meat Co brunch the group had as a reward for the walk). The Healdsburg Running Company has a running club that gathers locals to do fun runs that typically end in an activity that involves beer, wine or food…certainly a way someone could get me to run!
We then headed to Mateo’s for a tortilla making class and culinary demonstration. He showed us how to create an easy French inspired chicken dish that we could recreate at home, although I am unsure any tortillas I made would be half as good as his. Mateo is offering up this class on Saturday of the Tastemaker Weekend and it includes lunch and a delicious margarita to wash down all the tortillas 😉
After indulging our savory tastebuds, it was next time for us to head to Costeaux Bakery for a pastry making class. Before heading back to kick off our lesson, we got to watch a carol singer performance while simultaneously admiring the bakery’s collection of 800+ nutcrackers. Then, it was back to school…but the fun adult kind. Our class kicked off with a glass of bubbles, which eased my nerves about my lack of baking skills. We learned how to make pâte à choux (pronounced patty shoe), a pastry dough that can be used for both sweet and savory treats. While working in the kitchen alongside owner William and head pastry chef Karah, we also got to sample their delicious holiday cookies. This experience includes the instruction, the bubbly and even an adorable apron to take home!
These are just a couple of the experiences being offered during Healdsburg Tastemaker Weekend. Other options are all listed on the Stay Healdsburg website and include everything from trail running to mushroom foraging. If the experience I had is any indicator on how much fun the weekend will be, this is definitely something you do not want to miss!
Thank you to Emily Martin and the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce for having me, as well as Kelsy Shaffor for the lovely photographs!
