Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Thumbprint Cellars

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Thumbprint Cellars Tasting Room

Thumbprint Cellars Tasting Room

102 Matheson St, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://thumbprintcellars.com/

Thumbprint Cellars tasting room is right off the square in downtown Healdsburg.  From the outside, it looks like a boutique with a gray and white striped awning and picture of a thumbprint in the window.  This is a quirky tasting room that the owners refer to as a lounge.  Upon entering, there are a few modern black tables and stools.  There are pictures of super heroes in yoga poses are all around and some artwork for purchase.  In the center of the space is a black curved tasting bar.  Behind the bar is a brick wall and light wood wine shelf lined with black bottles and colorful thumbprint labels.  To the right of the bar is a focal wall with a giant thumbprint. Opposite the bar, there are black shelves with some gift items.  At the far end of tasting room there is a black curtain to separate the space where they have comedy shows and other events.  The lounge can be rented for private events.

Tasting bar at Thumbprint Cellars

Tasting bar at Thumbprint Cellars

Owner and winemaker Scott Lindstrom-Dake started making wine as a hobby.  He prides himself on making wines that are unique, and hence chose the name thumbprint as a symbol of individuality.  The tasting room and wines are very casual.  The tasting offerings are reasonably priced.  They offer a selection of ten wines daily.  Some of the wines have provocative names, like Arousal and Three Some. Guests can order a food flight of artisan cheeses and charcuterie to pair with wines if they so choose.  The wines weren’t my style, but this place could be a fun hangout for a group of friends just looking for a casual tasting or to partake in one of the events.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

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Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

6320 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

Website: http://www.robertsinskey.com/

Robert Sinskey Winery is located in the lower end of the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap district.  The winery is co-owned by Robert and his wife Maria Helm Sinskey.  Robert grew up in California but didn’t go to wine school.  Instead he started in advertising after earning a Bachelor in Fine Arts in New York City.  One day, his father who started his own wine business called for help and for Robert quickly gained a passion for winemaking.  Maria is a famed chef earning the recognition of Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef in 1996.  She worked in several Michelin star restaurants in France, toured Italy, went to pastry school in Denmark, and worked at several top-notch San Francisco restaurants (not all in that order). 

 

Organic garden at Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Organic garden at Robert Sinskey Vineyards

I would describe the recently renovated tasting room as a mix of old world meets new world.  The winery is built of stone and redwood.  A long wooden trellis covered with vines and held up by stone columns leads to the entrance of the tasting room.  The landscape surrounding the winery is pretty with a view of the Mayacama Mountains to the east and the Vaca Mountains to the west.  Right in front of the entrance is a crescent shaped pool made of stone with a small fountain.  On the other side of fountain is an organic garden.  The winery is 100% organic and biodynamic.  It is also 75% solar powered and the Sinskeys use bio-diesel fuel from restaurants for their trucks and tractors. 

It is not a surprise with Maria’s background that the winery has a strong food and wine focus.  Besides Maria’s onsite organic garden, she runs cooking classes and recently published a cookbook.  The stone and redwood continues into the tasting room. There is a long wooden tasting bar that runs along the right.  The walls are made of stone and there is an open wood framed cathedral ceiling.  Maria’s kitchen is behind the tasting bar.  Honeycomb shaped pendant lights hang above the bar.  The tasting room was a little dark, but it has a cool, almost medieval feel with all of the stone and sunlight coming in through the high windows and ceiling. 

 

Robert Sinskey Tasting Room

Robert Sinskey Tasting Room

Tastings are a little pricey because they include small bites to go with the wine.  The lowest priced tasting includes five wines with bites to eat at the tasting bar.  Depending on how much you are willing to spend, other private tastings and tours are offered.  Reservations are recommended for all tastings.  My husband and I each did a tasting and shared the wines so we could try more of them.  This winery has several unique style wines to choose from.  For the whites, I tried a Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and white blend called Abraxas that is an interesting mix of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer that pairs with green vegetables and went well with olives.  For the reds, we tried a couple of Pinot Noirs, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and three blends.  We took home a bottle of the POV red blend.

If you decide to visit this winery, give yourself some extra time to savor the wines and food and to snap some nice photos of the scenery.

Seghesio Family Vineyards

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Seghesio Family Vineyards

Seghesio Family Vineyards

700 Grove St, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: http://www.seghesio.com/

Seghesio Family Vineyards has been making wine in Sonoma for over 120 years and five generations.  Founder Edoardo Seghesio was an immigrant from Piedmonte Italy and he planted the first Zinfandel grapes at the Home Ranch in 1895.  The Seghesio family maintained sole operation of the winery through 2011 until they joined with the Crimson Wine Group.  Several family members are still involved in the winery’s operations today.  The winery primarily produces bold, red wines.  They focus on Zinfandels and Italian varietals.  Almost all of the wines are made exclusively from estate-grown and estate-farmed vineyards, including the original vines that Edoardo planted in the 1800s.

Seghesio’s tasting room is right outside the center of Healdsburg. It felt to me like someone placed a winery in the middle of a residential neighborhood. There is a small area outside of the tasting room where visitors can relax.  A stone walkway leads from the parking lot to a fountain with a couple of park benches out in front of the building.  Wood doors lead into the Tuscan style tasting room.  The focal point of the room is the large, dark wood tasting bar and black counter top.  Behind the tasting bar are windows that provide a view into the barrel room.  I thought it was a nice touch to be able to look into the barrel room while sipping wine at the bar. 

I arrived at the winery at the end of the day right before closing time and the place was packed with people.  I always find it difficult to enjoy my tasting experiences when there is a crowd of people standing around me.  Our server was very amiable despite the number of people crammed in around the bar.  The winery has received many accolades for their red wines and it is worth a stop for red wine lovers who are in the Healdsburg area, especially Zinfandel fans.