Category Archives: Sonoma Valley

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.

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. 

Murphy Goode

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Murphy Goode in Healdsburg, CA

Murphy Goode in Healdsburg, CA

20 Matheson St., Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: http://www.murphygoodewinery.com/

Murphy-Goode winery has a slogan on their website “Serious wine.  Serious fun!” and that sums up my experience with them.  I have visited on a couple of occasions and my husband became a wine club member because we were impressed with their customer service and low-cost quality wines.  Murphy-Goode’s tasting room is located in downtown Healdsburg.  This winery is one of many that make up the Jackson Family Wines portfolio, owned by the Kendall-Jackson family.   Jackson Family Wines owns 20 wineries in Sonoma and Napa alone, in addition to a handful of others in California and Oregon.  The winery was started in 1985 by Tim Murphy, Dale Goode, and Dale Ready over a game of Liar’s Dice (hence the name of one of their wines).  They started by producing Fumé Blanc and Chardonnay and expanded to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and other Bordeaux blends.  All of the original founders have since passed away, and Kendall-Jackson purchased the winery in 2006.  Dave Ready, Jr. remains the winemaker.

 

A picture of Dale Ready, Jr. in Murphy Goode's tasting room

A picture of Dale Ready, Jr. in Murphy Goode’s tasting room

There are so many things about Murphy-Goode’s tasting room that make it fun.  For one, the winemaker grew up in Minnesota and is a hardcore Vikings fan.  The décor of the winery is purple and gold in honor of the Vikings.  They hand out viking helmets when you join the wine club.  The tasting room is off a side street in Healdsburg just around the corner from Toad Hollow and La Crema tasting rooms.  Outside the tasting room is a seating area with a couple of couches, chairs, and umbrellas.  If you choose to sit outside, one of the staff members will come out to serve your wine.  The inside of the tasting room was remodeled in 2014.  It includes a shuffle board and photo booth and a large photo of Dale Ready, Jr. on the wall wearing his Viking helmet in the vineyard.  There’s a semi-circular tasting bar that can accommodate a few small groups of people at a time.  On both occasions that I visited I found that the staff was very friendly and the atmosphere was very casual.

 

Murphy Goode Tasting Room in Healdsburg, CA

Murphy Goode Tasting Room in Healdsburg, CA

Despite the playful nature of the winery, they take their wines seriously.  They produce a range of whites and reds that I found enjoyable.  The best part is that most of them can be purchased for under $30 a bottle, some under $20.  Several of the names of the red wines have a poker theme to them in honor of the original owners, like Dealer’s Choice, All In, and Poker Knight.  In addition, they make a red blend called Homefront Red for a very reasonable $14 per bottle, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Operation Homefront that provides emergency assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.