California Wine Country Minus the Crowds by Steve Friess, Globe Correspondent June 11, 2006 The small sign for Middleton Farm is as discreet as the place itself, yet it caught our eye as we drove along a winding road in wine country. We made a U-turn and doubled back to the dirt driveway, which we rolled along slowly to avoid the roaming peacocks. A solitary figure in front of a barn turned to look at the arriving strangers with a knowing smile. It was winter, the trees were going bare and the region's vineyards fallow, but Nancy Skall seemed none too surprised that we had happened upon her eight acres. ``We still have some garlic and broccoli and the persimmons are just about ripe," Skall said , noting the organic strawberries and pears were all gone for the year. Then the 75-year-old woman in the red flannel shirt and baseball cap told us how she and her husband had retired from San Francisco and opened the farm and how she had managed it on her own for five years since Malcolm's death. It was the kind of vacation-making discovery that used to occur all the time in now-overrun Napa Valley. But Middleton Farm isn't in Napa. It's just outside for-now-less-famous Healdsburg, a straight shot one hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sonoma County. Healdsburg, like St. Helena in Napa, sits at the convergence of several winery regions -- most prominent and notable are the Russian River and Dry Creek valleys, home of such famous wineries as Kendall-Jackson and Gallo, as well as dozens of honored, though less commercial, brands. We first stumbled upon Healdsburg in late 2004 during a road trip to the better-known enclaves of Sebastapol and Sonoma. Everything about the town -- its easy access, a central square lined with shops, and a burgeoning food and hospitality scene -- left us puzzled as to why it hadn't appeared on our travel radar screens. We quickly realized that Healdsburg's anonymity -- its late-1970s slogan ``Buckle of the Prune Belt" evidently didn't do much for its stature -- is almost certain to end in coming years. On that first trip, we noticed quite a bit of construction that prompted us to ask around. Chatting up a cashier at a gas station on the edge of town, we heard : ``They're finally finding out about us. This place is about to explode." Healdsburg, population 11,000, is on the brink. But fortunately, for what will inevitably be a limited time only, it remains the quintessence of charm and elegance. If Napa's crowding teaches us anything, it's that this up-and-coming phase is brief and ought to be savored. By the time we returned to Healdsburg last winter, we had a clear and well-researched agenda: Check out new restaurants, drive the valleys, visit some new wine tasting rooms and other shops on Healdsburg Plaza -- the central square -- and soak up the atmosphere. We found that many locals credit chef Charlie Palmer with sparking the current boom by doing something somewhat unchef-like: opening a hotel. His Hotel Healdsburg broke the mold in area lodging , which had been dominated by bed-and-breakfasts of unpredictable quality. We checked into the elegant 55-room hotel that features minimalist-modern decor, with hardwood floors and walls adorned only by the occasional black-and-white nature photograph. Sitting as it does at the edge of the square, it is a cocoon of comfort with perfect access. Attached to the hotel is Palmer's superb Dry Creek Kitchen, which offers top-end service while paying strict attention to the chef's edict that the restaurant use almost exclusively fresh ingredients grown or raised in the Northern California countryside. It also offers a wine list with more than 600 Sonoma entries. Following Palmer's success -- and there were plenty of naysayers in advance of Hotel Healdsburg's opening -- the region has boomed. New wine tasting rooms have opened, including several right on the square, as well as two hotels, the high-end luxury Le Mars and a refurbished, modernized 105-year-old Inn on the Plaza. Inside Le Mars is one of the nation's most widely honored new restaurants, French-chateau-looking Cyrus. And, since any emerging dining scene requires some avant -garde entries, there's also Barn diva, where a variety of excellent and moderately priced bistro classics are served inside a massive red barn that looks old-fashioned but was built recently. Healdsburg offers visitors a choice between an active or passive vacation -- or something in between. One day we wanted nothing more than to while away the time in the handsome Flying Goat Cafe while pacing ourselves through the 10-tasting-room s self-guided tour of the area surrounding the plaza. There also is a professional Healdsburg Walking Tour (www.healdsburgwalkingtours.com) that takes visitors through the same tasting rooms as well as past some of the beautiful Victorian houses near the square. But we chose to spend our time munching on crunchy grilled chicken and gruyere sandwiches by the outdoor fire at the charming Oakville Grocery. On another day, we were more ambitious, wanting to take in the surrounding regions. Many folks rent bicycles, which would have been lovely had it not been chilly and windy. Instead, we took Westside Road southwest into the Russian River Valley and popped in at some small wineries, including Hop Kiln and Roshambo. Our meandering led us to the little town of Graton, about 15 miles south of Healdsburg, where we devoured a ham and brie sandwich and the quirkier hot open-faced egg salad sandwich at the rustic Willow Wood Market Cafe. Then we wandered into the Far West Trading Company, a shop of tchotchkes where we picked up some unique gifts. After lunch, we drove back past Healdsburg and took the West Dry Creek Road to its peak, about 13 miles northwest, where the elaborate and highly-landscaped Ferrari-Carano Castle stands. On our last afternoon in Healdsburg, we were tired of the haute cuisine and the fancy art galleries, so we ordered a pizza and sat out on the deck of our hotel suite, feeling fortunate that we had found Healdsburg when we had. Contact Steve Friess, a freelance writer in Las Vegas and co-host of ``The Strip" podcast, through his website, www.thestrippodcast.com. Back to Articles