Dry Creek Vineyard

It seems odd that a winery named Dry Creek should have sailboats on all its labels, but that’s the signature icon on each bottle produced by Dry Creek Vineyard (3770 Lambert Bridge Rd., Healdsburg, 800/864-9463, www.drycreekvineyard.com [1], daily 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., $5–15). This mid-sized winery focuses much effort within its own appellation (Dry Creek, of course), producing many single-vineyard wines from grapes grown within a few miles of the estate.

Other wines include grapes from the Russian River Valley [2] appellation. Dry Creek prides itself on both its classic California varietals such as Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot, and on occasionally hopping out of that box and producing something unusual, like a Musque, a Chenin Blanc, or a Sauternes-style dessert wine.

Try as many as you can when you enter the ivy-covered tasting room, styled after a French chateau.