Healdsburg Dominates List of Top Tasting Room Experiences

HEALDSBURG, Calif., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- There are wineries in each and every one of the 50 states -- more than 6,000 across the country, in all. But a new article in a leading national wine publication suggests the finest winery experiences can be most readily found around a single small town in northern Sonoma County.

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In its May 2008 issue, Wine Enthusiast selects "America's Best Tasting Rooms" and lists 25 wineries from coast to coast. Sonoma and Napa counties dominate with six wineries apiece -- no surprise there. But what might catch some people off guard is that that the Healdsburg area, all by itself, claims four spots on the list.

Hanna Winery President Christine Hanna, whose Alexander Valley tasting room is among those on the list, says her winery has worked hard to ensure it keeps pace with the quality lodging and restaurant options now available in the region.

"People come to Healdsburg wine country with high expectations," Hanna says. "After dinner at a restaurant like Cyrus, the mindset is that a winery visit will be special. We've always taken pride in the experience we offer, and obviously that starts with excellent wines. But meeting visitor expectations also means having a knowledgeable, helpful staff, as well as extras like local, artisan foods that take the visit beyond simply tasting."

Even with that, Hanna says the Healdsburg area's beauty and rural charm are what truly set the region apart.

"The most important thing we did to make a great tasting room was put it on this gorgeous hillside, with a wrap-around veranda that looks out over our Red Ranch vineyards and the Alexander Valley," she says. "Despite all the changes we've seen in Healdsburg and throughout Sonoma County, you can still visit here and be transported to a very quiet, intimate place, and that's a quality we never want to lose."

Hanna shows wines from three unique growing regions in its tasting room, including its award-winning Sauvignon Blanc from the cool Russian River Valley; Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley; and several big reds from Bismark Mountain Vineyard in the Mayacamas mountains.

The other Sonoma County wineries selected by Wine Enthusiast's editors were: Arrowood Vineyard & Winery (Glen Ellen); J Vineyards & Winery (Healdsburg); Gary Farrell Winery (Healdsburg); Preston Vineyards (Healdsburg); and Rosso & Bianco (Geyserville).

Napa County matched Sonoma with six wineries on the list, including: Frank Family Vineyards (Calistoga); Louis Martini Winery (St. Helena); Mumm Napa Valley (Rutherford); Nickel & Nickel (Oakville); Rubicon Estate (Rutherford); and Revana Family Vineyards (St. Helena).

Terlato Wines International has a global portfolio of more than 40 brands from a host of world-class wine producers and presently markets more than one out of eight bottles of wine over $14 sold in America. Terlato, with more 90+ ratings than any wine company in the world, is the flagship company of the Terlato Wine Group, the parent company of several independent businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wines. Owned and operated by the Terlato family, the Group also includes the family's winery investments and partnerships in some of the world's most esteemed wine regions, including: Napa Valley; Sonoma County; Santa Barbara County; Victoria, Australia; France's Rhone Valley; and Somontano in Spain.

The Terlato Wines International portfolio of brands includes: Napa Valley: Brandlin, Chimney Rock, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Luke Donald Collection, Markham Vineyards, Rutherford Hill, Tangley Oaks and Terlato Family Vineyards; Sonoma County: Alderbrook, Hanna, Rochioli and Terlato Family Vineyards; Santa Barbara County: Sanford and Tangley Oaks; California Appellation: Glass Mountain and Seven Daughters; Oregon: Argyle and Sokol Blosser; Italy: Baglio di Pianetto, Ca' del Bosco, Ca' Marcanda (Gaja Toscana), Florio Martinez Marsala, Gaja, Il Poggione, Kettmeir, Santa Margherita, Tiramisu, Torresella and Distillatori Nonino (Grappa); France: Champagne Bollinger, M. Chapoutier, Chateau des Laurets (Rothschild), Domaine Chanson, Domaine Louis Moreau, Josmeyer, Langlois-Chateau and Mischief and Mayhem; Australia: Branson Coach House, Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier, Domaine Tournon and Two Hands; Argentina: Tamari; Canada: Peller Estates Icewine; Greece: Boutari; New Zealand: Wairau River; South Africa: Cirrus, Guardian Peak, Engelbrecht-Els, Ernie Els Signature and Rust En Vrede; Spain: Olvena; Switzerland: Xellent Swiss Vodka. For more information, visit http://www.terlatowines.com.