A new wine district in Healdsburg is born

If you’re the chronic procrastinator (ok I’m projecting), or just afraid to “go there”. Get over yourself. There’s a sweet little movement that is about to bust a grape in Sonoma County. Never one to miss a wine movement, I slipped over to the "Old Roma Historic District" in Healdsburg last Tuesday. Never heard of that wine burb? You really gotta get out more. It’s a new wine district waiting to sweep you into its fruitful arms. And frankly, I’m sick of tourists and locals alike copping out with “too many grapes, not enough time” as their excuse for not exploring the fruits that Healdsburg has to offer (which are many sweet little suckers). So hold onto to your spit buckets because the folks at Hudson Street Wineries are threatening to squelch that grape myth for good. How you ask? By planting six vineyards (aka 6 tasting rooms worth of wine) under one super-hip tasting room roof. It’s called a “collective” my geographically challenged wine cohorts. It just makes sense, cause who isn’t pressed for time and gas these days? This burgeoning nook of a neighborhood boasts over 15 wineries in a one block radius, and did I fail to mention the wines are food, fruit and fiscally friendly? Teira Vineyard served up a zesty 2005 Zin and mouthwatering merlot. I also heard that Teira's grandmother was gal pals with Julia Childs back in the day so one has to believe there was some grape squishing and wine paring secrets to be shared. There’s too many vineyards and fine wines to name them all so hit their website to get the full low down. Then hop just a block down the street and you’ll run into another sweet cluster of wine haunts (Longboard Vineyards, Davis Family Winery, Holdredge Wines, Camellia Cellars, Christie Vineyards and others). So give your GPS system a break (even I didn’t get lost finding all these plucky little grapes) since there all a simple ½ mile jaunt off the main drag of Healdsburg. Wacky WineSense neighborhood rating: 4.25 grapes