Display of Sandra Jordan’s collection at Ferrari-Carano’s Seasons of the Vineyard tasting bar & boutique in Healdsburg’s main square
When I scheduled to meet the fabulous Sandra Jordan in Healdsburg to interview her for my series “Tea With Claudia” for Reside I thought I should make it a weekend in the country. So my senior designer Michael Bello and I packed for the Wine Country and headed north. While I was aiming for comfort in my maxi hippie dresses and Indian wrap skirts Michael apparently thought he was heading for Paris with his weekender Hermès Birkin bag, stylish Summer suits and Heschung pony skin loafers. We were wondering if the stares in the Square were meant for his Goyard briefcase he carried his camera in or for my long colorful dresses and cashmere wraps. Somehow we must have been screaming city.
But we managed to settle in with the help of Alain-Martin Pierret, my gracious and dear friend, and one of Healdsburg most connected realtors, who hosted us at the lovely country estate of Gayla and Walter Wood above the Russian River Valley. We could not have been more comfortable, and the drive into town through forests, vineyards, and fields was a delight each time.
View from Gayla & Walter Wood’s estate
Historic Wholer bridge
The city boy he is, Michael was utterly impressed by the sheep, especially when he learned that they were not vineyard sculptures. Apparently he has never been to a petting zoo or worn a wool sweater. He proceeded to tell me about these black cows with a wide white stripe across the middle he had seen in Sonoma. So now we were on the lookout throughout the whole weekend. But as Michael put it, we only came across “common” black and white cows, until we drove home through Sonoma and spotted a few. Doing a little research afterwards I learned that they are called Dutch Belted, which according to the Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America is a breed that traces to the original belted cattle in Austria and Switzerland, and was then established in the Netherlands in the 17th century. I am filled with pride for Austria producing such an aesthetically pleasing cow, although I had never seen one growing up. Apparently it also produces an easily digested milk with exceptionally small fat globules. Fashionable and healthy!
“Dutch Belted” cows and calves (Photo: Erik van den Ham)
Friday night we had dinner with Alain on the patio at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen at the Hotel Healdsburg. Judging from the the royal treatment we got I believe that Alain must be dining there daily. He simply asked manager Dan Prentice to “make sure they bring all the in-between stuff”, and Dan took the best care of us. We started of with a glass of J Winery Brut Rosé and continued with Russian River Valley Syrah from Longboard Vineyards, whose owner Oded Shakked hails from Israel, has honed his craft at J Winery, and named the winery Longboard inspired by his surfing past, which included building surfboards in his twenties. Pretty cool wine maker I thought. The meal was delicious and the conversation stimulating. Besides the “in-between stuff” we shared warm jumbo asparagus, scallop + pork belly duo, the charcuterie plate, Sonoma lamb loin and shoulder, Kobe flatiron steak, mini burgers, and to finish it off, a buttermilk and blueberry tart.
Patio of the Dry Creek Kitchen (Photo: César Rubio)
Alain-Martin Pierret at Dry Creek Kitchen
Not that we needed to eat more or skipped dessert, but we were treated to more sweets later on as we visited San Franciscan Lee Fitzgerald in the weekend home he shares with his partner George Kohn, where friends gathered in the back yard to roast smores in the fire pit. This was first for both Michael and me, and although I doubt we will become regular smores roasters our hosts know how to entertain in style, as the chocolate used was Scharffen Berger.
Listening to fireside stories
The next morning we met with Sandra Jordan, her daughter Tatiana and her friend Melinda Cairney of Chateau Leonard Wines at the Healdsburg Farmer’s Market. We started out with breakfast at Mateo Granados’ stand, which locals deem the place to be. His catering firm is known for serving up the most amazing flavors of the Yucatán, and his moving restaurant is an insider favorite, as Tatjana likened it a “food rave”. I got the card with the phone number. :) As we dove into delicious Quesadillas and Huevos Rancheros, sipped on apricot agua fresca and chatted about Healdsburg and such, Jeffrey Weisman and Andrew Fisher of the San Francisco interior design firm Fisher Weisman joined us at the long communal table. I have yet to meet a designer who does not know how to eat well.
Sandra Jordan and Tatiana Harrison awaiting breakfast
Quesadilla with roasted Gleason Ranch chicken, Jersey Jack cheese, Ramon’s white corn, Middleton Farm red onions, pumpkin seeds and pepper sauce at Mateo Granado’s
Well-nourished we leisurely walked around the Farmer’s Market were and checked out the wares and foods. Personal favorites were Franco Dunn’s sausages, Paul Thornton’s smoked salmon, McClelland Dairy’s amazing butter, and Pug’s Leap goat cheese. Melinda scored a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for a mere $ 8.50, which looked like it could have been $ 85.00 in San Francisco, and a delicious-looking bunch of purple Shiso fresh from the vendor’s garden. A most delicious herb, its beautiful leaves are another one of nature’s work of art.
Purple Shiso (Photo: courtesy of Solana Seeds)
Heart bowls at Architectural Ceramic Design
Our post-breakfast stroll took us through some of the hot spots in downtown Healdsburg. The ladies raved about the new Boisset Taste of Terroir Tasting Room, and despite the early hour we had a tasting. It’s never too early to have a glass of Champagne, right? Perhaps not a true Champagne, but a wonderful sparkling wine from Burgundy Louis Bouillot’s ”Perle d’Aurore Rosé Brut” proved to be delicious and extremely reasonable. We had two professionals with us, and Sandra and Melinda know what they are talking about. On a designer’s note the dark and moody interior was created by San Francisco designer Nicole Hollis.
Boisset “Taste of Terroir” tasting room
Louis Bouillot’s sparkling wines
Champagne glasses for sale at Boisset
We then visited the Hotel Healdsburg’s newest addition H2 Hotel, which just opened recently. It is another green project designed by the San Francisco firm David Baker + Partners Architects the architects of the original Hotel Healdsburg,with interiors by Marie Fisher and Jen Gadiel and landscape design by Andrea Cochran. We loved the green roof, which is not only beautiful to look at, but also serves several purposes , such as absorbing rain water, providing insulation, and helping to lower urban air temperature. However, the group was divided on the interior design and united in concerns about the rusting balconies, assuming that the hotel may encounter quite a few disgruntled guests complaining about rust stains on their white linen garbs. But overall it is nice to have another cool modern hotel in Healdsburg.
H2 Hotel façade
“Spoonfall” fountain by Ned Kahn made from espresso spoons at entry to H2 Hotel
H2 Hotel lobby with sectionals by Roche Bobois, art collection curated by Svea Lin Vezzon of Swarm Gallery, including a photographic study of a California life oak print on glass by Stephen Galloway
“Spoon” restaurant at H2 Hotel
We continued to walk around downtown Healdsburg we stopped by at Ferrari-Carano’s “Seasons of the Vineyard” tasting bar & boutique, which has a fabulous selection of Sandra’s silver, horn and alpaca pieces and a few galleries.
Erickson Fine Art Gallery
We also revisited the Le Mars Hotel designed by fellow Austrian Helga Horner who created a very traditional environment in contrast to the Hotel Healdsburg and H2 Hotel. So there is something for everyone here. We took a tour of some of the suites, which had some of Sandra’s furniture and her beautiful toile fabrics.
A welcome for guests at Le Mars
Suite at Le Mars with wine table by Sandra Jordan and canopy and window treatment created with Sandra’s toiles
After saying goodbye our lovely guides we slowly made our way home to our pied á terre to change for my interview with Sandra later that afternoon. Of course we needed to stop and smell the roses a couple more times, as we more closely inspected the sheep (for Michael’s personal entertainment), old barns and had a wine tasting at Rochioli Vineyards where we perused their book of menus from the White House and personal thank you letters from sommelier Daniel Shanks whose career at the White House has transcended political changes. I suppose each new president knew not to change what is not broken, at least when it came to libations. There were pages and pages recalling state dinners that featured wines by Rochioli. The meal selections were quite interesting as well. We started our tasting with the 09 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, continued with the 08 Estate Chardonnay and 09 Estate Rosé, and finished with the 08 Pinot Noir, all simply delicious. Good enough for Presidents, good enough for Michael and me. I left with some Sauvignon Blanc.
A barn by a vineyard somewhere on Westside Road
A little rest on the porch overlooking the valley, a quick costume change and off to Sandra’s estate. To learn more about her charming home and her sublime garden please look out for my next post. To top off a most delightful day Sandra joined us for dinner at Barndiva, owned by the Hales family, a talented bunch with many skills to include mixology, farming, photography, journalism and architecture. Known for a lively scene and great farm-to-table food the place was hopping, and the meal and wine were most satisfying. Sandra so kindly chose an Austrian Rose in my honor. Once he was well-fed Michael finally got over the fact that the men’s room did not have a mirror. That is a crime indeed, as the ladies’ room was appropriately attired.
Garden at Barndiva
Our last day in the Wine Country: breakfast with Alain at Hotel Healdsburg, visits to a few more places in Healdsburg followed by a picturesque drive over the hill to Napa. During my last visit I came across a store by the name of 14 feet owned by Marne Dupere and Mike Morisette. They carry one-of-a-kind vintage industrial and mid-century furnishings, which also include pottery, lighting and quirky collections from emerging artists.
14 feet: wall art made from industrial grates and metal “Birch” vase by Ray Degisher, 1940s Douglass Fir printshop work table, 1940s oak cabinet from a class room, one-of-a-kind wood mannequin made from pine scraps, ca. 1972
14 feet: 1950s Steelcase table, vintage steel stool with faux fur seat, 1950s Heywood-Wakefield Woodite chairs, and vintage bookcase made from rough reclaimed wood and ply backing
14 feet: vintage plates with fonts added by Karen Niandi
We also checked out a few antique stores, which are hit or miss; but we did score a great footed aluminum bowl, some crystal decanters and a set of silvered wine glasses. So looking for the needle in the hay stack was well worth it.
We heard so much about Dragonfly Farm as being THE florist in town and were told that one could visit their farm. Although Michael felt unprepared due to “improper” footwear to be wandering a farm he graciously agreed to go, most likely thinking about having to thoroughly polish his Gucci loafers upon his return home. I had a lovely chat with colorful owner Bonnie Z who told me that the location was originally a vineyard when they started planting. My favorite spot was the huge willow circle Bonnie planted twenty years ago, which has hosted many events including weddings and children’s art classes. Dragonfly Farm also is the home of Ray Degisher Studios, an artist who turns scrap metal, old wood and all kinds of junk into furniture, lighting, mirrors, vases, and planters. Samples of his work can be found at 14 feet.
Dragonfly Farm
Willow circle at Dragonfly Farm
We also wanted to visit Studio Barndiva, the restaurant’s gallery, and we made a quick last stop before leaving lovely Healdsburg. The wares are an eclectic mix of contemporary art and home goods, to include, of course, some of Sandra’s fabulous pieces. They also sell and serve Rishi Tea, inspired by a tea room they discovered on a visit to Paris.
Studio Barndiva Interior
Display at Studio Barndiva
Outdoor space at Barndiva
Rock chair in outdoor space of Studio Barndiva
And over the hill we went for our lunch at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. We enjoyed the warm sun on the patio, grazed on Ceasar salad, stuffed Piquillo peppers, Ratatouille and mushroom tamales paired with a couple of glasses of Mumm’s Brut Rosé and Vision Cellars Riesling.
Exterior of Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen
Stuffed Piquillo peppers, Ratatouille and mushroom Tamales at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen
We looked forward to visit Erin Martin’s showroom, whose collection will soon be featured at Coup d’Etat’s newly expanded showroom to open in September. But unfortunately it was closed. But no worries, we found something to do. Instead we went to a spot in St. Helena I rarely, Prager Winery & Port Works. Their low-key tasting room is covered in money from all over the world, prize ribbons and oddly attractive cobwebs, and their Ports are simply divine. Some satisfying sips later, bottles of Port, vinegar, Port chocolates and caramelized walnuts in hand we finally made our way home to San Francisco. We got a little taste of Napa, but more will be reserved for another weekend.
Prager Winery & Port Works (Photo: courtesy of I”ll have wine)
All photos by Michael Bello for Adeeni Design Group, unless otherwise noted.
Cheers,
