Each weekend morning, I join my friends for a bike ride around Sonoma County. It’s a fun way to get some exercise and enjoy the beautiful country where we live. To take advantage of the early morning fog and empty roads, we hop on our bikes in Healdsburg around 8:30 a.m. We have several routes to choose from, but two of our favorites takes us through the wine regions of our area: Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley.
Years ago when we were in school, field trips were always a source of great excitement. Last Friday, that feeling came back, except we were the attraction! Graciella Juarez, assistant winemaker Ricardo’s oldest daughter, is exploring her interest in photography through a class at her high school. When the teacher suggested a field trip was an order to test the class’ new skills, Graciella told Ms. Calson that she might have just the right place…Hafner Vineyard! What an honor for us!
Our little town of Healdsburg here in Sonoma County has turned into a mecca for wine lovers. It has much more to offer than just great wines. We want to share with you things to do in Healdsburg this Summer. There are shopping opportunities, scenic bicycle rides through Wine Country and plenty of live music!
During Spring and Summer, friends often visit and ask about our favorite day trips in Sonoma County. There are many to choose from! Sonoma County is incredibly diverse, reaching from the Mayacamas Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. I frequently suggest an excursion to the coast because it is one of our favorites.
It’s no secret we are suffering from a severe drought that has been mounting for three years. Luckily, wine grape vineyards are not heavily irrigated in comparison to other crops. We irrigate from mid-July until the end of October and use minimal water, 75% less than most crops.
2012 and 2013 were dry years with less than half of an average year’s rainfall. From April 2013 through January 2014, we received just one inch of rain. A normal year would likely see 18 inches in that time.
Finally, rain arrived! November brought us five inches of rain. Light precipitation continued in December. Then came the forecast of a major storm on December 11, 2014.
