Recently, Scott and I had an opportunity to visit Healdsburg, CA, a delightful wine country town, and stay at Appellation, a new resort about three miles from downtown and near Meritage Healdsburg. Great location and the most friendly staff!
The resort has about 100 rooms spread among four three-story buildings, with an industrial-chic style. There is a large, beautifully equipped gym, two pools—one for adults and one for families—and a spa. Unfortunately, the steam room was broken during our stay, much to the disappointment of Scott, who LOVES steam rooms.
Our first night, a Tuesday, the restaurant offered a more casual and less expensive à la carte menu, although wines by the glass ran upwards of $36! Many dishes featured fresh tomatoes and vegetables from the lovely garden on-site and another Palmer garden in town that supplies the group’s local restaurants.
The well-known Folia is open Wednesday through Sunday, and it was quite full when we dined there the following night. Lots of locals come, and there is even a special menu for them—a nice touch.
Food, drink and service were all exceptional. A standout was a dish of toy box and other varieties of tomatoes in a dressing made with tahini, sesame oil, mustard and other ingredients. Smartly served at room temperature, it was delightful.
We tried two desserts. Scott enjoyed the hazelnut chocolate dacquoise more than I did, but the Basque cheesecake was a winner. Creamy, with the characteristic burnt edges and no crust, it was served with a purée of local peaches and vanilla cream.
The resort is designed for wandering and relaxing, with plenty of gathering spaces, umbrellas during the day and multiple fire pits at night. The Beeline rooftop bar was busy both inside and out and has lovely views of the surrounding vineyard-covered hills. There is also substantial event space for weddings and corporate gatherings, making Appellation an appealing choice for groups.
Definitely worth a visit—and bringing a group here would be very fun!
While in Healdsburg, we also had our best wine-tasting experience at Jordan Winery, built in the 1970s in the style of a French château. An on-site chef prepared wonderful small bites, including a carrot-potato purée with a salsify drizzle and a French onion “fondue.”
The caveat is the price: at $90 per person, it is expensive, but the experience was very worthwhile. I don’t drink wine, and they charged me the same price as everyone else, but they did prepare a homemade lemonade sweetened with honey produced on the property. I would have preferred a non-wine-drinker price, but the setting, food and overall experience made Jordan a memorable part of our Healdsburg getaway.
You can also join me and Scott on an upcoming cruise on Regent Cruises, from Le Havre (Paris) to Barcelona from Sept. 19-September 29, 2026. The ports are great, including an overnight in Lisbon. Some room categories such as Veranda and Concierge suite have availability, so let me know if you are interested.