Healdsburg

Valette is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that happens to have a genuinely good California wine list — unpretentious, well-stocked, fairly priced, and deeply rooted in its place. If you're eating in Healdsburg and care about what's in your glass, this is a reliable call.

The Matheson is doing it right — deep list, knowledgeable somms, and a room that's actually fun to drink in. Prices run steep in spots, but this is Healdsburg, and the list earns it more often than not. Send your friends here.

Little Saint is a legitimately exceptional wine destination that happens to serve vegan food — the sequence doesn't diminish either half. Send your most skeptical wine-drinking friend here and watch their assumptions quietly dissolve.

Hazel Hill is the real deal — a serious, thoughtfully curated wine program in one of the best dining rooms in Sonoma County, helmed by a sommelier who clearly knows the region. The markups are what they are for a Montage property, but the depth and quality of the list justify the pilgrimage.

Dry Creek Kitchen earns its hardware — a deep, locally-rooted list, fair pricing, and a half-price Tuesday program that should frankly be illegal. If you're eating in Healdsburg and not drinking wine here, you've made a wrong turn somewhere.

SingleThread is one of the few restaurants in California where the wine program genuinely matches the ambition of the kitchen — deep cellar, expert staff, and a list that rewards curiosity at every price point above $100. Yes, it's expensive by any reasonable measure, but if you're already committing to the tasting menu, do not sleep on what's in that cellar.