Spring has arrived in Wine Country, which means longer days, warmer nights, and bud-break in vineyards and gardens alike. As Healdsburg and towns in North County come out of stringent COVID-19 restrictions, it feels like the region is opening up with more things to do. Here’s a sneak peek at four happenings about which we’re particularly excited.
Healdsburg public schools are opening to students for the first time since March 2020—a really big deal for youngsters, teachers, administrators, and parents alike. To commemorate this return, the Healdsburg Education Foundation (HEF) is graciously accepting donations. HEF fundraising efforts support enrichment classes in all the city’s public schools, and support college and career readiness programs at the high school. HEF also bankrolls staff and professional development efforts, which are more important now than ever before.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery this month announced a multi-year planting program to turn acres of non-native grassland into preserved habitat for vital pollinators, including the at-risk Western Monarch butterfly, native bees and other insects. In collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, the world’s largest non-profit dedicated to the protection of pollinators and their ecosystems, Jordan is restoring habitat across four sites on its sustainably certified 1,200-acre estate this year. This project will result in the largest dedicated pollinator habitat of all Bee Friendly Farming-certified vineyards nationwide, and guests will be able to see these young pollinator sanctuaries first-hand when the winery reopens for a series of Vineyard Hikes April 22-25. Each four-mile hike includes a seated charcuterie picnic lunch, salad from the chef’s garden and wine pairing. Tickets are $110 per person and go on sale on April 7.
What is old will be new again, as Madrona Manor, a circa-1881 Healdsburg inn with a Michelin-starred restaurant, is getting a major makeover this summer. The new 22-room hotel, which will be dubbed The Madrona, will open later this year. Co-owner Jay Jeffers, who is known for his work at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, told Departures magazine that his goal with the new property is to return it to its 19th Century design roots, which come from the Aestheticism movement. The restaurant, which is helmed by Chef Jesse Mallgren and has one Michelin star, will undergo a renovation as well.
