One of my favorite things to do in Northern California is indulge in long lunches at wineries, ideally with panoramic vineyard views. I appreciate the opportunity to sample hard-to-find bottlings with fine food, and more important, it’s just great fun. On this trip, we took time for three such lunches: one in the Dry Creek Valley several miles north of the town of Healdsburg, one in Healdsburg itself and one in Carneros in southern Sonoma County. Each was a delight. I only regret that we didn’t have the chance to try Jordan’s “Paris on the Terrace” lunch, which was sold out by the time we tried to make reservations. Next time!

Cāpo Creek

Located along a wonderfully picturesque winding road in the tranquil Dry Creek Valley, this winery opened to visitors in 2018. Owner Mary Roy took winemaking classes remotely from University of California, Davis. After she graduated, she sold her radiology clinic outside Chicago and bought this winery and the vineyards around it. She also creates the delicious lunches served on Cāpo Creek’s hillside patio, overlooking a plot of old Zinfandel vines stretching to the opposite side of the valley.