Mild-mannered wine tasting room and produce garden by day, retro-underground bar by night. Nestled deep in the heart of the Alexander Valley, the Medlock Ames tasting room and Alexander Valley Bar are flip sides of the same 100-year-old saloon.
Dayside, the multi-use green building is a sun-drenched spot for tasting the artisan wines of this valley start-up. Fresh, pickled and canned produce from the carefully plotted onsite garden patch and already-popular winery gardens will be available for purchase in the tasting room and on weekly market days. Come quittin’ time, the dimly lit back bar throws open its doors as a saloon.
Hey, it takes a lot of beer to make wine, right? Paying homage to its colorful years as a rough-and-tumbling local watering hole, the space is a mash-up of Victorian parlor chic and modern cocktail den. Think punched-tin ceiling, distressed recycled wood and a plush banquette for lounging away the hours. Stroll out to the porch and survey the valley on warm evenings — or just warmed up by a nice seasonal cocktail.
Tasting Room open 10am to 5pm daily, 431-8845; bar open at 5pm daily. 3487 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 431.1904.