Healdsburg’s journey to becoming the quaint city along the Russian River that it is today began in the mid 1800’s with the California gold rush. A man named Harmon Heald journeyed west with his brothers in search of gold and opp01iunities. After a tough journey which compromised his health, Harmon Heald built a squatter’s cabin in 1850 along the Russian River, which later became the 300 block of Healdsburg Avenue. The following year, he cleared ten acres of land and planted wheat. The crop was outstanding, and the following year, he built a small addition to his home where he sold goods to Native Americans and other settlers. Over the next several years, more settlers came and Heald grew his trading post. In 1857, Heald purchased a piece of the land where he had been living, and the town named “Healdsburg” was incorporated in March 5, 1857.

Alexander Valley is the most fruitful wine region in Sonoma County. The lush land is home to dozens of vineyards stretching out on both sides of the Russian River. The region was named after Cyrus Alexander, an early grantee of Mexican land, who began planting grapes in 1843. For much of its history, the land was used to grow mass­ produced bulk and jug wines from various red grapes. However, in the 1970’s, a new wave of wine producers were attracted to the area and began making wine that received critical acclaim. In recent years, Alexander Valley has become known for the quality of its cabernet sauvignon and merlot.