Healdsburg is one of those places I keep coming back to, and I’ve written before about why familiar destinations often reward return visits more than new ones do. The town has a certain quality to it — the square, the walkability, the wineries close enough that a morning tasting and a long lunch don’t require much planning or effort beyond a reservation. We stayed at Liora Estate for the first two nights, a boutique property just off the plaza. Thursday evening we had dinner at Valette, a restaurant that had been on our list for a while and didn’t disappoint. We ordered a bottle of 2020 Jordan Cabernet, which felt a bit like foreshadowing for what was coming on Saturday.

Friday was unstructured by design. A little research led us to Lambert Bridge Winery — a small producer focused on old-world styled wines that we’d never visited despite many Healdsburg trips. The tasting itself consisted of five wines, but our host Danielle’s generosity extended well beyond that — she poured a couple additional wines to give us side-by-side comparisons of the same variety from different vineyards, and then she finished with a sauvignon blanc and rosé that were the perfect accompaniment for a hot June afternoon. We ended up joining as members, ordering some wine for shipping, and receiving an invitation to their member appreciation party the next day. We bought a charcuterie basket, found a spot in their garden, and spent the afternoon enjoying the lazy pace and beautiful surroundings. Lambert Bridge is the kind of discovery that happens when you give a day enough room to breathe.

On Saturday we attended the Lambert Bridge party (as newly minted members). It was a full hoedown, complete with cowboy hats, BBQ, wood-fired pizza, and live music on the lawn. Then, at about 2:30 we made our way to Jordan. It would be hard to imagine two more different experiences. And yet they shared something that resonated with me: both were run by people who are genuinely passionate about what they do, and it showed in every detail.

The Chateau Suites

Jordan has been making wine since 1976 — their inaugural vintage — but the story starts in 1972, when Tom and Sally Jordan first purchased land in Alexander Valley with a vision borrowed from the great châteaux of France. I’ve written before about the 1990 Jordan Cabernet that changed how I thought about wine on my honeymoon. Saturday felt like a continuation of the same story.

We checked in mid-afternoon and were shown to our Chateau Suite. I expected the room to be beautiful — I’d seen photos online. What I didn’t anticipate was how breathtaking it actually was. The craftsmanship, the décor, the sense of having stepped into a European estate rather than a winery guest room. Vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams, a large stone fireplace, and French doors on both sides of the living space — one set opening to a balcony overlooking the gardens and the valley beyond, the other looking directly down into the barrel room. I stood at that second set of doors for a little while. There is something about viewing a working winery from your guest room that no hotel, however beautiful, can replicate.

The Sunset Supper

In 2025, Jordan was ranked #13 in the world and named the best winery destination in North America by the World’s 50 Best Vineyards. An evening like the Sunset Supper makes it easy to understand why. It’s typically held at Vista Point, the highest spot on their 1,200-acre estate overlooking three different AVAs. The wind had other ideas on June 6th, so the evening moved indoors, which turned out to be its own kind of gift. Three round tables of six, an exquisitely decorated room, and an intimacy that a hilltop dinner for a larger group doesn’t always allow. We were seated with two other couples and found easy connection almost immediately.

The reception began with Jordan Cuvée by Champagne AR Lenoble — a French Champagne produced exclusively for Jordan. Then we were seated for dinner.

Executive Chef Jesse Mallgren designed the menu. Mallgren spent 25 years as Executive Chef of Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, earning a Michelin star for 13 consecutive years, before joining Jordan exclusively. His food reflects that pedigree — every course felt considered and seasonal, drawing from Jordan’s own culinary garden and estate. 

After passed appetizers at the Champagne reception, the menu moved through a Lyonnaise Salad paired with a 2023 Jordan Chardonnay, Smoked Salmon Rillette with a 2020 Jordan Chardonnay from magnum, Duck Confit Crêpe Forestière with a 2016 Cabernet from magnum, and Cabernet Braised Veal Cheeks with a 2006 Jordan Cabernet. 

Jason, our host for the evening and someone who has looked after us at prior Jordan events, made sure I always had a little extra in each glass to compare alongside the next pour. That kind of attentiveness is one of the many things that set Jordan apart.

The evening closed with the 2022 Jordan Sauternes — a return to dessert winemaking after four decades, made in collaboration with Château Guiraud, whose winemaker came to them after nearly three decades at Château d’Yquem, the most celebrated Sauternes producer in the world.

But the evening didn’t end at the table. Afterward, we moved outside to the patio — chilly and a bit windy, dessert bites on a table, people drifting between conversations. Jason was making his way through the group, pouring the 1976 Jordan Cabernet and then, if memory serves, a 1986 — another vintage we hadn’t seen yet that evening. We’d arrived not knowing anyone at our table. By the end of the night we’d exchanged numbers and made plans to stay in touch. Jordan has a way of doing that.

The morning after

Breakfast arrived at our pre-arranged time — a beautifully composed tray, most of it sourced from the estate gardens. We ate with no particular rush and enjoyed the view of the gardens and Alexander Valley. That unhurried morning felt as much a part of the experience as the dinner itself. Jordan understands that hospitality isn’t just the meal — it’s the entire experience.

I’ve been a Jordan member for years and attended several of their events. The Sunset Supper remains in a category of its own — the kind of evening worth planning a Healdsburg trip around. It also reinforces something I believe about travel more broadly: the experiences that stay with you longest tend to be the ones where someone has thought carefully about every detail, long before you arrive.