Levin & Company Bookstore Owner Is ‘Gravely Ill’
If you’ve ever been inside Levin & Company, Healdsburg’s wonderfully creaky bookstore next to the bakery on the Center Street side of the plaza — basically the opposite of formula retail! — you’ve likely run into Aaron Rosewater, who co-owns the store with his mom, Adele...
Thumbprint Cellars Closes Healdsburg Tasting Room
On the southwest corner of the plaza, at 102 Matheson St., the Thumbprint Cellars team just ran their final weekend of wine tastings at their 15-year home in downtown Healdsburg. Second-generation winery owner Carter Lindstrom-Dake, son of Thumbprint founders Scott and Erica, told me over...
Meet Mella, Stella’s Identical Pup
Now when most winemakers talk about “clones,” they’re talking about varietals selected for specific qualities, such as flavor, color or intensity. The Dijon clones of pinot noir or chardonnay are well known; but the canine clone of a winery dog is a new thing entirely.
Local Watch Duty App Has Been a ‘Lifeline’ for LA
I don’t know a single person here in Sonoma County who doesn’t already have the Watch Duty app downloaded and poised to start spewing notifications, in case of wildfire. But most of my Los Angeles friends had never heard of it before Jan. 7,...
Housing Market Shows Sharp Divide
What makes Healdsburg’s market particularly unique is the continued dominance of non-primary residence purchases. In 2024, 61% of all purchases were for second homes or investment properties, with rural properties showing an even higher rate at 76%. This tracks with 2023 when 64% of properties were purchased as non-primary residences, writes a local realtor.
Faherty Opens As Council Considers Formula Stores
The new proposal was to expand the formula-free zone one block further into the Downtown Commercial district. McDowell showed a map where a red line marked the border of the proposed formula-free zone; it surrounds most of seven city blocks adjacent to the Plaza, marking a significant expansion of the prohibition zone.
‘Little Market’ on the Market Again
The little store on Powell Street is closed once again. Most recently known as Summer’s Market, it shut its doors for good in early October and has been listed for sale since mid-month. But there's more to the story than just "real estate news" - check it out...
Legal High Comes to Healdsburg
As the first cannabis dispensary opened in Healdsburg, more than one customer observed he was cutting down on VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), a key metric in the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gasses. The next nearest dispensary is 10 miles away in Larkfield, and beyond that twice that far to Cloverdale...
Foppiano Winery Sold to Graton’s Martin Ray
In 1926, Foppiano Wines was forced by Prohibition revenue agents to discard 140,000 gallons of red wine into a ditch next to the highway, where the current winery is located. From there, it flowed into a nearby creek and then into the Russian River—but not before locals scooped up buckets full of the illegal beverage...
Housing Market Report: A Rising Tide
The Healdsburg housing market saw a decrease in sales in 2023, with median prices increasing by 9% to $1.23 million, due to high interest rates and a rise in investors and second-home owners.

















