George_Mandler: May 22, 2023, 4:51pm
I have taken classes from Toby over and over. Each time there is always some new nugget or nuance that brought
an “aha!” moment. Fortunately I had a few in-person classes before we went all Zoom. But now Toby is back in the
classroom in a beautiful Sonoma County open air pavilion.
I’ve done the Intro class 4 times and if I could make this one I’d do a fifth just for the wine. If you feel like you are
a bit rusty in Sa’am I highly recommend June in Napa Valley.
https://www.singletribe.net/saam-class-june-2023
Here is a list of options to make this a mini-vacation:
Overview of the Dry Creek Valley:
Discover Dry Creek Valley | Winegrowers Of Dry Creek Valley
Renowned for its idyllic undisturbed beauty, Dry Creek Valley is home to over 9,000
acres of vineyards that carpet the intimate floor to hillside.
Directions from the South to the class (SF to Dry Creek Valley) Google Maps
101 North to Preston Farms and Winery: From SF, take 101 northbound until you are just past Healdsburg, then
take the Canyon Road exit. Turn left under the freeway and follow Canyon Rd until it dead-ends on Dry Creek
Road. Make a right on Dry Creek Road, turn left on Yoakum Bridge, then a right on West Dry Creek Road. Follow
the signs to Preston Farms and Winery to the right. Continue down the gravel road until it dead ends. This is where
class will be held.
Directions from the North to the class (Ukiah to Dry Creek Valley) Google Maps
Preston Farm and Winery has a working farm, and a lovely tasting room where you can sample their wine and
purchase picnic items.
Nearby restaurants and grocery stores:
Geyserville (about 12 minutes from Preston Farm):
Diavola offers seasonal items, and some of the most authentic pizza a salumi outside of Italy. This is definitely a
local (and host) favorite.This is one of those great places where you won’t go wrong with any order.
The Gun Club, which is an off-shoot of Diavola that offers after hours food and creative drinks. It’s named after a
shooting range that was located under the restaurant. Finding meals therewith an Asian flare is a fun surprise.This04/01/2024, 11:40Live Sa’am Classes Are A Great Way To Learn The Heart Medicine – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/live-saam-classes-are-a-great-way-to-learn-the-heart-medicine/1928/print2/4
is the place to go for your after class discussions.https://www.geyservillegunclub.com
Cloverdale (about 17 minutes from Preston Farm):
Craving Asian food? Tian Yuen (http://tianyuen.squarespace.com/) and Thai Way 101 (https://101thaiway.co/)
are the right places to get your fix.
Want locally made craft beer in a small town pub atmosphere? The Wolf House https://wolfhousebrewing.com/
will hit all the right notes.
Healdsburg (about 20 minutes from Preston Farm):
Are you a gourmand? If so, Healdsburg is the place to go where chef’s excel at using locally grown, delicious
meals.
Willi’s seafood bar not only has fresh seafood, but also offers other small place options for the non-seafood lover
(https://starkrestaurants.com/stark-restaurant/willis-seafood-raw-bar/)
Enjoy beautiful outdoor dining with foods grown at their local farm, Barndiva is a gem
(https://www.barndiva.com/). Great for a special occasion and a beautiful, relaxed atmosphere. The back garden
dining room is a real treat.
One of the newest Healdsburg offerings is The Matheson https://www.thematheson.com/
The Taste of Tea offers a wide variety of teas to sample, as well as a great Japanese menu to enjoy them with. Their
bento boxes and fermented veggies are delicious https://thetasteoftea.com/
Just when you thought you’d had enough of farm to table dining, along comes Spoonbar https://spoonbar.com/
Agave – Love Mexican food? You’ll enjoy this restaurant, which also offers an extensive tequila menu.
For a super-duper splurge: SingleThread Farms » Restaurant
Snacks and Groceries: Cloverdale – Dahlia and Sage organic grocery in Cloverdale, and Big John’s market in
Healdsburg
Morning items: Plank in Cloverdale and Healdsburg offers delicious teas, home roasted coffees, and a large
variety of breakfast items, many of which are vegan.
Cousteaux’s in Healdsburg is a French cafe that offers a large variety of dishes, including a delicious breakfast
salad.
Activities:
Lake Sonoma – Just north of Preston Farm. World class swimming, hiking, mountain biking and trail running.
Here’s a map of the Rockpile hiking area:
https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Portals/68/docs/Lake%20Sonoma/Rockpile%20Road%20area%20trail
s.pdf Ask your hosts for more details.04/01/2024, 11:40Live Sa’am Classes Are A Great Way To Learn The Heart Medicine – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/live-saam-classes-are-a-great-way-to-learn-the-heart-medicine/1928/print3/4
Rental bikes (Healdsburg)- Bicycle and E-Bike Rentals – Wine Country Bikes, and
https://www.spokefolk.com/
Canoe rentals for a trip down the Russian River – russian river canoe rentals
Accomodations:
We listed some of the pricier places, but there are more affordable places to be found in Healdsburg,
Geyserville and Cloverdale
Air BnB’s – Try Cloverdale, Healdsburg or Geyserville.
Cloverdale -Check out this former hospital with multiple towers and original Victorian style –
https://www.pinschowerinn.com
Healdsburg – Hotel Healdsburg https://hotelhealdsburg.com/ Hotel LeMars –
https://www.hotellesmars.com/
Wine Tasting – A trip to Sonoma County’s renowned wine country wouldn’t be complete without checking out
a few wineries. Think you’re only a red wine drinker? Let us change your mind. You don’t need to drink wine
to enjoy the tasting room offerings of picnic snacks, locally made olive oil and a variety of gifts to remember
your trip by. (Head’s up, some wineries request reservations, and although they may charge for tastings, many
credit that cost towards your purchase. Some wineries also offer lunch boxes for an extra cost. Double bonus,
many wineries have destination chargers so you can charge your EV while enjoying your time learning more
about what the winery/farm offers. Here are some of our favorites:
Preston Farm and Winery – This is home base, where the class and all the important things are happening.
Enjoy their home baked bread and a variety of organic and biodynamic wines. Stroll the grounds and
experience the gardens and happy cats and sheep. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to run into the farmer/owners,
Sue and Lou Preston- https://prestonfarmandwinery.com/
Trattore Farms – Beautiful views of the Dry Creek Valley. https://trattorefarms.com/
Cast – let the scenery and wines cast a spell on you. https://castwines.com/
Ferrari Carano. A mansion of a winery, more in the style of the Napa Valley. The grounds and sculptures are
amazing, and the wine library is exquisite – https://www.ferrari-carano.com/
MacRostie Winery. OK, time to place a bet on the most beautiful views in Sonoma County. The wine and lunch
box and friendly service make this a Sonoma County favorite. https://macrostiewinery.com/
IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME
The magical village of Mendocino is about 75 minutes northwest of Prestons.https://www.mendocino.com/
The City of 10,000 Buddhas Is about 40 minutes north of Prestons. How did the Buddhas get there? Ponder
that while enjoying an incredible vegan meal and then touring the grounds. http://www.cttbusa.org
1 Like04/01/2024, 11:40Live Sa’am Classes Are A Great Way To Learn The Heart Medicine – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/live-saam-classes-are-a-great-way-to-learn-the-heart-medicine/1928/print4/4