Enjoy a wine-centric lunch with top-notch mezze in a chic setting

A day in Healdsburg wouldn’t be complete without a wine tasting. Stop into downtown’s newest tasting room, Marine Layer Wines, for a flight ($35) and snacks. This 4-year-old winery’s specialty is single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grapes grown in the Sonoma Coast region. They’re lively, delicious wines, tending toward the lighter side; you won’t taste any buttery Chardonnay or over-oaked Pinot here. Pay special attention to the Chardonnay from the Heintz Vineyard, whose heady, honeysuckle-rich aroma betrays the presence of botrytis, an appealing mold known as “noble rot” that can grow on grapes in high humidity. Marine Layer’s tasting room is very stylish, with a strong nod to coastal influences in its design, from a driftwood coffee table to a countertop whose swirly pattern looks like beach sand. The mezze platter ($25 for small, $50 for large) is delicious and well worth sharing with your group — and also vegan, provided by neighboring restaurant Little Saint. It might feature crunchy, chickpeabased fafda crackers alongside pickled baby corn, a creamy dip of cultured cashew cheese with pepper jelly and more. After your light lunch, consider kayaking down the Russian River: Rental companies such as River’s Edge, Getaway Adventures and Russian River Adventures are just a fiveminute drive from downtown. Or rent a bicycle for the afternoon from places like Spoke Folk and Podium Wheels. It’s especially fun to bike from the downtown square down Dry Creek Road, passing dozens of world-class wineries on your ride.

John Storey / Special to The Chronicle The Marine Layer winery’s specialty is single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from grapes grown in the Sonoma Coast region.