HEALDSBURG, Calif. – It takes chilly conditions to produce red-hot pinot noir, and the cool, foggy Russian River Valley in northwest Sonoma County is the place where many of California's most exciting pinots are made.

Russian River Valley Winegrowers

Pinot noir vines stretch across MacMurray Ranch, southwest of Healdsburg, Calif.

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Americans can't get enough pinot noir, so the best course is to go to the source – with a home base in Healdsburg – to taste and to buy pinots. More than 70 wineries produce the red varietal in the valley, the majority within a 25-minute drive of Healdsburg. In town alone, there are 12 tasting rooms within a three-block radius of downtown, many pouring pinot noir.

Enjoy the city's chic restaurants, charming B&Bs and boutiques by morning and evening, and hit the road during the day to taste pinot noir amid the valley's terraced hillsides, redwoods, golden poppies, red barns, jade-carpet vineyards and, of course, the river.

Afternoons are sunny and warm, yet in the mornings and evenings, the air from the ocean drifts in, chilling the grapes and locking in the fruit flavors and crisp acidity that make pinot noir so succulent. That snap in the air lends a snap to the wines.

MORNING

Located in Plaza Farms, an indoor market selling local wines, oils, chocolate and ceramics, Bovolo is a salumeria/gelateria/ enoteca/pizzeria. A morning favorite is the Breakfast Panzanella bread salad with spinach, house-made bacon and a poached egg on top ($8.50). Fifty paces away is the venerable Downtown Bakery and Creamery, known for its sticky buns and now serving hot entrees, too.

Bovolo, 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg; plazafarms.com

Downtown Bakery and Creamery, 308 A Center St., Healdsburg; downtownbakery.net

Hartford Family Winery

Hartford Family Winery in Forestville produces eight Pinot Noirs.

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Next, drive 7 miles southwest on Westside Road, a.k.a. "Pinot Noir Avenue," where pinot pioneers Rochioli Vineyards & Winery and Williams Selyem got their starts. One exciting newcomer to the neighborhood is Arista Winery, with vines planted in 2004 by the Williamson family of Texarkana, Texas. A water garden, deck and picnic tables encourage relaxation, and the pinot noirs are first-rate, juicy and supple. Best bottle: the Toboni Vineyard Russian River Valley.

Arista Winery, 7015 Westside Road, Healdsburg; aristawinery.com

Five miles from Arista is Hartford Family Winery, founded in 1993 yet often overlooked, as it's tucked away next to a rock quarry on Martinelli Road. Hartford produces eight pinot noirs, all intense and structured, as well as chardonnay and zinfandel. Ask for the Hartford Court Fog Dance Vineyards Pinot Noir.

Hartford Family Winery, 8075 Martinelli Road, Forestville; hartfordwines.com

MIDDAY

Drive 5 miles south from Hartford to the tiny town of Graton and dine at Underwood Bar and Bistro. Its saloonlike atmosphere belies the quality of cooking, and you'll rub elbows with local winemakers. The menu includes smoked-trout salad ($8.50), Moroccan lamb sandwich ($12.50) and flat iron steak frites ($19.50).

Underwood Bar and Bistro, 9113 Graton Road, Graton; underwoodgraton.com

Just a mile and a half from Graton is the classy tasting room of Lynmar Winery, which pours four current-release wines, including the excellent single-vineyard Quail Hill Pinot Noir and Quail Hill Chardonnay, for a $10 fee. For $25 (reservations required), four wines are matched with appetizers. It's enough for a light lunch.

Lynmar Winery, 3909 Frei Road, Sebastopol; lynmarwinery.com

It has a Santa Rosa address, but the shared tasting room of Dutton-Goldfield and Balletto Vineyards wineries is just 2 miles from Lynmar. It opened in 2006 and is still a bit of a secret. Grapegrower Steve Dutton and winemaker Dan Goldfield produce some of the region's finest pinots and zinfandels. (Don't miss the silky, concentrated Freestone Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir or the robust Morelli Lane zin.) Balletto's Rosé of Pinot Noir is fruity and refreshing. From here, you're a 20-minute drive back to Healdsburg.

Dutton-Goldfield and Balletto Vineyards tasting room, 5700 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa; duttongoldfield.com; ballettovineyards.com

EVENING

With two Michelin stars, Cyrus is the obvious choice for dinner in Healdsburg. Chef Douglas Keane's three- to five-course menu ($75-$99) of mix-and-match vegetable, seafood, poultry and meat dishes offers French and Asian flavors served in a semiformal atmosphere. Critics have described Cyrus as a "mini French Laundry," referencing Thomas Keller's Napa Valley restaurant that is consistently among the top-rated eateries in the nation. Don't miss chef Keane's Thai Marinated Lobster or Truffled Red Wine Risotto. Sommelier Jim Rollston is always among the first to discover rising local winemaking stars.

Not so obvious, yet beloved by locals, is the casual Ravenous Café, which serves generous portions of Mediterranean- spiced seafood, meats, pasta and burgers at reasonable prices ($10-$23 for entrees). "Ravie" is so under-the-radar that it has no Web site.

Cyrus, 29 North St., Healdsburg; cyrusrestaurant.com. Dinner nightly; reservations required, though walk-ins can dine at the bar.

Ravenous Café, 420 Center St., Healdsburg; 707-431-1302. Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner; reservations accepted.

BEDTIME

After such a big day, the Hotel Healdsburg on the plaza delivers upscale comfort and service in a contemporary atmosphere. Amenities include spa services, deep tubs and complimentary breakfast, for $260-$790 per night. The adjacent Dry Creek Kitchen, overseen by chef-owner (and Healdsburg resident) Charlie Palmer, has an all-Sonoma County wine list.

For two decades, the Best Western Dry Creek Inn has been the place for value-conscious wine travelers to put their feet up – not fancy, but clean and inexpensive. The original rooms have been remodeled, and in October 2007, the Tuscan Rooms were added, spaced around a courtyard and outfitted with fireplaces, jet tubs, steam room-sauna and business center. Original rooms run $89-$199, Tuscan Rooms $149-$280.

Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg; hotelhealdsburg.com

Best Western Dry Creek Inn, 198 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; drycreekinn.com

Linda Murphy is a freelance writer in Healdsburg, Calif.

Fly to San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport, and rent a car. Both airports are roughly the same distance from Healdsburg. (Oakland is easier to get in and out of, though, and is less prone to weather delays.)

Healdsburg is 80 miles north of the airports on Highway 101, a 1 ½ - to 2-hour drive, depending on traffic.For visitor information, winery listings and a touring map, go to the Russian River Valley Winegrowers' Web site at rrvw.org. The Gallo Family Vineyards tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. The Hartford Family Winery makes eight pinot noirs. Taste a little or a lot at Lynmar Winery.