Ray Holley
Ray is the former editor of The Healdsburg Tribune. He is a free range writer and photographer, lucky enough to live and work in Healdsburg, the home of good weather, good coffee, good bread and good citizens. He enjoys writing about the more intriguing aspects of Sonoma County's wine industry.
Stories by Ray Holley
Keeping your Cool
It’s been a moody spring in Sonoma County’s Great Northwest. Weeks of rain have been interspersed with warm days that have energized just about anything that blooms. Inevitably, a cool April gives way to the dazzling sunshine of May, followed by the warmth of summer.
Getting the Shakes
Stick a bunch of stuff in a blender, shake maker or smoothie maker, whirl it around awhile and your correspondent is a happy guy. After all, I have my own Hamilton Beach milkshake machine, complete with a stainless steel cup that gets frosty when it’s on the machine long enough.
DAY TRIPPING | Art Walks
Put on your walking shoes; it’s spring and we’ve discovered two walking tours that will limber up your winter-weary legs and give you a look at works by local artists in unique outdoor "galleries.”
Art Centers
Community arts centers are more than just galleries, more than just a place to take an art class. The good ones become community institutions that create a positive impact on economic development, education, culture and more. Let’s take a close look at two local arts centers and check in with four more that serve as creative hubs in their areas.
DAY TRIPPING | Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, Geyserville
Most journeys into the Alexander Valley begin in Healdsburg, the nexus of wine growing in northern Sonoma County. Start your trip in town, and travel north along Healdsburg Avenue.
A Walk in the Vines
If your primary exposure to wine is while leaning on a tasting room bar or looking at a restaurant wine list, maybe you ought to get outside and see how it’s grown. Sonoma County’s wine industry has been gradually inviting its fans outside.
DAY TRIPPING | Ridge Running and Coastal Cruising
In which we ponder the meaning of roads and the virtues of brunch
Into the Earth: Wine Caves
For centuries, ever since hunter-gatherers turned their inventive minds to agriculture, humans have faced the dilemma of how to mitigate the effects of weather on food. Seasonal–even daily–shifts in temperature and humidity make it difficult to simply pile your harvest somewhere and not see it rot, desiccate or become contaminated.