Russian River Valley’s Westside Road

The Russian River Valley’s Westside Road is home to vineyards, wineries, and some fine estate homes in Sonoma County’s wine country. There are a handful of modest homes along this scenic, wine-tourism road, but if you have a Westside Road address, whether you house is small or grand, it’s likely that you have more than one bottle of Pinot or Chardonnay in your wine cellar.

Westside Road’s first stretch heading west from Healdsburg is an easy walk to town for the fifty or so residences that are on or within a few blocks of Westside Road. It’s a low turnover area, even for Healdsburg. There has been more commercial activity in the area recently including a brand new home for the Healdsburg Animal Shelter and a new tasting room.

Once Westside Rd turns south near Madrona Manor (at the intersection with W. Dry Creek Road), some of the parcels are larger.  Of the current active listings on Westide Road‘s (as of June 29, 2011) southerly 5 mile stretch, the smallest listings are under one acre each, and the biggest are 21 and 53 acres.  Prices range from just under $1 million to $6.29 million for these properties. What earns these high prices for the properties is not just the cachet of living near Healdsburg on one of the most beautiful wine roads in the country, but the potential to create true world class luxury estates.

One of my favorite listings here is for a 21.6 acre property with commanding views, broad meadows, and room to plant vineyards, construct horse facilities, or create any other amenities the new owners dream into being. It’s wonderfully close to town but is very private and loaded with potential. If you’ve been waiting for an extraordinary wine country property to build your dream home…and you have the budget at $2.7 million, this is worth looking at.