Dry Creek Valley has always been a favored address for permanent and part time wine country residents alike. These days, in addition to the famed Dry Creek zinfandel carpeting the valley floor and hillside vineyards, the valley is home to the dark blue of Healdsburg Sotheby’s International Realty signs (and others) marking some beautiful properties.
Property values in Dry Creek Valley are driven by the standard real estate factors starting with location. Healdsburg is the main attraction in the wine country. Properties closer to town will always have a higher valuation than more distant properties. You can measure in miles or in minutes, but you will pay more to be closer to Healdsburg. Anything along Dry Creek Rd or W. Dry Creek Rd with an address under 1000 is considered close to town. Of course, locations close to town can have drawbacks due to traffic noise, so each property has to be looked at in context.
A second key valuation factor is the utility of the land. In a famed appellation, the potential to grow grapes is a major contributor to the price of the property. The valley floor and gently sloping hillsides are the main beneficiaries of the agricultural value of plantable land. Of course, you may find existing vineyards for sale and the question then isn’t about plantable land but about the quality of what is already there. Within the vineyards already planted, value is based on whether or not the grapes are under a contract for purchase of the grapes, which varietals, rootstocks and clones are planted, the age of the vines, and the quality of historic growing practices such as pruning, irrigation, and frost protection.
Here’s a slideshow of Dry Creek Valley homes and land for sale: