What to Expect at the Grape Leaf Inn:

The Grape Leaf Inn is a small bed and breakfast housed in a wine-colored Queen Anne Victorian built in 1900. Guests can snuggle up in cozy rooms furnished with antiques, enjoy four-course breakfasts, and sip hot chocolate in front of the sitting room fireplace. Nightly wine tastings are held in the basement “speakeasy.” The Grape Leaf Inn is located four blocks from downtown Healdsburg, center of the Sonoma County wine region.

Guest Rooms at the Grape Leaf Inn:

The Grape Leaf Inn’s 12 rooms have a Victorian look but are outfitted with king or queen beds, TV, DVD and CD players, and wi-fi. Most have two-person spa tubs and showers, and some have eaves and stained glass windows. Each room is different and is named for a different variety of wine, such as Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Merlot. Nearby are three cottages with private outdoor hot tubs and 360-degree views of the surrounding vineyards.

Dining at the Grape Leaf Inn:

Breakfast, the only meal available, is an elaborate affair. The four-course feast, served from 9:00 to 10:30, may begin with a lemon champagne slushie and include an apple crepe with raspberry sauce and sugared nuts, chicken apple sausage, and gorgonzola crème brulée. Coffee and double chocolate chip cookies are available in the afternoon, and during cocktail hour Sonoma County wine and cheese tastings take place in the basement speakeasy, hidden away behind a bookcase.

Romantic Amenities and Weddings at the Grape Leaf Inn:

The Grape Leaf Inn offers three romantic extras: Ultimate Decadence, a bottle of champagne dipped in chocolate; Bubbles and Sweet Pleasures, which includes champagne, chocolates, bath crystals, and a bath pillow; and Sonoma County Bounty, chilled Chardonnay with local cheeses and other snacks. Wedding parties can rent the entire inn, and the owners can arrange small events at their vineyard nearby, coordinating food, photography, flowers, and other details.

Spa Services at the Grape Leaf Inn:

There is no pool or spa on site, but massages are available in guestrooms or in the wine cellar. They include a Grape Leaf Inn massage to relieve stress, a deep-tissue massage for sore muscles, and a somatic-stress massage, which focuses on particular muscle groups. The champagne massage, given in the wine cellar, includes champagne, an hour-long massage by candlelight, and lemon verbena-mint tea.

Nearby the Grape Leaf Inn:

The Grape Leaf Inn is located on the edge of Healdsburg, a charming, upscale town that is the center of Sonoma County. Its restaurants, bakeries, and shops and galleries are a seven-minute walk away. Healdsburg’s central location also makes it an ideal spot for touring the Russian River Valley wineries, hiking through the redwoods at the 805-acre Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve near Guerneville, and enjoying the area’s many festivals and outdoor activities.

What Could be Improved at the Grape Leaf Inn:

Although the Grape Leaf Inn’s owners are committed to good service, other staff members are not particularly attentive — for example, failing to give out room keys without being hunted down, neglecting to demonstrate how to open the unusual windows, or volunteering any unsolicited information whatsoever. The reception desk is left unmanned much of the time. While coffee is available from 7:30 on, full breakfast is not served until 9:00, which some visitors may find inconveniently late.

Is the Grape Leaf Inn Right for You?:

Tall people, as well as those who forget to watch their heads, may find themselves crashing into the low eaves in some of the bedrooms. The deep spa tubs have high sides, making them difficult for older people or those with limited movement to climb into. And while many will embrace the inn’s Victorian charm, others may be frustrated by such old-fashioned touches as dim lighting and the pedestal sinks in some of the bathrooms, which offer limited counter space for toiletries.

Find Out More About the Grape Leaf Inn:

Grape Leaf Inn
539 Johnson Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-8140
Grape Leaf Inn Web Site

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation and meals for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.