Michel-Schlumberger winery exudes French style

Take a left after the heritage-breed chicken coop, past the Syrah grapes, next to the creek that's part of the restoration project for coho salmon and steelhead trout. Then head up the slope between the trees beyond the lake. That's where you'll find Healdsburg's interpretation of France.

In a nutshell, this is how a tour goes at Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate in Healdsburg, which spans 100 acres across Dry Creek Valley and is planted in a crazy quilt of 15 primarily Bordeaux-style varieties. There's a flavor of Provence, too, from more than 400 olive trees.

You choose from a variety of options on how to take it all in - a casual property preview and tasting offered daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ($20), a more elaborate guided vineyard hike finished with a private wine tasting (10:30 a.m. Fridays, $50), custom tours, or new self-guided walks that can be tacked on to the no-appointment-needed salon tasting ($10).

However you get there, go. It's hard to say which is more impressive - the stunning redwoods and the spring-fed Lac Schlumberger lake, or grapes laid out in tidy, seemingly endless rows across terraced uplands and sloping cradles.

The vibe: Despite the fantastic beauty of the old Spanish mission building and the wines' rich pedigree, the mood is 100 percent Wine Country casual. The staff actually seem to be delighted to work here. "Pinch me!" grinned our hostess, admitting to the beauty of the setting then asking if we wanted her "to sit and chat about the wines, or skedaddle."

The team: Founded as Domaine Michel in 1979 by Jean-Jacques Michel of Switzerland, the estate was renamed Michel-Schlumberger in 1993, when Jacques Schlumberger took over as a majority partner. The Schlumberger family boasts 400 years of winemaking in Alsace, France. Winemaker Mike Brunson started as assistant winemaker in 1993.

The wines: Five wines generally are included on the changing menu, but our freewheeling hostess was in a mood for fun. She skipped around through the listed 2008 La Brume Chardonnay ($32), 2007 Humanitas Malbec ($40), 2007 Le Sage Merlot ($35), 2007 La Source Syrah ($30) and a surprise addition of a 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon ($50), then added in three more pours: a 2010 La Bise Pinot Blanc ($24), a 2007 Petit Verdot ($40) and a 2009 Le Bon Cochon Zinfandel ($40).

The experience: Even if you only do the basic tasting, there's ample variety in the settings - the winery's French country kitchen, its elegant salon or the courtyard garden - to keep the most jaded tasting room visitor interested. On Fridays, there's live music ($5 cover), and perhaps because the winery is set off a relatively hidden side lane off West Dry Creek Road, it has become a high favorite of locals escaping tourist traps.

The extras: Anyone interested in Ask Mr. Science adventures will have a (literal) field day here. The tours, and also 3-D displays off the courtyard, explain how the winery works as an eco-community. Chickens control aphids and beetles, there are bee hives and a beneficial insectary garden. The estate is certified as a fish and wildlife habitat, housing 30 small bird boxes, 20 raptor perches and six owl boxes, while the lake hosts migrating loons and a mated pair of wild Canadian geese.