Gifts for Wine Lovers & Collectors
The best gifts for wine lovers are bottles they can't find in a store: our 2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay from 1972 vines, the 2021 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir (98 points, The Tasting Panel), or a magnum to cellar. They already own the gadgets.
The wines: gifts for wine lovers
From 1972 Old Wente vines
2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay
Robb Report, Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century
98 points, The Tasting Panel
2021 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir
98 points, The Tasting Panel; Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle
A Top 100 wine of 2025
2021 Heritage Block Pinot Noir
95 points, Cristaldi Report; Gold, San Francisco Chronicle
From a steep ridge site
2021 El Diablo Vineyard Pinot Noir
Double Gold and Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle
Sets and magnums
What do you give someone who loves wine?
Wine they haven't had. Serious wine drinkers already own the decanter and the opener; what they're missing is the small producer they'd never come across on a shelf. Our wines are made in small lots from single vineyards in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley and sold almost entirely direct, so they rarely appear in shops.
What wine should you give a collector?
Something with a vineyard name, a vintage worth remembering, and a reason to wait. Ritchie Vineyard was planted in 1972 to the Old Wente clone and is one of California's most celebrated old-vine Chardonnay sites; our 2021 is on Robb Report's list of the Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century. On the Pinot Noir side, the 2021 Red Barn Block comes from our estate Vineyard Eleven and scored 98 points from The Tasting Panel.
A magnum is the collector's format: it ages more slowly and evenly than a 750 mL bottle, and few are made.
Why give a vertical or a set?
Tasting three wines from one producer side by side shows what the vineyard does, which is the part collectors enjoy most. The Pinot Noir Collector and Chardonnay Collector sets each hold three single-vineyard bottlings, one of each.
Good to know
What is a good gift for a wine collector?
A single-vineyard wine from a small producer, ideally in magnum. Domaine de la Rivière's 2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay (Robb Report Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century) and 2021 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir (98 points) are its collector picks.
Can these wines be cellared?
Yes. The single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and the Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay are made to age. Store them on their side, somewhere cool and dark, around 55°F.
Is a wine club membership a good gift for a wine lover?
Yes. Les Clubs ships new releases twice a year as a half case (Friends de la Rivière) or a full case (Concierge de la Rivière), with member pricing.
Do you ship to my state?
We ship to most U.S. states through Vinoshipper, which handles wine-shipping compliance. An adult 21 or older signs for the delivery, and wine can't go to a P.O. box.