Guides from our family
Where to taste, what to drink, and how to give wine well — practical guides to wine country, written by the family that makes the wine.
Latest
CookingThe Best Red Wine for Beef Stew (and Short Ribs, Pot Roast and Bourguignon)Which dry red to cook with, how much to use, and which Pinot Noir to pour with beef stew.
Good to KnowShould Pinot Noir Be Chilled? Serving Temperatures for Pinot, Chardonnay & RoséYes, chill your Pinot Noir a little. Serving temperatures and chill times for Pinot, Chardonnay and Rosé, and whether Pinot is red or white.
Good to KnowHow Much Wine Do You Need for a Party?Bottles per person, guest-count charts, and how to split red, white, and rosé for 10 to 150 guests.
The Region
Where we are, and how to taste the Russian River Valley.
The RegionBest Wineries in Sonoma County (2026): Small Producers Worth the DriveSmall, family and independent Sonoma County wineries worth a reservation in 2026, grouped by area, with which area suits the wine you like.
The RegionBest Russian River Valley Wineries to Visit in 2026Ten small, independent Russian River Valley wineries worth a visit in 2026, grouped by area so you can route a tasting day.
The RegionBest Wineries in Healdsburg (2026): Where to TasteEight small producers in and around Healdsburg, grouped by area — in town, Dry Creek Valley, and Windsor — updated for 2026.
The RegionWineries in Windsor, CA (2026): A Local's Guide to Tasting Near HealdsburgWhich wineries you can visit in Windsor, which are minutes away on Westside Road, and how to use the town as a base.
The RegionHealdsburg Wine Tasting: A Complete GuideHow to plan a day of wine tasting around Healdsburg — the three regions, reservations, costs, getting around, and how to pace the day.
The RegionWineries in Sonoma County: A Region-by-Region GuideSonoma isn't one place but many — a region-by-region guide to the county's 19 AVAs, where to stay, and how to choose where to taste.
The RegionGoing Wine Tasting for the First Time: What to ExpectA calm first-timer's guide to wine tasting — what happens, what to wear, how much you drink, how to taste, and the etiquette that matters.
The Wines
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, from the ground up.
The WinesRussian River Valley Pinot Noir: What Makes It DifferentWhy the fog gives Russian River Valley Pinot Noir its perfume, freshness, and age-worthiness — plus clones, winemaking, and how to serve and pair it.
The WinesBest California Chardonnay: Styles, Regions & How to ChooseThe Robb Report century-list Ritchie 2021, oaked vs. unoaked explained, the regions and old vines that matter, and how to choose your bottle.
The WinesDomaine de la Rivière Wines, Explained: Every Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & RoséEvery Domaine de la Rivière Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé on one page — how each tastes and which to choose.
Gifting
Giving and shipping wine, the right way.
GiftingHow to Ship Wine as a Gift (States, Rules & How It Works)Which states allow wine shipping, the 21+ signature rule, why no P.O. boxes, transit times, weather holds, and how to send a bottle the right way.
GiftingWhat's a Good Wine to Give as a Gift?How to choose a bottle that fits the person and the occasion — price bands, formats, labels and scores, and dependable picks for when you're not sure.
GiftingThanksgiving Hostess Gift Ideas: What to Bring the Person Cooking the TurkeyWhat to bring the Thanksgiving host: wine, magnums, homemade ideas, budgets and what to write on the card.
GiftingHost and Hostess Gift Ideas: What to Bring to a Dinner Party, Holiday Party or Weekend StayHost gift ideas for a dinner party, holiday party or weekend stay, with what to spend and what to write.
GiftingIs Wine a Good White Elephant Gift? The Bottle Everyone Tries to StealIs wine a good white elephant gift? What gets stolen, what fits a $25 to $100 limit, and how to wrap it.
GiftingWhat Wine Should You Bring to a Dinner Party (or Give the Host)?What to bring the host: the etiquette, how much to spend, red or white, Thanksgiving and Christmas bottles, and when to ship ahead.
Holidays & Corporate
Seasonal and business gifting from the estate.
HolidaysHoliday Wine Gift Guide 2026What makes a good wine gift, what to give the people on your list, and when to order so it arrives before Christmas.
HolidaysBest Holiday Wine Gift Sets 2026Four curated three-bottle sets and a personalized gift with your note, matched to the host, the collector and the Chardonnay lover.
CorporateCorporate Wine Gifts & Employee Holiday GiftingWhy wine works as a business gift, what to give employees versus clients, and how to send to many addresses within the rules.
CorporateClient Holiday Gifts: High-End Wine Gifts for Clients (2026)High-end wine gifts for clients: what to give, how much to spend, the $25 tax rule, timing and the note.
HolidayWhat Wine Goes With Thanksgiving Dinner? Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & RoséWhat to pour with turkey and every side, how many bottles to buy, serving temperatures, and when to order for Thanksgiving.
HolidaysWhat Wine Goes With Turkey Dinner? The Best Red and White Wines for TurkeyThe best red and white wines for turkey, by cut, cooking method and occasion.
HolidaysRed or White Wine With Turkey? How to Choose (and Why Most Tables Pour Both)The case for red and for white with turkey, dish by dish, and which to open if you only open one.
HolidaysWhat Wine Goes With Christmas Dinner? Ham, Prime Rib, Roast & Beef WellingtonDish-by-dish wine pairings for Christmas dinner: ham, prime rib, beef Wellington, duck, goose, and the Christmas Eve fish.
PairingWhat Wine Goes With Filet Mignon? Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Every SauceThe best red and white wines for filet mignon, plain or sauced, plus surf and turf and Wellington.
Teams & Events
Team building, offsites and client tastings, hosted by the family.
Teams & EventsWine Tasting Team Building: Virtual, In-Office and Sonoma Estate Tastings for Teams (2026)How a wine tasting works as team building: the family pours at your office, on video, or at the estate in Sonoma.
Tech & StartupsTeam Building Ideas for Tech Startups in San Francisco and New York (2026)Team building for small, hybrid startup teams: ten formats, a tasting poured at your SF or NYC office, a Sonoma day offsite.
Private EquityPrivate Equity Offsites, LP Dinners & Deal Celebrations: Hosting a Wine Tasting (2026)Closing dinners, LP dinners and CEO summits around a wine tasting, in your office, at the estate or on video.
Banking & FinanceClient Entertainment Ideas for Banks and Financial Firms (2026): Wine Tastings, Dinners & Team EventsClient tastings for banks and advisors: poured in your SF or NYC office, on screen, or at the estate.
Hotels & HospitalityHotel Staff Appreciation and Team Building Ideas (2026): What Hospitality Teams Actually ValueAppreciation and team building ideas that reach every hotel shift, with the dates to plan around and how a wine tasting fits.
Good to Know
The small things that make wine easier to enjoy.
Good to KnowHow to Get Red Wine Out of Clothes (and Carpet)Blot, don't rub, and stay cold — how to get red wine out of clothes, carpet, upholstery, stone, and wood, fresh or dried.
Good to KnowHow to Open, Cork & Re-Cork a Wine BottleOpen a bottle with any corkscrew or none at all, free a broken cork, open sparkling wine safely, and re-cork what you don't finish so it keeps.
Good to KnowHow Much Wine Do You Need for a Party?Bottles per person, guest-count charts, and how to split red, white, and rosé for 10 to 150 guests.
Good to KnowShould Pinot Noir Be Chilled? Serving Temperatures for Pinot, Chardonnay & RoséYes, chill your Pinot Noir a little. Serving temperatures and chill times for Pinot, Chardonnay and Rosé, and whether Pinot is red or white.
CookingThe Best Red Wine for Beef Stew (and Short Ribs, Pot Roast and Bourguignon)Which dry red to cook with, how much to use, and which Pinot Noir to pour with beef stew.
Common questions
- What is the Russian River Valley known for?
- Cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It's an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, where nightly Pacific fog keeps the region cool, giving wines that are fresh, aromatic, and age-worthy.
- Do you need a reservation for wine tasting in Sonoma County?
- Many smaller, family-run wineries — including ours — host seated tastings by reservation rather than walk-in, so it's best to book a day or two ahead. Larger wineries more often take walk-ins.
- Can you ship wine as a gift?
- Yes, to most U.S. states, through a licensed shipper that handles compliance. An adult 21 or older must sign for delivery, and wine can't be shipped to a P.O. box. Shipping availability is state-limited.
- What wine does Domaine de la Rivière make?
- Limited-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, plus a dry Rosé of Pinot Noir, all grown in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. The estate is family-owned, and tastings are by reservation in Windsor.