Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Aesthete with a Private Chauffeur
Red Adirondack chairs on private patios along Dry Creek, rescued farm animals and wines by Jesse Katz, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Jeff and Hilary Jones, Sonoma County natives who grew up around Santa Rosa's Bennett Valley, bought the Dry Stack Vineyard there in 2013, mostly for the house and the pastures for their family's rescue animals. Wineries lined up for the vineyard's fruit, especially its Rauscedo clone Sauvignon Blanc, but Jeff held off making wine until he met winemaker Jesse Katz, and the two started aesthete together. For almost a decade it sold only to its member list.
Jesse Katz was the first winemaker named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and learned at Petrus and Screaming Eagle; he also makes Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof. For aesthete he makes Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Stack's cool Bennett Valley site, along with Cabernet Sauvignon from the Pritchett block of Rockpile Ridge Vineyard. The name means a person with a refined sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature and an indifference to practical matters, and the winery holds each wine until it is ready.
To share the wines more widely, the Joneses bought the former Truett Hurst winery on Dry Creek Road, which happened to come with a herd of rescued goats. Guests reserve one of nine creekside patios with red Adirondack chairs on the bank of Dry Creek, cool even on hot summer days, or a shaded picnic table next to the animals, which families love. Friday to Sunday the kitchen makes wood-fired pizzas, sides and salads with produce from the organic farm.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Experiences include the Introductory Tasting on the patio or in the tasting room, the Creekside Tasting and Creekside Reservation on Dry Creek, and the Picnic Table Reservation by the animals.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
5610 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Open Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are made online; parties larger than 8 call the winery.
Known For
Dry Stack Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and creekside tasting
Founded
Dry Stack Vineyard bought in 2013; the Dry Creek winery and farm is the former Truett Hurst property
Good to Know
Each creekside patio seats up to 6 and each picnic table up to 8, and those reservations are for 2 hours. Leashed dogs are welcome, and the picnic area beside the farm animals suits families with children. Wood-fired pizza Friday to Sunday.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Duchamp Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:00 · Pickup at Duchamp Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House
Duchamp Healdsburg, a few blocks from the plaza, and Harmon Guest House, a boutique hotel just off the plaza, are each about 20 minutes from Aesthete. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Aesthete
The Introductory Tasting on the patio, or a creekside patio by the water; we book ahead.
11:40 · Martorana Family Winery
About 20 minutes away. The Martorana family bought its land on West Dry Creek Road in 1983, and today certified organic vineyards and olive trees surround a small winery where tastings can be poured in the wine cave; Gio Martorana makes Olio di Gio olive oil on a traditional press from Italy. Tasting fees are confirmed when we book. Open Friday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; walk-ins welcome up to 10 guests, reservations recommended.
12:55 · Lunch at Dry Creek General Store
About 15 minutes away. A country store since 1881 at the crossroads of Dry Creek Valley, with a deli for sandwiches, soups and salads, a front porch over the valley and a garden out back. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:10 · Mounts Family Winery
About 10 minutes away. The Mounts family has farmed this Dry Creek Valley estate since 1946, selling most of its grapes to other wineries; David and Lana Mounts launched their own label in 2005, the year the family's wine caves were built. Tastings are outdoors, looking over the vineyards. Fees are confirmed when we book; by reservation.
3:10 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:35 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Martorana opens Friday to Monday and Aesthete Thursday to Monday, so this day works Friday to Monday. If you would rather spend 2 hours on a creekside patio, we drop one of the afternoon stops.
Tasting fees at Aesthete, Martorana and Mounts are all to be verified upon reservation and are paid directly to each winery.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Aesthete?
Yes. Reservations are made online for the tasting room, patio, creekside patios and picnic tables; parties larger than 8 call the winery. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Aesthete?
Tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not list them on its booking page.
Are the red Adirondack chairs still there?
Yes. The winery says the red Adirondack chairs are still here, open to every guest, not just members, and the farm animals are too.
Can I bring children or a dog to Aesthete?
Leashed dogs are welcome. The shaded picnic tables next to the farm animals are the spot the winery suggests for families with children.
Who makes aesthete wines?
Jesse Katz, who also makes Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof, in partnership with owners Jeff and Hilary Jones of Dry Stack Vineyard in Bennett Valley.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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