Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Arista Winery with a Private Chauffeur
A celebrated Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house releasing its final vintages, with just 12 private appointments a week in Healdsburg, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Arista was founded in 2002 by Al and Janis McWilliams, and their sons Mark and Ben took over running it in 2012. Mark handles sales and grower relations, Ben oversees the estate work, and winemaker Matt Courtney leads production with associate winemaker Gordon Miller, whose experience includes Peter Michael, Rochioli and Marcassin. For more than two decades Arista's home was a 36-acre estate on Westside Road; the family sold it in February 2025, and the property is now Harper's Rest.
Arista makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from some of Sonoma County's most respected vineyards: Kent Ritchie's Ritchie Vineyard, planted in 1974 on Goldridge soil, the Kanzler family's vineyard on the western edge of the valley, Ulises Valdez's U.V. Lucky Well vineyard above Occidental, the biodynamically farmed Reuling Vineyard and the Joseph Swan Trenton Estate. The wines ferment with native yeast, age in French oak and are bottled unfined and unfiltered, and critics from Wine Spectator to Jeb Dunnuck have rated many of them 95 points or more. In January 2026 Wine Spectator reported that the family will close the winery, with the 2024 vintage as its last release.
Visiting is now a private affair. Arista hosts 12 appointments a week, Monday to Saturday, and gives the Healdsburg address when it confirms; weekday tastings are usually at one location and Saturdays at another. An appointment can be a tasting before buying or a tasting combined with picking up an A-List allocation. With the last vintages now being released, this is a chance to taste wines that will soon be gone, and we plan the rest of the day around the time Arista sets.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
Address given when booking, Healdsburg
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, Monday to Saturday, with 12 appointments a week, requested through the A-List on the winery's website. Arista gives the Healdsburg address when it confirms; Monday to Friday appointments are usually at one location and Saturday appointments at another. It is no longer at the Westside Road estate it occupied until 2025.
Known For
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including the Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay
Founded
2002
Good to Know
Guests must be 21 or older. Wines are offered to A-List members several times a year, and an appointment can include picking up an allocation order. Arista closes on some holidays. The 2024 vintage is its last, so the remaining releases are limited.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or h2hotel.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or h2hotel
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and h2hotel, a green-roofed hotel just off the Healdsburg plaza, are each a few minutes from Arista's Healdsburg tasting locations. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Arista Winery
The first stop. A private tasting of current Pinot Noir and Chardonnay releases. Arista sets the time when it confirms, and we build the rest of the day around it.
11:40 · Gracianna Winery
About 20 minutes away. The Amador family's estate on the stretch of Westside Road locals call the Miracle Mile, named for Gracianna Lasaga, a French Basque ancestor, with estate Pinot Noir from the Mercedes Riverblock on the bank of the Russian River. Every tasting is seated outdoors among the family-designed buildings and gardens, about 75 minutes: six wines for $30 or eight or more for $45, each waived with a purchase. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 1 to November 30; appointments appreciated.
1:15 · Lunch at Bravas Bar de Tapas
About 20 minutes away. James Beard finalists Mark and Terri Stark's tapas bar on Center Street, steps from the Healdsburg plaza, with paella, Spanish wines and tables indoors or outside. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Christopher Creek Winery
About 10 minutes away. A hilltop family estate on Limerick Lane, opened in 1974, where Syrah and Petite Sirah vines planted in 1972 still go into the Reserve wines; the Foppoli family has owned it since 2012. Guests taste in a rustic tasting room or poolside on the patio with vineyard views. Reservations recommended; we confirm the tasting fee when we book.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:45 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Arista hosts Monday to Saturday and sets the appointment time, and Gracianna is open April 1 to November 30, so this day works Monday to Saturday in those months; we adjust the order around Arista's time. It ends around 3:45.
About $30 to $45 per person at Gracianna, paid directly to the winery; tasting fees at Arista and Christopher Creek are to be verified upon reservation.
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
Can you visit Arista Winery?
Yes, by appointment only. Arista offers 12 appointments a week, Monday to Saturday, requested through its A-List, and gives the Healdsburg address when it confirms. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Arista?
Arista does not publish a tasting fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation.
Is Arista still on Westside Road?
No. The family sold the Westside Road estate in February 2025, and the property is now Harper's Rest. Arista hosts at Healdsburg locations it gives when you book.
Is Arista closing?
Wine Spectator reported in January 2026 that the McWilliams family will close Arista after releasing the 2024 vintage, its last. The 2023 and 2024 wines are being released as usual.
Who owns Arista?
Brothers Mark and Ben McWilliams, who took over in 2012 from their parents, founders Al and Janis McWilliams. Matt Courtney is the winemaker.
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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