Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Dry Creek Vineyard with a Private Chauffeur
The winery that restarted Dry Creek Valley after Prohibition, still family owned, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
David Stare, an MIT-trained civil engineer who fell for the wines of the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, bought a 55-acre prune orchard across the road from the Dry Creek General Store and founded Dry Creek Vineyard in 1972. It was the first new winery built in Dry Creek Valley after Prohibition, and in 1983 Stare led the effort to make Dry Creek Valley an American Viticultural Area. His daughter Kim Stare Wallace joined in 1987 and her husband, Don Wallace, in 1990, and they took over when he retired in 2006. The winery is still owned by the family.
Stare planted the valley's first Sauvignon Blanc against the advice of vineyard experts, and in 1972 the winery released the first Sonoma County Fumé Blanc. It was also the first winery to call Zinfandel from pre-Prohibition vineyards "Old Vine", and the first to put the word Meritage on a label. Under Kim and Don the family sold vineyards outside the appellation and built up 185 acres of certified sustainable estate vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, and hired winemaker Tim Bell in 2011.
Dry Creek Vineyard is known for Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Chenin Blanc and single-vineyard Zinfandels, bottled under its sailboat labels. Its 2023 Dry Chenin Blanc was No. 24 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2025, and SFGATE's Best of the Bay Area Awards named it Best Winery in 2026. Guided tastings are for groups of up to 6, with vineyard walks and a utility-vehicle tour of the estate on select days.
Tasting Fees
$30 to $50 for a guided tasting: the Private Seated Tasting, the White Wine & Rosé Flight, Zinfandels of Dry Creek Valley or the Bordeaux Varietals & Blends Tasting. $75 for the Vineyard Stroll & Tasting with cheese and charcuterie, Thursday to Monday. $150 for Bold Dreams: The Dry Creek Vineyard Story, with an estate vineyard tour, Thursday to Sunday. A charcuterie plate for two is $30, Thursday to Monday.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3770 Lambert Bridge Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged; online booking closes 24 hours ahead, and same-day visits are arranged by phone.
Known For
Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Chenin Blanc and Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
Founded
1972
Good to Know
Guided tastings take up to 6 guests; larger parties are arranged through the concierge. The Bold Dreams experience is for 2 to 4 guests, 21 and over. Tastings and tours in Spanish are available with advance booking.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or The Madrona.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or The Madrona
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and The Madrona, a 24-room hotel on a historic estate on Westside Road, are each about 15 minutes from Dry Creek Vineyard. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Dry Creek Vineyard
A guided tasting of limited-production wines ($30 to $50), such as the Zinfandels of Dry Creek Valley flight.
11:40 · Silver Oak Alexander Valley
About 25 minutes away. Silver Oak's Alexander Valley winery, opened in 2017 and the world's first winery to earn LEED Platinum for building design and construction. The Silver Oak Tasting of four Cabernets is about an hour ($65). Reservations recommended; walk-ins welcome as space allows.
12:55 · Lunch at Diavola
About 15 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in Geyserville, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi. 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.
2:15 · Pedroncelli Winery
About 10 minutes away. A family winery on the hills west of Geyserville since 1927, where John Pedroncelli Jr. made 67 vintages starting in 1948. Seated tastings of one of three flights are $25 to $35, in the tasting room or on the patio. Book online, or by email for 6 or more; open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. and Monday from noon, last seating 3:30 p.m., closed Tuesday.
3:15 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:35 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Optional: Rockpile Vineyards
Adds about an hour. Rockpile Vineyards' seated tasting lounge in downtown Healdsburg, pouring wines from its ranch on the ridge above Lake Sonoma. The Heritage flight is $25; appointments recommended, last seating at 4 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works every day but Tuesday, when Pedroncelli is closed.
About $120 to $150 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, 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 Dry Creek Vineyard?
Reservations are strongly encouraged, and online booking closes 24 hours ahead. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Dry Creek Vineyard?
Guided tastings are $30 to $50 per person, the Vineyard Stroll & Tasting is $75 and Bold Dreams is $150, as of September 2026.
What is Dry Creek Vineyard known for?
Sauvignon Blanc, which founder David Stare was the first to plant in Dry Creek Valley, along with Dry Chenin Blanc and old-vine Zinfandel.
Who owns Dry Creek Vineyard?
The Stare Wallace family. David Stare founded the winery in 1972, and his daughter Kim Stare Wallace and her husband, Don Wallace, have run it since he retired in 2006.
Where is Dry Creek Vineyard?
On Lambert Bridge Road in the middle of Dry Creek Valley, across from the Dry Creek General Store and about 15 minutes from the Healdsburg plaza.
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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