Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Gros Ventre Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from the winemaker behind Limerick Lane, poured by appointment in Healdsburg, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Sarah and Chris Pittenger met in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, near the Gros Ventre River, and founded Gros Ventre Cellars in 2009, the year they were expecting both their first grapes and their first child; gros ventre means 'big belly,' and the name stuck. Chris moved from the dining room to the cellar and learned the craft at Robert Biale, Torbreck, Williams Selyem and Marcassin, then was founding winemaker at Skinner Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills. He is also the winemaker at Limerick Lane Cellars.
The winery makes vineyard-designated Pinot Noir from the West Sonoma Coast and eclectic varieties from the high-elevation El Dorado region and beyond. The family puts a significant part of its resources toward conservation, with fund-raising releases and gifts to groups such as The Trust for Public Land and the Jackson Hole Land Trust.
Visits are personal and unhurried: a broad tasting of five of the winery's most celebrated wines, including vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs or library wines, tailored to the group. A salumi board from Journeyman Meats can be added, and picnics or other catering can be arranged. Gros Ventre has two Healdsburg locations, and the confirmation says which one to come to; we take care of that.
Tasting Fees
$50 per person for a tasting of five wines, with two fees waived for each wine club sign-up. $50 for the Journeyman Meats salumi board, which serves 2 to 4.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
25 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, booked by email; allow 60 minutes. Gros Ventre has two locations in Healdsburg, and the confirmation email gives the address.
Known For
Vineyard-designated West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Founded
2009
Good to Know
Groups of up to 10. A credit card holds the reservation, with 24 hours' notice to cancel, and the winery asks that parties of 2 not share one tasting. Club members taste free, up to four per membership.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and Harmon Guest House, a boutique hotel just off the plaza, are each about 5 minutes from Gros Ventre's Healdsburg locations. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Gros Ventre Cellars
The tasting of five wines ($50), about an hour.
11:40 · Dutcher Crossing Winery
About 25 minutes away. Debra Mathy's family-run winery at the confluence of Dry Creek and Dutcher Creek, in a 1900s-style farmhouse winery whose breezeway frames the whole northern end of the valley; guests love the view from the patio. The winery does not publish its tasting fee; we confirm it when we book. Reservations recommended; open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
12:50 · Lunch at Diavola
About 10 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in a historic building on Geyserville Avenue, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi; the menu changes every day. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:20 · Orsi Family Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. Bernie and Sandra Orsi's family winery two minutes from downtown Healdsburg, among cypress trees, olive groves and 70 acres of vines, devoted to lesser-known Italian grapes such as Biancolella, Sagrantino and Schioppettino. The Solo Vino tasting is $35, for 1 to 8 guests. Open Thursday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; reservations recommended.
3:20 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:30 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Orsi is open Thursday to Sunday, so this day works Thursday to Sunday.
About $85 per person at Gros Ventre and Orsi, paid directly to each winery; the tasting fee at Dutcher Crossing is 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
Do I need an appointment at Gros Ventre Cellars?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only, booked by email, and a credit card holds the reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Gros Ventre?
$50 per person for a tasting of five wines, as of September 2026. Club members taste free.
Where is Gros Ventre Cellars?
In Healdsburg, at one of two locations; the confirmation email says which one.
Who makes the wine at Gros Ventre?
Co-founder Chris Pittenger, who trained at Robert Biale, Torbreck, Williams Selyem and Marcassin and is also the winemaker at Limerick Lane Cellars.
How do you pronounce Gros Ventre?
"Grow Vaunt," as the winery puts it. The name comes from the Gros Ventre River in Wyoming, near where Sarah and Chris Pittenger met.
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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