Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit La Crema Estate with a Private Chauffeur
Seated tastings of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a 1900 hop barn on Saralee's Vineyard, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
La Crema was founded in 1979 as La Crema Viñera, meaning the best of the vine, at a time when few California wineries made Pinot Noir. Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke bought it in 1993, made their first vintage in 1994 and built a new winery in the Russian River Valley two years later. Jackson's daughters, Laura Jackson Giron and Jenny Jackson Hartford, and their husbands took leadership roles, and today his granddaughter Hailey Hartford Murray is a third-generation co-proprietor.
La Crema makes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from cool-climate vineyards shaped by the Pacific, from the Sonoma Coast, the Russian River Valley and Los Carneros to Anderson Valley, Monterey and Oregon's Willamette Valley. Winemaker Craig McAllister ferments the Chardonnay in oak and stirs the lees by hand, and hand-sorts the Pinot Noir. The top wines, the Nine Barrel bottlings, are blended from the best nine barrels of three vineyards.
The estate is on Saralee's Vineyard, which Richard and Saralee Kunde planted to Burgundian varieties in 1989 and La Crema later bought from them. The tasting room opened in 2016 in a barn built in 1900 by Henry Castens for drying hops, which the Kundes had made their home. Seated tastings of six wines are poured on outdoor patios that look out over the vineyard, weather permitting.
Tasting Fees
$35 for the seated Estate Tasting of six wines, on the patio when the weather allows. $80 for the Nine Barrel Tasting with seasonal bites. $95 for the Best of the Vine Estate Tour, April to October. $50 per table for a picnic table, waived with a three-bottle purchase.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3575 Slusser Road, Windsor
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments encouraged; walk-ins welcome, subject to availability.
Known For
Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the Nine Barrel wines
Founded
1979 (estate tasting room since 2016)
Good to Know
The Estate Tasting takes up to 8 guests; for a larger group, email the winery. The Nine Barrel Tasting is for up to 6 and the estate tour for up to 5. Guests bringing their own food can reserve a picnic table, where wine is sold by the bottle rather than as a hosted tasting.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Russian River Valley hotel such as Farmhouse Inn in Forestville or Vinarosa Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa.
10:00 · Pickup at Farmhouse Inn or Vinarosa Resort & Spa
Farmhouse Inn, a 25-room inn on River Road in Forestville, and Vinarosa Resort & Spa, set among 92 acres of vineyards in Santa Rosa, are each about 15 minutes from La Crema Estate. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · La Crema Estate
The seated Estate Tasting of six wines ($35), or the Nine Barrel Tasting with seasonal bites ($80).
11:40 · Korbel Champagne Cellars
About 25 minutes away. Korbel has made sparkling wine by méthode champenoise on the Russian River near Guerneville since 1882. Walk-ins are welcome for a flight of four tastes at the bar ($15), and a free one-hour tour of the museum and cellar runs daily at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Open daily, with tastings from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
1:05 · Lunch at Willow Wood Market Cafe
About 25 minutes away. A café, soda fountain and general store at the center of Graton since 1995, serving down-home comfort food. Lunch 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.
2:30 · Benovia Winery
About 25 minutes away. A family-owned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house founded in 2005 by Mary Dewane, Joe Anderson and winemaker Mike Sullivan. The seated Estate & Single Vineyard Tasting of five or six wines is $45. Reservations required; open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last tasting at 3 p.m.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back in Forestville or Santa Rosa by 3:55 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
About $95 to $140 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 La Crema Estate?
Appointments are encouraged, and walk-ins are welcome when there is room. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at La Crema Estate?
$35 per person for the Estate Tasting of six wines, $80 for the Nine Barrel Tasting and $95 for the Best of the Vine Estate Tour, as of September 2026.
What is Saralee's Vineyard?
The Russian River Valley vineyard that Richard and Saralee Kunde planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 1989. La Crema bought it from the Kundes, and it is now home to the La Crema Estate.
Who owns La Crema?
The Jackson family. Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke bought La Crema in 1993, and it is part of Jackson Family Wines. Jackson's granddaughter Hailey Hartford Murray is a third-generation co-proprietor.
Can we bring a picnic to La Crema Estate?
Yes. Picnic tables can be reserved for $50 per table, waived with a three-bottle purchase, and there is a one-bottle minimum. The hosted Estate Tasting is not served at the picnic tables.
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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