Green Valley of Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Ruth Lewandowski Wines with a Private Chauffeur
Naturally made wines from old Mendocino vineyards and other rugged sites, poured by appointment in the American Wine Building in Forestville, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ruth Lewandowski Wines makes what it calls honest, heartfelt wines made naturally. The name is a concept more than a person: the winemaker explains it through the Old Testament book of Ruth and its story of death and renewal, which he ties to living soils and natural fermentations. Many of the wines carry names from that story, such as Mahlon, Chilion and Boaz.
The grapes come from vineyards the winery writes about with real affection. Fox Hill, on the Talmage Bench between Hopland and Ukiah, is planted to a library of Italian varieties. Testa Vineyard, north of Ukiah, was first planted in 1912 and gives the old-vine Carignan, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon in Boaz. Lost Hills Ranch climbs from 1,000 to 2,250 feet in the Yorkville Highlands, and Rorick Heritage Vineyard sits at about 2,000 feet in the Sierra Foothills.
After five years on Plaza Street in Healdsburg, the tasting room has moved to the American Wine Building in downtown Forestville. Tastings are Thursday to Sunday by appointment, a good fit for guests curious about natural wine and unusual grapes. We confirm current details when we book.
Tasting Fees
Ruth Lewandowski Wines does not publish its tasting fee. The fee is confirmed when we book.
Tasting fees as of October 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
6450 1st Street, Forestville
AVA
Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Visiting
Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment, booked through Tock. The winery is no longer at 132 Plaza Street in Healdsburg.
Known For
Naturally made wines from Italian and Rhône-style varieties and old-vine Carignan, from Mendocino County and other rugged vineyards
Founded
Good to Know
The tasting room is in the American Wine Building in Forestville, not the former Healdsburg room on Plaza Street. The Tock booking page still carries "healdsburg" in its address. Most of the grapes come from Mendocino County and the Sierra Foothills, so the wines are a different side of what you will taste in the Russian River Valley.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:45 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Farmhouse Inn or The Sebastopol Inn, timed for an 11 a.m. tasting. Forestville is about 5 minutes from Farmhouse Inn.
10:45 · Pickup at Farmhouse Inn or The Sebastopol Inn
Ruth Lewandowski's tasting room is about 5 minutes from Farmhouse Inn on River Road and about 15 minutes from The Sebastopol Inn in downtown Sebastopol. Pickup is timed for the 11 a.m. opening. Extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Ruth Lewandowski Wines
A tasting of naturally made wines in the American Wine Building in downtown Forestville, by appointment, Thursday to Sunday. The fee is not published and is confirmed when we book; plan on about an hour.
12:10 · Russian River Vineyards
About 3 minutes away. Library tastings and a kitchen of its own on a historic Forestville winery property. The Wine Tasting Flight is $20 to $30; plan on about an hour.
1:20 · Lunch at Handline
About 15 minutes away. Lunch at Handline on the south side of Sebastopol, a casual spot for seasonal food from Sonoma County and the Sonoma Coast, listed as open daily from 11 a.m. We confirm hours when we book. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:45 · Dutton-Goldfield Winery
About 10 minutes away. A grower and a winemaker's partnership in cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Farmer's Flight of five Dutton Ranch wines, or the seated Discovery Tasting, is $35; plan on about an hour, before the 4 p.m. close.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:45 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Ruth Lewandowski Wines is open Thursday to Sunday only, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., so this day suits those days. Russian River Vineyards opens at 11:30 a.m. daily, and Dutton-Goldfield is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Dutton-Goldfield is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
About $55 to $65 per person in tasting fees for Russian River Vineyards and Dutton-Goldfield, plus the Ruth Lewandowski fee, which is confirmed when we book. Fees 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 Ruth Lewandowski Wines?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment, Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., booked through Tock. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Ruth Lewandowski Wines?
The winery does not publish its tasting fee. We confirm the current fee when we reserve, as of October 2026.
Where do guests taste at Ruth Lewandowski Wines?
In the American Wine Building at 6450 1st Street in downtown Forestville. The winery is no longer at 132 Plaza Street in Healdsburg.
Who is Ruth?
Not a person. The winery explains Ruth as a concept drawn from the Old Testament book of Ruth and its story of death and renewal, which it links to its approach to farming and natural winemaking.
Where do the grapes come from?
Mostly Mendocino County, including Fox Hill on the Talmage Bench, Testa Vineyard north of Ukiah (planted in 1912) and Lost Hills Ranch in the Yorkville Highlands, plus Rorick Heritage Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills.
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 833-915-2436.
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