Domaine de la Rivière — Attraction in Windsor

Domaine de la Rivière is, in a word, delightful. I really don't know what I enjoyed most about the place, the wines or the experience. I may lean toward the experience, as it was one I will never forget. I hope when you go there you get to experience their wines with Marla. I was told she was a Peach, and she is exactly that, a bright, sweet, wonderful Peach.

All of that said, the wines that I tried were fantastic. I don't have my tasting notes in front of me while I write this, so I am going to leave out specific vintages and titles, but when I was there I had a Rose, a Chardonnay and 2 Pinots. The Chardonnay was everything I want out of that style. With the wine world wanting to make cleaner, lighter and bright Chardonnays, I find them often offering me nothing that I can't get from a Sauvignon Blanc. That said, I am also not looking for butter oak bombs. This Chard was very bright, but still had body, it was exactly what I look for in this varietal.

The Pinots followed a similar trend, in that the wine world seems to want to go lighter and lighter with this varietal, and both Domaine de la Rivière Pinots I tried were delicious, complex wines with body, while still clearly being Pinots.

I also had a Rosè that I didn't love, but I think a bit of time on that wine will do it wonders.

Overall, just a wonderful time. I can't wait to drink the wines I got there and will for sure be back the next time I am...

Our friend group has done tastings with Domaine de la Riviere twice and both times were phenomenal experiences. We take an annual trip to Windsor for our friend's birthday, and we knew had to come back this year to see Geoff and Marla again! Both times, they took extra care to make our experience special. This time, they offered us amazing pizza from a chef they partner with, to pair with the various wines we tasted - it was such a delight! My favorite thing about tasting with Geoff and Marla is their storytelling. They share so much about why they chose to make wine, how they decided to make and name certain wines, and what philosophies of wine making they follow. I've learned so much each time. My personal favorite wine was their 2019 Next Door Neighbor Chardonnay, but all of the wines were incredible. Can't wait to bring more friends and family to tastings with Domaine...

Marla and Geoff actually came to us at our VRBO rental in Healdsburg. What a treat! Prior to this visit being organized, Marla patiently put up with my endless questions about which wines we should choose to go with our planned meal, the timing, how their chards compared with ‘typical’ California Chardonnay, and on and on. The evening of their visit was perfect! It was a mild night so the house stood open, and Marla and Geoff spent an hour with us (at least), talking about their vineyard’s history, their own history, their wine-making processes, and then introducing us to the wines they’d brought — superb and varied! We had Next Door Neighbor Chardonnay, Flora Marie Chardonnay, Middle Reach Pinot Noir, and Two Forces Pinot Noir. An absolutely outstanding experience! Can’t recommend this vineyard, these wines, and the interaction with Marla and...