Russian River Valley cheese and wine tasting table setting Russian River Valley

Top Cheese Tasting Experiences at Russian River Wineries

Although it would be easy to while away an enjoyable day in the Russian River Valley just bellying up to tasting room bars, sometimes a more relaxing cheese tasting experience helps ease away the stress and stomach growls. And in what better place than the well-known Pinot Noir and Chardonnay mecca of Russian River? We have uncovered 11 wineries offering cheese plates and platters to complement their wines, in various settings and prices to suit your mood and budget. With this guide to wine and cheese pairings in the Russian River Valley, you’ll be all set for a day or a weekend of Sonoma cheese tasting.

Listed prices are per person or plate, and tasting times vary per winery. Reservations are required or recommended unless noted otherwise, so please plan ahead. If your favorite Sonoma winery’s cheese program isn’t listed, please let us know in the comments.

Heading to other Sonoma regions? Be sure to check out our Top 30 Sonoma Cheese and Wine Tasting Experiences.

Top Cheese Tasting Experiences at Russian River Wineries Map


 

A Cheese Tasting Experience to Remember

Davis Family
Barrel staves double as cheese boards for the tasting at Davis Family Vineyards. Photo courtesy of Davis Family.

Davis Family Vineyards

Steps away from the Russian River, this family-owned winery crafts bubblies, rosés, chardonnays, pinot noirs and Rhone-style blends. Pair these wines with a cheese board filled with four selections from local, Sonoma creameries to create your own cheese tasting experience. Bread from Healdsburg’s Costeaux French Bakery accompanies the cheeses. $35 per plate, serves two.

52 Front Street, Healdsburg, CA, 707-433-3858, davisfamilyvineyards.com
Deloach Winery cheese and wine tasting
The cheese plate is served with a vertical tasting of Russian River Valley wines at DeLoach. Photo courtesy of DeLoach.

DeLoach Vineyards

At Jean-Charles Boisset’s Russian River Valley winery, both the Estate Tour & Tasting and the Taste of France experience pair cheeses with estate-grown chardonnays and pinot noirs—and in some cases, their French counterparts. $50 per person for each experience.

1791 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 707-755-3300, deloachvineyards.com
Dutton Goldfield wine and cheese tasting on patio
Dutton-Goldfield’s wine and cheese tasting can be served inside the tasting room or on the winery’s front patio.

Dutton-Goldfield Winery

With an indoor-outdoor tasting room off Highway 116, grower Steve Dutton and winemaker Dan Goldfield offer several tasting options. Enjoy five limited-production wines—including chardonnay, gewürztraminer and pinot noir—paired with five local cheeses. Enjoy indoors at high tables with vineyard views or on the patio. $30 per person.

3100 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA, 707-823-3887, duttongoldfield.com
Photo courtesy of @fogcrestvineyard on Instagram.

Fog Crest Vineyard

Boasting one of the most beautiful views in Sonoma County, Fog Crest pairs its chardonnay and pinot noir with local artisan cheeses, dried cherries and almonds. $30 per person.

602 Occidental Road, Sebastopol, CA, 800-931-2906, fogcrestvineyard.com
Gary Farrell wine and cheese tasting
A taster’s view of the wine and cheese line-up served at Gary Farrell Winery. Photo courtesy of Gary Farrell.

Gary Farrell Winery

This tucked-away winery offers their Elevation Tasting, a cheese tasting experience pairing five, cool-climate chardonnays and pinot noirs with specially selected cheeses and nuts. $35 per person. The Exploration Tour & Tasting includes a guided winery tour followed by a tasting of five wines with an artisan cheese plate. $55 per person.

10701 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA, 707-473-2909, garyfarrellwinery.com
J Vineyards Legacy Wine Tasting with Cheese
J Vineyards offers a wine and cheese tasting in its lounge or on the terrace. Photo courtesy of J.

J Vineyards & Winery

Now owned by E&J Gallo Corporation, J offers an artisan cheese tasting experience for an additional fee when you book the Legacy Tasting, a seated tasting hosted in its lounge or on J’s shaded terrace in the summer. Guests choose from a flight of either still or sparkling wines. $35 for the tasting; $25 for the cheese pairing.

11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, CA, 707-431-5430, jwine.com
Kendall-Jackson wine tasting with cheese board
The cheese plate sampler at Kendall-Jackson; photo courtesy of Jackson Family Wines.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens

This renowned winery just off the 101 in Santa Rosa has three intimate food and wine pairings, and one features a six cheese tasting experience paired with six wines. $30 per person.

5007 Fulton Road, Fulton, CA, 707-567-3810, kj.com

La Crema Tasting Room

Learn the ABCs of wine and cheese pairing at LaCrema’s Wine and Cheese Exploration session. We’ve placed La Crema Winery under Russian River Valley, home to its winemaking facility but this experience is available in their Healdsburg tasting room. $35 per person.

235 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA, 707-431-9400, lacrema.com
Photo courtesy of @macphailpinot on Instagram.

MacPhail Wines

Sample MacPhail Sonoma and Mendocino pinot noirs in their tasting room, which is located in the Barlow complex in Sebastopol. Wine tastings are $20; for an additional $20, add a selection of goat, sheep and cow cheeses, with local jams.

6761 McKinley Street, Sebastopol, CA, 707-824-8400, macphailwine.com

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards

This top-flight producer of chardonnay, pinot noir, zinfandel and syrah offers two private cheese tasting experiences —the Collector’s Flight of high-scoring, limited-production wines ($75) and the Baler Bar Tasting of vineyard-designate bottlings ($40)—both accompanied by cheese plates.

3360 River Road, Windsor, CA, 800-346-1627, martinelliwinery.com

Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards

Buy wine and an artisan cheeseboard to nosh on while you rattle the wickets on this winery’s manicured croquet courts. $10 per person to play (parties of up to eight can be accommodated); cheese boards $19-$39.

4401 Slusser Road, Windsor, CA, 707-237-3489, sonomacutrer.com

Twomey Healdsburg

Enjoy expansive vineyard views from the back patio while indulging in a tasting of Twomey wines accompanied by local cheeses and charcuterie. $30 per person.

3000 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA, 707-942-7122, twomey.com

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About the Author

Born and raised in rural Kansas, Lisa Mattson fell in love with wine during college in South Florida and worked for a wine magazine before moving to Northern California. Her days are spent being a writer, photographer and videographer for Jordan Winery and nights cooking Thai food or microgreen salads. When she’s not eating and sipping her way through Sonoma County, she travels the world with her husband in search of the best restaurants, snorkeling spots and tiki bars.

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