River Road Vineyards started in 1976 with the purchase of a 78 acre Chardonnay Vineyard on River Road about a mile from the small community of Forestville in Sonoma County. Two years later we purchased a 48 acre vineyard on River Road in Alexander Valley and replanted it to Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.

We were a family farming company for the first few years, growing and selling our fruit to several Sonoma Counties premium wineries. Then came a hard lesson about agriculture, along with the weather, market conditions can change dramatically in a short period of time. A shift in grape availability to a surplus in the market was created by overplanting throughout California. Wine grapes, even high quality wine grapes, are occasionally in over supply. Out of the necessity to find a home for part of our fruit River Road Vineyards became a small winery.

River Road Vineyards has grown over the years, and most of our time is now spent making and selling wine. We own and farm a 12 acre vineyard in the Russian River Valley, south of Forestville that is planted to Pinot Noir and Syrah. In October 2003, we completed the construction of our new winery located on the vineyard site.