Name: Russian River Vineyards
Address: 5700 Hwy 116 N, Forestville, California, 95436, US

Russian River Vineyards

Wine Country / Farm-to-Table

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5700 Hwy 116 N

California

95436

Forestville

Monday–Thursday, 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM · Friday–Sunday, 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM · Thursday happy hour, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

CALL WEBSITE RESERVE A TABLE

Pinot Noir from across the Russian River Valley leads at this Forestville estate on Highway 116, where farming and winemaking go back to the 1890s. The Kitchen at RRV sends out boards of cheese, charcuterie and vegetables from the property's farm, plus focaccia flatbreads, served mostly outdoors under shade. Families and dogs are welcome, with live music on weekends.

Outdoor Seating

Estate Vineyard

Live Music

Scenic Views

Farm to Table

Wine Pairing

Parking On-Site

Russian River Vineyards sits on Highway 116 in Forestville, in the heart of the Russian River Valley appellation, on a property whose history as a family farm and winery reaches back to the 1890s. Winemaker and co-founder Giovanni Balistreri focuses the estate on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, with rosé, sparkling and small-production single-vineyard bottles alongside, sourced from vineyards across the valley and the Sonoma Coast. The restaurant on site, once known as Corks, has evolved into The Kitchen at RRV, a casual wine-country kitchen built to go with the wines rather than compete with them. Produce comes from the property's own farm. With a large outdoor tasting area under shade, room for families and a welcome for dogs, it is a relaxed West County stop rather than a formal dining room.

Menu Highlights

Plan the visit as a long, easy afternoon. The kitchen serves shareable wine-country fare, from salads and sandwiches to plates built for passing around the table, all designed to sit next to a glass of the estate's wines. Seating is mostly outdoors, with covered shade on hot days and room to spread out, and children and dogs are welcome. The wines are the anchor: Pinot Noir in several expressions, the Champion Brut and a rosé for warm weather. Hours run from 11:30 in the morning until 5 Monday through Thursday and until 6 Friday through Sunday, and the kitchen closes thirty minutes before the tasting room. Book a table through Tock on weekends, and pair the stop with a drive along the river toward Guerneville or the coast.

Ben Davies

Executive Chef

Ben Davies leads the kitchen at Russian River Vineyards in Forestville, where the property's 1.25-acre certified organic farm shapes his seasonal menu. Formerly chef de cuisine at The County Bench in Santa Rosa, he builds dishes around the produce, fruit and edible flowers grown steps from the kitchen, in the shadow of the property's historic hop kiln.

Giovanni Balistreri

Winemaker and General Manager

Giovanni Balistreri joined the founding team of Russian River Vineyards in 2008 and led a consolidation of its ownership in 2022. Raised in Sonoma County farming, he studied agricultural business at Fresno State and learned a light-touch winemaking style from mentor Anthony Austin, and he focuses the estate on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Russian River Vineyards

Russian River Vineyards

Ben Davies

Giovanni Balistreri

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