River Dog Winery

May 30, 2025.  Less than twenty minutes’ drive from Upper Shirley Vineyards, you come to River Dog Winery in Henrico County, probably the closest winery to the city of Richmond and a world away from Upper Shirley. 

River Dog is many things that Upper Shirley is not.  It’s a small operation where Chris Ziolkowski works the vineyard in between his day job in banking while his wife, Debbie, serves as the face of the winery by managing the tasting room, organizing events, and doing whatever else is needed.  

 

The River Dog tasting room feels very much like someone’s living room because it used to be.  The Ziolkowski’s, who live next door, had their eye on acquiring the homey 1950’s farmhouse for years before the former occupants left.  The old kitchen is still intact behind the tasting bar.  They have added nice sofas and tables to fill the room and the anterooms.  It’s a comfortable place to spend the afternoon with board games and trivia games on hand.  The intimacy compares favorably to the cavernous tasting room at Upper Shirley.  River Dog is too small to be called a wedding venue, but small events like rehearsals and showers are doable, especially using their upstairs rooms.

 

 

River Dog began in 2017.  Early on, they retained Floyd Oslin from Tappahanock to advise on wine making.  It was a good match because they had their first harvest in 2021 and were able to complete construction of a production facility in 2022.  Improvements continue, like the covered porch off of the tasting room which was added just a month ago.  Chris plans to add a large gazebo on the lawn and a barrel room to the production facility. 

As for the vineyard, Chris does not have plans to expand the acreage because it’s at the limits that he and some helpful friends can handle.  They grow five varietals on the five acres from which they are offering 16 different wines.  All wine is estate-grown with the exception of the River Breeze and Catatonic blends that use Cayuga grapes.  Unlike Upper Shirley, all wine is produced on-site.  Chris estimates production at they produce around 2,400 cases a year. 

Outside food is welcome as the food available at the winery is limited.  Children and pets are welcome as well.  Feel free to bring your own river dog.

Here’s what we tried at this sweet little place:

2023 Chardonel Reserve.  Kim rated the reserve Chardonel a B+. It has notes of grapefruit and citrus with a fuller mouthfeel.  Note that I have listed this as 2023 vintage based on the tasting sheet that Debbie provided.  The bottle label does not reflect vintage.  We bought a bottle.

2024 White Cabernet Franc.  Debbie poured us a sample of the White Cab Franc, scheduled to be released in June 2025.  The rains in 2024 kept the Cabernet Franc fruit pale leading Chris to “make lemonade from lemons,” producing a very unusual orange-colored Cab Franc.  It has herbal notes.  Not complex or layered.  I give it a B+ for making the best of a sorry situation.  Note that prices have not been set.

2023 Sunset on the James.  I consider this one of the better rosé wines I've had and rate it a B+.  We also bought a bottle.  It is a dry rosé and quite complex for that breed.  Fruit is hinted at without being overbearing.  It has a some minerality which is quite distinct and hard to find in a rosé.  Note that I have listed this as 2023 vintage based on the tasting sheet that Debbie provided.  The bottle label does not reflect vintage. 

2021 Petit Verdot.  The River Dog Petit Verdot is very herbal and brambly.  Smokiness and peppercorns.  I rate it a B-.

2022 Cabernet Franc.  Green pepper waves a flag on this Cabernet Franc.  Notes of dried fruit and smoke.  It occupies the B to B- range.

2022 River Dog Blend.  I imagine that Chris uses all three of his red varietals to make this blend: Cabernet Franc for the abundance of fruit, Petit Verdot for the smooth tannins, and Chambourcin for a semi-dry sweetness.  I gave it a B.

None of River Dog’s wines exceed $32.00 (Port-style Deep Bottom Riverport).  Most bottles are $24 or $25.00, which is quite a reasonable price for a Virginia wine, especially factoring in Chris and Debbie’s sweat equity in each bottle. 

For all of you denizens of our Capital City – Rivier Dog Winery is close, cozy, and reasonably priced.  Get your picnic on!