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 ...