Our take
Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay White Wine
- Style
- White wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Russian River Valley
- Shelf barcode
- 0633072815281
Our take
What we make of this bottle
The plainest fact on the shelf is the price: in our September 2026 checks this Chardonnay ranged from $32.99 to $41.49. It comes from the Russian River Valley, a federally recognized growing area in Sonoma County since 1983 and later expanded, and that origin is worth understanding.
The valley is knit together by Pacific fog. Cool ocean air slides in through a gap by the river and nearby low points, and warm afternoons with cool nights lengthen the growing season, though the strength and timing of the fog shift from one part of the valley to the next. We do not have a shopper rating for this wine.
Hartford Family Winery says it was founded in 1994 by Don and Jennifer Hartford, with its estate in the Green Valley area of the Russian River Valley near Forestville. The grape is Chardonnay. Official category guides say it can stay unoaked and light, or take on extra weight through fermenting and aging in oak, a choice they call the winery's to make rather than the grape's.
The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.
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Read our take →The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Kroger, Atlanta suburbs, GA$41.49
- Kroger, Cincinnati, OH$32.99
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$39.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
From the producer
Founders and estate
Hartford Family Winery says it was founded in 1994 by Don and Jennifer Hartford, and its estate sits in the Green Valley area of the Russian River Valley near Forestville, California.
Research status
What we are still checking
Our overview above draws on the dated store feed, shopper ratings, our region and grape research, and any sourced producer facts. We are still working to confirm the current release, the full producer record, and the bottle itself, and we update this page as we learn more.
Getting to know Russian River Valley.
The Russian River Valley is linked by Pacific fog, but it is not one flat or uniform place. River corridors, hills and distance from the coast create distinct neighborhoods within the AVA.
What the name means
Russian River Valley is a federally recognized American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County. It was established in 1983 and later expanded.
How grapes grow here
Cool Pacific air and fog enter through the river gap and nearby low points. Warm afternoons and cool nights lengthen the growing season, with the strength and timing of fog varying across the valley.
What lies under the vines
The AVA includes both sedimentary and volcanic soils. Fine sandy Goldridge soils are important around Green Valley and Laguna Ridge, while other neighborhoods have alluvial, clay-rich or volcanic ground.
How large the region is
- AVA area
- The expanded AVA covers about 126,600 acres.
- Vineyard area
- About 16,000 acres are planted to wine grapes.
Places within the region
- Green Valley
- The only neighborhood inside Russian River Valley that is also a separate AVA, known for strong fog influence and Goldridge soils.
- Other neighborhoods
- Middle Reach, Laguna Ridge, Santa Rosa Plain, Sebastopol Hills and Eastern Hills describe recurring local patterns within the AVA.
Getting to know Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is a white grape used for still and sparkling wine. It can be made without oak for a lighter shape or fermented and aged in oak for more weight.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Official category guides place citrus and apple at the cooler end and stone fruit or tropical fruit in riper examples. Oak and time on the spent yeast can add toast, spice and a rounder texture, but those features are winemaking choices rather than a guarantee.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers; Napa Valley Vintners. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 116 Chardonnay wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier. Checked Aug 10, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.