Sonoma Wine Tour

“The grapes on a score of rolling hills are red with autumn flame. The afternoon sun smoulders in the drowsy sky. I have everything to make me glad I am alive. I am filled with dreams and mysteries. I am all sun and air and sparkle.” – Jack London, writing about the region where our Sonoma Wine Tour takes place

We absolutely love Sonoma County and have been running tours here for years.

The beauty of Sonoma County is in its diversity in terrain, ranging from 60 miles of Pacific coastline on the west to the Mayacamas Mountain on the eastern edge with Napa County; from the large expanses of rural fields including wine vineyards to the cute small towns, such as Geyserville and Healdsburg, where we base our trip. Sonoma County is also laid-back, compared to its neighbor Napa, given the intensely successful nature of its tourism and wine industries.

The focus of our Sonoma Wine Tour is on the grape growing and not the winemaking. As winemakers will tell you, 90% of the wine is made when the grapes are produced and only 10% in the winery. We visit grape growers – farmers – who also make wine, such that we learn about what truly makes Sonoma wines special. We walk through vineyards, visit organic wine grape farms, and eat farm to table from winery gardens. This is not your typical tasting room-to-tasting room tour.

Explore this vibrant wine region in a manner that would be hard to manage on your own. We provide a knowledgeable local guide to accompany you on your vacation. We know the hottest wineries and those that are still unknown yet producing great wine. We steer you to delectable eats at restaurants favored by the locals. We do all the driving for you. We present to you the Sonoma we fell in love with decades ago.

Tour Details

• Private Tour Only: Choose Your Own Dates
• Trip Price Per Person: $3,950
• Minimum Group Size: 6 people
• Single Supplement: $1,200
• Weekend Supplement: $200 per room for each Friday or Saturday night on your tour date
• Guide: Pending
• Meals: 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 3 dinners
• General Tour FAQs

Private Tour Bookings

• Private Tours are available to book with your own group on any date you choose, given guide and lodging availability
• Please note –  Our pricing is based on double occupancy lodging. If upon finalizing your private trip, your group has a solo traveler in a room without a roommate, the single supplement becomes mandatory. This amount will differ depending on the itinerary. Please contact our tour operations team for specifics
• Customizations to the itinerary are possible with additional per person fees

Have Questions? Request a Free Consultation

DAY 1

We meet after lunch at our hotel in Healdsburg and shuttle a very short distance to DaVero Farms & Winery. As its name implies, DaVero is very unique in that it has more than just wine. We will take a short walk through the vineyards to learn about the company’s grape growing practices. We then participate in a private wine tasting, olive oil tasting, and balsamic tasting,  all with seasonal food pairings. This is a great introduction to Sonoma County, which is about much more than wine. Back in Healdsburg, we’ll dine at Chalkboard, perhaps our favorite restaurant in Sonoma County and one known for its family-style serving of small plates featuring local products.

DAY 2

We spend today in the Dry Creek Valley, one of the most famous AVAs (American Viticultural Area) in Sonoma County. Located only a few minutes from Healdsburg, this 16-mile long valley is sandwiched between Highway 101 and the foothills of the coastal mountain range. There are wineries dotted up and down this area, with most of the premium grapes grown on the benches or slopes above the creek bed itself.

We start at Saini Vineyards, which is an established grape-growing family that only recently started producing its own wine. Again, with the focus on grapes and not winemaking, this is a great place not only to taste excellent wines but learn about what makes Sonoma wines so special. We then have a tasting at nearby Teldeschi Winery, which is a fascinating place. Famed for grape growing, the owner cousins tried to create a winery but hated the practice of selling wine. They have cases and cases of wine stored in their warehouse and it is an amazing opportunity to try and buy older wines not usually available.

We will visit Dry Creek General Store, where you can purchase lunch on your own and eat on one of the picnic tables out front, watching life roll by. Then in the afternoon, we visit Quivira Vineyards, which is focused on the sustainability of their entire ecosystem. In addition to grapes, they have native flowers, chickens, and steelhead trout in the restored wine creek that runs through the property.

In the evening we will eat at Pizzando, a casual and extremely popular Italian restaurant in Healdsburg.

DAY 3

Today we’ll discover the picturesque Russian River Valley. This AVA is named after the first non-native settlers to come to area and has a rich history. Many consider it the birthplace of Sonoma County wine because the first grapes were planted here. The Russian River Valley is known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as other cool-climate varietals.

Our first event of the day will be a walk at La Crema Estate through Saralee’s vineyard, followed by a private tasting. The vineyard is named after wine industry veteran Saralee Kunde, who used to lead our walks on the property but who passed away back in 2014.

We then move on to the Kendall Jackson Estates, a pioneering winery, where we will get to participate in a garden-to-table lunch with tasting. Kendall Jackson has gone all in on their gardens, hiring a full-time gardener and using the results in their meals. After lunch, we will head to Martinelli, which has been farming their estate for over 135 years and is now on the 6th generation.  The winery has a beautiful outdoor terrace that is perfect for tasting their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other varietals.

If you still have energy, we can optionally visit the nearby Joe Matos Cheese & Farmstead to taste and purchase some local cheeses. It is then back to Healdsburg with a free evening to enjoy dinner on your own.

DAY 4

We’ll have breakfast at the hotel and set out for the Alexander Valley, our third distinct AVA in a row. Alexander Valley has the largest fluctuating temperature in Sonoma County, including hot days, and is thus known for its more robust varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, and Barbera.

The Alexander Valley is densely planted with wine grapes, both in the valley floor and on the hillsides to the east. Our day starts with a visit to Alexander Valley Vineyards, which was the homestead of the original Cyrus Alexander for whom the valley is named. After a tasting of their Reserve wines, we will do a tour of the caves where they store barrels.

It is then off to nearby Hanna Winery for a picnic lunch under the large oak tree in their front yard. Lunch is accompanied by a five-wine tasting.

In the afternoon we will shuttle to the small town of Geyserville, one of our favorite in California’s wine country. Geyserville balances on the edge of sleepy and sophisticated and is worth strolling up and down the main street. Definitely worth your time is to stop into Locals Tasting Room, where you can sample wines from a variety of different wineries in the area, some of which do not even have their own tasting room. It is a great place to finalize purchases of wine for the week!

We’ll have time to relax back at the hotel in Healdsburg before heading to Valette, one of the hottest restaurants in town, where you can order off the menu or try the five-course “Trust Me” menu from the chef.

DAY 5

We’ll check out of our rooms and store our luggage this morning before departing for the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. Made famous by the movie director, the winery is a tourism production as you might envision. Complete with museum, gift shop, and swimming pool, we’ll spend time here wandering around and doing a final tasting.

It is then back to the hotel where we will finish our Sonoma Wine Tour, from where you can take a taxi to the airport or continue on your journey.

The H2 Hotel is set in downtown Healdsburg only a short walk from the central square. The hotel itself is an upscale blend of urban chic and refined wine country living. You will appreciate the idea location for walking around town, the modern rooms, and the back patio and swimming pool.

Not Included: Travel to and from destination, lunches, wine with meals, personal expenses, and optional gratuities to local staff and your guide. Travel insurance is also not included, though we highly recommend it.  Check out our Travel Insurance page for more information.

While the general trip itinerary will remain the same, the actual restaurants, hotel, and wineries listed will change based on availability and opening hours. Most restaurants and wineries in Oregon wine country are closed a couple of days a week, so we will adapt our schedule based on your starting day.  If there is any one experience that is going to make or break your trip, please discuss this with us in advance.

Arrival & Departure Information:
We meet you at 1:30 PM at our host hotel in Healdsburg on the first day of the tour. If you are flying to the area, the nearby Santa Rosa Airport is extremely convenient or you can fly into San Francisco, Oakland, or even Sacramento. You can take a shuttle or rent a car to reach Healdsburg.

The tour ends at 1:00 PM on the last day of the tour when you can catch a shuttle back to the airport or rent a car to continue your vacation. Details will be provided in the Pre-Departure Packet after you reserve your vacation.

Have Questions? Request a Free Consultation