Wine Tours

So many great wines, so little time! Whether a winery is big or small, each offers a unique and memorable wine tasting visit. No matter where you end up on your wine tasting adventures, you almost assuredly will have a great time and enjoy great wines when visiting the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country.

If you have never been to the Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley you probably will be seeking out recommendations from people you know who have visited the area or you will be searching online for winery destinations. Many visitors choose to visit the vineyards of one of their favorite wines. Often you can pick up brochures from a travel company or request them from the Chamber of Commerce or Visitor's Bureau.

Choosing a Wine Tour

If you are a do-it-yourself type of person, you may enjoy collecting winery information and putting your own travel and wine tasting itinerary together. For those who would rather relay on guides from the local area, many companies offer wine tour packages of the Wine Country.

If you are staying in the San Francisco Bay Area, many companies offer day tours by bus or limousine to the Wine Country in Sonoma or Napa. Bus tours are very popular as they offer stops at many wonderful shopping and wine tasting and eating destinations in the Wine Country. With a bus tour, your time and stops are arranged by the wine tour company, but you can see some great places at an affordable rate. If you would prefer flexibility in your stops, there are limousine services that can provide a custom wine tour for you. If you are an adventurer, you may want to rent a car and explore on you own.

If you like the idea of a personalized wine tour and being able to set your own pace but don't want to drive, a great way to enjoy touring the wineries is in a limousine. With a limousine service you can choose your own places to visit or you can let them provide you with recommendations and set a schedule for you. You can travel in comfort, not worry about directions or getting lost, and enjoy your wines since you won't have the responsibility of driving.

Wine Tours of Interest

If you are interested in some great wineries that offer a unique twist to their wine tours, we have listed a few below:

Kendall-Jackson Wine Center in Fulton (Sonoma County) features Wine Sensory Gardens where you can experience a hands-on education on identifying the aromas and flavors that are used to describe wines, all while you are sipping their superb wines. They can be reached at 707-571-8000 for more information on tours and tasting.

For the first time, one of the Gallo family's wineries is providing guests with the opportunity to visit their breathtaking vineyards. Barrelli Creek Vineyard in Alexander Valley (Sonoma County) offers tours of the vineyards that are led by an informative host, and includes vineyard tasting as well as a second sampling of limited release wines in the tasting room that is accompanied by a pairing of local artisan cheeses and fresh breads. For reservations or more information, visit the Tasting Room at 320 Center Street in Healdsburg, call 707-433-2458, or visit their website at www.gallosonoma.com.

Mumm Napa is best known for their fabulous sparkling wine. They not only provide entertaining complimentary tours, but they also have one of the best photography galleries in the whole Bay Area. They are located in Rutherford (Napa Valley) and can be reached at 707-967-7700 or 800-686-6272 or www.mummnapa.com.

At Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga, a gondola will take you up to the winery where you can enjoy award winning wines as you overlook breathtaking views of the Napa Valley. To contact Sterling Vineyards for information on wine tours, wine tastings, and wine events, their phone number is 800-726-6136 and their website is sterlingvineyards.com.

Also in Calistogo is Castello di Amorosa, a castle winery featuring hand-crafted Italian style wines and unusual dessert wines. Tours of the castle and winery are one of the most memorable in the Napa Valley. For more information on the winery and castle wine tour, call 707.967.6272 or visit the Castello di Amorosa website.

Kunde Estate Winery in Kenwood (Sonoma County) has been a wine growing family since 1904. They offer cave tours as well as wine tasting and their beautiful setting also has a picnic area where you can enjoy the great local food with wonderful wines. They can be contacted at 707-833-5501 or www.kunde.com.