Sonoma Wineries With Tours

Many wineries offer tours of their production facility and/or vineyards. Here are a few of the best ones. Almost always an advance reservation will be required and there will be an extra charge. Pets and small children are often not allowed. Check the winery's website for info and reservations.

 

Benziger Tram Tour

  Benziger, Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley

This family winery went biodynamic before it was cool. Their approach to farming is introduced on the vineyard tram tour. This is probably the most well-known tour in the county so book early, especially for weekends. There's also an estate tour that concludes with a seated tasting.

Buena Vista's Bubble Room

 
  Buena Vista, Sonoma, Sonoma Valley

BV offers a Wine Museum Tour and Tasting. The museum is a display of old winemaking artifacts complete with light show. There is also a barrel tasting and tour. If you've never sampled wines from the barrel long before they are bottled and offered for sale, this is a unique opportunity to, let's say, try wines before they're ready. 

There are several levels of tastings available including in their historic cellar plus a sparkling wine tasting in what they call the Bubble Lounge. To me, it looks like a 19th century French whore house. I mean that in a nice way. LOL The owner, Jean-Claude Boisset, likes to do everything theatrical and over-the-top, so expect to be entertained at BV.

Gundlach Bundschu's all-terrain vehicle tour

  Gundlach Bundschu, Sonoma, Sonoma Valley

There's lots to see on the family's 300+ acre site dating back to the mid-19th century. There is a Vineyard & Cave Tour that covers organic farming, winemaking, etc., but the star is the Pinzgauer Vineyard Excursion. The Pinz being a European military troop transport, making several vineyard stops for wine and cheese. As GB's website description says, what happens in the Pinz, stays in the Pinz.

Stonestreet's mountain vineyards

  

  Stonestreet, Healdsburg, Alexander Valley

During the guided Mountain Excursion tour, you’ll be driven in a Land Rover around their vineyards in the Mayacamas Mountains while learning about the winery and farming practices.

 

Some wineries have yet to return to giving tours post-pandemic, such as the very popular free tours at Korbel Winery. When/if the Korbel tour returns it may no longer be free.