Wine Tastings and Winery Visits in San Francisco

Wine tastings in San Francisco are especially aimed at the region's wine regions. Some restaurants also offer wine tastings on their menus. But to get an even better understanding of the wines and how they are grown, you have to go to a vineyard.

You're in luck if you still have room on your list of things to see and do in San Francisco, as this is a city whose magical vineyards yield gourmet quality wines. Here are some of the best tastings of **San Francisco'**s star product: wine.

If we have to talk about wine tasting in San Francisco and its surroundings, we have to start talking about the Napa Valley Wine Train. It is a train that was rebuilt, but still retains much of its original structure. The purpose of its restoration is to serve as a wine tour of the Napa Valley wine country.

It's an adults-only experience not to be missed. On the train you will have the chance to taste exquisite dishes, appetizers, platters of local produce and other interesting foods. But above all, you will have the opportunity to taste the many varieties of wine produced in the region.

This wine route also takes you to the most important vineyards and wineries with the best production in the region. It's a real wine-tasting route that is not to be missed. And if you even want to enjoy the scenery while tasting wine, I recommend that you do this route in the spring season.

Interesting details

• Price: From 146 euros.
• Duration: Approximately 3 hours.
• Means of transport: The train itself, which you pick up at the Napa train station, located at 1275 McKinstry Street.
• The advantages of this route: You can eat, stroll, taste wine and see the scenery without moving from one place. You'll tour all of Napa Valley's most iconic sites. Assistance pets are welcome. No cancellations due to weather conditions.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Not designed for wheelchair users. If you are not there at least 10 minutes before the start of the tour, you may lose your ticket. Drinks are not included, they are separate.

The Sonoma region is one of the most important wine regions near San Francisco. It is world renowned for the quality of its vineyards and the importance of its wineries in the industry. So on a tour to this region you can visit important and world-class vineyards, as well as taste the final product completely fresh.

Generally this tour is a full day tour and can last between nine and ten hours, depending of course on the number of vineyards on the list. Most of the vineyards included in these tours have been making their products for many years, so their experience is represented in the quality of the wines.

B.R Cohn Winery

One of the vineyards you will have the opportunity to visit on this Sonoma tour is the B.R Cohn Winery. This is a wine company that has been operating in the area since 1984. It operates in the middle of the Sonoma and Mayacamas Mountains, from where they offer their visitors a unique experience of getting to know new wines.

Roche Winery

Roche Winery is a family owned and operated winery that has won many awards in over thirty years in the market. It offers wine tastings both in the cellars and in the open air. Both spaces will be pleasant and you can eat some simple snacks while enjoying the diversity of flavours in wines offered by this family firm.

Peter Cellars

This is a family-run wine boutique that you'll love for its blend of San Francisco' s indigenous flavours with French winemaking techniques. These characteristics help to create a wine that is exquisite on the palate, worthy of tasting again and again.

Mayo Family Winery

In the heart of Sonoma Valley lies this family owned and operated winery since 1994. Inside this place you will feel warm and at home, tasting some of the best wines you can get in the whole Sonoma Valley, taking into account that more than twenty types of wines are produced here according to their ages and winemaking processes.

Homewood Winery

In 1983 three friends came up with the idea to start making wine and after they started they couldn't stop. This is the short story of how Homewood Winery became what it is today. The best thing you can enjoy here is a tasting of their best Chardonnay wines.

Interesting details

• Price: From 137 euros per person.
• Duration: Between 9 and 10 hours.
• Means of transport: Air-conditioned bus.
• Advantages of this route: It is possible to take prams. Assistance animals are accepted.
• Disadvantages of this route: Cancellation may occur if the weather is bad or if the minimum amount is not reached, in which case you will be offered a change of date or a refund. It is not wheelchair accessible. The wineries to be visited may change depending on the weather.

During this private tour you will have the opportunity to visit eight to ten wineries with wineries in Napa and Sonoma. What's special about this tour is that you have 25 different vineyard options so you can plan your personalised route, of course with the help of the tour guides.

Wineries to choose from for your Napa and Sonoma tour itinerary include Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, V. Sattui Winery and Chimney Rock. These are the most common and highly recommended wineries to visit during your private tour.

Whether you visit these wineries or others such as Sterling Vineyards, Opus One Winery or Domaine Carneros will depend on the availability of the winery at the time you book your tour.

Your tour guide will be able to tell you which wineries are available for tasting, depending on the grape harvest and wine production period. Visits to wineries and vineyards may change unexpectedly if unforeseen events occur.

Although some of the wineries listed are among the top wineries in Napa Valley and Sonoma, changes in winery and vineyard offerings may occur.

Details of interest

• Price: From 654 euros per person.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Means of transport: Vehicles depending on the size of the group and luxury SUVs.
• Advantages of this route: You can organise a route with your own group. Pick up from your hotel or agreed meeting point in the city of San Francisco is included. It is pram and wheelchair accessible.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Wine tasting fee is not included. Lunch and airport pick-up are not included. No guide is provided, but a driver will take you and your group to each winery, where you will receive a guided tour provided by each winery.

Calistoga is a wine village in the Napa Valley's wine country, home to many of the world's most internationally renowned wineries. The experiences that you can live inside them are unparalleled, because it is not only about tasting the great variety of wines, but also about touring the extensive vineyards that are located in it.

In this village you will be able to eat delicious food, and afterwards you will be able to take leisurely strolls through all its streets and special places. One of the most interesting things to see in Calistoga is the aerial tramway route that can be seen in some of the region's vineyards. A visit to this place is definitely not to be missed.

Interesting details

• Price: From 227 euros.
• Duration: 9 to 10 hours.
• Means of transport: By air-conditioned bus.
• Advantages of this route: A specialised guide is included. Prams and assistance pets are accepted.
• Disadvantages of this route: Not suitable for wheelchair users. Entrance fees to the different wineries and wine tasting fees are not included.

The Carneros region is definitely a must on a California wine tour. This is where the best wines in the world come from. You will have the opportunity to enjoy wine tastings in the open air while enjoying the views of the grape plantations.

The scenery in the Carneros vineyards is spectacular, blending the tranquillity of the town with the colours of the earth, fruit and sky that blend together.

Interesting details

• Price: From 230 euros.
• Duration: Around 8 hours.
• Means of transport: Air-conditioned bus.
• Advantages of this route: Electronic tickets are accepted. Assistance pets are also accepted. You can be picked up at your hotel.
• Disadvantages of this tour: In many cases it is only available in English. Winery tastings are not included. Tips are not included. Entrance fees to the different wineries are not included. There is a fuel surcharge.

This is an incredibly authentic sightseeing tour throughout the wonderful Sonoma Valley. The best part of this experience is that not only do you get to taste the wines, but you also get to hear all the stories behind each of the wineries and how they came to be what they are today. On the other hand, you will be able to live this experience in an authentic vintage van from the 70s.

You will also have the opportunity to have lunch together with the tour group in an Italian winery that has been specially chosen for your visit. You will be able to taste the different types of artisan cheeses that are made in San Francisco. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you will also have the option to order vegan or vegetarian food specially prepared for you.

Interesting details

• Price: From 153 euros per person.
• Duration: Around 8 full hours.
• Means of transport: Authentic vintage van from the 70's.
• Advantages of this tour: Small groups for the tour. Professional guides included for a better experience. Pets and prams welcome.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Not suitable for wheelchair users. Can be cancelled if the minimum number of people is not reached, which is 4.

Wine country is a magical place very close to San Francisco. It is famous for its variety of wines, its grape growing and of course for the international fame of its wineries. That is why when you go on a tour around this area, you cannot miss some of the most picturesque towns of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

• Napa: In the Valley you will not only be able to see everything related to wine tasting and production, but you will also be able to attend concerts and other wine-related activities. If you want to know more about this region I recommend you to embark on one of the many excursions to Napa from San Francisco.
• Calistoga: This town is worth visiting and staying for a few hours touring its most interesting places, including some of the best wineries in Napa.
• St. Helena: It is another small town belonging to Napa with some of the best wineries in the world, with wines that definitely make a difference in quality and taste.
• Yountville: It is a picturesque town with a country look and structures worth seeing and photographing, as well as offering multiple options to enjoy the gastronomic options.
• Sonoma: One of the most important cities in terms of wine production. It has a great variety of restaurants and other interesting places.

One of the first tips to keep in mind when going to a wine tasting is the weather. Regardless of the time or season, the weather in San Francisco is very changeable. From one moment to the next, it can go from very hot to pouring rain. With this in mind, I recommend dressing in layers.

Knowing that you will be going to the vineyards and walking along long roads, seeing the grape plantations and tasting the flavour of the grapes, I recommend that you wear light, closed, comfortable shoes. At the same time I would recommend high-cut shoes such as ankle boots, to ensure that you stay protected throughout the walk.

As for the liquor tasting, I recommend you to measure very well the amount of wine you are going to consume at each stop. It is advisable not to overdo it with the glasses, so that you can maintain your sobriety while you visit one winery after another. Fortunately, most of these tours offer snacks to accompany your glasses.

If you are a true wine lover, if you like to taste each of its intense or sublime flavours, and you also want to know in depth its elaboration process, then you can't hesitate to take a tour around San Francisco and its wine region.

I recommend you to do this tour because besides tasting more and more exquisite flavours from winery to winery, you will be able to get to know spectacular places and take beautiful pictures far away from the popular Golden Gate. It's also a great way to get back to nature, so you can see that not everything in San Francisco is a city.

I don't think I need to tell you many reasons why it's definitely better to take a guided tour of wine country rather than doing it on your own. Some of the vineyards that you will be able to see if you book a tour are probably not open to the general public.

Another reason why I recommend a tour is because you will be able to visit the most vineyards and wineries in one day. Just think of it this way. If you've never been or don't know the wine country, San Francisco and the Napa and Sonoma valleys very well, how do you think you can put together a successful itinerary?

Also, when you take a guided tour in the company of people with knowledge of wine and wineries, rather than going on your own, you have the chance to learn much more about the processes involved in working the land in the vineyards and wineries. By going on a guided tour it is impossible to miss out on the best experiences the area has to offer.