sonoma/napa valley winery reservations
 

Do most wineries require reservations for tours and tastings? Does any one know which ones need them?

We went to 3 wineries in Napa in May and needed no reservations for tastings, etc. We went to Beringer for a short tour which included tastings for 5 dollars a piece. I t wasn't crowded however, and we were in the next available tour. It may fill up inthe summer. Not sure. Also went to Niebaum-Coppola and no reservations were needed.

ttt

You will need reservations for Schramsburg and Jordan - two you will not want to miss!

We were in the Healdsburg area and wanted to go to the Rafanelli Winery. When we got there, we couldn't because they only do tours/tasting by reservation only.

Here's a map of wineries in Sonoma. Click on the individual ones you want to tour and check to see if they require reservations -- most of them are open to the public.

http://www.wineroad.com/maps/ ((b))

Among the "commercial" wineries, I like Ch. St Jean and the premium "second floor" at Beringer.
There are still many great places in W and NW Sonoma County and in Mendocino and the crowds are way less.
M

And here's a link for wineries in Napa Valley, that will tell if you need a reservation:

http://www.napavintners.com/wineries/wfinder_body.html

Reservations were very easy to get, usually just a phone call.

Thanks so much everyone for your feedback.