Tasting vs Touring Winery in Napa/Sonoma
 

I have to admit I am a little confused by some of the info I've read on winery websites. First it says that their winery is open 10-4...then it says tasting tours are available maybe 2 times a day with reservation only. We don't really care to take a full tour, do most vineyards have JUST tastings...and do you have to reserve for tastings as well (the regular ones, not the higher end vintages)? Or when they say it's open from 10-4, does that mean the tasting room is open to the public during those times?

Thanks :)

I'm going next week, I'd like to know too!

The vast majority of wineries offer tastings throughout their open hours w/o any advance booking. If it says 10-4 or 10:30-5, you can taste any time between those hours. Most do not offer tours - just tasting rooms.

The set times are for guided tours . . . .

We've found that the tasting room is usually open for the hours posted. Have not ventured to a winery that required reservations for tasting. The tours are normally spread throughout the day. Our favorits are: Benzinger, Kunde, Ferrari, Chateau St Jean for atmosphere, tours and wines. I walked out of one tasting room based just on the way the people were interacting (or not) with the customers. We haven't had the time to go further north but I hear that there are some great places north of Sonoma and Napa.

Sorry it seems so confusing, hope I can help make some sense for you. The majority of wineries do not give tours. They simply have tasting rooms. Which are a nice room in the winery, where guests (you) can stop in and try samples of the different wines that they produce. The hours they post that they are open are for the tasting room. Unless they say "reservations only", you can just show up anytime during those hours and taste the wines. A few wineries do have tours. If they do, they may require a reservation for the tour, but you are never required to take a tour to taste the wine. So, if you are interested in a particular winery and they have a tour, but you just want to taste the wine.....go! You don't have to take the tour. Does this make sense? Now, not all wineries are open to the public for tastings. Some are by reservation only. It doesn't have anything to do with tours. Napa and Sonoma only allows so many wineries to have a license to be open tasting rooms to the public. So, the other wineries have to be by reservation only. If there is a specific winery you really want to go to, call them. They just might open their tasting room just for you! (they might not, but it's worth a shot!) I hope this clears up the confusion. Cheers!

Where are you headed? What types of wine do you like? I'd be happy to suggest some places to go, if you would like.

just got back last week from a two night stay in Sonoma. The tasting were open during the business hrs. Some charge 5$ a person. You can only do so much without it all getting boring. Our favorite stop was at Benziger where you could take a guided tour of the vineyard on a tram for 5$ each and at the end of the 30 min.tour you got to taste their reserve wines and then went to the public tasting room to taste any other wines. The tour was great. Very informative,not too long,a great way to see the actual land as opposed to the long hwy in Napa with tasting rooms on both sides of the road.You didnt say how much time you have but if you want atmosphere as opposed to just walking into a room with a bar where you taste a couple of wines then Benziger is great along with V.Sattui in the Napa area. They have a beautiful picnic area and a deli and you can watch the grapes actually be loaded in the machines that mash them and then watch the bottles come down the assembly line. Very friendly people.Hope this helps.

My husband and I just returned from our trip to San Fran and Sonoma. I'll be writing (and posting) my trip report in a few days. In the meantime, I want to also give my thumbs up to Benzinger wineray in Glen Ellen. We really loved their tour. Our tour guide, Patrick, was like a country boy version of Mark Twain. Anyone who goes to Sonoma -- I encourage you to go on the Benzinger tour. Anyway, look for my report in a few days.

Benziger and Ravenswood in Sonoma have very interesting tours and good tasting rooms. Also Berringer in Napa ha the same.
Korbel out on the Russian River area specializes in sparkling wines and had a good tour.

hi
i just returned from napa and sonoma.While most basic wineries do not require appt.for tastings,all require for tours.If you were to take any tour i suggest robert mondavi taste of the essence tour.For tastings the finer wineries require an appt.but we were able to pop into some Quintessa,Opus/expensive but beautiful wineries and great wine,Quintessa applies tasting fee to bottle of wine,Vine cliff,franks/free tasting great wine,frogs leap,fraizer,pride,spottswood,david arthur,joseph phelps,cain,caymus,raymond,
all of these wineries may require appts.but they all have great wines.For champagne try schramsberg,domaine carneros,In sonoma Chateau soverien has the best view and a great place for lunch.Have fun