I wouldn’t consider myself a connoisseur, but I do have a fairly decent palate for wines and love a good wine-tasting. It has been a dream of mine to visit Napa and Sonoma to discover some of the delicious wines that California’s wine country can produce. On a recent trip to San Francisco, we took the opportunity to take a Napa and Sonoma wine tour with Green Dream Tours – and it was simply brilliant!
Disclosure: We were guests of Green Dream Tours for this wine tour, however, as always, all opinions are my own.
Green Dream Tours
One major thing to consider when going for wine tastings, is making sure you have a designated sober driver. We didn’t fancy the thought of one of us missing out, so we decided to do a wine tasting tour instead. I’m not usually a fan of tours in general, but Green Dream Tours do small group packages and concentrate on boutique wineries, which appealed to me. They have several pick-up locations in downtown San Francisco, and their small tour buses are roomy and comfortable. We appreciated the complimentary bottles of water and the availability of sunscreen!
Our driver and guide, Skip, drove us the scenic route out of San Francisco, and then stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge lookout too – a great bonus, especially if you are pressed for time in San Francisco. The views of this iconic bridge can be obscured regularly by fog in the bay, but on the day we went [early July 2018] it was sunny and clear.
Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour Itinerary
We opted for the combo tour of both Napa and Sonoma because we knew the wine styles differed between valleys and wanted to sample a variety. We visited 2 wineries in Sonoma, 1 in Napa, and also had a stop at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market where we could buy lunch. I enjoyed the selection of smaller boutique wineries that Green Dream had picked out. With a mix of rustic and polished, all were small and welcoming; and more importantly, the wines were exceptional!
Peter Cellars, Sonoma
As a Brit, I enjoyed the name of this vineyard (look up Peter Sellers if you are puzzled). This small and rustic winery has a tasting room nestled in amongst the vines; and a beautiful seating area in which to enjoy your tipples. We tried a Rosé first, followed by two Cabernets of different vintages so that would compare and contrast. It was interesting to learn more about how different weather conditions during the growing season can effect the end product. A stop here on your Sonoma wine tour is a must, especially if you enjoy the Cabernet grape.
Nicholson Ranch, Sonoma
Nicholson Ranch’s tuscan style winery perches on a hill surrounded by grapevines. It is lucky to still be here, after recent wildfires destroyed the neighbouring property, and did some minor damage to their outdoor area. After tasting their wines, we were glad they survived! The staff at Nicholson Ranch speak passionately about the vineyard and are very knowledgable about the wines they produce. It is an estate winery, so they grow, harvest, make, bottle and distribute all on site and the wine can only be purchased from them.
We tried 4 wines, 2 Chardonnays and 2 Pinot Noirs. Their 2012 Valley Chardonnay was my personal favourite – very light and refreshing with melon and pear notes; my husband loved their Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, which was very rich with earthy tones and cherry.
Starmont Winery, Napa
Starmont Winery and Vineyard had the most delightful seating area, although it got so hot we retreated inside on our visit. They have fun and creative tasting notes based around music; and they add some great analogies for the different styles of wines they produce. I fell in love with their delightfully creamy 2015 Carneros Chardonnay. Sticking to your tongue like butter, this Chardonnay made its way home with us (well, until the next day, when we drank it)!
Lunch at Oxbow Public Markets, Napa
For lunch, Skip dropped us off at the Oxbow Public Markets. A huge warehouse of boutique eateries, fresh food stalls, amazing coffee and produce. When you are on a wine tasting, it’s important to line the stomach so you don’t get too merry too quickly. We found a place that cooked beautiful steaks to order and delicious beef sandwiches and wraps, called Five Dot Ranch. They raise their cattle with low-stress handling techniques and no antibiotics or hormones. I opted for the Asian BBQ beef with slaw in a wrap, and hubby had the Reuben; we shared a side of creamy mac n’ cheese for good measure – it was all very yummy!
A Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour
On our way back to San Francisco, Skip kept the party going by providing some wine for the return journey. It was lovely to be sipping on a nice fresh white wine as we left the vines and crossed back into the city. Dropped back by 5pm; and ready to explore Chinatown for dinner, we were buzzing from our day in the Napa and Sonoma wine country. Our tour with Green Dream Tours couldn’t have been better.
If you are visiting San Francisco, and don’t have time to visit Napa and Sonoma separately, I would recommend a tour. It’s worth the money to have your very own designated driver!
Check out our adventures at Alcatraz and our road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 STM Lens; and an iPhoneX.
We self drove napa and sonoma many years ago but this looks like a really great way to explore, leaving the driving and logistics to someone else. We didn’t visit more than a handful of vineyards, so there’s good reason for us to go back one day! Thanks for the heads up on Oxbow as well.
I am so glad you got to visit Napa and Sonoma on your trip. I agree that a wine tour with a designated driver is essential. We know that by the end of our wine tour in Napa, we were NOT in any condition to do anything but roll into our hotel room. I love that the smaller companies like Green Dream focus on the smaller boutique wineries. You get a much more personal experience. I did not know that I could do a wine tour that started in San Francisco! It must have been interesting (and sad) to see first hand the damage the fires did to the area.
This sounds like my kind of tour! I have yet to go wine tasting in Napa and going on A tour is good idea for the driving side and No one missing out! I like that you went To smAll vineyards too, i’m sure that was a nicer experience.
You are absolutely right, when you go for wine tasting you don’t want to drive back home. So, you indeed need a sober driver. creative tasting notes based around music sounds so amazing
How funny – did the Peter Sellers have any relation to the man of that name? I like the idea of being driven around, so you don’t have to worry about how much you’ve tasted, or leave one person out of experiencing the warm fuzzy glow of good wine.
Visiting the wine country of napa and sonoma seems like a real heady experience. Wine tours ar so much more than just wine. I like the fact that you get to learn about the process and also the landscapes around the vineyards are a treat in themselves. I really like the look of Nicholson Ranch, Sonoma, it looks so beautiful with a tuscan feel about it.
The most important thing for a wine tour is being able to sample the wines, so a tour with a driver is a must – and the scenic stop and wine on the way home sound like a perfect combination. I would definitely go to the peter cellars winery, you can’t beat a good pun 🙂
I have never been to a wine tour and would love to go there! the landscapes are amazing and i love that there is a public market nearby too! i love public markets! for me, this is the best place to go to if you want to find out more about the place’s culture and food!
Vineyards have some of the best photography opportunities. I would go just for those. The SF lookout point is fabulous. I never imagined the starting point of the bridge like how it shows in your picture.
I would like to go to Napa and Sonoma sometime. I , like you, am no connoisseur but I like my red :). I do wish I can find someone to drive me around while I taste the wines of these regions.;)
Your post reminded me that I haven’t been to Napa and sonoma in years and it might be time to head back. Luckily I have a trip planned to San Francisco in early 2019 and might have to extend it a few days.
Sounds like a great idea!