San Francisco Wine Country Tours

Frequently Asked Questions

Wine Country Information

• What are the differences between the Sonoma wine country and the Napa wine country?
• How far is the wine country (Napa and Sonoma) from San Francisco?
• When is the best time of year to visit the California Wine Country?
• What is the weather like in the wine country?

Booking Information

• Are wine tasting fees included in the tour price?
• What is the difference between the Wine Country Bus Tour and the Wine Country Lovers Tour?
• Which is your most popular San Francisco Wine Country Tour?
• What wineries do you visit?
• What kind of vehicles do you use on your wine country tours?
• Can you organize private parties or corporate charters?
• How much do wine tasting fees cost on your tours?
• How much time do you spend at each winery in Napa or Sonoma?
• Can you pick us up from Sausalito on the way to the wine country?
• How long do your California Wine Country Tours last?
• How many people are on each tour?
• Where do you pick up passengers for your wine tasting tours?

Wine Country Information

• What are the differences between the Sonoma wine country and the Napa wine country?

  There aren’t many. The main difference being that Sonoma Valley is home to more boutique wineries, whereas more commercial wineries are located in Napa Valley. The quality of wine in each valley is the same. Sonoma Valley is usually chosen as the most scenic, especially towards the end of the harvest season (around the end of October) when the colors of the leaves change to an orange-like shade and the smell of fermented wine is in the air.

• How far is the wine country (Napa and Sonoma) from San Francisco?

  The Sonoma and Napa Valleys are roughly five miles away from each other. Travel time from San Francisco is roughly an hour to ninety minutes.

• When is the best time of year to visit the California Wine Country?

  There isn’t a bad time to visit the San Francisco Wine Country, as each season holds different attractions.  The best time to visit is during harvest season. The harvest season falls between mid-August to late October, when the vines are naked of fruit and turn red, gold and yellow before retiring to winter. The Sonoma County Harvest Fair hosts the famous grape stomp on the first weekend of October, as well as numerous food and wine fairs, wine auctions and golf tournaments.

• What is the weather like in the wine country?

  During the summer months, Sonoma and Napa can both be scorchingly hot. The daily temperatures range between the mid 90’s to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (33 - 38 Celsius). The fall season leads to a cooler break, but still typically remains in the 80’s (24 C). Winter and spring temperatures can vary sometimes wildly between the upper 60’s and the 80’s.

Booking Information

• Are wine tasting fees included in the tour price?

  If you choose the Wine Country Bus Tour, yes, all tasting fees are included.  The Wine Country & Redwoods Tour usually visits two wineries that offer free tastings and a third that may charge an additional $5.00 tasting fee. The Wine Country Lovers Tour does not include tasting fees in the tour price. Since the guests choose the wineries it is impossible for us to list the costs. Fees are generally between $5 to $15.

• What is the difference between the Wine Country Bus Tour and the Wine Country Lovers Tour?

  The Wine Country Lovers Tour is a semi-private tour that has a smaller group (no more than ten people). The Wine Country Lovers Tour also allows guests the opportunity to choose some of the wineries they would most like to visit. The group on the Wine Lovers Country Tour visits four to six wineries.  The vehicle used for the Wine Country Lovers Tour is a luxury van.

  The Wine Country Bus Tour accommodates a larger group of up to fifty-six passengers. It visits three wineries in total. The Wine Country Bus Tour visits both Sonoma and Napa valley. All wine tasting fees are included on the Wine Country Bus Tour. The vehicle used for this tour is a bus with motor coach seating, air-conditioning and restrooms on board.

• Which is your most popular San Francisco Wine Country Tour?

  The Wine Country & Redwoods Tour is our most popular San Francisco Wine Country Tour because it includes many of the most famous sights in the San Francisco bay area such as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Muir Woods National Park, the California wine country where we visit three wineries, and Sausalito.  We visit all of those sights at a leisurely pace during an inexpensive nine-hour tour.

• What wineries do you visit?

  San Francisco Wine Country Tours specializes in visiting small, family-owned wineries. These wineries are the most accommodating for our small groups and present a more authentic experience. Our winery itinerary varies on a daily basis; however, we visit Cline Cellars, Loxton and Homewood most often.

• What kind of vehicles do you use on your wine country tours?

  Our vehicles of choice are a luxury 15-passenger mini van or 26-passenger minibus, and a 56-seat motor coach for all our wine tours by bus. For private charters, the vehicle used varies, depending on the size of the group. Feel free to Contact Us for more information.

• Can you organize private parties or corporate charters?

  Yes, we customize private tours to the group requests. We can cater to business convention attendees, students, work colleagues, and family gatherings. The Wine Country charter tour is customized to the group’s requests and can include meals, for example a picnic lunch at a winery, or restaurant dinner in Sausalito, CA.  Tram tours through man-made caves, Champagne tasting at a winery balcony and a sunset ferry ride to Fisherman’s Wharf are some of the adventures we organize for our Wine Country charter groups.

• How much do wine tasting fees cost on your tours?

  The cost of the wine tasting fees depends on the winery visited, some wineries waive the tasting fees if visitors buy a bottle, some only charge for their appointment tastings, and others depending on the size of the group, allow groups of ten or less to taste 5-10 wines for free. The price range for wineries who do charge is between $5-30.

• How much time do you spend at each winery in Napa or Sonoma?

  The time spent in the wine country is about four hours. For each winery, we spend 45 mins to an hour. At each winery, the host takes us through the winery’s wine making process, their daily duties, history of the winery itself and of course, a tasting of 5-10 wines. 

• Can you pick us up from Sausalito on the way to the wine country?

  Yes, we can pick up from Sausalito; however this is possible only for the Wine Country Lovers Tour and Wine Country & Redwoods Tour.

• How long do your California Wine Country Tours last?

  Our wine country tours last nine hours in total. We leave San Francisco approximately 9 am and return between 5:00-5:30 pm.

• How many people are on each tour?

  Wine Country & Redwoods Tour seats 13 people.
  Wine Country Lovers Tour seats 10 people.
  Wine Country Bus Tour seats 56 people.
  

• Where do you pick up passengers for your wine tasting tours?

  The pick up locations for our Wine Country Tours are from hotels and hostels in the Downtown (around Union Square) or Fisherman’s Wharf areas.