Although not usually expected, in most wineries and tasting rooms, tips are always appreciated. Complimentary winery tours and wine tastings are offered seven days a week; Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
While on the 45-minute tours, guests enjoy a guided walking tour of the 18,000 square foot wine production facility before learning about the five “S” of wine tasting. Capacity is limited, tasting room by reservation only. Make your reservation in person on the day of your visit to the winery. You don't need to travel to the Napa Valley to enjoy a wine country adventure.
Florida is home to one of the largest wineries, Lakeridge Winery, and they offer free tours and complimentary wine tastings seven days a week. Tower Tours offers a Napa & Sonoma Wine Country that visits 3 different wineries and offers free shuttle service from most San Francisco hotels. Although they specialize primarily in private luxury wine tours, Beau wine tours also offer a group tour of the Napa Valley. After the presentation, a tour guide will show you the production area and the picturesque view of the vineyards where Muscadine grapes are grown and harvested.
Squire Livery Tours promotes itself as a luxury wine tour company that offers private, personalized tours of the Napa Valley. Guests praise the knowledgeable travel guide and the ease with which they were able to visit several San Francisco wineries. Although private tours of the Napa Valley are more common, there are still a handful of companies that offer group trips. Just stop by or call ahead and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the excellent presentation of a gift basket full of gourmet items and wines of your choice.
Complimentary self-guided tours and wine tasting run throughout the day and are offered seven days a week (excluding major holidays). They make a particular effort to take visitors to smaller, lesser-known wineries rather than those run by large companies. For those traveling from San Francisco, Beau Wine Tours dispatches a bus to pick up guests at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. Guests can choose their starting point, the wineries they want to visit and the number of days they expect to explore the area.
However, it is very common for all wine tours to exclude wine tasting fees in the cost of the tour. Some say that they would like there to be more information about the winemaking process, however, this is more a topic that needs to be addressed with wineries than with the travel company. Drivers often call guests before the tour to ask about their wine and vineyard preferences, so that the tour is as personalized as possible (although there is no guarantee that the guide can satisfy everyone's wishes). Although complaints are few and far between, some guests felt that the tour was too expensive and that wine tasting should have been included in the rate.
