Sonoma Valley Small Group Winery Tour
Description
Join us on a full-day, small-group wine tour of the Spectacular Sonoma Valley wine country! You’ll visit three charming, back roads wineries and be served a picnic lunch in an idyllic winery setting. Your tour guide will tell fascinating stories and share many interesting tidbits about local history, culture and wine making. Our specialty is intimate, light hearted and truly memorable experiences. Your guide will set up a tasty picnic lunch for you at a picturesque winery. Once the tour concludes, you will be dropped off from where you were picked up. The tour typically has 8-12 guests on board.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour will begin with pickup from your Sonoma area hotel. Depending on where you are staying will define the tour region that you will be visiting. If your accommodations are outside of the winery region, you can arrange to meet us a general meeting spot. You’ll visit three charming, backroads wineries and be served a picnic lunch in an idyllic winery setting. Your tour guide will tell fascinating stories and share many interesting tidbits about local history, culture and wine making. This is not a smarmy or touristy activity. Our specialty is intimate, light-hearted and truly memorable. This tour is sure to entertain with a very approachable and easy-going style. Discover and savor new experiences tasting some of the world’s most celebrated wines. Our typical guest is not necessarily a wine expert but keen to learn a bit about wine and wine-making, and is open to sharing the experience with a few other like-minded wine adventurers.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 21 years
- Please call local operator after booking to provide a mobile phone number and an email address
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- A maximum of 4 guests per booking
Reviews(169)
Excellent tour guide! Small vineyards with delicious wine tastings. Knowledgeable staff and beautiful scenery.
Hi Susan, Thank you! Sounds like Sonoma treated you well. 😊 We're so glad you enjoyed your day and appreciate you taking the time to share. Warmly, Shawnda
We had a great time with the other guests and Rob the driver was very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Hi, Thank you for the great review! Rob knows his wine country, but he also knows how to have fun along the way. 😊 I'm so glad you enjoyed the people you shared the day with, too. I'll make sure Rob sees this! Cheers, Shawnda
This tour for 6 1/5 hr for 4 people cost$800. We did not get everything we asked for in an extensive questionnaire. No feedback was solicited though I provided it. Basically u get a driver that u still have to tip on top of the base fee, some advice on wineries to visit and reservations made, a box lunch and that's it. U can do this urself and take Uber. Don't waste ur money
Thank you very much for the feedback you provided for your tour; I am very sorry we failed to do better for you. Despite that our management has written to you directly about your emailed feedback for this tour and offered a partial refund, it is appropriate that we respond in this forum as well. We apologize that you felt you did not receive value from our guide and attentive staff. Your perspective is incredibly valuable as we work to improve. When you worked with our planning team, they selected locations that fit both your budget and your specific wine requests, and shared the itinerary with you for your approval. We regret that the wineries fell short of your expectations. We also make every effort to be transparent about our costs at the time of booking. Please accept our sincere apologies. If you wish to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to reach out. - Shawnda and the Platypus Management Team
A little disappointing based on the other reviews. Our driver, Tony, was basically just a driver - he had very little to say on the tour and what he did say we couldn't hear. Great group on the tour (he never had us introduce ourselves). Took us to Imagery, which was nice; Ty Caton, where we ate lunch in a dark pole barn and the presentation was way too long; and St Francis, which was a wonderful way to end the tour.
Hello. Thank you for your feedback. Our Director of Operations followed up with Tony to understand what might have happened to make you feel there was no added value during your tour. Tony recalls that the group was busy socializing on the way to the first location, so he wanted to allow everyone time to get to know each other. On the rare occasions when a group connects so quickly, it can be difficult to find the right moment to break the conversation. He is truly thoughtful about his tours and has a wealth of knowledge to share, so I am very sorry he did not have the opportunity to show you what a wonderful guide he is. If you are ever back in the area, please reach out to Alison Honey, Director of Operations, directly and she will personally select your guide and itinerary. Warm Regards, Shawnda
Outstanding getaway! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable - taught us a lot about the entire wine making process. The wineries that were selected were all unique - all the wines were outstanding! Lunch was delicious. Can’t recommend this experience enough!
Hi Mark! Thank you for such an enthusiastic review! We love hearing that you came away with a better understanding of what goes into making the wine you've been enjoying all day. 😊 Thank you for spending your Sonoma day with us and for the wonderful recommendation! Cheers, Shawnda
The choices of boutique wineries changes all the time, but the 3 that Casey chose were perfect. We went in a Monday so it was much quieter and more relaxed. It felt like we were on a VIP tour
Hi Danielle! I love that your small-group tour felt like a VIP experience. That's exactly what we hope happens when great guides, wonderful boutique wineries, and a relaxed pace all come together. I'll be sure Casey sees your kind words. Thank you so much for taking time to write this great review, it means so much to us. Warm Wine Country Regards, Shawnda
We visited three wineries; the guide, James, was very kind and approachable. The wineries themselves were charming, staffed with friendly people, and offered delicious wines.
Hi Jennifer! "Kind and approachable" are qualities we value every bit as much as wine knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I'll be sure James this. Cheers, Shawnda
Greg was a great guide. Did a wonderful job with some cranky old folks. The tastings were great as well as the lunch. Would definitely do it again.
Hi Mark! Thank you for the great review. Every group has its own personality, and one of your guide's greatest strengths is making everyone feel welcome and making sure they have a terrific day. I'll be sure to share. Cheers! Shawnda
My second time with Platypus (first time was over in Napa). Our guide was very educational and funny, so were the tastings. Also, the team was very easy to communicate with and readily accommodated my dietary requests. Will probably come back for the third time.
Hi! I love the title of your review... "Round 2." 😊 Hopefully "Round 3" isn't too far behind! Thank you for taking the time to share this and for the recommendation. It means so much to us. Cheers! Shawnda
Knowledgeable leader who took us to three wonderful wineries. Very fun group of people to share tour with. Absolutely loved the wines at Ty Caton Winery!
Hi John, That sounds like a great day! So happy that you enjoyed the small group experience. Wine is always better shared with friends both old and new. :) Would love to host you again, anytime. Cheers! Shawnda
