San Francisco Wine Tours
From LoveToKnow SanFrancisco
Guided San Francisco wine tours take the headaches out of planning and exploring the Northern California wine country.
California's Wine Country
When most people think of California's wine country they focus exclusively on the Napa Valley. Without a doubt, Napa Valley, with its multiple Mondavi vineyards, the ever popular Beringer Vineyard and its variety of Silver Oak wineries is emblematic of the wine country. California wine regions are not exclusive to Napa. Vines and wineries have taken root in regions in Sonoma County, East Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey County. Most tour companies focus on Napa but there are many that will detour to these other regions. While it is self-evident that you have the freedom to take a tour of the wine country on your own, there are many reasons to take a guided tour.
The majority of people visiting San Francisco may only have a day or half a day free and they just want a sampling of California's famous wine country. A guided wine tour, whether by limousine or bus, is convenient and economizes on time. Guided tours also allow people to taste the wines without drawing straws with their companions; making the loser the abstinent designated the driver.
Designing Your San Francisco Wine Tours
There are several factors to consider when picking a wine tour. Tours can take anywhere from four to ten hours, so choose an agenda that suits your needs and time constraints. Most tours will visit three to six wineries during the day. The following are a few factors to help narrow down your choices.
Transportation
An important consideration is the mode of transportation. Tour companies provide wine country trips in a coach/bus, mini-bus, van, sedan, limousine and upscale stretch limos. Several companies will make arrangements to conveniently pick you up at your San Francisco hotel or at a designated embarkation point.
Group Size
The size of your group will influence your tour choice. Tour buses are the most economical and can accommodate larger groups. They are also a good choice for singles, two to three people or a pack of people. Large bus tours target wineries welcome the masses and offer parking facilities to handle the large coaches that always appear to travel in packs. With these tours don't expect to visit any small, intimate or quaint "boutique" wineries.
Groups of up to a dozen people may use mini-buses or mini-vans. These smaller tours are easier to manage and open up more winery visit options. There are also limousine services to consider. Limos are a great choice for groups ranging from a few people, to a dozen.
Limousine tours offer personalized service with plenty of customized options. Many claim inside contacts at many wineries and can sometimes swing a tasting at "reservations-only" wineries on a moment's notice.
Fixed vs. Flexible Itineraries
The larger tours have fixed itineraries that include winery visits, lunch stops, shopping and tours through the wine country. For visitors looking for more flexibility, it is better to seek companies that offer customized tours.
A variety of limousine companies have wine tours that offer fixed itineraries with options to customize your trip to include specific wineries on your list. Many of the companies will also package their tours with visits to Muir Woods, Sonoma Plaza, Sausalito, Monterey and other sights of interest along the wine routes.
Wine Tasting Only or Mixed Venue
While wine tasting is the primary objective, many wine country regions offer a variety of other activities. There are top-notch and world-class restaurants in which the cuisine is complemented to the local environment. Shopping goes hand-in-hand with wine tasting and there are plenty of boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and oddly enough, wine shops to investigate. Beyond that, the local scenery is enchanting.
Sampling of Tour Companies
Pure Luxury Limousine offer stretch limo, van or bus services to Napa, Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Russian River. The company specializes in customized services and will make arrangements for special tastings, picnics, private tours or whatever else comes to mind.
Self-proclaimed California wine country tour specialists, Elite's wine-knowledgeable chauffeurs take you north of the City wine destinations. Elite wine tours include the surrounding San Francisco area, Monterey and Central Coast wine regions.
This company has a wide menu of tours to the wine country as well as other California attractions.
Napa Wine Tours provide visits to Sonoma and Napa counties by bus, limo, train and balloon. Multiple day tours and various activities in the wine country can also be arranged at your request.
San Francisco Tours provides personalized service to the Sonoma and Napa wine countries. They also offer tours to other San Francisco and Northern California sights.
Regions
The following are the primary destinations for San Francisco wine tours:
If you have never been to Napa Valley and have time for only one wine tour, don't miss your chance to see the wine region that put California on the worldwide wine map.
This wine country is one or two hours north of San Francisco and shows more diversity than Napa Valley. It includes Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek wine regions.
- Livermore Valley
Livermore Valley is one of the oldest wine areas in California and is just over the East Bay hills in Alameda County. Visit Wente Vineyard, established back in the 1880's, it is one of California's oldest family owned wineries.
- Monterey County
South of San Francisco near the coast, Monterey is a cool climate wine region located primarily in the Salinas Valley. Combine winery visits with side trips to historic Monterey and the scenic coastal region.
- Santa Cruz Mountains/Santa Clara County
This cool climate wine region includes the Santa Cruz Mountains north of Monterey and has a few wineries in the hills straddling the Pacific and Silicon Valley. Santa Clara is an AVA in the South Bay with over 25 top-notch wineries.
When to Go
The best time to go? Anytime. The California wine country is open year-round, making it easy to plan a visit that fits into any time frame. Whether it is a long weekend or a two-week vacation, the only requirements necessary for your tour of the California wine country are to relax and enjoy.
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