Our Partners Producing World-Class Wines
Sonoma Valley is home to more than 450 wineries and tasting rooms in its 30-mile span. Our winery partners have been selected for the great wines they produce, their scenic locations, the warm hospitality they offer guests in their tasting rooms and tours. At these wineries, you will taste some of the acclaimed cabernet sauvignon that has become Sonoma Valley’s signature varietal, but you’ll also find some delicious and interesting varietals such as chardonnay, rosé, zinfandel, petite sirah, merlot, and more.
Our Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley Tours include stops at three wineries each day. The wineries we visit on each tour vary, but these are the partners who are included in regular stops:
Benziger Family Winery
1883 London Ranch Road | Glen Ellen, California 95442 | (888) 490-2739 | www.benziger.com(opens in a new tab)
Benziger Family Winery began in the late 1970s and three generations of the family have been involved in creating the award-winning wines on the 85-acre estate. The winery is built on the slopes of an extinct volcano and is known for its biodynamic farming practices. From sloping hillsides and manicured gardens to olive orchards and farm animals, no visit is complete without taking a tour through the vineyard, wine caves, and crush pad. Benziger is well known for its warm hospitality and its incredible merlot, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc wines. The certified sustainable, organic wines are delicious and sure to impress even the most discerning palate.
BR Cohn Winery
15000 Sonoma Highway | Glen Ellen, CA 95442 | (800) 330-4064 | www.brcohn.com(opens in a new tab)
B.R. Cohn Winery was founded in 1984 and is located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. This small, family-operated winery is surrounded by the 90-acre Olive Hill Estate Vineyards. The soils warmed by underground natural hot springs and gentle ocean breezes create a unique microclimate resulting in ideal growing conditions for cabernet sauvignon. The winery offers a full line of ultra-premium wines, extra virgin olive oils, handcrafted vinegar, and gourmet food products. The tasting room is open daily and picnic areas are available.
Buena Vista Winery
18000 Old Winery Road | Sonoma, CA 95476 | (800) 926-1266 | www.buenavistawinery.com(opens in a new tab)
Before there were vineyards in every valley north of San Francisco, before Napa and Sonoma were household names, before there was a California wine industry at all, there was Buena Vista. Founded in 1857, Buena Vista Winery is California’s oldest premium winery and its history is as colorful as it is proud. Just outside the town of Sonoma, the original winery is now a California Historical Landmark and home to a tasting room and visitor’s center.
Deerfield Ranch Winery
10200 Sonoma Highway | Kenwood, CA 95452 | (707) 833-5215 | www.deerfieldranch.com(opens in a new tab)
Deerfield Ranch Winery is an award-winning boutique winery producing 15,000 cases annually. Robert Rex and his team handcraft small lots of wine from carefully selected vineyards in Sonoma County. Rex has been making wine since the 1970s and officially opened Deerfield’s winery and tasting room in 2009. Deerfield specializes in organic blended wines that are renowned for their brilliant colors, rich complex flavors, and long finish. They tend to be fruit-forward with gentle tannins, low acid, and low levels of histamines and sulfites (so they don’t produce any headaches or allergic reactions).
Larson Family Winery
23355 Millerick Road Sonoma, CA, 95476 | (707) 938-3031 | https://www.larsonfamilywinery.com/(opens in a new tab)
The Larson Family is eager not only to share their wines—their motto is, “We drink what we can, and sell the rest!”—but also to tell the story of their family and winery estate. The property includes what was once the northernmost point navigable on the Sonoma Creek from the San Francisco Bay, where travelers used to transfer from water vessels to horses and carts on their way to the Sonoma Plaza. The winery’s property includes a Civil War-era house built by a steamboat captain that was later acquired by Tom Larson’s great grandfather, who used it and the surrounding land to farm dairy cattle. For more than twenty years, their land was home to the largest and longest-running rodeo in the Bay Area.
In 2022, the winery suffered from an electrical fire where the historic tasting room burnt down. The winery is currently all outdoors.
And there’s so much to try! The Larson Family wine portfolio ranges from Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon to Burgundies like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, to less common grapes like Gewurztraminer, Tempranillo, and even Sparkling selections! The grapes are sourced from far-ranging vineyards carefully farmed and managed by the Larson family to provide their guests and customers with a variety of appellations to sample.
Visitors on group wine tasting tours of Sonoma can reserve outdoor tastings. Guests can enjoy the bocce courts, fun outdoor games, and an unbeatable view of Carneros. If you love their wines as much as we do, you can join their wine club, which includes a discount purchases of Larson Family wines, exclusive invites to special events, birthday rewards and more.
Little Family Winery
15188 Sonoma Highway Glen Ellen CA, 95442 | (707) 996-2750 | https://www.littlevineyards.com/(opens in a new tab)
Situated in the heart of Sonoma Valley, Little Vineyards Family Winery is nestled in the Valley of the Moon between the sunbathed rocky slopes of the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountain ranges. Their family estate includes 17.5 acres of planted vineyards. The vineyards are cooled in the early mornings and late evenings by coastal fog from the San Francisco Bay. As the fog retreats, the vineyards are warmed by rising daytime temperatures and underground hot springs. The vineyard soil is gravelly, well-drained, and descends downward to meet the Sonoma Creek.
Imagery Estate Winery
14335 California 12 | Glen Ellen, CA 95442 | (877) 550-4278 | www.imagerywinery.com(opens in a new tab)
Imagery Estate Winery was started by Joe Benziger (of the winemaking Benziger Family) in the 1980s. The winery has evolved from an emphasis on limited-production wines to focusing on lesser-known varietals. Imagery’s wine process incorporates a biodynamic farming approach. Benziger met Bob Nugent, a renowned local artist when he was first developing his wines and they have worked together ever since. As curator for the Imagery Estate Winery Artist Program, Nugent is responsible for commissioning the original artwork (that is reproduced on the wine labels) from the elite artist community. Nugent manages all aspects of the winery’s art collection and gallery, which visitors enjoy as part of the experience during their visit. Imagery offers two lovely patios to lounge or picnic in, plus Bocce Ball and Horseshoes.
Mayo Family Winery
13101 Arnold Drive | Glen Ellen, CA 95442 | (707) 938-9401 | www.mayofamilywinery.com(opens in a new tab)
Founded in 1993, Mayo Family Winery has long been devoted to small-batch, single-vineyard wines from Sonoma and Napa vineyards. With production often less than 200 cases, Mayo Family bottlings are only distributed through the winery and Cellar Club. In addition to producing pinot noir, chardonnay, and sparkling wine from estate vineyards in Sonoma Valley, Mayo Family is also known for its coveted old-vine zinfandels. Visiting this winery will include a high possibility that a member of the family will come and greet you in the tasting room.
Paradise Ridge Winery
8860 Sonoma Highway | Kenwood, CA 95452 | (707) 528-9463 | www.prwinery.com(opens in a new tab)
Paradise Ridge Winery is proud to offer a unique Sonoma Valley experience with its tasting room and art gallery in Kenwood. The winery was founded in 1991 and is family-owned and operated. The tasting room features Paradise Ridge’s elite selection of estate wines from the Russian River Valley and the exclusive Rockpile AVA. The winery prides itself on creating the ultimate experience from its herb garden sensory experience and sculpture gardens. Art and wine are a perfect pairing and Paradise Ridge’s Kenwood tasting room expertly blends them.
Sebastiani Vineyards
389 4th Street East | Sonoma, CA 95476 | (707) 933-3230 | www.sebastiani.com(opens in a new tab)
Just a few blocks from historic downtown Sonoma is Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery. Dating back to 1904, Sebastiani focuses on crafting small lots of super-premium wines from Sonoma County. Winemaker Mark Lyon is well known for his highly sought-after cherry block. The winery has won numerous awards, including making the Top 100 Wines of the Year in Wine Spectator Magazine for its cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Sebastiani’s tasting room bar extends 80 feet in length and the venue has a beautiful Tuscan feel.
VJB Cellars
60 Shaw Ave | Kenwood, CA, 95452 | (707) 833.2300 | www.vjbcellars.com(opens in a new tab)
At the VJB Vineyards and Cellars tasting room and marketplace, visitors will experience a taste of Italy in the heart of the beautiful Sonoma Valley. Guests can enjoy sipping Italian wine varietals such as barbera, montepulciano, and aglianico during a tasting with one of our knowledgeable wine educators. Afterward, spend time browsing in our marketplace for an array of specialty sauces, pestos, and estate-grown olive oil; or make time for lunch on the piazza with fresh paninis from the deli or a bubbling hot pizza from the outdoor oven. VJB was founded in 1999 by brothers Henry and Victor Belmonte and their Italian-born parents Vittorio and Maria. Their wines are produced with an eye toward New World innovation and Old World sensibility.
