The Wine Fairy

The hills were gray and damp, but the mood was jolly. Twelve wine lovers were gathered into a big white van–not friends just yet, but soon to be.

“Who’s ready for wine this morning? Everybody!” We made introductions and sipped hot Americanos from a café stop in Sausalito, right over the Golden Gate bridge.

We had pulled out of San Francisco just after 9 AM to reach our first tasting destination of the morning. The famous fog of Carneros spread out across the highway before us. On either side, shriveled black grapes hung ominously on the vines, unharvested surplus from the 2025 growing season.

It was a somber sight, and a reminder that California’s wine industry is still facing a troublesome gap in demand. But it didn’t erode the celebratory vibe as the van cruised deeper into the rolling vineyards. We were ready to do our part by drinking some wine!

Back home in Dallas, local wine pals had ribbed me about not renting a car for my first Sonoma trip. And especially for letting a tour company choose the wineries. They showered me with recommendations of favorite vineyards and tasting rooms dotted all over Napa and Sonoma Counties, showed me pics of scenic dining spots on their phones, and drew maps of how to get there on bar napkins.

I had twinge of vacation envy, but I stayed resolute. I absolutely love a good escorted tour by bus or van, no matter what the wine snobs say. Every time I visit a new wine region (or even one I’ve been to before), I’m perfectly content to spend the day as a passenger.

Sure, you might not be tasting the most famous producers or going to the most exclusive spots on a group trip. But hired tours offer convenience, safety, and (often) better access to wineries than I can get on my own.

It’s a welcome feeling to sink into a van seat, knowing that my transportation and itinerary have been figured out in advance. All I have to do is walk over to a reserved table and sip some wine? Perfect.

I booked the tour online a couple of weeks before traveling, and received an email confirmation with pickup details. Our tour guide, Paul, met me and my wife (Sarah) directly at the lobby of our hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf.

The van was already loaded with 10 other passengers from four continents. We were all first-timers in Sonoma, and all excited to see America’s wine country up close. As we began the one-hour trip into Sonoma County, Paul narrated the history of California’s statehood and its wine legacy.

Our first stop was Peter Cellars, a family-owned micro-winery in Carneros. Owner and winemaker Peter Mauel was expecting us on the crush pad. The fire pits were glowing and the rosé was chilling–Peter’s vibrant rosé of Pinot Noir, to be precise.

If I thought (perhaps uncharitably) that I wasn’t going to be tasting great wine on this tourist excursion, I was proven wrong right away. They were award-winning estate wines, made with exceptional care and knowledge. There just isn’t enough of them to distribute outside of the tasting room and wine club…too bad for the rest of the world.

Peter Cellars’ 2019 Merlot afforded me the rare pleasure that every wine traveler loves: Drinking wine just steps from where its vines are rooted. After finishing our tasting, me and several other ladies (a group of off-duty flight attendants from Lufthansa) wandered off from the patio. We poked around the weathered rows of Merlot, dorkily taking selfies with the vines and petting Peter’s four busybody yellow dogs.

A lunch stop in downtown Sonoma was next on the agenda. Our group splintered off in different directions: Some to eat, some to shop, some to take photos of the charming old square. Paul provided honest recommendations tailored to every desire. My wife and I enjoyed a delicious Nepalese curry for lunch, washed down with a half-bottle of old-school Carneros bubbly from Gloria Ferrer.

Stomachs lined and legs stretched, we were ready for our second tasting appointment: Séamus Wines of Kenwood, California.

Séamus Wines is a boutique winery (~2500 cases per year) using fruit from select vineyards and appellations in Sonoma. The small family operation makes wine mostly for club members and tasting room visitors, and racks up bunches of medals for their efforts. Owner and winemaker James Foley, Jr. was waiting for us when we arrived.

Resembling an enviable man cave, the Séamus lounge is decorated with barrel furniture and rock-n-roll posters from the family’s music and art business connections. James ushered us to a long table with pre-set wine glasses and custom-printed menus.

We tried a fragrant and tropical Sonoma Viognier and a robust Grenache-Cabernet blend, Séamus’s California Cuvée. We then tasted a special library wine, the 2015 Doctor’s Vineyard Pinot Noir and a fruit-laden rosé of Barbera from the Sierra Foothills.

As we sipped, James shared the story behind each artistic label, along with the technical details of the wines’ production. With a few minutes to spare before departure, we bellied up to the bar for an extracurricular tasting of some single-vineyard Merlot.

We would’ve happily stayed longer, but there was one more reservation to squeeze in: B.R. Cohn Winery. Here also, we received an enthusiastic welcome. A private tasting (and snacktime) in one of their member lounges was followed by a brief tour of the on-site recording studio and rock memorabilia collection. (Winery founder Bruce Cohn was the longtime manager of the Grammy-winning rock band The Doobie Brothers.)

Next, we got a little free time to explore the winery’s hillside overlooks, groves, and the racks of barrels stacked high on the patio. This was the most photo-worthy part of the trip–the afternoon sun filtering through the fog was better than any ring light.

With just enough wine sloshing through our blood, we frolicked between the old oaks and the olive trees. Sarah took a billion photos of me, even though I complained that I would’ve looked tidier at the start of the wine tour. I hastily pinned back my curls and scrubbed my teeth with my sleeve. (“Relax…it’s just for your future book cover,” she teased.)

Our group made our last purchases in the gift shop and tasting room, and then bundled back into the van for the drive back to our San Francisco hotels. Before crossing the bridge, we stopped for one last boozy photo op on the north side of the Bay.

A drop-off in Sausalito was another option that our guide offered, for anyone who wanted to take the ferry back into town. But we had–unanimously–enjoyed enough adventuring for one day.

So, is it worth it to go to the wine country in December, when the harvest is over and the vines are resting? Absolutely! Touring in the off-season is one of my favorite ways to travel. All the wineries were well-staffed and the crowds were minimal. There was plenty of space to spread out, explore, and to ask questions.

Our tour provider, Edge of the World Tours, took great care of us from start to finish. The service and value they provided was exceptional. They are San Francisco/Sonoma specialists, and they cap their wine tours at 13 people so you never feel like you’re tasting in a herd.

The ride was clean and safe, so all we had to do was focus on tasting and making new friends. Our guide made sure we had access to restrooms and water as needed, and kept our belongings secure in the van. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to take a day trip to Sonoma without the hassle of driving or the expense of a private limo company.

Other travel tips? Wine tour companies build their itineraries around availability–so you might not know what wineries you’re going to visit until the day of the tour. If you’re open-minded and curious, it won’t matter. There are many wineries in this region that are making delicious wine in all kinds of styles, and unless you hate wine, you’re sure to find something that you like.

The tour comes with pre-determined wine flights (about five tastes at each stop). The pours are plenty generous, but you can also purchase additional wines by the glass or bottle. Want some souvenir bottles to go? Most wineries are able to help you pack up wine for your luggage or (depending on where you live) ship it directly to you at home.

All in all, the tour was a worry-free, luxurious excursion that’s worth doing for wine nerds and wine newbies alike. My Sonoma day trip was one of the highlights of a wine-soaked end-of-year getaway to Northern California. If you’re planning a visit to California’s wineries soon, I hope you have a marvelous time, and cheers! 🍷🍷🍷

What: “The Great Wine Tour” – Full-Day Sonoma Wine Tour from San Francisco

Who: Edge of the World Tours (San Francisco, CA)

How much: $179 (weekday) or $189 (weekend) per adult (21+), $159/$149 for minors under 21. Includes booking fees and taxes, all scheduled tastings, transportation to/from hotels in downtown San Francisco. Does not include lunch, additional wine or optional driver gratuity.

Visited on this trip:

Peter Cellars (Sonoma, CA)

Séamus Wines (Kenwood, CA)

B.R. Cohn Winery (Glen Ellen, CA)

Wines tasted:

*Peter Cellars Carneros Estate Rose (2023) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $34

*Peter Cellars Carneros Estate Pinot Noir (2020) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $54.50

*Peter Cellars Carneros Estate Pinot Noir (2021) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $48.75

*Peter Cellars Carneros Estate Merlot (2019) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $50.75 – Review

*Peter Cellars Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2018) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $68.25

Gloria Ferrer Carneros Blanc de Noirs (NV) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $19 (375 ml) – Review

*Séamus Wines Solomon Vineyard Viognier (2024) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $35

*Séamus Wines “California Cuvée” Red Blend (NV) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $34

*Séamus Wines Doctor’s Vineyard Pinot Noir (2015) – Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, California – $65

*Séamus Wines “Debutante” Rosé of Barbera (2024) – Shenandoah Valley AVA, California – $36

Séamus Wines Ghilsa Vineyard Merlot (2022) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $46

*B.R. Cohn Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay (2022) – Los Carneros AVA, California – $48

*B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Malbec (2022) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $70

*B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate “Quintet” Red Blend (2021) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $88

B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2021) – Sonoma Valley AVA, California – $85

*Starred wine tastings were included with the tour.

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.