Historic Wineries
Historic Winery Directory
Historic wineries of the sonoma valley
The beautiful and historic Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of California’s wine industry. In this unique tour, an expert local historian will accompany your group as we taste delicious wine at two or three Historic Wineries. We will also tour the Historic Sonoma Plaza, the San Francisco Solano Mission and the Sonoma Barracks. Your local historian guide will provide a comprehensive overview of local history, and tell amazing stories of wine families and viticulture, along with tales of General Vallejo and the Mission era.
Buena Vista Winery
Founded by Count Agosthon Haraszthy in 1857, Buena Vista is the oldest premium winery in California. The original stone winery is now a California Historic Landmark, and home to the Tasting Room and Visitor’s Center. You will hear the amazing story of Count Haraszthy, the first Hungarian to emigrate to the United States. In 1861 the Count journeyed to Europe and returned to California with over 100,000 cuttings of fine European varietals. Buena Vista now uses exclusively Carneros district fruit, and is the largest vineyard owner in this chosen “cool-climate” region; perfect for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Extraordinary wine.
Gundlach-Bundschu Winery
2008 marks the Gundlach Bundschu Sesquicentennial – the 150th Anniversary of the oldest family-owned winery in California. The founder: Jacob Gundlach, was a well-known author and poet, whose letters about the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire are regarded as the finest original accounts of this disaster. You will hear his story, and taste delicious estate grown wine in a glorious winery setting, nestled up against the Mayacamas Mountains.
Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery
The history of Sebastiani Vineyards extends all the way back to 1825, when its Mission Vineyard was founded by Franciscan fathers of the nearby San Francisco Solano Mission. It is the oldest vineyard north of San Francisco. Still family owned and operated today, Sebastiani Winery was founded by Samuele Sebastiani in 1904. We will visit the original stone winery building, taste wonderful wine, and view the largest redwood barrel in the world!
Bartholemew Park Winery
Currently owned by Gundlach-Bundschu, Bartholemew Park was part of Count Haraszthy’s wine empire. We will tour the comprehensive history museum, taste delicious vineyard-specific wine, and enjoy the extensive gardens surrounding the tasting room.
Sonoma Plaza and San Francisco Solano Mission
No history tour would be complete without a stop at the beautiful and historic Sonoma Plaza, and a tour of the 21st Mission. Many original adobe buildings still line the Plaza, the largest in California. Renowned as the “Bear Flag City,” you will hear the true story of the Bear Flag Revolt. We will also tour Sonoma State Historic Park, which includes the San Francisco Solano Mission and Sonoma Barracks.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
More information about our custom tours can be found on our Private Wine Tours FAQ page.
Platypus Tours also offers Hispanic Winery Tours.
Lokoya Winery
Established in 1995, Lokoya is a collection of four distinct Cabernet Sauvignons from four of Napa Valley’s most celebrated mountain appellations: Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain. These limited-production wines are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented with native yeast, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, resulting in the purest expression of place.
LOLA Wines
Situated in the heart of Calistoga in the north end of Napa Valley wine country, The LOLA House is a comfortable and charming home built in the late 1800s. You may find yourself sipping our wine next to the cozy fireplace inside or out in our lovely garden sitting area under the shade of our famous Japanese maple tree!
Long Meadow ranch
A tour of the 650 acre ranch, a tasting of LMR wines paired with house prepared culinary treats with a visit to the wine cave is available at the Mayacamas estate home of Tim and Laddie Hall. In the town of St. Helena, visit the LMR restaurant, Farmstead, that showcases the wines, beef, produce and olive oils that the ranch produces.
Louis Martini
One of the first five wineries to be built after the repeal of prohibition in 1933, by Charles Krug. Visit the newly remodeled tasting room for an experience combining history and contemporary design.
Loxton Cellars
Nestled in the heart of Sonoma Valley, Loxton Cellars is a bustling winery with 5 acres of its own vineyard. Owner and winemaker, Chris Loxton, is dedicated to crafting wines of exceptional quality that capture the essence of the region, prioritizing balance and authenticity in every bottle.
Luna Vineyards
When Luna’s founders first laid eyes on the Luna property in 1995, they instantly recognized the magic and the amazing potential of its estate vineyard, perfectly located along the Silverado Trail. They bought the property and followed their dream, building a winery that paid tribute to the varietals that set Napa Valley apart.
Madonna Estate
As the second oldest winemaking family in the Napa Valley, the Bartoluccis are dedicated to continuing the premium grape growing and fine winemaking that has been established by generations past. It is their commitment to continue to farm naturally, to preserve, and to refine the winemaking traditions of their past, which will result in bringing you the finest wines possible.
MadoroM Vineyards & Winery
Welcome to MadoroM Vineyards & Winery, a family winery dedicated to creating superbly hand-crafted Napa Valley wines. They are a small producer of exquisite Napa Cabernet, Merlot, Proprietary Red Blend, and Sauvignon Blanc. Ultimately, the best wine experiences are the people with whom you share it with. Whether it’s a very special occasion, an event, or a spontaneous gathering of good friends, these wines are meant to be enjoyed with friends and family.
Madrigal
Since the 1930’s three generations of the Madrigal family have farmed some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards through their own vineyard management company, and today they manage over 800 acres. Currently owned by the third-generation Madrigal, Chris creates wines that convey that deep appreciation for the land.
Maldonado Vineyards
Wine Making is such a beautiful and artistic science. It is truly an expression of the wine maker and how he/ she sees that grape in it’s purest form. We hope that you will find Hugo’s wines to be as masterful as we do!
Marita’s Vineyard
Wines created with hard work, dedication, and a passion for the industry. Family-owned and operated from the beginning.
Markham
With a history going back to 1874, current day Markham is comprised of 350 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards and both the vineyards and the winery have been GREEN certified.
