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.
Auburn James
Auburn James was founded in 2005 by two winemakers, James Frost and Matthew Ospeck. They are known for their Bordeaux red blends which are lush and silky with expressive aromatics. You can taste their wines on the deck overlooking the winery, vineyards, and bocce court or in the tasting cottage. Auburn James is a small, intimate winery with a rustic artistic feel that one must see and experience!
August Briggs Winery
You are welcome to enjoy their friendly and lively tasting room for a rotating selection of delicious wines. You will be guided through samplings of the currently released wines. While many of the wines sell out quickly, we will always do our best to hold back some of our finest for our Napa Valley tasting guests.
Axios Winery
A powerhouse collaboration between proprietor Gus Kalaris and winemaker Bob Egelhoff, Axios is a super premium Cabernet Sauvignon of Napa Valley “cult” status. Axios, meaning worthy in Greek, reflects Gus’ vision to craft a wine of Bordeaux influence that represents the richness of its’ Napa Valley origin. This wine was proudly served at a reception hosted by President Bush at The White House in March of 2002.
105 Zinfandel Ln, St. Helena, CA 94574
AXR Napa Valley
The history of our estate is compounded in layers; rooted in historic tales of fierce Native American hunting grounds, wild west pioneers and the first woman vintner of California in 1886. It has changed hands over the course of 134 years to become a brewery, restaurant, inn, winery and saloon. Tales of love, lust, heartbreak, murders and great fortune create an imaginative backdrop to our present-day vision of AXR. Today, we are a winery that pays homage to its history and blazes the trail of excitement and innovation in Napa Valley as the pioneers before us did.
B Cellars
Two partners, Borsack and Keys founded B Cellars in 2002 which sits in the heart of the Oakville AVA on Oakville Crossroads. Gorgeous grounds on a knoll overlooking a valley encompass the winery and hospitality buildings as you approach life-size human sculptures depicting everyday life. This is the only winery in the Napa Valley that features a full-service demonstration kitchen. You will enjoy a variety of food and wine pairings as you experience their white and red blends, a 15,000 plus square foot cave and outdoor tastings overlooking vines and olive trees. These wines can be found in some of America’s premium restaurants from Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas. With superstar winemaker Kirk Venge at the helm (named one ot the top twenty young winemakers in the world by Food & Wine Magazine), grapes are sourced from some of finest vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
B Wise Estate
Brion Wise founded B Wise Vineyards in 2002 seated on top of a ridge in the Moon Mountain District of the Sonoma Valley. A Mediterranean style mansion/bungalow estate and home to the owner has incredible views and is known specifically for their comfortable and tastefully decorated wine cave. While you are in the cave tasting and looking at fermenting and aging tunnels, you will learn about their red blend wines while taking in the décor from 1920’s Paris with wild-west themed bronzes and vintage furniture.
Backstage Winery
Experience the allure of Napa Valley with Backstage Winery. A family devoted to the art of winemaking, they specialize in producing premium-quality wines in small, limited-release batches. Utilizing grapes sourced from more than a dozen local micro-vineyards, their wines are meticulously crafted with passion and dedication, ensuring a taste of the finest Napa has to offer.
Baldacci
What started as a real estate investment turned into a lifestyle change for the Baldacci family as their love and commitment to this property deepened. Lovely, balanced supple wines are featured.
Ballentine
Owned and operated by four generations since 1906, the Ballentine Family Winery is considered a hidden gem of Napa Valley. Their goal is to share their story and passion with guests, make approachable, quality wine while being responsible and sustainable in their vineyards.
Barnett Vineyards
Our personal and curated tasting experience includes a discussion of our history, unique terroir, and winemaking methods. Guests will explore our current releases while enjoying a spectacular view of Napa Valley if weather permits.
Bartholomew Estate Winery
A charming estate steeped in history, Bartholomew had the first recorded vineyard in Sonoma and was part of California’s first commercial winery in 1857. Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and red blends are made in extremely limited quantities and sell out quickly. Tastings can be outdoors beneath stunning mature oak trees or in the gorgeous, newly renovated historic Hacienda winery. Experience Sonoma history and natural beauty at this tucked away gem a few minutes from the Sonoma Plaza.
Beau Vigne
Beau Vigne has a great philosophy to winemaking that hasn’t changed since we began. Although we fly under the radar as a small boutique winery, we do so with impressive stature and enjoy our “hidden gem” status. We are world renown and recognized by wine critics as a winery that produces exceptional, intense, balanced, rich and multidimensional wines. Beau Vigne is home to family and extraordinary wines, where “great Cabernets are grown, not made.” Our family’s roots run deep in the Napa Valley. Martin Garzoli, Ed’s grandfather, arrived in the Valley in 1913. He was a Swiss Italian who, in Italy, was trained in winemaking. Martin would work the Hayfields of Napa and Sonoma during the day and make wine in an old barn at night. Nearly 100 years later the Beau Vigne Family is still making wine.
