Platypus Wine Tours
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.
Lunch included; tasting/touring fees and gratuitites extra.
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.
Burgess
Located at almost 1,000 feet above the Valley floor, tasting options include tasting in the Cellar Tasting Room amid aging wines or in the Mountainside Tasting Room enjoying the panoramic views of the Napa Valley. Today the second generation of the Burgess Cellars creates wines with mountain distinction on Howell Mountain, but all began with Tom Burgess and his growing interest in wine. While visiting Napa Valley in the early 70s, he stopped into a winery at the right time… bottles from the ‘30s to the ‘60s were open to taste. It was a seminal event in his life, and in Tom’s words, he “heard the wolves baying in the woods”. The Napa Valley was calling for him.
Cade
In 2005 three partners, Gavin Newsom, Gordon Getty, and John Conover formed Cade Estate Winery located on the very top of Howell Mountain to complement their Oakville PlumpJack Estate Winery. Views are dramatic from the top of the mountain and the buildings are modern and considered state-of-the-art. The facility was designed to be Napa Valley’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified Estate Winery. There are two unique properties at Cade that offer two different and unique experiences. This winery is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Take a tour and tasting high above the fog while enjoying the captivating view or take in the history on the gravel terrace adjacent to the historic stone winery.
Cain Vineyard & Winery
Cain Vineyard & Winery is cradled in a spectacular bowl overlooking the Napa Valley from the crest of the Spring Mountain District. We are dedicated to the creation of three Cabernet blends, each drawn from its own unique vineyard sources, each with its own distinctive signature: Cain Cuvée, Cain Concept, and Cain Five.
Cakebread Winery
The story begins with a piece of land, a family passionate about wine, and a community of friends and partners who helped bring Cakebread Cellars to life. Since founding the winery in 1973, they’ve set out to create quality wines that pair best with good food and good company. The wines reflect the personalities of their estate vineyards as well as the spirit of their entire team.
Caldwell Vineyard & Winery
In 1982 a man by the name of John Caldwell established the Caldwell Vineyard & Winery in the hills just East of the city of Napa in the heart of the Coombsville AVA. This winery boasts great views of nearby vineyards, steep hillsides, rolling oak meadows, and rows of grapevines. An unusual winery and atmosphere to visit, the property is almost entirely contained within the elegant 22,000 square foot cave 90 feet under the ground and surrounded by volcanic ash. Home to their own Bordeaux varietals and red wines it also serves as a small custom crush facility for other winemakers. Eccentric in nature and full of stories, Caldwell is known in the wine industry as the person responsible for introducing the most prized Bordeaux root stock and grapevine clones to California. Come hear the story of John Caldwell and see this special boutique winery in the highly prized Coombsville AVA.
Calmere Estate Winery
Having grown up in the Napa wine industry, the two daughters of the iconic Peju Winery founded Calamere in 2016 in the Carneros region of Napa. Located on 100 acres of vineyards with gentle slopes and stunning views of the San Pablo Bay, Calmere makes small batch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The tasting room is a fresh, modern, and stylish spot to enjoy their boutique wines. After the tasting, relax beneath olive trees or play bocce ball in the picturesque outdoor setting.
Canard Vineyard
Canard Vineyard has been creating hand crafted wines in Napa Valley since 1984. Each year they produce nine single vineyard wines, each one expressing the remarkable complexities of the estate’s unique terroir. The wines are produced from sustainably grown, dry farmed grapes which are skillfully transformed into the finest expression of each varietal. They are dedicated to creating wines of distinction with an emphasis on quality over quantity.
Canihan Family Cellars
Welcome to Canihan Family Winery where phenomenal wines are hand-crafted from cool, dry-farmed and certified organic vineyards. Our three varietals, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc, have achieved critical acclaim since our first vintage. We were thrilled to learn that the first wine we produced won the top honor, “Best in Show Red Wine,” in the largest and most prestigious wine competition in the country (The San Francisco International Wine Competition 2007). Current vintages continue to receive Gold medals and 90 to 96 point ratings from the Beverage Testing Institute, the World Wine Competition, San Francisco Chronicle, and San Francisco International Competitions.
Cardinale Estate
Cardinale was born in 1982, with a mission to produce a singular Cabernet Sauvignon from the highest-quality vineyards in Napa Valley. All sub-appellations of the region were to be considered, and grape sources could change from year to year, to create the most distinctive wine from each vintage. Today, Cardinale has far surpassed all expectations. Limited in production, it’s a powerful and seamless Cabernet Sauvignon, with a track record for drinking deliciously upon release and maturing beautifully in the cellar.
Carter Cellars
Veteran Napa winemaker, Nils Venge, teams up with vintner, Mark Carter, to bring you a little slice of wine country heaven, Napa Valley’s Envy Estate Winery. From the outside, you may think you‘re sitting on a Tuscan terrace. We encourage you to sit and savor a bottle of their wine with your own picnic lunch on the patio. The peaceful outdoor setting is perfect for relaxing. There’s even a view of Old Faithful Geyser from our backyard. Or, slip inside the cool tasting room, and let music enlighten your senses while our wines inspire your palate.
Casa Nuestra Winery
Casa Nuestra wines are “Estate Bottled.” This is the most restrictive and sought-after designation, requiring that wines qualify for vintage dating and appellation of origin. From their 17 acres of vineyards, they make about 2,500 cases annually. Specializing in wines from noble grape varietals which are otherwise disappearing or have disappeared from the Napa Valley: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, and a Tinto ‘field blend.’
Castello di Amorosa
A 107 room, 13th century inspired Tuscan castle, offering both self-guided tours and host guided tours and tastings.
