How many wineries in a day
Four is comfortable. Five is possible if they are close together and you keep moving. Six is a schedule, not a day out.
A tasting runs longer than the booking suggests once you factor in arriving, being seated and paying. Planning back-to-back appointments thirty minutes apart is the most common way a day falls apart.
The drive times are not what the map says
Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail behave very differently on a Saturday afternoon than they do when you plan the route on a Tuesday morning. The gap between an estate in Calistoga and one in Yountville is rarely the number you were quoted.
This is the part a local operator earns their fee on. We will tell you honestly whether an itinerary fits before you book it, rather than while you are late for the third appointment.
Booking the transport
Wine tours are priced hourly rather than as a transfer, because the day is not a straight line. Six people in the Transit van is usually cheaper per head than two cars, and considerably less trouble.
Give us the winery list when you book. Some require a reservation, some have limited parking for larger vehicles, and knowing that in advance changes the order we drive them in.
- Book tastings before booking transport
- Four wineries is a comfortable day
- Allow ninety minutes per tasting, not sixty
- Tell your driver the full list up front
