Great experience! We visited some unique and fun wineries and felt very special. The team was very accommodating to changes in schedule (we had a hard time leaving each winery!! and had to shuffle a bit). read more

I've been a longtime lurker and decided to reserve my first review for an exceptional business: Gene and Debbie Warren's Healdsburg Area Winery Tours. I contacted Gene several weeks in advance of our trip and he managed to address all of our varied interests. Specifically, we were interested in learning more about the winemaking process, biodynamic wineries, and tasting bold reds and some sparkling wine. Gene put together the following schedule for us, and we could not be more thrilled. Stonestreet Winery - Pretty good, but pricey, Cabernet Sauvignon. Too bad because the tasting room staff were really knowledgeable and friendly. Lancaster Estate - Our favorite! Here Gene scheduled a private tour of the estate and wine cave (where the barrels are stored). They only make four wines (sauvignon blanc, a cuvee, a cab, and a signature bordeaux blend), all of which are absolutely impeccable. We even considered joining the wine club, but the waiting list was too long for my patience. Robert Young Estate - Good scion; also known for their chardonnay but I personally found it too buttery. Tasting room staff was kinda tipsy too... Truett Hurst - A biodynamic winery specializing in zinfandel. I especially love their 2006 Red Rooster zin, which is really spicy and unusual (think cloves and cardamom). Montemaggiore - A small (10 acre), organic, estate winery owned by a family that's recently entered the winemaking trade. Gene scheduled an hour-long private chat with the owner/winemaker, and it was a phenomenal educational experience! Highly recommended. Many of the winery staff also seemed to really know and respect Gene, so they also gave us considerably more attention when we would walk in with Gene =) Go to tripadvisor.com if you want to see more reviews of Gene's services. read more

This was our second round with Gene, and he was just as fabulous as we remembered. We were in Gene's neck of the woods - Healdsburg proper - and it definitely showed. While Gene was helpful, polite, and professional in the lower Sonoma region, here in Healdsburg he was basically a celebrity. Every winery we went to said something along the lines of, "you're with Gene? No problem." They would engage us in conversations and suggest special extras for us to taste. We were able to get into reserve rooms and have extra tastings that aren't always offered, which can take the day from enjoyable to unforgettable. read more

I found Healdsburg Area Winery Tours on the internet and was very excited to book a day of wine tasting for 7 girlfriends. Gene and Debbie Warren are the owners and operators and longtime Healdsburg residents as well. They know the town inside and out! I booked the Deluxe Wine Tour Package which is $100pp. We had a party of 7, so you do the math = $700. The Deluxe Tour allows you to visit two appointment only wineries and four to five open to the public wineries. You can also tailor your tour depending on your taste in wines. Please discuss this with Gene in advance for planning purposes. They usually require a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 6, but he was kind enough to accommodate 7 of us girls. Gene picked us up on a Saturday at 10am. Since their were 7 of us, his wife drove another vehicle and us girls split up in two cars - not a problem. Their vans were nice and stocked with plenty of water to refresh our thirst throughout the day. The tours usually last through 4pm, Gene was nice enough to drive us around town on the hunt for bottles of champagne for our dinner that night. Thanks Gene! We visited the following: Robert Young Estate Vineyards *Appointment Required Mosaic Winery Simi Winery Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso & Bianco *Lunch was delicious! Ferrari-Carano Vineyards *BEAUTIFUL grounds I would definitely call Gene to book my next wine adventure. Salute! read more

A tour with Gene is the perfect introduction Northern Sonoma. It's also the perfect introduction to wine country in general. I knew from the moment I booked that it would go great. Gene always responded to all emails within hours and followed up as we got closer to our scheduled date. He inquired about what we liked/what we wanted to see in order to customize our tour. This being our first trip, we didn't have any specific requests and told Gene we were open to anything. Smart move. We went to six great vineyards, most being intimate and super friendly. In many cases we were the only people in the tasting room and had great conversations with the winery employees. Almost all gave us some sort of deal because we were with Gene! He also guided us to an INCREDIBLE sandwich shop that we would never would have come across on our own. He brought us to a beautiful vineyard to eat our picnic lunch. The view was so incredible. It made the whole experience magical. Gene was friendly, knowledgable and professional. He made sure we were comfortable and answered all of our questions. He came prepared with coolers to store our purchases and ample water. A few hours after our tour Gene emailed me with a list of where we visited along with a list of the wines we said were our favorites. I can't say enough good things about Gene and his tour. You won't regret a day with Gene. read more

Wow! We did two days with Gene and it was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about the area and vineyards! On the way to our first vineyard he gave us a wine 101 which was very helpful and interesting. We went to a lot of smaller vineyards which we never would have had a chance to try back home on the east coast. But also visited some more well known vineyards like Geyser Peak where he got us a free reserve tasting in a VIP area overlooking hundreds of wine barrels! We also received two. Complimentary glasses of wine to enjoy with our lunch! (which he brings a cooler so you can bring your own) We were able to meet some vineyard owners and at one vineyard were given a private tour of a wine cave! VIP all the way with Gene! He customized our tours based on our favorite wines and we found sone new favorites along the way! We also stopped off for an olive oil tasting which was yummy! It's not only the vineyards that made our experience amazing, Gene's knowledge made the experience wow! He has a great personality and we truly enjoyed spending two days with him! I have done one other tour in Northern CA previously in a fancy car (that is what you pay for). Did not even compare as that driver did not know much at all about wine! Gene's SUV was very comfortable! And after our trip he gave us a detailed emil of what we visited and the wines we liked, One the first day we visited: White Oak, Hanna, Field Stone, Medloch-Ames, Robert Young, DeLorimier, and Francis Ford Coppola. Our FACS that day were Hanna and to DeLorimier. The next day we visited: Mauritson Family, Mazzocco, Geyser Peak VIP Room (Lunch also), Ferrari-Carano, Yoakim Bridge, Russian River Olive Oil Company, and J Vineyards. Zin was said to be a wine discovery. Especially pleasing varietal choices were: Sauvignon Blanc at Mauritson, and Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon at Mazzocco. I would highly recommend Healdsburg Area Winery Tours to anyone visiting the area looking for a great tour guide! read more

You know how sometimes you get a little suspicious when you see all 5-stars on yelp? Like there must be something amiss? Not here. Gene's the real deal. We were lucky enough to get a gift certificate from friends for a personal wine tour with Gene. I don't think I'd ever have chosen to buy this for myself, but I am so glad others did it for me! There is simply no comparison between wine tasting on your own and doing it with Gene. A class act all the way. We put ourselves completely in his hands and he took us on an incredible journey of many wineries in the Dry Creek area. We felt like rock stars wherever we went--everyone knows Gene, and we got special tastings and special deals because of him. And what a lovely gentleman he is! A voice like Bing Crosby's, and he was helpful and unobtrusive at the same time. He would mostly hang back and just let us enjoy ourselves and each other (which was very romantic), but occasionally he'd step in with tips or stories. Just right. I recommend this business highly--I'd give them 10 stars if I could. This experience was just incredible--the customer service before our day, during, and after has been top of the shelf. read more

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary recently in Santa Rosa and decisded to look up Gene again after first using him back in 2007. Gene offers a personalized touch that allows you to both maximize you time and taste the types of wines that you love. I recommend Gene whenever out of town guests ask me the best way to see wine country and look forward to returning for more wine tasting soon! All around great experience!! read more

We spent the day with Gene in October of 09. He really knew the area and the wine. I think we ended up hitting about 8 wineries in one day. There is no way we could have even come close on our own. He picked us up at our bed and breakfast and arrainged a day around our likes and location. We had a 'magic card' that got us free tastings at a lot of russian river wineries and he made sure to present our card and introduce us at each stop. It seemed like everyone in the area knew and liked him. I would absolutley use him again if I were in the area. read more

Great tour. They took us to some out of the way places where we were given personal tours. We had free tastings almost every place we went and they were very interested in listening to our likes and dislikes and changing the tour to accommodate our day. We would definitely go back. A great way to spend our anniversary. read more

This is a great way to visit great wineries with a friendly guide! My friend booked us a tour the end of last year and it was great! Our guide Tom took us around and was very friendly and knowledgeable! I would definitely recommend anyone local or visiting to book a tour! And ask for Tom as your guide! 5 stars! Great day! read more

just got back from a fantastic day in the Alexander Valley and Russian River wine growing areas with Sid. i couldn't have asked for a more pleasant guide, and the VIP treatment was amazing. We had personalized attention and food/wine pairings at some of the loveliest venues in the area, and i couldn't be happier. thanks, Sid!! read more

Absolutely, positively the best wine tour experience thanks to Gene. He customized our tour based on our preferences, he showed us secret gems. He carted us around and made sure we were not only safe but had a stellar experience. If you want a personal tour of wine country call Gene! He will make your vacation! read more

Sid is the best! My husband and I took a tour with him a few years ago and it is still one of our best memories from our visits to wine country. We had such a great time that we arranged a group tour when we visited Healdsburg with friends and they were all impressed. Our tours were planned perfectly and Sid took us to a nice mix of wineries in the area. We didn't have to worry about anything! He is all about service and from tasting fees to packing the wine we bought, Sid took care of everything. He made everyone feel comfortable and is knowledgeable but won't talk your ear off. We had such a fun day and I am already looking forward to our next visit with him! read more

Not my first trip with them and definitely not my last. My BFF and I had a lovely day of wine tasting. But not simply wine tasting. We were TREATED. We had some very exceptional private wine experiences today and cannot wait to return. Sid gave us a very memorable day today. read more

I booked Sid and Healdsburg Wine Tours for my husband's birthday. It truly was such a special day and I give Sid all the credit. His knowledge of the Russian River Valley wineries especially allowed him to help guide us to some places we never would have visited on our own. It is well worth the money and you will want to hug Sid at the end of the day for his above and beyond customer service. Now, where to store all the wine we bought today....... read more

Sid is a gem. We went on a tour for my mom's 60th Birthday and he planned a spectacular day. We did many things over the course of our 4 days in the wine country and our time with Sid was rated the favorite by all. Each place he selected was unique and offered something different - organic wine and farming, a beautiful wine cave and private tasting, the most incredible view of the wine country, personal meetings with the wine owners and makers. I can not say enough about Sid. He is a gentleman and an absolute pleasure. He knows the wine country and truly cares about quality service. I love Sid!! read more

We booked Healdsburg Wine Tours and spent a fantastic day with Sid. He organized the perfect day and pulled some strings to get us into some boutique wineries! It was relaxed and customized! Would definitely recommend!!! read more

What a great way to tour the Healdsburg area and drink wine all day without worrying who's gonna drive. Gene was prompt and extremely professional, and was a fountain of knowledge on the winemaking process, the multitudes of different appelations and the history of this beautiful area. It seemed like basically every host knew Gene, so you know he knows his vineyards. Never felt rushed during our 6 hours out and Gene was always ready nearby for snapshots and helpful advice. I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone planning on visiting the area! read more

Went early in the season this year. This was my first California wine country tour, with my girlfriend who's been all over Napa and wanted to try Sonoma. We had a great experience as Gene (the guide) seemed to know the background and the families of all of the vineyards we went to, where we received a warm reception. Much preferable to a in & out limo tour, and I wish he had a brother doing tours of DC area vineyards. We've got more places to discover together, but when we head back to California, it won't be without reserving with Gene again. read more

Gene was amazing! My wife and I booked him for a one-day winery tour during our honeymoon, and it was a great time. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and was able to balance our already-known tastes with some new recommendations that were spot-on. read more

We had a great experience being driven around by Gene from winery to winery in a comfortable SUV, enjoying the beautiful scenery, and tasting wines without worrying about driving. Having been to the area twice before, I had an idea of what I liked and what I didn't like, and visited a number of wineries before. I conveyed all of this information to Gene in advance, and he picked a great mix of smaller wineries for our visit. We enjoyed all of the selections, and had some great wines. Gene made the whole experience very relaxing for us. Highly recommended! read more

I think the best way to put it is that when we go back to Healdsburg, the first thing we will do is make sure Gene is available. We did a tour with him, and not only was he an awesome guide, he was great company. Gene helped us customize a tour to suit our tastes by suggesting wineries to complement the few wineries we already knew we wanted to visit. On our return visit, we will probably rely more heavily on his suggestions than our guesses. After enjoying a few wineries starting at 10 AM, we were probably not as aware of the passage of time as we should have been. True to Gene's nature, he brought the time to our attention in the most gentle and polite manner you can possibly imagine, to ensure that we got to visit a good variety of wineries. He is exactly what you want in a guide: knowledgeable, polite, outgoing, and most of all, interested in making sure his guests enjoy their day. We loved the town of Healdsburg, and are grateful to Gene for making our visit that much more enjoyable. read more

OK, yes this is my second review of Gene, but we just finished our second tour with him and I cannot express how great we think he is! He really takes the time to hear what you are telling him about your preferences and caters your day perfectly! When you are with Gene you feel like a VIP at every stop. Everyone knows him and treats you as if you were an old friend by extension. We even got some special tours, tastings and discounts by being with him. The absolute highlight of the day was a private tasting with Justin, the wine-maker, at the (not open to the public ) Garden Creek Ranch Vineyard Winery, Fabulous!! We went tasting on our own the next day, and it just wasn't the same as when you are with Gene. I highly recommend him and we will definitely be back to see him again. read more

We spent four days touring Sonoma County with Gene. He was amazing! He took the time to learn what we liked and what we did not and created a tour that not only exposed us to wines and wineries that we never would have discovered on our own, but one that also included amazing VIP experiences, including barrel tastings, private tours, and blending our own bottles of wine. If I make it back to California wine country again, I will for sure be contacting Gene. As we said all week..."In Gene we trust!" read more

My husband and I celebrated our 15th anniversary this past week in Sonoma County. The absolute highlight of our entire trip was our day with Gene. We had an amazing day and are so appreciative of his excellent service. I cannot believe how quickly our 6 hours passed. We enjoyed every minute of this relaxing, fun, informative day. During the course of 6 hours we visited Merry Edwards, Dutton-Goldfield, Lynmar Estate, Iron Horse, Hartford Family and Tara Bella. Our favorite experiences of the day were the visits to Iron Horse and to Tara Bella. At Tara Bella we were greeted by the owner, Kevin Morrow. Kevin hosted us to tastings in their barrel room and also took us into their vineyards, crush pad and bottling room. The rustic, outdoor tasting room at Iron Horse is so peaceful and the views are stunning! I highly recommend their sparkling and estate flights. Our day gave us wonderful exposure to the award winning Russian River Valley pinot noirs. One discovery that we made during our pinot focused day was actually at Merry Edwards...our first stop. The Merry Edwards sauvignon blanc was an excellent find! Thank you again, Gene. Our day was memorable and very special to us. read more

I highly recommend this tour as Gene was a fabulous tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and flexible. He worked with us to customize our tour over a two-day period and gave us great suggestions for activities to do on our day off. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during our stay in Healdsburg and plan to come back for another visit read more

Healdsburg Wine Tour was five star service from the moment we booked our tour. My Mom, brother and me had an amazing experience over Labor Day weekend visiting five private wineries throughout the day. From start to finish, we were treated like the only people at the vineyard. We had professionals in the industry explaining everything from the wine making process to the "correct" way to taste wine. We had a fabulous day and it would not be the same without our host, Sid. Sid was very knowledgeable about the wine industry, and created a special day catered to our taste. Sid really took hospitality to the next level. Thanks to Healdsburg Wine Tour, we had a trip to remember! I will definitely be back to Healdsburg again, and cannot wait to use this service in the future! read more

I feel sort of bad having to assign a star rating here, since we did not tour with HAWT. They were, however, one of the companies we seriously considered when making our decision. We chose another company because my husband wanted to do a group tour. We had brief mishap when they showed up to our hotel insisting we had booked with them, which we had not. After the driver got upset (pointing at the sheet he printed and saying "NO, YOU'RE wrong" to me repeatedly), I pulled up an email in front of him to explain that there had been NO official confirmation we were booked there. It was somewhat disconcerting to me that they would just ASSUME we were all set for the day 2 months prior. I had not heard anything from them after sending an email saying we would "get back to them" on using their services. They never followed up, just showed up on the day. From this, I assumed they were not interested in having us on the tour and booked elsewhere. Very unprofessional on their part; if you want my business make sure you have it before just showing up and putting me in an awkward situation. Not to mention my husband told me when I was inside the owner heavily bemoaned how he had "saved" this date and had gotten numerous other requests up to that day and had turned them down since it was "reserved " for us. I'm sorry, but it is not my responsibility to chase you down to make sure you get my business. If we had ended up touring with HAWT, I can only imagine how uncomfortable the rest of the day had been after this mishap. If you want a place where there are reservations made on "good faith" without any correspondence up to the day you schedule, this is the one for you. If you expect more professionalism in booking your reservation, though, you might consider someone else. Sorry, but it's true. :-( read more

Back in July, my husband and I and another couple travelled to wine country for our first wine touring experience. The reason we chose to tour with Gene were reviews we read online, but also that he was one of the few people to respond to email requests for a tour service. When we received his response, it was very thorough and included a "sample" itinerary for ALL FOUR DAYS that we would be touring the area. We particularly liked the idea that Gene would be our driver EVERY day, and not just a limo service where any random driver (with varying degrees of experience) could be with us each day. Gene certainly did NOT dissappoint. WE covered so much ground (Ibelieve the count was 26 wineries)... and we felt like we got the royal treatment. Gene knew all the ins-and-outs of the Healdsburg area: Dry Creek, Russian River Valley, and Alexander Valley. All we had to say was that "We're with Gene"... and somehow our tasting menus grew! (Not good if you can't hold your alcohol and refuse to spit good wines!) Gene stayed pretty close the first day and was able to get a good "read" on the group. He gave us great tasting recommendations based on each of our tastes and adapted our itinerary based on our preferences. As the week went on and we were more comfortable as wine tasters, he stepped back and "let us do our thing". Gene also picked up our picnic lunches ahead of time most mornings so that we could optimize our wine tasting time and we picnicked in some gorgeous locations! I believe that Gene said we were the longest consecutive group he'd ever driven around, and we really felt like he was "family" by the end of the trip! I would highly recommend Healdsburg Area Winery Tours to any small group or couple looking to tour northern Sonoma County. I don't think you could find such a knowledgeable and friendly driver elsewhere, and I can tell you we would NOT have found some of our most favorite wineries and experiences without him! read more

Healdsburg Wine Tour provided us with an unforgettable day. Before the tour, Sid contacted us and asked questions about the types of wineries we would like to visit and what we would like to do. He took us to smaller wineries with fantastic wines and indescribably beautiful scenery. We received personalized tours and tastings at three smaller wineries, and the hosts at each stop were informative and gracious. We could have gone to more wineries if we had preferred, but we were happy to linger at each stop, enjoying the wine and scenery. Sid orchestrated our day perfectly and I highly recommend the tour. My husband and I were traveling with our daughter and her friend, and we all agreed that the experience could not have been better. We were truly sorry when the day ended. When we schedule our next trip to Healdsburg, my first call will be to Healdsburg Wine Tour. read more

I had such a wonderful experience in Northern Sonoma Valley with Gene. His personality was very warm, caring, and comical. He personalized the tour for us based on our likes (both wine and experience desired). I could not have been happier with his selections. I felt like a local in the area due to Gene's presence- we certainly got special treatment at some of the wineries with a free tasting (also bring your Visa Signature card for free tastings at many wineries). Gene also took many pictures for us. I also liked that he interacted with us, yet also gave us privacy. He is so knowledgeable about the area and you can tell he truly loves what he does and he's not doing this just to make money. I highly recommend Gene if you want a great experience in Sonoma Valley!! I will certainly hire him again when I return to the area. read more

I took my visiting parents to Healdsburg after reading an article about touring the area's wineries. I found HAWT online, yelped them and reserved a date through their website. Easy. Gene and Debbie are the owners and tour guides for the 6 hour adventures. Gene picked us up at the meeting place at 10am, asked us what we were into, and took us on a customized tour of Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley wineries. My interests were biodynamic and organic wineries. My dad's were cabernets, and my mom's were "whatever." Gene totally satisfied each of our requests by taking us to organic wineries with gorgeous grounds and scenery (to please the mom), exquisite cab sauvs and cab francs (to please the dad) and intimate tastings with the owners which thrilled all of us. For lunch, I had requested stopping at Dry Creek General Store, so we ordered sandwiches and Gene took us to a beautiful vineyard with picnic tables under the trees overlooking rolling hills of old-vine zinfandel. All in all, we stopped at 7 wineries, had positive experiences at each one, were comped on a few tasting fees because of Gene's professional relationship with different houses, and spent a terrificly fun day in the gorgeous CA countryside. I will definitely take my brother here when he comes, and again, have Gene as our guide and driver. He was friendly, informative, professional, a safe driver with a very comfortable ride, and a wonderful guide who made it all seem effortless. At the end of our winery tour, he took us downtown to show us the different restaurants and tasting rooms we could find there, since I'd mentioned taking my parents out for an early dinner before our drive back to SF. Top notch guy. Highly recommend his services. read more