Well, we booked a wine tour while in Napa at the suggestion of our hotel. After checking their ratings here (4.8 stars with 1.1k reviews), we felt comfortable with that. Actually, impressed. If Platypus keeps up the experience we had, that 4.8 will go even higher. Our driver, Gary, was personable and accommodating. He gave us some info along the drive to three boutique wineries, but did not drone on and on as some tour drivers can do. This allowed the 12 of us to chat, get to know each other a bit more and build some rapport. We stopped at three wineries: Rutherford Ranch, Ghost Block and Backstage. Each gave us 4 to 5 tastings. At Ghost Block, we also had a very nice box lunch. By the end of the tour (it was all day), we had all had some wonderful conversations and experienced some great boutique wineries. If you are in Napa, I highly recommend Platypus! read more

The best small groups wine tasting tour at an attractive pricing. I honestly never really thought about the fact that I am drinking and driving. Met great people who made the journey even more fun. By the end of day you are best friends If you have specific wineries you want you can book a private tour with the guide. So many fun facts I learned about the industry. read more

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Army gave us an amazing tour at three wonderful boutique, wineries that we never would've discovered. It included a little music, some great wine caverns, and some lovely wine makers will definitely book again. read more

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Well Jared can't thank you enough you were a fabulous wine guide the winery's you picked TRULY AMAZING! Paoletti Estates Winery, Bennett Lane Winery, and then Laura Michael Wines!!! Never would have found these without Jared. Our Lunch was great! WE MET NEW FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THEY WERE THE BEST!! The shuttle was clean we kept well hydrated between Wineries! Will be back for our 29th Anniversary!! read more

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Cannot recommend this tour enough. We had a group of 4. Since there are 12 people max on the tour, we made up 1/3 of the group. We were glad that we went with the group tour instead of a private tour. Our group was so fun and it made the day great. I was not expecting anything amazing for lunch but the provided lunch was super good... ciabatta bread sandwiches, quinoa, hummus and veggies... AMAZING! The wineries that we visited were all empty in early April except for our group, so it felt like a very private and exclusive experience. Very non-commercial. Tastings were $25 pp per winery and we visited 3 wineries. read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

This was our second Platypus tour and we cannot recommend them enough. Army was our guide again and he is a great source of local knowledge. We went to three Napa area wineries and had time for an additional stop at a local olive oil and Italian grocery store. We highly recommend Platypus tours for anyone coming to the Napa or Sonoma area! read more

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This was my 4th tour with Platypus wine tours and I can't recommend them enough! Very professional and fun drivers have made all of our tours a blast! This year Chris gave a great day in Napa and Andy was a delight for our Sonoma tour (we had Andy before and he remembered us!) We were lucky enough to have a tour to ourselves both days due to others canceling and it really elevated our experiences. Both Chris and Andy were able to modify our days a bit to include some bonus stops! Chris found us another winery with all ports and took us to a place for a specific wine. Andy showed us a place where we did olive oil tasting and took us to a very old vineyard to show us some old vines and talk wine history. Everything was spectacular. Friendly drivers will pick you up from your hotel in a car or bus and guide you on a wonderful wine day they have planned for you. Lunch is included! A very fresh Sandwhich, quinoa, fruit and a cookie along with some wine and a view at a winery really adds to the day. Booking is easy online and within minutes I received a call from the office to verify information. Being this was a return trip they had all the information from my previous excursion ensuring we would not hit the same places again! Highly recommend Platypus to anyone going to Napa or Sonoma or..check out the other areas of wine country they go! read more

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Our driver James did great job! Music on ride was on point, wineries picked were quaint and gave gracious pours and overall day felt amazing. Loved the relief of pressure of picking wineries as first time visitor. Would recommend 100%! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Our driver James was amazing! - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

This was my second time using Platypus Wine Tours for a day of wine tasting in Sonoma, and once again, they hit it out of the park! We had such a wonderful experience the first time that I didn't hesitate to book them again for a trip with ten of my college sorority sisters to celebrate our 60th birthdays. I arranged a private van tour for our group, and we selected three fantastic wineries: Cline Cellars, Buena Vista Winery, and Gundlach Bundschu. Our driver, Jared, was absolutely amazing--friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly organized. He kept us on schedule while also suggesting great photo stops and local highlights along the way. Platypus recommended a stop at the Sonoma Market after our first winery, which was perfect for picking up lunch and snacks--it's a must-visit market! We couldn't have asked for better weather, a better guide, or a better experience overall. Platypus delivered yet another exceptional, personalized wine tour for me, and I'll definitely use them again the next time I'm in wine country! read more

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My friend & I had the absolute pleasure of having an (unexpected) private tour with Casey this weekend. He arrived early to pick us up from our hotel & was so excited to have a small group because he was able to get us in to some of his favorite boutique wineries that he's not usually able to visit. Casey hit the nail on the head with the spots he chose. We had intimate tastings at all 3 wineries we visited & had wonderful conversations with the owners--we learned so much about the region, wine making in general, different varietals, etc. Platypus tours provided a yummy lunch & excellent service for a super reasonable price. When (not if) we come back, we will absolutely be booking another tour with Platypus and hopefully Casey!! Thank you for taking such great care of us! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

Platypus is a great time through and through. They were on time to pick us up at our hotel. Courtney was professional, courteous, and pleasant. The bus/tram was excellent. It is temperature controlled perfectly with a/c & heat. Tunes! The music was top notch. She was more than accommodating when it came to our music, temperature, questions etc. Once all the couples were picked up, we immediately went on our phenomenal tour. We recommend this tour with Platypus. It just happened to be economical, which allowed us to leave a larger tip for the driver. Delicious wine and amazing views. Thank you & see you soon. You won't have any regrets. read more

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Absolutely the best thing you can do while in Napa, Sonoma or Russian River! Hands down. Outstanding guides! You will have the best time and day! You can always book & Join-in even last minute in the early a.m. (call at 8am) Platypus will pick you up, and make you feel right at home! Solo, couples or groups! Very knowledgeable, FUN! And includes a lunch. Discounted tasting fees, you will join others and all be friends at the end! Best guides & owners in the business! Cant say enough GOOD things about the staff and how much FUN , memories , knowledge and good wines you will experience ! Special shoutout to Army, Jason M, Tessa, Linda, Rob, Luis, Steven, Steve Hunter, Jenn, Jared, Gary G, Chris L, Dave, Kyle, Courtney, Laura, Kelly, tina, alison and Don ! read more

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I really enjoy this tour. I have now done this twice 1st with Linda on the Napa tour and 2nd with Jared on the Sonoma tour. Both times were great and they took us to beautiful and intimate locations. The company is mindful of vineyards you've been to before and tries to take you to other places which I appreciate. I would definitely recommend. They provide a box lunch which is actually decently good. They provide a ciabatta turkey sandwich (and have vegetarian/ vegan accommodations) and a flavorful and fresh quinoa salad paired with fresh fruit. The bus is also comfortable and nicely air conditioned. read more

Our tour guide Rob was awesome! We were celebrating our friend's 50th bday and Rob picked some great local, small vineyards that were informative, fun, and had amazing wines. He played an 80's playlist in the van that was awesome and by the end, felt like one of the group. We all bought wines at the vineyards we visited. The lunch was really good too! Highly recommended and will certainly use again!!! read more

This was our 11th year visiting Napa, and once again we booked with Platypus Tours, they are simply the best! Every year we look forward to this trip, and the experience never disappoints. We've had the pleasure of working with Tina for the past few years, and she is absolutely fabulous. She always tailors tastings perfectly to our wine preferences and makes sure every stop feels special. Her detailed communication and cost breakdowns are so helpful, especially since we often travel with friends. We've also toured with Gary several times, and he's fantastic as well, he's patient, fun, and always ready to roll with our group's shenanigans. Both Tina and Gary make the day feel effortless and memorable. We're incredibly appreciative of the Platypus team and the care they put into making each tour exceptional. Can't wait to be back again next year ! Cheers to another round of unforgettable Napa adventures! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

A group of 7 ladies were taken excellent care of by Jared. He went above and beyond to give us exemplary care and service. Thank you!!!

Our corporate private tour with Platypus was a hit! We had a small group of 11 and from planning to the actual tour, everything went smoothly. Our driver and guide, Sam, came on time and had great energy as he drove us to our three stops: Artesa, Backstage, and Joseph Phelps. For the planning stage, we worked mostly with Tina and she was amazing! She responded quickly to all our inquiries and made sure she understood what kind of tour we wanted so she could make relevant recommendations. Additionally, she worked previously for the hot air balloon companies in town so she definitely understands the business through and through. She helped us create a timeline that would allow our guests to experience the hot air balloon tour as well as the wine tour without being rushed. Highly recommend Platypus Tours for your next Napa adventure! read more

From start to finish, Platypus Wine Tours was fantastic. Our guide was Peter Healy and he was excellent. He got along really well with our group. He was knowledgeable about wine, winemaking, and the Sonoma County wineries. A lot of his knowledge was self-taught. I could tell he had a genuine interest in wine and enjoyed being a guide. It made our experience that much better. Along with educating us about wine and the area, Peter told us good stories, was punctual, and got us to all of our destinations safely. If you're looking for a wine tour, I highly recommend Platypus. And Peter in particular, if you can get him. As I posted pictures and videos of our tour on social media, I had friends back on the East Coast telling me that they (1) had gone on a Platypus tour and had a great time too and (2) had gone to Loxton Cellars - one of the stops on our tour and my personal favorite - and loved it. Peter showed up early to our rental house in Penngrove. He texted to let us know he had arrived and that there was no rush. This is one thing I liked about Platypus. The tour was laid back and the schedule was flexible. We never felt rushed. We could take our time and really enjoy each stop. Peter arrived in a nice, clean, Mercedes van. The van was just for our group of six. This was a small, private, group tour, which was another thing I liked. Our tour took place on an ordinary Friday and was laid out roughly as follows: Stop 1. 11:00am-12:30pm: Loxton Cellars (https://www.yelp.com/biz/loxton-cellars-glen-ellen-2) Stop 2. 1:00pm-2:30pm: Mayo Family Winery (https://www.yelp.com/biz/mayo-family-winery-glen-ellen) Stop 3. 3:00pm-4:30pm: Lasseter Family Winery (https://www.yelp.com/biz/lasseter-family-winery-glen-ellen) All of these wineries are located in Glen Ellen. Along with this Yelp review for Platypus, I reviewed each of the wineries we visited. As mentioned above, Loxton was my favorite. I think if we took a group vote, Loxton would win. Had we planned a wine tour ourselves, I'm not sure a small winery like Loxton would have even been on our radar. This is another reason you should choose Platypus Wine Tours - they will lead you directly to true gems like Loxton Cellars. You can read more about my thoughts on Loxton on their Yelp page, but the basic gist of it is not only did the Loxton wines taste terrific, but I loved the humble, intimate, wine-tasting experience there and the "mom and pop" feel of the business. It was unlike many other wineries I had toured in Sonoma and Napa Valleys up to that point. I had been more accustomed to the bigger-name wineries like our last stop, Lasseter Family Winery. Lasseter is backed by John Lasseter, former Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios executive. In contrast, Loxton is owned and operated by a former experimental physicist and research scientist, Chris Loxton, who was there working on the grounds and getting his hands dirty during our visit. Platypus provided boxed lunches during our second stop at Mayo Family Winery. I believe our group's organizer was able to customize some of the lunch options. For example, we subbed in potato chips for quinoa for our side. We had sandwiches, fruit (blueberries, raspberries), Aussie Bites (healthy snacks), and bottled water. I think Lasseter was our second-favorite stop. Lasseter was actually a fill-in for our third stop because of a construction conflict. I didn't catch the itinerary before the switch happened to see where Platypus would have taken us instead. Perhaps it was another smaller winery like Loxton and Mayo. The tasting fees were $20 per person at Loxton (waived with wine purchase), $20 per person at Mayo, and $40 per person at Lasseter. Lasseter was double the cost and it showed in terms of the tasting presentation (e.g., materials, design) and the grounds and facilities (nicer and more high-end). For Platypus, our group of six paid an hourly rate of $115 per hour for six hours plus $138 gratuity for $828 total. read more

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We just got back from our wine tour with Gary! He was amazing !!!! He was accommodating in every way! I would give 10 stars if I could! Thank you Gary! Highly recommended! read more

I had the best Napa experience with our driver, Andy! He was very knowledgeable about wine and things happening in the valley. Being very prone to getting car sick, I very much enjoyed his driving style and appreciated his shared knowledge. He was on time, and even kept us on schedule for our departures letting us know our timing throughout the day. His laid back demeanor and inviting communication style definitely mark him as a special tour guide. Appreciate the insight, Andy! read more

It was such a perfect tour. Courtney was an amazing guide, our vibe the whole day was amazing. We visited fantastic wineries I never would have been to. We had a large group (7) for my bachelorette party, and everyone else on the tour was so wonderful. I highly recommend booking a tour through Platypus!!! So worth the money. read more

my daughter was in town and wanted to go to Napa. We are usually go to Napa and go to the V. Sattui get a bottle of wine and get some food from the deli. But I wanted this day to be different and really experience Napa for wine tasting. I didn't want to drive under the influence looked for different options and found a small group tour through Viator. I didn't have a place where I can be picked up because we didn't stay in any of the hotels since we are local. I contacted Platypus and they suggested that I park in downtown. We were picked up with a shuttle and drove around 3 different wineries. A totally awesome experience from 1030 am to 5pm. The small group was small enough that you get to know people and their love for wine. I still talk about it until today and have informed my friends from out of town that if they want to do a Napa tour, we should do a winetasting tour with platypus. We had a gal in our group that actually have done this tour six times because she loves platypus so much. read more

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I really enjoyed our Platypus wine tour in Sonoma! We had used Platypus a few years earlier in Napa and had such a great experience- we came back. First our tour guide was very nice - Brian. He picked 3 lovely wineries for us to try. Lunch was delicious and actually went with our tasting. My feedback is to have a little more of a speech prepared with expectations of the day, more knowledge to share about the region, and finally we were told platypus had never been to the last winery - I wish platypus had previewed and researched all the wineries before taking us. The last was my least favorite, Ty Caton was my favorite. Also make sure there's a place for people to sit at the wineries if they like, the first one we stood for 90 min straight. Otherwise so much fun! Thanks Brian. read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Ty Caton Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

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I had such an amazing time during my tour of Napa with Platypus Wine Tours! Our tour guide, Jason Mecchi, was so kind and insightful! The lunch given to us was absolutely delicious and just made the day even more epic as we visited so many amazing wineries! Everything about the tour including the cleanliness of the bus, the people at each stop, the care of the wine purchased (like their packaging it so I could take it back with me during my travels), the safety of the driving, and the coordination provided to the day made this one of the best tours that I have ever had! I will definitely be visiting Napa again and signing up for a tour with Platypus Wine Tours! Their professionalism and kindness were incredible, and I highly recommend doing a tour with them! read more

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The tour was great! My friend and I really enjoyed the three unique wineries selected for our tour. The host handpicked wineries in different areas and proceeded a great experience. The tour included a lunch and it was filling and times well in between our tastings. read more

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I love that they pick you up at your hotel or bed-and-breakfast, and there is no driving because they drop you off as well. Stephen was such a delight, so friendly and knowledgeable always giving little tidbits of information on the drive. Beautiful vineyards, great wine and an opportunity to meet new people ! we would definitely look them up next time. We are in Napa!! read more

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Our guide for the day was James, very knowledgeable and friendly. This was our first time to the Napa/Sonoma region. We saw three Wineries 1st Little vineyard, 2nd Schug Winery and the 3rd Nichols winery, each was really amazing and special in their own way. Obviously the views were out of this world. Our tour had our group of 6 plus 2 other couples so it was nice and small with lots of attention to group questions and information about the area. Lots of laughs and great wine. Taking several bottles home! Lunch was also provided. For those new to Napa/Sonoma and looking to see the area plus have some good company, I highly recommend Platypus Wine tours! read more

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We enjoyed a fantastic tour in Sonoma with our guide, Sam. He made the experience unforgettable when he hand picked 3 of his favorite wineries. Each location knew Sam by name and welcomed us like we were family. We visited Sebastiani, Mayo, and Wellington. We enjoyed a picnic lunch outside at Mayo as well. Sam arrived at all of our hotels early and we made our way up the valley. Since we were a little early, he gave us a quick history tour through Sonoma. Sam even dropped some guests off at their dinner reservation after making a pit stop at their hotel to grab a bottle of wine. Everyone had a great time and Sam is responsible for it! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - Picnic lunch included with the tour - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

Army was our guide. He was friendly, informative and really wanted to make sure that we had a good time. They target three family oriented wineries to visit; One very small one, Tedeschi, that was hosted by a jolly employee. One large opulent one, Paoletti Estates that was hosted by Army, our guide and finally, Razi Winery, hosted by the owner himself. The day flew by. They served us a picnic lunch between the first and second vineyards. Army pushed the water to make sure no one would get a hangover. We were picked up from our B&B at exactly at the time discussed the night before and we were the first to be dropped off at the end of the day. We had a fantastic play list and sung all the way home. This is the perfect DD for wine tasting! read more

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We took the Napa tour yesterday with Rob. We had so much fun! Rob has a great talent for bringing the group together. We felt like a bunch of old friends by the end of the day. He was also extra accommodating about where he dropped us off at, took pictures and even great recommendations for restaurants. His play list is the best! read more

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We could not have been more pleased with our day on Gary's Platypus Tour! He was so kind and knowledgeable, and our group of 5 couples quickly became friends! The wineries we visited were fantastic and we really felt like VIPs with the special visits arranged by Gary. If you're looking for a relaxing way to enjoy the Wine Country book a Platypus Tour!! read more

Visiting Napa can be very overwhelming. How do you choose where to visit when there are over 1000 wineries in the area? Answer: Platypus Wine Tours. Easy to book online and they called immediately after to confirm the details. Great, attentive service all around. Platypus chooses 3 wineries for your day. Each winery has low tasting fees ($20ish/tasting) and is completely different from the others. Our driver Bob was awesome. He had great stories and provided a ton of history on each of the wineries and the area. There were a few people on our bus new to Napa and wine tasting. Bob described how a tasting works and the vocabulary to go along with it. The pick up and drop off from our hotel was key. A nice day of drinking without driving. We will definitely use Platypus again on our next trip to Napa! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - The bus at our last see top of the day - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

What a wonderful day! You get to see the beautiful Napa Valley, taste excellent wine and learn all about the history and so much more. By the end of our tour our fellow tour group and our guide Chris were our BFF's! We sang, we danced! It was epic! read more

Platypus Wine Tours - THIS GUY!!! Chris is amazing! - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

My husband and I booked the wine tour for Sonoma. Our guide was Gary, and he was the best guide for this trip. His arrival was very timely, as indicated in our itinerary. The best surprise was we were the only two people for this tour, so it ended up as a private tour just for the two of us without an extra $$$ spend. How lucky is that? Since I worked as a tour operator before, I know that it is essential not to disclose where we went to allow the tour operation continues to keep the guests surprised and stay competitive. Therefore I will not mention the name of the wineries we visited. However, Gary did take us to 3 unique wineries for the tour. We truly enjoyed the different processes, wine specialties, and styles from each of the wineries. I highly recommend this company if you are in the area of Sonoma and Napa. You won't regret it! read more

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My boyfriend and me did the tour for his 50th birthday weekend on Saturday 8.2. we were super excited to learn new things and we're hoping to leave with at least a buzz considering it was 7 hours and 3 wineries. unfortunately all 3 wineries were more focused on selling their packages and wine bottles than they were in letting us taste them. They were actually pouring us a table spoons worth of wine. so by the end we might have made a glass of wine. I'm not much of a penny pincher but for $300 per couple for the tour plus 30-50 per tasting which adds up to another $150 you would at least expect a buzz. and to add insult to injury the tour driver (Linda) called the last winery before we left the 2nd winery to inform the guy (Steve) that we hadn't purchased anything. which I thought was extremely rude. if you are going to take stock in what we are and aren't buying find a private spot to take the phone call. Linda even mentioned by the end things will get roudy and people would be singing songs together. Well there was none of that and maybe one person singing a song or tso from the horrible playlist. Everyone got off the bus looking for the next spot. We luckily found a winery downtown Housley winery where we did a tasting on our own for $25 a person and got almost 3 glassses of wine good music and lovely patio. We bought 3 bottles from that winery because they did treat us like a number. Linda might want to pay more attention to how the wineries are treating the patrons vs counting bottles we are purchasing.. Sometimes you pay for what you don't get with these larger companies, next time we will venture out on our own and make our own experiences. read more

This was such a fantastic service! Jason was our tour guide and he was so educated on the area and the wine process, it was really fun to learn on the way to the different wineries. Since it was a couple of days before Christmas, it was just the two of us, which was awesome! The wineries he took us to were just amazing!! He was able to give us some great recommendations for dog-friendly wineries we could take our dogs to. Would highly recommend! It's a great alternative to visiting some fantastic wineries without having to drive :) read more

I recently planned a trip for 14 to Napa and used Platypus Wine Tours for our 2 days touring wineries. This was the first trip to Napa for most, and Alison did an amazing job planning 2 fantastic days for us. She built us a customized schedule with a mix of large wineries like Cakebread, and smaller, more personal experiences like Tres Sabores. Jason was our driver both days and provided us a great experience, including his music playlists which always had a theme and matched the experience we were going towards. Overall, I can't recommend Platypus enough for creating a very unique and memorable experience for our group! read more

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This tour was amazing!! Everything from our tour guide Chris, to the vineyards he chose, and the experience both on the bus and at each vineyard were so amazing! I loved that we were taken to smaller vineyards because they felt like "hidden gems" in comparison to some of the bigger more commercial wineries. The tasting experiences felt so personalized. Chris was so friendly and played great music while driving and our whole group ended up dancing together and becoming so friendly by the end of the trip. I highly recommend doing this tour if you have time in Napa! read more

We loved our Napa wine tour with Courtney! She was knowledgeable, outgoing, and fun!! We visited 3 wineries near Napa and had a great tasting experience at all 3! We were doing a couples weekend and were joined by other couples and a family celebrating a birthday. It was a great group! read more

I had an amazing experience with Platypus! I originally picked a hotel that was within walking distance to the train because I thought the train takes you to all the wineries and later discovered the train is more of a foodie and wine experience that was out of my groups budget. I ended up calling the hotel and they recommended Platypus and I'm so glad they did. Not only was it more affordable but everyone I dealt with on the phone and in person was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We got picked up at our hotel by Andy in one of those private limousine vans that was very comfortable and he took us to three really great family owned wineries. He was just as knowledgeable as some of the wine makers we met and even wrote a book on wine tasting which he was kind enough to sign for me. read more

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