Frequently Asked Questions:

Where does the tour start?

At the San Francisco Ferry Building. The tour meets outside the main entrance of the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is the big clock tower building at the end of Market Street. To find us, do not go inside the Ferry Building because we start our tours directly outside in front of the building.

The important thing to note about the wine country tour is that we must leave on time. The shuttle leaves at exactly 8:31am. If you have arrived at 8:32am or later - you have most likely missed us and will need to go our next tour day. Sorry, we don't permit refunds given that we have held your seat and turned away other customers.

Are there any out-of-pockets expenses?

The presigious Napa Valley wineries that we have chosen do have tasting fees. The tasting fees are optional meaning you don't have do taste wine at every location. The wine tastings offer great value (whether it's including winery tours, waiving the fees if you buy wine or letting you taste up to 6 wines) the wine tasting fees are handled uniquely at each stop.

Here is the quick rundown of the optional fees that you will pay directly to the wineries:

Domain Chandon - $10 fee includes excellent 35 minute winery tour and 3 different tastes - (about 1.5 glasses of sparkling wine)
V.Sattui Winery - $5 includes 6 wine tastes (about 2.5 glasses of wine). Currently V.Sattui is not charging their $5 fee.
Rutherford Ranch - $10 fee includes 6 wine tastes (about 2.5 glasses of wine) / WAIVES fee if you purchase wine!
Andretti Winery - (Famous Mario Andretti Winery) has a $10 fee includes 4 tastes (about 2 glasses of wine)

The fees are optional because this may be a lot of wine for some of our guests. You're free to skip and not taste at any of the wineries.

Alternate Winery Fees: From time-to-time we do visit these other Napa Valley wineries -

Signorello Vineyards - $10 fee includes 5 different tastes (about 1.75 glasses of wine)
A&O Winery- $10 fee includes 5 different tastes, plus this winery WAIVES fee if you purchase wine!
Luna Vineyards - $10 fee includes 5 different tastes (your choice Red or White wines) / WAIVES fee if you purchase wine!
Rutheford Grove - $10 fee includes 5 different tastes, plus this winery WAIVES fee if you purchase wine!

How about the competition?

When you check out other wine country tours, ask yourself these questions:
1) Do they take you on a ferry/bay cruise as part of the tour?
2) What wineries do they go to? Are they telling me what wineries they're taking me to?
3) Why did they select those wineries?
4) Do they offer a separate tour guide from driver?
5) Is your driver going to talk while he drives?
6) Are they adding or forcing Muir Woods to an already long day?
7) Are the wines good at the wineries they're visiting?
8) Does their tour include a picnic lunch?
9) Do you get to select what you want to eat?
10) Are they visiting these wineries only because they're close to San Francisco.

On the Wine Country Tour Shuttle, we take you to wineries that are in the heart of Napa Valley because they offer great wines in a great memorable, picturesque location.

What is the difference between your Saturday/Sunday tour and Weekdays (Monday - Friday)?

In the Winter only, from October 29th, 2008 to April 1st, 2009 our weekend tours start at 8:15am and not 8:30am. Please plan accordingly. Further, on weekends it is requested by the wineries that you bring cash for tasting fees. This will truly help expedite your experience.

 

How early should I book?

Currently, in the Fall/Winter we are running on a limited schedule mostly operating one shuttle per day which tends to sell out fast. We advise you to book early to avoid waiting on stand-by.

 

Which stops are winery tours?

The first and last stops are winery tours. Domaine Chandon and Singorello (alternate winery). The Domaine Chandon winery tour is 35 minutes. The Singorello tour is shorter because it's a boutique winery, the size of most average homes. We will tour the outside by the vineyards and in September and October months during crush season, you will get to see the process of crushing grapes at Singorello.

 

 

Do I need to be 21 years or older to go on the tour?

No. However to taste wine...YES. You cannot taste with an adult or guardian if your not 21 years or older. You can still go on the tour, and even into the wineries, but they will check I.D. for anyone who does not appear to be 21. Please note that our Tour Guides and check-in person may ask you for I.D. as well. We need to notifiy the wineries in advance if someone on the tour is not 21 and won't be tasting.

How were these itinerary wineries selected?

More importantly we wanted to go into the heart of Napa Valley. We want to show you the Silverado Trail, as well as the popular Rutherford and Oak Knoll regions of Napa - - so we carefully selected region wineries so you can see the entire area and taste grapes from the different viticultures. We also selected a very popular Rhianan and Chardonay winery in Rutherford Ranch and then of course, we needed to make sure we started the wine country tour off right with a sparkling wine from Domaine Chandon in Oakville. We didn't select a winery because it was close to San Francisco. Finally, V.Sattui is just a perfect place for a picnic lunch!

 

How does the picnic lunch work?

The Napa Valley picnic lunch is at V.Sattui winery. First we will taste their 6 of their variatals (for $5 fee). The V.Sattui reserve wines are available for taste for $10 per person. After we taste their wines, we recommend you buy a bottle of wine for lunch. The Wine Country Tour Shuttle gives you a $10 lunch coupon per person.Grab your bottle and then head over to the country store and deli area as well as the olive and cheese bars to make your selections. (please note that if you head over the fancy olives and cheeses , the $10 we provide probably won't cover the costs of those fine olives and cheeses they have). This is good because you get to eat what you want rather than having us decide for you. While you're selecting your lunch your tour guide and driver are setting up the picnic table with a table cloth and picnic basket. We would like to all eat as a tour group to get to know one another - but this is also not required, if you wish to eat alone. Remember, we provide free bottles of water at the shuttle. All you will need is the wine you purchase and our water we provide for refreshments.

 

Are winery stops subject to change?

Yes. In fact, they can change often. When we do change a winery stop with another we always attempt to change with one that is comparable in quality and wine grape variatals. The itinerary changes because of the winery's production schedule. There are sometimes, the winery needs to focus on the production of their wines. Again, we will choose a great winery stop when it's needed to replace our great itinerary for the day.

What are the current alternate wineries you might use?

A&O winery, Rutherford Grove winery, Signorello Vineyards, Luna Vineyards and Mumm Napa Valley. In most cases, we do not have to use alternate wineries.

I would like to add a San Francisco Tour and a Muir Woods Tour on different days, can I book a package?

YES. You can save $4 per person on your 2nd and 3rd tours that you add to your order by calling 415-513-5400 or booking online. To achieve the discount, book the tours first and then at check-in, please present your voucher with proof of purchase of 2 or more tours and we will give you cash back.

 

What is your refund and change tour date policy?

In general there are no refunds for our tour because we are holding a seat for you while rejecting others. Please review our terms and conditions regarding Wine Country Tour Credit Vouchers and changing tour times and dates.