FAQ
How do the tasting fees work?
The prestigious Napa wineries that we have selected have tasting fees because they pour lots of great quality wines. 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, a dedicated person just for our group, possibly an exclusive varietal offer, or by offering up to 4 or 5 wine tastes at each winery. More importantly, The Wine Country Tour Shuttle has pre-negotiated that we get to taste wines in a private setting and not in the basic public area. Further, some wineries will waive the fee when you purchase a bottle of wine. Your tasting fee buys us this wonderful wine country experience and all you have to do usually is buy one bottle of wine of your choice to get that tasting fee waived. The wine tasting fees are handled uniquely at each stop. We encourage you to bring cash to pay for wine or the tasting fee, but credit cards can also be used.
Here is how the tasting fees work (per tour)
Napa Valley Open Top Sprinter Tour w/ Robert Mondavi Winery
(Note: Yes it is possible to share tastings at the wineries listed except for the sit-down experience at St. Clair Brown.)
- Robert Mondavi Winery: $20 fee already included in tour price. Includes winery tour and 2 wine tastes.
- Domain Chandon: 4 Tastings for $20. Cheese and bread trays are available at additional fees and table service is also available.
- V. Sattui Winery: 5 Tastings for $20 (about 2.5 glasses of wine)
- St. Clair Brown & Winery: 2 Beer Tastings and 2 Wine Tastings for $20. Includes Beer and Wine-Making Tour processes, and treats of the day to munch on.
Do your tours depart from Napa Valley?
We have tours that begin in San Francisco at the Ferry Building (Click here) and also tours that start directly in Napa Valley (Click here)
What is the Napa Experience Tour w/ Mondavi?
Both Napa Experience tours visit four premium Napa wineries, but on the Napa Experience Tour w/Mondavi we visit Robert Mondavi Winery as our first stop of the day. We take their Discovery Tour, which includes a 30-minute walking tour with a viewing and discussion of the historic To Kalon Vineyard, state-of-the-art To Kalon Cellar, and barrel aging room. The tour also includes a taste of two of Robert Mondavi’s signature wines. The $15 cost of the Discovery Tour is included in the price of the Napa Experience Tour w/ Mondavi. Both tours include a picnic lunch and ferry cruise back to San Francisco.
Where do the wine country tours start?
All of our San Francisco-based wine tours start at the San Francisco Ferry Building and meet outside the main entrance. 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. Look for our check-in representative who will be wearing a red jacket and will be standing in the median in the center of the street next to the trolley-car station. Please arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the tour!
The important thing to note about the wine country tour is that we must leave on time. The shuttle for the Napa Experience Tour departs at 8:16am If you have arrived later – you have most likely missed us. Sorry, we don’t permit refunds given that we have held your seat and turned away other customers.
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 really expert tour guides?
5) Are they adding or forcing Muir Woods to an already long day?
6) Are the wines good at the wineries they’re visiting?
7) Does their tour offer a wine country picnic lunch?
8) Do you get to select what you want to eat?
9) 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.
Are winery stops subject to change?
Yes, this is sometimes necessary. When we do change a winery stop with another we always attempt to change with one that is comparable in quality and wine grape varietals.
Do I need to be 21 years or older to go on the tour?
Yes. As of late 2012, The State of California requires all wine tour passengers to be at least 21 years of age or accompanied by a parent or guardian. For anyone below the age of 21 who attempts to sneak on this tour will not get a refund when not being allowed on the shuttle during check-in or at anytime during the tour.
How were these itinerary wineries selected?
More importantly we want to go into the heart of Napa Valley. We want to show you the famous Rutherford and Oakville regions of Napa. We want to provide visits to both large and boutique wineries, that serve a variety of wine types. We feel it is important to choose wineries that have both great wine and beautiful locations! We didn’t select wineries just because they’re close to San Francisco as some other companies do. Finally, V. Sattui is just a perfect place for a picnic lunch!
How does the picnic lunch on the Napa Experience Tour work?
The Napa Valley picnic lunch is at a Napa Valley Winery. We would either have the picnic lunch at Andretti winery or at V.Sattui winery.
How new is your Fleet?
We use a 2018 Mercedes Benz with Open Top Retractable Roof. We also have a 2018 Ford Transit (14 passenger) for our other Napa Tours.
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 additional tours that you add to your order by calling 1-866-991-8687 or booking online. Please visit our San Francisco Tour website for all San Francisco, Yosemite and Muir Woods Tours. If you book the tours together the discount is applied automatically. Unfortunately, we cannot provide the discount if you decide to add multiple tours later.
How early should I book?
Especially in the summer and on holidays we highly recommend booking early because our shuttles tend to sell out fast.
What is your refund and change tour date policy?
For full details on our policies, review our Terms and Conditions for details.