Located less than an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys have developed into one of the world’s premiere wine tasting regions. Sheltered between the Pacific Ocean and ancient, dormant volcanoes, the region boast more than 30 different sub-regions, elevations, and micro-climates that make it an ideal location to make high-quality wines. This full-day, educational wine tour of both Sonoma and Napa Valley’s starts with a complimentary hotel pickup at most downtown or fisherman’s wharf hotels. You’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, and the San Francisco skyline as your head north over the Golden Gate Bridge en route to your first stop at the famed Benzinger Winery. You will depart on a fully-guided tram tour that takes you through the vineyards to learn the secrets of growing the fully organic, biodynamic grapes used to make award winning wines. You will learn how unique soils and old world traditions combine with modern technology to give the wines their own “sense of place” as you explore a functional crush pad, see stainless steel fermentation tanks up close, and visit a mountainside wine cave where barrels of wine are aged before bottling. After the tour, you’ll be treated to a private reserve tasting of 5-7 wines, many not available outside the winery, before stopping for an included picnic lunch at another winery to relax and take in the scenic countryside, fragrant gardens and rustic surroundings. After lunch, you’re group will have the option to explore “the other Valley” as you head out to Yountville, Oakville, or the city of Napa itself to experience more world class wines. This part of the itinerary is different for each group, flexible and recommendations are welcome. After a full day learning the secrets of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, your expert guide will end the day with a stop in the Marin Headlands where you can take photos of the famed Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean before being dropped back off at your hotel just in time for supper.