"As Andree and I said, repeatedly, your tour was simply awesome. Personable, knowledgeable, and perfectly designed to suit our specific areas of interest. I cannot believe that during three of our tastings, we spent about 45 minutes each with the owners. And, privately too. Your tour far exceeded anything we expected, and was vastly superior to any other wine tour we've taken. We would send anyone at all the absolute strongest recommendations for your tour. And, trust me, we'll be back with friends and call
upon you again."
A.J. Ranft, San Antonio, TX
"Without a doubt, one of the most comfortable tours we’ve experienced. It was less of a tour and more of a friendly guided experience with a knowledgeable and hospitable man. Thank you Gene, you have set the bar for experiencing the Valley!"
John R. Garry. Concord, CA
"We very much enjoyed our day with you! Everything was perfect and far exceeded our expectations! Thanks to your chauffeuring we were able to sit back, relax, and totally enjoy our visit. To us, the Healdsburg area is by far the best in WC. For our next visit, we’ll stay in Healdsburg and spend all of our time there. We spent Monday in Napa…to us the traffic, congestion, etc was akin to Branson, Missouri-- nothing to be admired! Many thanks, again, Gene! You planned an extraordinary day for us and we totally enjoyed your company. We felt as though we were spending the day with a friend—which you certainly are to us now!"
Terry Cassady & John Smith. Wichita, Kansas.
"Many thanks for the photos and for an absolutely wonderful winery outing. All of us had such fun being with you, seeing the lovely countryside, and having such a lovely wine experience. Hope to see you again for more wine adventures sometime in the not- too-distant future." Charla Laking. Ontario, Canada.
"Thank you again for the wonderful tour. It will be remembered as a highlight of our trip. We enjoyed our day in your lovely town. We did some shopping and wine tasting there as well—on your suggestion. We are starting to plan our own wine tasting/food sampling party for our friends as we experienced it at J. Great idea! Thank you again. Wishing you and Debbie all the best." Cordula Paletz. Ontario, Canada.
"Thank you for the wonderful tour. We definitely will tour again with you. The experience was more wonderful than anticipated and we look forward to seeing you again." Cynthia Olivo.
"Thank you so much for your letter and photo. The day we spent with you was very special. I just wish we didn’t live so far away—it would be good to repeat the experience doing different grapes—maybe next year. With best wishes for the future." Sue Kindall. London.
"Dear Gene, Katie and I just wanted to send our thanks once again for a great personalized tour during our visit to the Healdsburg area in May. My husband John & I just shared the Simi Chardonnay I purchased and I’ll have to bring him back for a tour so I can buy some more! Hope you have a happy, safe summer with your other tours!" Pat Bomberger. Granite Bay, California.
"Having taken hosted wine tours in France, Australia, South Africa, & Austria,
I can say Gene is world class and a fabulous host. We're coming back!"
James Lee. Charlestown, Massachusetts.
"Thanks for a great day of wine tasting. You were a wonderful guide.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip."
Jill Carter. Chicago, Illinois.
"Thanks for the pictures. I really enjoyed the tours you provided me. Your knowledge of the wineries and the Sonoma area are invaluable. I will certainly refer our guests to your wine tours." Charles Johnson, Club Concierge. Donatello Hotel, San Francisco.
"Thanks for a day we will always remember.
You have a very warm and special approach with your tour."
Sharon Bond. Butte, Montana.
"I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our custom wine tour. You are a delightful host. Our family really enjoyed the day." Maggie Gardner. Concord, California.
"Thanks for showing Linda and myself a wonderful time on the tour you gave us. We will recommend you to anyone that heads out that way." Jon & Linda Alexander. Charlottesville, Virginia.
"Once again you served us well. Despite having become veteran visitors, fairly informed, and familiar with the area, I am thoroughly convinced repeating your tour experience was a key factor in making our return visit to the area such a memorable one. Thanks again for the fine service you offer."
Roger & Suzanne Yazell. Arizona.
"We have just reminisced about our wonderful trip to San Francisco the highlight of which was our day spent with you touring the Sonoma Valley vineyards. Your expertise and knowledge was unsurpassed and most importantly your hospitality. We truly felt our day was personalized for us. Above all else we had lots of fun and hated to see the day end. Thanks again for such a memorable day.
It wouldn't have been the same without you as our friend and guide."
Ron & Dawn Cunningham. Dan & Celia Backman. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Wineries abound, each with a well cared for vineyard of great beauty.
In tasting their wines, one finds dry, bold flavors to light & fruity.
New varietals, nuances and products both surprise and delight;
Each place with an interesting history, each one a unique site.
Recounting stories of the area and the vintners, Gene is a host extraordinaire—
Yielding enjoyment as the tour is done with knowledge, consideration and care.
Judy Guarnori. South Dakota.
"Gene. Thanks for a memorable experience. Melissa and I thank you for making it so special. Hope to do this again soon." Lalite & Melissa Lakshmanan. San Francisco.
"The tour exceeded our expectations. Big time!" Carol & Scott Brady. Coral Springs, Florida.
"The tour was much more than we expected. We appreciated the affordability and quality of service.
We had a great time." Larry LeBlanc. Franklin, Massachusetts.
"Our very first wine tasting ever! It was beyond phenomenal! Thank you so much Gene for treating us to a fabulous wine tour. We enjoyed every moment!" Jenni & Seth Ryan, Apple Valley, Minnesota.
"The tour was great. Thank you!" Paul & Dee Knowles. Hampshire. United Kingdom.
"We enjoyed the excellent reserve room tasting experience at Geyser Peak. We enjoyed the vineyard views from the patio of Chateau Souverain. We were in awe of the gardens and landscaping at Ferarri-Carano." Sandy & Kevin Hastings. Rochester, Massachusetts.
"It was an outstanding tour. The tour was enjoyed by all. Thank you!" (5 business guests).
Ed Kuhar. Canada Sales Director, Wescam, Inc. Kemptville, Ontario, Canada.
"The tour was great! We loved the Zinfandel at Trentadue, the Merlot and Gewurtztraminer at Mill Creek, the Syrah at Ferarri-Carano, and the Chardonnay at Dry Creek."
Holly Tucci, & Tina Bueing. Redmond, Washington.
"The tour was by far the most wonderful trip we have ever taken to wine country. A five star experience! A great balance of small and large wineries. We were especially enamored with the fine Zinfandels the region produces. I’m looking forward to coming back again and taking on a whole new set of wineries!"
Linda Leigh. Atlanta, Georgia.
"The tour was really fun." Barney & Anne Gorter. Milwaukee, Oregon.
"I would recommend this tour to anyone. I became re-acquainted with Zinfandel wines. Fumé Blanc was also a great new discovery." Katie Jacobs. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"Awesome tour! It exceeded our expectations!" Nell Papavasiliou. Valencia, California.
"The whole day was wonderful. We had a wonderful and memorable experience."
Bethany & Sean Kilroy. Lynnfield, Massachusetts.
"Thank you for the great tour. The order of the visits was perfect (large & small wineries). We did not expect to be talking to winery owners." Mike & Kelley Griffin. Wasilla, Alaska.
"Thank you for making our first trip to the Sonoma wine country so enjoyable.
We are still talking about it. This tour was the best of the trip.
We were also in the Napa Valley so we have something to compare it to."
David & Sylvia Butson. Arizona.
"Great experience. Very Professional." Katherine & Philip Partridge. Colorado.
"A very enjoyable tour. Well met and it exceeded our expectations." Suzanne & Roger Yazell. Arizona.
"Thank you again for the tour. I talked a lot with colleagues about the lovely customized tour offering of yours and referred you and your services. All the best." S. Pakosh. Mississauga, Ontario. Canada.
"We had a wonderful time. The wineries we visited in the
Alexander Valley were first-class and the whole day was perfect.
We especially loved the Chardonnay and Zinfandel at White Oak Vineyards.
Our picnic there was also very special."
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Alexander. Santa Monica, California.