Alexander Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Bannister Wines with a Private Chauffeur
A family label poured in a restored 1919 bank in downtown Geyserville, with handmade furniture, art shows and a vinyl room in the old vault, and a suggested six-hour day around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Bannister began with Marty, the winemaker's mother. In 1979 she and Mary Ann Graf, the first woman to graduate from an American university with an enology degree, started a wine analysis business in a small storefront in downtown Healdsburg that grew to serve thousands of wineries across the country. In the 1980s Marty also began consulting as a winemaker, which led to the family label. Her son grew up following her through vineyards and wineries, hauled grapes at 16 on a 1955 Dodge flatbed bought from Joe Rochioli, and at 35 gave up making furniture to carry the family wine business on.
He still makes the wines his mother started with, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel from cool-climate and single vineyards, in small quantities. Alongside them are less common wines and techniques: skin-fermented Riesling and Ribolla Gialla, Scheurebe, Sagrantino and a saignée-method rosé. The idea is that a Pinot Noir and an orange Riesling can belong in the same flight.
The tasting room is the reason many guests come. He and his wife, Morgania, the artist behind M.E. Moore design, restored a bank building that opened in 1919, filled it with furniture they built by hand, and hang a new art show every quarter. The old bank vault is now a private vinyl listening room with turntables and audiophile headphones, and the patio takes food from Diavola next door.
Tasting Fees
General tasting of 6 to 7 small pours, 60 to 90 minutes, with no charge when guests purchase wine. $50 per person for the Private Tasting, with charcuterie and library Pinot Noir. Diavola charcuterie boards are $24 or $34.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
21035 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville
AVA
Alexander Valley
Visiting
Open Thursday to Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.; closed Monday to Wednesday. Reservations and walk-ins are both welcome. We book the tasting for you.
Known For
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, plus skin-fermented Riesling, Scheurebe and Sagrantino
Founded
Family label begun in the 1980s; Geyserville tasting room in a restored 1919 bank
Good to Know
The patio is dog-friendly. Charcuterie and food can be ordered from Diavola next door and enjoyed on the patio. The space can be booked for private events.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:35 a.m. from a hotel such as Hotel Trio in Healdsburg or Geyserville Inn.
9:35 · Pickup at Hotel Trio or Geyserville Inn
Hotel Trio, on Dry Creek Road on the north side of Healdsburg, is about 40 minutes from William Gregory, our first stop, and Geyserville Inn, at the north end of Geyserville, about 30. Bannister opens at noon, so we start up north. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · William Gregory Winery
About 40 minutes away. Retired Air Force and American Airlines pilot Bill Pesonen farms ten acres of hillside vines and two acres of olives near Asti, and has sold grapes to Jordan, Silver Oak and St. Francis. He pours his estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah himself at private tastings and asks guests to reserve a couple of hours. By reservation; the fee is confirmed when we book.
12:15 · Bannister Wines
About 30 minutes away. The general tasting of 6 to 7 wines (no charge with a purchase), or the Private Tasting with charcuterie and library Pinot Noir ($50).
1:20 · Lunch at Diavola
About 5 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in a historic building on Geyserville Avenue, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Blue Rock Vineyard
About 15 minutes away. Kenny and Cheryl Kahn's 100-acre hillside estate at the north end of Alexander Valley, settled by Italian immigrants in 1880; the old stone house was the Villa Maria winery until Prohibition, and olive trees more than 140 years old still shade the grounds. The private visit and tasting of wines from its hillside Bordeaux varieties is $65 for up to 8 guests, about 90 minutes. Advance reservation always required; 21 and over.
4:10 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:35 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Bannister opens Thursday to Sunday at noon, so this day works on those days; Diavola is next door, so lunch is a short walk. Blue Rock's tasting runs 90 minutes, so we are back around 4:35.
About $65 to $115 per person for Bannister and Blue Rock (Bannister's general tasting has no fee with a wine purchase; its private tasting is $50); William Gregory's fee is to be verified upon reservation.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Bannister Wines?
No. Walk-ins are welcome Thursday to Sunday, and reservations are accepted. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Bannister Wines?
The general tasting has no charge when guests purchase wine, and the Private Tasting with charcuterie and library Pinot Noir is $50 per person, as of September 2026.
Can I bring my dog to Bannister?
Yes. The patio is dog-friendly.
Can we eat at Bannister?
Yes. Diavola, the Italian restaurant next door, delivers charcuterie and food to Bannister's patio.
What is special about the Bannister tasting room?
It is a restored bank building from 1919 in downtown Geyserville, furnished by hand by the winemaker and his wife, with rotating art shows and a vinyl listening room in the old vault.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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