Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Canihan Family Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
A rustic family winery on a certified organic, dry-farmed estate in southern Sonoma Valley, with private tastings of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Canihan Family Cellars grew out of a dream that began in 1920, when August Siegrist left a village outside Zurich for America hoping to grow his own wine. Prohibition sent him into baking and restaurants in San Francisco instead. In 1973 the family of his son-in-law, Bill Canihan Sr., bought a 20-acre farm in Sonoma, and in 1998 the family finally planted vines. August's grandson, Bill Canihan Jr., started the winery in 2006 with the release of the first commercial vintage, 2004.
The estate sits in the Sonoma Valley on the edge of Carneros, where evening breezes and fog from San Francisco Bay keep it cool. The vineyards are certified organic, dry-farmed, cane-pruned and picked by hand, and yields never exceed two tons per acre. In the cellar the wines ferment with native yeast in small hand-mixed lots, age 14 to 22 months in French oak and are bottled without fining or filtering. The first wine, the 2004 Syrah, was named Best of Show Red Wine at the 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition.
Every tasting is private and by appointment at the family's rustic winery, where the owner's own directions are to look for the numbers on the mailbox. It is a personal look at a small estate with deep family roots, a short drive from the Sonoma Plaza. We confirm current details when we book.
Tasting Fees
Canihan Family Cellars does not publish a tasting fee. The fee is confirmed when we book the private tasting.
Tasting fees as of October 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
Sonoma (address provided with the appointment)
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
All tastings are private and by appointment; the winery cannot host walk-ins. Appointments are made by email or phone; we arrange it on your behalf and confirm the time when booking.
Known For
Estate Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc from certified organic, dry-farmed vineyards
Founded
2006 (first vintage 2004; vineyard planted 1998)
Good to Know
The winery does not publish its street address or tasting fee; both come with the appointment confirmation. Canihan wines are also poured at Sonoma restaurants such as the girl & the fig. The winery has a wine club.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10 a.m. from a hotel on or near the Sonoma Plaza, such as MacArthur Place or El Dorado Hotel. The winery is a short drive from the plaza.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or El Dorado Hotel
MacArthur Place is a garden hotel a few blocks south of the Sonoma Plaza, and El Dorado Hotel is on the west side of the plaza. Canihan gives directions when the appointment is confirmed, and every stop today is within about 15 minutes of the next. Extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Canihan Family Cellars
A private tasting of estate Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc at the family winery. By appointment only; the fee is confirmed when we book. Plan on about an hour.
11:30 · Roche Winery & Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. A founding Carneros family's winery in its own Tipperary Vineyard, with fireplaces on the Tasting Plaza. The Select Tasting of four wines, with futures tasted from the barrel, is $35; plan on about an hour.
12:45 · Lunch at the girl & the fig
About 15 minutes away. Lunch on the Sonoma Plaza at the girl & the fig, a long-running Sonoma restaurant for French country cooking made with local ingredients. We confirm hours when we book. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:10 · Gundlach Bundschu Winery
About 10 minutes away. The Bundschu family's Rhinefarm estate, farmed since 1858, with a hillside wine cave. The seated Rhinefarm Tasting of estate wines is $45, or the Sonoma Original Bar Tasting of three wines is $30; plan on about 75 minutes.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back by 3:50 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Canihan does not publish its tasting days or hours, so we confirm the appointment first and set the order of the day around it. Roche is open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Gundlach Bundschu is open daily with last seatings at 4 p.m., recommending reservations Friday to Sunday.
About $65 to $80 per person in tasting fees for Roche and Gundlach Bundschu, plus the Canihan fee confirmed when we book, paid directly to each winery.
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 Canihan Family Cellars?
Yes. All tastings are private and by appointment, and the winery cannot host walk-ins. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Canihan Family Cellars?
The winery does not publish a tasting fee. It is confirmed when the private tasting is booked, as of October 2026.
Where do guests taste at Canihan Family Cellars?
At the family's rustic winery on its estate in Sonoma, on the edge of Carneros. The address is provided when the appointment is confirmed.
What is Canihan Family Cellars known for?
Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc from certified organic, dry-farmed estate vineyards, fermented with native yeast and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Who owns Canihan Family Cellars?
The Canihan family. Bill Canihan Jr. started the winery in 2006 on the farm the family bought in Sonoma in the 1970s.
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 833-915-2436.
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