Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Ceritas with a Private Chauffeur
Coastal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sold only to a mailing list, tasted by appointment with the winemaking team in a working winery in downtown Healdsburg, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ceritas made its first vintage in 2005, led by founder John Raytek, on the conviction that the northern California coast could make wines as site-specific as anywhere in the world. The team found its inspiration in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the early 2000s, growing grapes and making wine for Rhys, and in 2023 Ceritas became the first winery to buy fruit from Rhys's Santa Cruz Mountains holdings.
Ceritas owns no vineyards. It farms alongside its growers, mostly on the West Sonoma Coast and in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with a penchant for dry farming and old vines, and several sites sell to Ceritas alone, labeled Monopole. The names will be familiar to coastal Pinot Noir lovers: Hellenthal's Old Shop Block and Elliott near Hirsch, Charles Heintz, Trout Gulch and the Peter Martin Ray vineyard above Saratoga.
The wines are sold through the mailing list and to select restaurants, with three releases a year, so the tasting is the rare chance to try them where they are made. A member of the winemaking team leads each unhurried tasting, moving through the coastal regions the wines come from, and the library tasting looks back across nearly two decades of vintages.
Tasting Fees
Two experiences, the Ceritas Tasting of current releases and the Ceritas Library Tasting. Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
60 West North Street, Suite A, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Wednesday to Sunday by appointment only; no walk-ins. Appointments are requested by signing in or joining the mailing list on the winery's website.
Known For
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the West Sonoma Coast and the Santa Cruz Mountains
Founded
2005 (first vintage)
Good to Know
Groups of 8 or fewer. Arrive within ten minutes of your appointment; tastings typically last about 90 minutes. A credit card holds the reservation and is charged only for a cancellation within 48 hours.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and Harmon Guest House, a boutique hotel just off the plaza, are each about 5 minutes from the Ceritas winery on West North Street. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:05 · Ceritas
The Ceritas Tasting with a member of the winemaking team, about 90 minutes.
11:55 · Mazzocco Sonoma
About 15 minutes away. Founded in 1984 and run since 2005 by Ken and Diane Wilson, with single-vineyard Zinfandels from valley floor to mountain blocks at up to 2,400 feet. Each party gets its own outdoor table in the garden with tableside service; the Garden Tasting of five wines is $25, about 75 minutes, for up to 6. By reservation, daily from 11 a.m., last seating 3:45 p.m.
1:15 · Lunch at Dry Creek General Store
About 5 minutes away. A country store since 1881 at the crossroads of Dry Creek Valley, with a deli for sandwiches, soups and salads, a front porch over the valley and a garden out back. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Nalle Winery
About 5 minutes away. One of Dry Creek Valley's most respected Zinfandel houses: Doug Nalle's 1987 Zinfandel earned 92 points from Wine Spectator, and the 2019 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel made its Top 100. Tastings are on the patio behind the living-roof cellar, a concrete arch covered in soil and rosemary, often poured by a member of the family. A flight of six wines is $35. Open Saturday from noon to about 4 p.m., and Wednesday to Friday by reservation.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Ceritas hosts Wednesday to Sunday and Nalle Wednesday to Saturday, so this day works Wednesday to Saturday.
About $60 per person at Mazzocco and Nalle, paid directly to each winery; the Ceritas tasting 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
Can I visit Ceritas?
Yes, by appointment only, Wednesday to Sunday, at its working winery in downtown Healdsburg. There are no walk-ins, and appointments are requested through the mailing list sign-in. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Ceritas?
Ceritas does not publish its tasting fees; they are to be verified upon reservation.
How can I buy Ceritas wine?
Through the mailing list, which has three releases a year, and at select restaurants.
How many people can visit Ceritas together?
Up to 8. The team is small, so larger groups and walk-ins cannot be accommodated.
Who makes Ceritas?
A small team led by founder John Raytek, making wine since 2005 from grower vineyards on the West Sonoma Coast and in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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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