Green Valley of Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Ektimo Wines with a Private Chauffeur
A father-and-daughter estate on the old Cahill property, with seated tastings for small parties and a two-hour vineyard stroll, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Dominic Xie, born in 1962 in Ningxia Province, China, and educated at Stanford, and his daughter April Xie bought the former Cahill estate and winery in the Green Valley in 2012 and founded Ektimo. The name comes from a Greek word meaning to appreciate. April has studied wine through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and the family sees itself at the leading edge of a growing passion for California wine in China.
Winemaker Fernando Candelario makes the wines at the estate, aiming for pure aromatics, concentrated flavors and an elegant structure that show the vineyard, the fruit and the craft. Ektimo also makes custom-label wines for celebrations and special occasions.
The estate is rural, rustic and unpretentious, in its own words, on the back roads west of Graton. Tastings are seated and fully guided for small parties, and the two-hour Flagship Experience adds a stroll through the vineyard and library wines alongside the current releases. Guests may pack in a picnic for most experiences.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Club members receive complimentary Classic Tastings and, at the 6- and 12-bottle levels, one Flagship Experience a year.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4950 Ross Road, Sebastopol
AVA
Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, released monthly (for example, August dates open in early July), and prepaid when booked. The visit page lists Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last reservation at 3:30; we confirm the time when booking.
Known For
Estate wines from the Green Valley and custom-label wines for occasions
Founded
2012
Good to Know
Parties of up to 4; the Flagship Experience takes up to 2 non-members. No guests under 21 except non-mobile infants under 12 months. No pets. Pack-in, pack-out picnics are welcome for most experiences.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:55 a.m. from The Sebastopol Inn, or 10:00 from Farmhouse Inn in Forestville.
10:00 · Pickup at Farmhouse Inn or The Sebastopol Inn
Farmhouse Inn, a 25-room country inn among the vineyards and redwoods of Forestville, is about 15 minutes from Ektimo, and The Sebastopol Inn, in downtown Sebastopol, about 20. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Ektimo Wines
The seated, guided Classic Tasting for up to 4; the fee is confirmed when we book. Allow about an hour and a quarter.
11:45 · Char Vale Winery
About 15 minutes away. A family-owned Green Valley estate whose tasting room is the original family farmhouse, with a deck looking straight over 10 acres of Pinot Noir and Riesling; its 2024 Pinot Gris took a Double Gold at the 2026 Sunset International Wine Competition. Open Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; reservations preferred, walk-ins as space allows. The fee is confirmed when we book.
12:55 · Lunch at Underwood Bar and Bistro
About 10 minutes away. A bistro in the village of Graton with an open-air patio. Lunch is served Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:15 · Bowman Cellars
About 5 minutes away. Alex and Katie Bowman's family winery in the village of Graton, with wines from family vineyards in west Santa Rosa and the Sierra Foothills. The guided Tasting Experience of five current releases is $35, about 45 minutes. Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; reservations encouraged.
3:00 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sebastopol or Forestville by 3:15 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Char Vale opens Thursday to Monday, Bowman Thursday to Sunday and Underwood serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday, so this day works Thursday to Sunday. Ektimo releases appointments a month ahead, so we book early.
About $35 per person for Bowman Cellars; Ektimo's and Char Vale's fees are to be verified upon reservation. Each is paid directly to the 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 Ektimo?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only, prepaid, and released a month in advance. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Ektimo?
Ektimo collects its tasting fee when you book and does not publish it on its website, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation. Club members receive complimentary tastings.
How many people can visit Ektimo together?
Parties of up to 4. The two-hour Flagship Experience takes up to 2 non-members.
Can children or dogs visit Ektimo?
No guests under 21 are allowed except non-mobile infants under 12 months, and pets are not allowed.
Who owns Ektimo?
Dominic Xie and his daughter April Xie, who bought the former Cahill estate and winery in the Green Valley in 2012.
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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