Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Eric Ross Winery with a Private Chauffeur
A small Glen Ellen winery started by two San Francisco newspaper photographers, pouring single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Albariño and Grenache, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Eric Ross Winery was started in 1993 by two award-winning photographers from San Francisco's rival newspapers, Eric Luse and John Ross Storey; the winery's name joins their two names. Eric is the winemaker, and his photographs, the winery's Photostories, are part of the experience.
The idea is simple: taste the vineyard. Eric works with growers in the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Carneros and Lodi and with Cabernet from the Mayacamas Mountains, making Pinot Noir, Albariño, Viognier, Grenache, Tempranillo, old-vine Zinfandel and port, with recent releases such as an Albariño from Bokisch Vineyards and a Grenache rosé.
The tasting room is on Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen, with indoor and outdoor seating for groups of up to six. It is a small, personal place where the people who make the wine are close at hand, and it makes a relaxed start to a weekend day in the valley.
Tasting Fees
$30 per person, refunded with a three-bottle purchase; complimentary for wine club members.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
14300 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
Open Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. No reservation needed, but encouraged; appointments at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., by phone or email.
Known For
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Albariño, Grenache and old-vine Zinfandel
Founded
1993
Good to Know
Indoor and outdoor seating for groups of up to 6. Wine club members taste free. Eric Ross wines are also poured at the LOCALS tasting room in Geyserville.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 11:20 a.m. from a Glen Ellen hotel such as Gaige House or Olea Hotel.
11:20 · Pickup at Gaige House or Olea Hotel
Gaige House, a Japanese-inspired inn along Calabazas Creek in Glen Ellen, and Olea Hotel, a small hotel on Warm Springs Road in Glen Ellen, are each about 5 minutes from Eric Ross. We time the pickup for the 11:30 appointment. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:30 · Eric Ross Winery
A seated tasting, about an hour ($30, refunded with three bottles).
12:45 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 15 minutes away. A steakhouse, seafood grill and oyster bar among the vineyards on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, with craft cocktails and tables overlooking a koi pond. Lunch is served Thursday to Tuesday from 11 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Muscardini Cellars
About 5 minutes away. Michael Muscardini's Italian-style winery, pouring Sangiovese, Barbera and Super Tuscan-style blends inside a historic schoolhouse on the Sonoma Highway. All Things Italian is a private tour, tasting and pairing that runs from aperitivo to house grappa, with the winery's own wine-infused salami, cheeses and olive oil ($75). By appointment, daily at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
3:50 · Ty Caton Vineyards
About 5 minutes away. One of the few wineries in the Moon Mountain District that makes only estate wines, from 40 acres of terraced hillside vines that Ty Caton planted, often with a jackhammer, in volcanic rock. Flights in the Kenwood tasting room are $25 to $35. Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged; open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., last tasting at 5.
4:50 · Back to your hotel
Back in Glen Ellen by 5:05 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Eric Ross pours Friday to Sunday, so this is a weekend day. It starts at 11:30 with the first appointment, leaves time for an unhurried lunch before Muscardini's 2:30 session and ends around 5.
About $130 to $140 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, 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 Eric Ross?
No reservation is needed, but one is encouraged; appointments are at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Friday to Sunday. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Eric Ross?
$30 per person, refunded with a three-bottle purchase, as of September 2026. Wine club members taste free.
Who started Eric Ross Winery?
Two San Francisco newspaper photographers, Eric Luse and John Ross Storey, in 1993. Eric Luse is the winemaker.
When is Eric Ross open?
Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Glen Ellen. The wines are also poured at the LOCALS tasting room in Geyserville.
Where is Eric Ross Winery?
At 14300 Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen, in Sonoma Valley.
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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