Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Ernest Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
Cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from organic vineyards in foggy Freestone-Occidental, poured in an elegant lounge on the Healdsburg plaza, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Erin Brooks founded Ernest Vineyards in 2012, inspired by the wines a few pioneering growers were making in the extreme conditions of what is now the West Sonoma Coast appellation. She grew up on a farm in rural Texas, worked in software and communications in San Francisco, and on her first drive into Sonoma County in 1999 felt she was home; her husband, Todd Gottula, has Central Valley farming roots, and the name comes from a portrait painted by his grandmother. Winemaker Joseph Ryan joined in 2018.
Ernest owns and leases five vineyards across about 34 acres in Freestone-Occidental, one of the coldest corners of the West Sonoma Coast, where Cleary Ranch sits only seven miles from the Pacific and the fog lingers until midday. All are certified organic and farmed with regenerative methods, dry-farmed where possible, with half of the vehicles and equipment electric. The wines are made with a low-intervention hand, and there are some rarities too, such as Aligoté from Bennett Valley and Petite Arvine and Trousseau from Alder Springs in Mendocino. Since 2019 the bottles have been sealed with natural wax on the lightest recycled glass available.
The tasting lounge is on Center Street on the Healdsburg plaza, an elegant, intimate room where the flights change through the year and draw on both current and library releases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is a calm way to start the day.
Tasting Fees
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
320 Center Street, Healdsburg
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The lounge closes for seasonal maintenance in late December and early January. Hours and booking details are not on the winery's visit page; we confirm them when booking.
Known For
Cool-climate, organically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Freestone-Occidental on the West Sonoma Coast
Founded
2012
Good to Know
Guests must be 21 or older. The winery keeps an organic vegetable garden for its team and puts its giving toward education.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:50 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:50 · 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 Ernest's lounge. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Ernest Vineyards
The first stop. A flight of current and library Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as the lounge opens at 11; we confirm the fee when we book.
12:10 · Due Ruscelli Vineyards & Winery
About 10 minutes away. Michael and Melissa's family winery on Limerick Lane, started in 2011 and named for the two seasonal creeks that frame its vineyard, making Italian varieties such as Primitivo, Sangiovese and Barbera. A family member hosts each experience: a winemaking tour and tasting is $40, and a tasting paired with meats and cheeses $60. Walk-ins Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; other days by appointment, booked a day ahead.
1:20 · Lunch at Little Saint
About 10 minutes away. A plant-based restaurant, coffee bar and wine lounge on North Street in downtown Healdsburg, from owners Laurie and Jeff Ubben, with a farm of its own. Open daily from 8 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Merriam Vineyards
About 10 minutes away. A certified organic family estate in the Eastern Hills of the Russian River Valley, known for Bordeaux varieties rare in the valley, led by Windacre Vineyard Merlot. The seated Single Vineyard Tasting of five estate wines is $35 and takes 1.5 hours. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome; open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tastings until 3:30 p.m.
4:10 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:20 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Due Ruscelli takes walk-ins Friday to Sunday and appointments on other days, which we book a day ahead, so this day works any day of the week. Lunch is a little after 1, and the day ends around 4:20.
About $75 to $95 per person at Due Ruscelli and Merriam, paid directly to each winery; Ernest'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 Ernest Vineyards?
The winery does not publish a reservation policy for the lounge, so we confirm availability when we book. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Ernest Vineyards?
The winery does not publish its tasting fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation.
Where are Ernest's vineyards?
In Freestone-Occidental on the West Sonoma Coast, about 34 acres it owns or leases, all certified organic. The tasting lounge is at 320 Center Street in Healdsburg.
Who owns Ernest Vineyards?
Founder Erin Brooks and her husband, Todd Gottula. Joseph Ryan is the winemaker.
Why are Ernest bottles sealed with wax?
Since 2019 the winery has used a California-made natural wax as the final closure, on the lightest recycled glass it can find, to cut its carbon footprint.
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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