Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Fallon Place Wines with a Private Chauffeur
Natural, single-vineyard Sonoma County wines that began as one barrel on a San Francisco stone staircase, tasted with the winemaker by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Fallon Place is the project of winemaker and proprietor Cory Michal. He grew up in a small Wisconsin town, found his love of wine while living in England and traveling in Europe, and moved to San Francisco to be near Sonoma and Napa, taking UC Davis viticulture and enology classes in the evenings and on weekends; he also studied at the Université de Bourgogne. His Russian Hill flat, in a 1917 building, had an empty cellar opening onto the brick landing of the Fallon Place stairs, and for a few vintages he and his friends made a barrel of wine a year there from half a ton of Sonoma grapes. The first commercial vintages followed at Dogpatch WineWorks.
For years Cory bought fruit from small organic and sustainably farmed vineyards across Sonoma County, among them La Cruz in the Petaluma Gap for Chardonnay, Herbitage in Carneros for a rarely seen Swiss clone of Pinot Noir, and Landa, a steep 40-year-old Zinfandel vineyard in Chalk Hill. He now owns and farms his own small vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills, planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and cared for with organic and biodynamic practices. The wines are made with native fermentations, natural malolactic and gravity wherever practical, and go mostly to allocation members, with a few in restaurants and shops.
A visit is an intimate tasting with the winemaker himself, generally about an hour: all the current releases, a selection of library wines, barrel samples and a look around the winemaking facility. It suits guests who like to hear the story of each bottle from the person who made it.
Tasting Fees
$20 per person for the private tasting with the winemaker, about an hour, waived with the purchase of a bottle.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1200 American Way, Windsor
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, with at least 48 hours' notice. The winery lists its Windsor address with appointment hours of Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; its tasting page also describes tastings at its winery facility in San Francisco's Bayview, so we confirm the location when we book.
Known For
Natural, single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel from small Sonoma County vineyards
Founded
First barrels made at Fallon Place, San Francisco; first commercial vintages at Dogpatch WineWorks
Good to Know
Tastings are private and hosted by the winemaker, so book at least 48 hours ahead. Wines are sold mainly through the allocation club.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:50 a.m. from Hotel E in Santa Rosa, or 9:55 from Vinarosa.
9:50 · Pickup at Hotel E or Vinarosa
Vinarosa, set among 92 acres of vineyards in Santa Rosa, is about 15 minutes from Fallon Place in Windsor, and Hotel E, a restored 1906 Beaux-Arts landmark on the square in downtown Santa Rosa, about 20. We pick up at 9:50 at Hotel E and 9:55 at Vinarosa. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:10 · Fallon Place Wines
A private tasting with winemaker Cory Michal of current releases, library wines and barrel samples ($20), about an hour.
11:40 · Furthermore Wines
About 30 minutes away. Bob Zeches and Chad Richard's Pinot Noir house on Gravenstein Highway, where Ross Cobb, formerly of Williams Selyem and Flowers, has made the wine since 2019; there is a courtyard bocce court in the shade of a giant sequoia. Tastings are $30, refunded with a two-bottle purchase. Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; we book ahead.
1:05 · Lunch at Bird & The Bottle
About 25 minutes away. Chef Mark Stark's modern tavern on Fourth Street in Santa Rosa, with plates to share from the American South, Asia and Jewish comfort food, and two patios; we reserve the table for you. Open daily 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.
2:20 · Hobo Wine Company
About 10 minutes away. Kenny Likitprakong's Hobo Wine Company, maker of the Folk Machine and Ghostwriter labels from mostly organically farmed vineyards, starts with a walk through the working winery and barrel room, then a tasting in its "living room" ($20, waived with a three-bottle purchase per taster), about 1 to 1.5 hours. By appointment.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back in Santa Rosa by 3:40 p.m. at Hotel E, or 3:50 at Vinarosa, within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Fallon Place takes morning appointments on weekdays, so this day works Monday to Friday; Fallon Place and Hobo are by appointment, and we confirm the times and the Fallon Place location when we book.
About $70 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 an appointment at Fallon Place?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, with at least 48 hours' notice. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Fallon Place?
$20 per person, waived with the purchase of a bottle, as of September 2026.
Where does Fallon Place pour?
The winery lists its address at 1200 American Way in Windsor, and its tasting page also mentions its winery facility in San Francisco's Bayview. We confirm where your tasting is held when we book.
Who makes Fallon Place wine?
Cory Michal, the winemaker and proprietor, who studied at UC Davis and the Université de Bourgogne.
Where does the name Fallon Place come from?
From the stone staircase on San Francisco's Russian Hill where Cory Michal made his first barrels in the cellar of his building.
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.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"Fallon Place Wines","url":"https://fallonplacewine.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1200 American Way","addressLocality":"Windsor","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95492","addressCountry":"US"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need an appointment at Fallon Place?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, with at least 48 hours' notice. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Fallon Place?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$20 per person, waived with the purchase of a bottle, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where does Fallon Place pour?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The winery lists its address at 1200 American Way in Windsor, and its tasting page also mentions its winery facility in San Francisco's Bayview. We confirm where your tasting is held when we book."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who makes Fallon Place wine?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cory Michal, the winemaker and proprietor, who studied at UC Davis and the Université de Bourgogne."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where does the name Fallon Place come from?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"From the stone staircase on San Francisco's Russian Hill where Cory Michal made his first barrels in the cellar of his building."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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."}}]}]}