Moon Mountain District · Sonoma County
Visit Favero Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
A family winery in the hills above Sonoma whose founder dug its wine cave himself, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Fred Favero grew up in an extended Italian family in San Francisco in the 1950s and 1960s and ran his own businesses in the city before turning to wine. In 1992 he planted his first three acres of grapes on the rocky hillsides just outside the town of Sonoma, and the winery he built there still carries his name, with Fred as owner and founder.
The vineyards are tucked into Lovall Valley, in the hills northeast of downtown Sonoma, at about 800 feet among apple, plum and olive trees. Fred made wine for several years from neighboring vineyards, then planted the rootstocks and varieties he wanted for an estate Sangiovese and his proprietary red blend, Monte di Sassi. He compares the setting to the hills around Greve in Chianti Classico, the Italian sister city of Sonoma. Production is tiny, about 100 cases of the Sangiovese in a vintage.
The cave is the story here. In 1996, told he would wait two years for a tunneling contractor, Fred learned to run a 35-ton, 40-foot tunneling machine and dug the cave into the side of Monte di Sassi himself, then designed its heavy metal doors and copper grape-leaf sconces. Tastings are private and arranged by phone or email, in one of the smallest family wineries on the mountain.
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
3939 Lovall Valley Road, Sonoma
AVA
Moon Mountain District
Visiting
Private tastings by appointment only, scheduled by phone or email. No public hours are published; we confirm the day and time when we book.
Known For
Estate Sangiovese, the Monte di Sassi red blend and a hand-dug wine cave
Founded
1992 (cave dug in 1996)
Good to Know
A very small family operation, so visits need advance notice. Wine is sold by phone or email; the newest vintages listed on the website are the 2017 Estate Sangiovese and 2015 Monte di Sassi, so we confirm what is pouring when we book.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as MacArthur Place or El Dorado Hotel.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or El Dorado Hotel
MacArthur Place, a hotel and spa set in six acres of gardens in Sonoma, and El Dorado Hotel, a boutique hotel on the Sonoma Plaza, are each about 20 minutes from Favero, out Lovall Valley Road into the hills. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Favero Vineyards
A private tasting with the family and a look inside the hand-dug cave, by appointment. Fee to be verified upon reservation.
11:40 · Winery Sixteen 600
About 20 minutes away. The Coturri family's winery in a 120-year-old farmhouse a block from the Sonoma Plaza, where guests sit in antique theater seats and pick records for the turntable; every wine comes from certified organic vineyards that Phil Coturri farms. The seated Moon Mountain District Wine Tasting is 90 minutes ($75). Tastings are reserved in advance; open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1:15 · Lunch at the girl & the fig
About 5 minutes away. Sondra Bernstein's restaurant on the Sonoma Plaza, serving French country cooking from a seasonal menu, with cheese and charcuterie, a Rhône-focused wine list and a garden patio. Open from 11:30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · B. Wise Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. Brion and Ronda Wise's estate on Moon Mountain, next to the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard, where private tastings are held in a network of fermenting and aging caves furnished with vintage pieces and Wild West bronzes, with a terrace over the Sonoma Valley. By appointment only; the fee is to be verified upon reservation.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 4:00 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Favero and B. Wise both host by appointment only, so we confirm the times with each winery when we book.
About $75 per person for Winery Sixteen 600, paid directly to the winery; tasting fees at Favero and B. Wise are 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 an appointment at Favero Vineyards?
Yes. Tastings are private and scheduled by phone or email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Favero Vineyards?
Favero does not publish a tasting fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation.
Is it true the Favero cave was dug by hand?
By the owner, at least. In 1996 Fred Favero learned to run a 35-ton, 40-foot tunneling machine and dug the cave into the hillside himself rather than wait two years for a contractor.
What wines does Favero make?
Small lots of estate Sangiovese, a proprietary red blend called Monte di Sassi and estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
Where is Favero Vineyards?
At 3939 Lovall Valley Road, in the hills about 20 minutes northeast of the Sonoma Plaza.
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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