Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Forth Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
A husband-and-wife estate that turned a broken-down Dry Creek property into Cabernet and Syrah, with private tastings hosted by the owners, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Jann and Gerry came to Sonoma County, and Dry Creek Valley in particular, while Gerry was deep in healthcare start-ups and Jann was busy with non-profit boards. When they found a broken-down piece of property that happened to be right for Cabernet and Syrah, Gerry traded his board seat for a tractor seat and Jann her suits for overalls, and the two went out into the vineyard together.
With help from winemaker friends they made their first vintage, a Cabernet, in 1998. They pick each variety by tasting the grapes and sampling the juice in the last weeks before harvest, and in the cellar they keep intervention to a minimum; the reds age at least 20 months in American and French oak, and each wine is released only when the owners decide it is ready. Current wines include the Histoire Cabernet, Grenache and Pinot Noir, the All Boys Cabernet Sauvignon, Steep Hill Syrah and Grenache, Sangiovese and Mourvèdre.
Forth is a small family winery and visits are personal: tours and tastings are by appointment, and the owners host private tastings for club members and their guests. The estate has gardens and picnic grounds. We make the appointment and get the address when it is confirmed.
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
Address given when booking, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Tours and tastings by appointment. The winery does not publish hours or a street address for visits, so we confirm the time and location when booking.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and the Histoire wines
Founded
1998 (first vintage)
Good to Know
Club members and their guests are offered private tasting appointments with Jann and Gerry. The estate has gardens and picnic grounds.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as The Madrona or Hotel Healdsburg.
10:00 · Pickup at The Madrona or Hotel Healdsburg
The Madrona, a 24-room hotel on a historic estate on Westside Road, and Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, are each about 15 to 20 minutes from Forth Vineyards, which gives its address when the appointment is confirmed. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Forth Vineyards
A private tasting and tour by appointment, about an hour; we confirm the fee when we book.
12:00 · Kokomo Winery
About 25 minutes away. Erik Miller's winery at Timber Crest Farms, named for his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, and made with grower Randy Peters. Each seated tasting is a 90-minute flight of five wines with a dedicated host, in the Cellar Lounge among the barrels or on the patio ($30). Seatings daily at 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.; reservations recommended.
1:45 · Lunch at Costeaux French Bakery
About 15 minutes away. There has been a bakery on this stretch of Healdsburg Avenue since 1923, and the Seppi family has run it as Costeaux since 1981. The café serves hearty seasonal dishes indoors or on the patio. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:00 · De La Montanya
About 10 minutes away. A family winery in a barn off Westside Road, founded by Dennis and Tina De La Montanya, who make small lots of more than 30 varieties, from one barrel to twelve, out of 200 acres of family vineyards. Guests taste at the bar or seated in the garden; the $30 tasting fee is waived with a bottle purchase. Walk-ins welcome, open daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:10 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Forth is by appointment and gives its address when the visit is confirmed, so drive times are approximate; Kokomo seats on the hour, and we time the morning for its noon seating.
About $60 per person in tasting fees at Kokomo and De La Montanya, paid directly to each winery; Forth's tasting 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 an appointment at Forth Vineyards?
Yes. Tours and tastings are by appointment, and the winery gives its address when the visit is confirmed. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Forth Vineyards?
Tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish them.
Who owns Forth Vineyards?
Jann and Gerry, a husband-and-wife team who farm the vineyard and make the wine, with their first vintage in 1998.
What wines does Forth make?
Mostly reds: estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the Histoire Cabernet, Grenache and Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Mourvèdre.
Where is Forth Vineyards?
In Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg. The winery gives the visiting address when an appointment is confirmed.
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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