Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit GrapeSeed with a Private Chauffeur
Seated tastings of winemaker Matt Smith's small-lot wines among the paintings of a vast Healdsburg art gallery, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
GrapeSeed was founded in Healdsburg in 2015 by a small team of wine industry insiders who wanted to give artisan winemakers the freedom to pursue their dream projects, at a time when consolidation among retailers and wholesalers was shutting out small producers. The wines are made under chief winemaker Matt Smith, and GrapeSeed sells them directly, by the bottle, through quarterly shipments to its members and in its tasting room.
Matt Smith's own label for GrapeSeed is Sassoferrato, devoted to Italian varieties such as Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Lagrein and Vermentino, including Monte de Ferro red blends from Alexander Valley. The list also includes Eighteen Miles, with Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, Celebrant méthode champenoise sparkling wines and the Gallery Collection, a series inspired by artists shown at the gallery.
The tasting room is inside the Paul Mahder Gallery on Healdsburg Avenue, a double Quonset hut with 30-foot ceilings, skylights and more than 8,000 square feet of art, a short walk from the plaza. Tastings are seated only, with just 20 seats, so it is uncrowded and relaxed, and the flights range from a simple taste to a deep dive, with themed and educational tastings on a regular schedule.
Tasting Fees
Tasting flights range from $10 to $100.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Tuesday. Tastings are seated only, and appointments are booked online or by phone.
Known For
Matt Smith's small-lot Sassoferrato Italian varieties, Eighteen Miles wines and the Gallery Collection
Founded
2015
Good to Know
Only 20 seats, all seated tastings. Themed and educational tastings are scheduled regularly. Members, called Partners, receive new releases four times a year.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:55 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as h2hotel or Hotel Healdsburg.
9:55 · Pickup at h2hotel or Hotel Healdsburg
H2hotel, a green-roofed hotel just off the Healdsburg plaza, and Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, are each about 5 minutes from GrapeSeed, which opens at 10. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:00 · GrapeSeed
A seated flight in the gallery ($10 to $100), about an hour.
11:30 · Woodenhead Vintners
About 30 minutes away. Nikolai Stez spent 17 harvests as assistant winemaker to Burt Williams at Williams Selyem before making his own small-lot Pinot Noir and Zinfandel here with his partner, Zina Bower; guests taste inside or out on a deck over the valley, at the top of a winding driveway off River Road. There is a nominal tasting fee, confirmed when we book. Drop-ins welcome Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
12:50 · Lunch at Willow Wood Market Cafe
About 20 minutes away. A café, soda fountain and general store at the center of Graton since 1995, serving down-home comfort food. Lunch from 11:30 a.m., with brunch on Sundays. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:25 · Gamba Vineyards and Winery
About 25 minutes away. The Gamba family has farmed this Woolsey Road vineyard since 1947; it was planted in 1900, is organically farmed and gets no water but the rain, and the family launched its own label in 2000, best known for old-vine Zinfandel. Every appointment is privately hosted, with a selection of Gamba and Etrusca wines; the fee is confirmed when we book. By appointment only.
3:25 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:55 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. GrapeSeed closes Tuesday and Woodenhead is open Thursday to Monday, so this day works Thursday to Monday; Gamba is by appointment, and we confirm it first.
About $10 to $100 per person in tasting fees for GrapeSeed, depending on the flight, paid directly to the winery; the Woodenhead and Gamba tasting fees 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 a reservation at GrapeSeed?
Yes. Tastings are seated, with only 20 seats, and are booked online or by phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at GrapeSeed?
Flights range from $10 to $100 per person, as of September 2026.
Who makes GrapeSeed wine?
Chief winemaker Matt Smith, whose Sassoferrato label focuses on Italian grape varieties.
Where is the GrapeSeed tasting room?
Inside the Paul Mahder Gallery at 222 Healdsburg Avenue in Healdsburg, a short walk from the plaza.
When is GrapeSeed open?
Every day but Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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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