Alexander Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Hawkes with a Private Chauffeur
Estate Cabernet from a family that planted Alexander Valley in 1972, tasted on a wisteria-shaded patio, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Stephen Hawkes moved his young family to a prune ranch outside Healdsburg in 1971 and planted Cabernet Sauvignon the next year, twelve years before Alexander Valley became an appellation. For three decades the Hawkes sold their grapes to other wineries, until Stephen's son Jake, raised on the family farm on Chalk Hill Road, came home and talked him into making wine under the family name. The first Hawkes vintage, all estate Cabernet, came about 30 years after that first planting.
Today the family farms more than 85 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay in the southern half of Alexander Valley, all on thin-soiled hillsides that give small crops of intense fruit. The single-vineyard Cabernets carry the names of the family's sites, among them Pyramid, Stone and Red Winery, and production stays small.
This is one of our favorite easy stops on Highway 128: a small tasting room about ten minutes from the Healdsburg plaza, with a patio shaded by wisteria and Charles, the winery dog, making the rounds. The Estate Flight is relaxed and unhurried. For guests who want to go deeper, the Private Reserve Tasting pours six Cabernets, from barrel samples to library wines, and from May to October the family leads private tours of an estate vineyard before a seated tasting with cheese and bites from the farm.
Tasting Fees
$35 for the Estate Flight of four wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a single-vineyard Cabernet. $70 for the Private Reserve Tasting of six Cabernets, including barrel and library selections with seasonal bites, about 90 minutes. $95 for the Private Vineyard Tour & Tasting, May to October.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
6734 Highway 128, Healdsburg
AVA
Alexander Valley
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Estate Flight is offered daily from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the Private Reserve Tasting is by reservation at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Groups of 10 or more must reserve.
Known For
Estate and single-vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Founded
1972 (first Cabernet planted)
Good to Know
Estate tastings are held on the patio, in the garden or at the tasting bar. Parties of 10 or more need a reservation and pay group rates. Club members taste free depending on tier. The vineyard tour can move indoors in bad weather.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Trio or Hotel Healdsburg.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Trio or Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Trio, on Dry Creek Road on the north side of town, is about 15 minutes from Hawkes, and Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, about 20, so we collect everyone at 10 and are on the patio as the first flights are poured. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Hawkes
The Estate Flight of four wines ($35) on the wisteria patio, or the Private Reserve Tasting of six Cabernets ($70) if you would like to start at 10:30 and linger.
11:25 · Stonestreet
About 5 minutes away. Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke's mountain estate: 5,300 acres on the west side of the Mayacamas range with 170 micro-vineyards, tasted in a winery on the valley floor that looks straight up at the mountain. The Single-Vineyard Tasting of four wines with small bites is $85, 90 minutes. By reservation, daily from 10:30 a.m.
1:10 · Lunch at Diavola
About 15 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in a historic building on Geyserville Avenue, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi; we like a table here because the menu changes every day. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Acaibo
About 15 minutes away. The Healdsburg tasting room of Acaibo, the Chalk Hill estate that Claire and Gonzague Lurton, owners of Château Durfort-Vivens and Château Ferrière in Margaux, began in 2012; it is a rare chance to taste a Bordeaux family's California wine beside its Médoc châteaux. Journey to Sonoma, a welcome glass of Sauvignon Blanc and four Acaibo wines, is $35; Journey to Bordeaux, pouring the family's Médoc wines, is $45. Prepaid reservations required; open Thursday to Monday, noon to 5 p.m.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Acaibo opens Thursday to Monday, so this day works on those days.
About $155 to $200 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 a reservation at Hawkes?
Not for the Estate Flight, unless your party is 10 or more. The Private Reserve Tasting and the vineyard tour are by reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Hawkes?
$35 per person for the Estate Flight, $70 for the Private Reserve Tasting and $95 for the Private Vineyard Tour & Tasting, as of September 2026.
When did the Hawkes family start growing grapes?
Stephen Hawkes planted Cabernet Sauvignon in 1972, after moving to a prune ranch near Healdsburg in 1971, and the family sold grapes for about 30 years before making wine under its own name.
Can we tour the Hawkes vineyards?
Yes, from May to October. The Private Vineyard Tour & Tasting visits one of the family's Alexander Valley vineyards, then sits down to estate wines with a library selection, cheese and bites from the farm.
Where is Hawkes?
On Highway 128 in Alexander Valley, about ten minutes from the Healdsburg 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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