Moon Mountain District · Sonoma County
Visit Hill of Tara with a Private Chauffeur
Organically farmed Moon Mountain Cabernet from a family label named for Ireland's sacred hill. Hill of Tara does not receive visitors; here is what to know, and a day at sought-after estates nearby that do host.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Danny Fay, who grew up in Sonoma and graduated from Sonoma Valley High School and Cal Poly, founded Hill of Tara in 2015 with two barrels of Moon Mountain Cabernet. The name honors his family's Irish roots: his great-grandfather Edward Tormey bought Ireland's Hill of Tara, the ancient seat of its high kings, in 1928, and the family farmed it until 1974, when his great-uncle Bill Tormey sold it to the Irish government. The labels carry that history; the first is the Mound of Hostages, the oldest monument on the hill.
The wines come only from mountain vineyards in the Moon Mountain District, on rocky, volcanic hillsides that give low yields and deep, age-worthy wines: Moonridge, at 2,300 feet the highest vines on Moon Mountain, organically farmed by Phil Coturri's crew; Monte Rosso, established in 1858; and two small vineyards the family took over in 2015 and has been rebuilding by hand, the Cabak block in Kinneybrook Canyon and Nicholas Vineyard, above a 150-year-old quarry that supplied San Francisco's first cobblestone streets. Fermentations are native, and each wine spends 20 months in French oak and 20 months in bottle. Alex Kanzler was named winemaker in 2022.
Hill of Tara makes only a few barrels of each wine and does not sell to restaurants or wine shops; the mailing list is the only place to buy it, and the family has released the year's wines by allocation on St. Patrick's Day. There is no tasting room and no published visiting program. For a day on the mountain, we take guests to Moon Mountain and Sonoma Valley wineries that do open their doors.
Tasting Fees
Hill of Tara does not offer tastings.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
No tasting room, Sonoma
AVA
Moon Mountain District
Visiting
Hill of Tara has no tasting room and publishes no visiting program; its wines are sold only through its mailing list.
Known For
Organically farmed Moon Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, including the Chapter I Mound of Hostages Cabernet
Founded
2015
Good to Know
Join the mailing list on the winery's website to be offered the wines; production is a few barrels of each.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as El Dorado Hotel or MacArthur Place.
10:00 · Pickup at El Dorado Hotel or MacArthur Place
El Dorado Hotel, on the west side of the Sonoma Plaza, and MacArthur Place, a few blocks south of the plaza, are each about 20 minutes from Favero Vineyards, the first stop. Since Hill of Tara does not host visitors, this day takes you to three wineries nearby that do, two of them pouring Moon Mountain wines. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Favero Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. Fred Favero's tiny family winery in Lovall Valley, in the hills northeast of Sonoma, where in 1996 he learned to run a 35-ton tunneling machine and dug the wine cave into the hillside himself. He makes estate Sangiovese and a red blend, Monte di Sassi, about 100 cases of the Sangiovese in a vintage. Private tastings by appointment; the fee is confirmed when we book.
11:40 · Winery Sixteen 600
About 20 minutes away. The Coturri family's winery, pouring single-vineyard wines from certified organic vineyards that Phil Coturri farms, including high Moon Mountain Cabernet, in a 120-year-old farmhouse a block from the Sonoma Plaza, where guests sit in antique theater seats and choose the records. The seated Moon Mountain District Wine Tasting is $75 and the Tasting House Reservation of five wines $42, each 90 minutes. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tastings reserved in advance.
1:40 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 30 minutes away. Todd Lake's restaurant on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, with an oyster bar and craft cocktails. Lunch Thursday to Tuesday from 11 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:55 · En Garde Winery
About 5 minutes away. Csaba Szakál, who learned winemaking on his family's vineyards in Hungary, and his wife, Sandra Scott, founded En Garde in 2007; he makes high-elevation Cabernet from Napa Valley's mountain appellations and cool-climate Pinot Noir, poured in a lounge in the village of Kenwood. The standard tasting is $45 and the premium tasting $60 on request, waived with a three-bottle purchase. Open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; walk-ins welcome.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 4:30 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Salt+Stone serves lunch Thursday to Tuesday, so this day works every day but Wednesday; Favero is by appointment, and we confirm it when we book.
About $87 to $120 per person at Winery Sixteen 600 and En Garde, paid directly to each winery; the Favero 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
Can you visit Hill of Tara?
No. Hill of Tara has no tasting room and publishes no visiting program, as of September 2026. We can plan a day at Moon Mountain and Sonoma Valley wineries that do host.
How can I buy Hill of Tara wine?
Join the mailing list on the winery's website. The wines are not sold in restaurants or wine shops.
Who owns Hill of Tara?
Danny Fay, a Sonoma native, founded it in 2015 as a family winery.
Why is it called Hill of Tara?
For the ancient Hill of Tara in Ireland, which Danny Fay's family owned and farmed from 1928 to 1974 before selling it to the Irish government.
Where do Hill of Tara's grapes come from?
From mountain vineyards in the Moon Mountain District above Sonoma Valley, including Moonridge, the highest vineyard on Moon Mountain.
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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