Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Hobo Wine Company with a Private Chauffeur
A tour of a working winery and a tasting in its "living room" with the makers of Folk Machine and Ghostwriter, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Hobo Wine Company has been making wine in Sonoma County since 2002. Kenny Likitprakong started it with two barrels of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, no business plan and, in his words, a kind of reckless abandon; it has grown to a thousand barrels or more. Today Hobo makes several labels, including Hobo, Folk Machine, Ghostwriter, CAMP, Edith & Ida and Banyan.
Hobo sources grapes from about 200 acres across Sonoma County, Mendocino, Clarksburg, Suisun Valley, Arroyo Seco and the Santa Cruz Mountains, and farms about 70 of those acres itself or under its direction. All of the vineyards it farms are organic, as are 88 percent of the vineyards it works with. In the cellar the approach is "unforced": every wine but the Banyan Gewürztraminer ferments without added commercial yeast, malolactic fermentation is spontaneous, there are no commercial additives, the barrels are mostly older oak and sulfur is kept low.
There is no separate tasting room. Guests taste at the winery itself, starting with a short history of Hobo and a walk through the production floor and barrel room, with time for questions, then settle into the winery's "living room" for a tasting of a few curated wines. It is a casual, behind-the-scenes visit for people curious about how small-lot wine gets made.
Tasting Fees
$20 per taster, waived with a three-bottle purchase per taster.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
412 Timothy Road, Suite C, Santa Rosa
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
By appointment, booked online. For a same-day visit, the winery asks you to call. Cancellations need 48 hours' notice for a full refund.
Known For
Folk Machine, Ghostwriter and Hobo wines from organically farmed vineyards
Founded
2002
Good to Know
Tastings take place at the working winery and typically last 1 to 1.5 hours, including the walk through the production facility. Any 12 bottles ship for $1.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:55 a.m. from a Santa Rosa hotel such as Hotel E or Hotel La Rose.
9:55 · Pickup at Hotel E or Hotel La Rose
Hotel E, a restored 1906 Beaux-Arts landmark on the square in downtown Santa Rosa, and Hotel La Rose, a 1907 hotel in Santa Rosa's historic Railroad Square, are each about 5 minutes from Hobo Wine Company. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:00 · Hobo Wine Company
The winery tour and tasting in the "living room" ($20), about 1 to 1.5 hours.
11:45 · Black Kite Cellars
About 30 minutes away. Tom Birdsall and Rebecca Green Birdsall's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house pours at Jasper House, the only tasting room in the historic coastal village of Freestone, with three tasting salons. Tastings of six wines take about 90 minutes; the fee is confirmed when we book. By appointment only.
1:35 · Lunch at Handline
About 20 minutes away. A casual Sebastopol spot, open since 2016, with seasonal food from local farmers and fishermen, served mostly outdoors. Open daily 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.
3:05 · Joseph Swan Vineyards
About 25 minutes away. Retired airline pilot Joe Swan made his first wine here in 1968 from old Zinfandel vines, then replanted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at the urging of his friend and mentor André Tchelistcheff. Tastings are complimentary for you and up to three guests, among the barrels or outside over the estate vineyard. Open Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
4:05 · Back to your hotel
Back in Santa Rosa by 4:30 p.m., about six and a half hours after pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works on Saturday and Sunday, when Joseph Swan is open; on a weekday we swap in another winery.
About $20 per person in tasting fees for Hobo, paid directly to the winery; Joseph Swan's tasting is complimentary, and Black Kite's 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 a reservation at Hobo Wine Company?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment, and for same-day visits the winery asks you to call. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Hobo Wine Company?
$20 per taster, waived with a three-bottle purchase per taster, as of September 2026.
Does Hobo have a tasting room?
No separate one. You taste at the winery after a walk through the production facility and barrel room, then sit down in the winery's "living room".
What labels does Hobo Wine Company make?
Hobo, Folk Machine, Ghostwriter, CAMP, Edith & Ida and Banyan, from about 200 acres of mostly organically farmed vineyards.
Where is Hobo Wine Company?
On Timothy Road near downtown Santa Rosa, about 5 minutes from Hotel E and Hotel La Rose.
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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