Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Idle Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
A two-man micro-winery in Kenwood making small-batch wines from organically farmed Sonoma vineyards, visited by arrangement with the winemakers, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ben Larks, a teacher and explorer from Los Angeles, and Ari Heavner, a San Francisco entrepreneur, met in 2006 while working the crush in Sonoma Valley. Ari had come in 2005 to work as an apprentice to his mentor, Robert Rex, at Deerfield Ranch, where he met Ben. Their first batch was Cabernet Sauvignon, and the two have made wine together under the Idle name ever since.
Idle Cellars owns no estate. It buys from family-owned vineyards that avoid synthetic pesticides and herbicides and pick by hand: Kick Ranch in the Fountaingrove District for Grenache and Petite Sirah, Speedy Creek in Knights Valley for Sangiovese, Los Chamizal on its terraces in southern Sonoma Valley, and Pickberry and Berger on Sonoma Mountain for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Not every wine is certified organic, but the winemaking is minimal intervention, aged in barrels chosen for each variety.
Idle is a winery of two people, so a visit is personal: you arrange it by email, and the winemakers host the tasting at the Kenwood winery, which the winery describes as a cave setting. For groups at home, Idle also brings the tasting to you with its Guerrilla Tasting program.
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
10200 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
By arrangement. Email the winery to schedule a visit, and it will reply to set the time; we make the request on your behalf.
Known For
Small-batch, minimal-intervention Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc from organically farmed vineyards
Founded
2006
Good to Know
A small, owner-run winery, so visits need advance notice. Wine is sold through the online shop and wine clubs, and Guerrilla Tastings bring the winemakers to private homes in California and beyond.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Glen Ellen hotel such as Gaige House or Olea Hotel.
10:00 · Pickup at Gaige House or Olea Hotel
Gaige House, a Japanese-inspired inn along Calabazas Creek in Glen Ellen, and Olea Hotel, a small hotel on Warm Springs Road in Glen Ellen, are each about 10 minutes from Idle Cellars. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:10 · Idle Cellars
A tasting with the winemakers, arranged in advance, about an hour.
11:40 · Coursey Graves
About 30 minutes away. John and Denise Graves's estate 1,500 feet up Bennett Mountain, with buildings by architect Charles Stinson set into the hillside, gardens around a pond and views toward the coast. The Semi-Private Tasting is $75, about an hour, and the Private Vista Experience, with charcuterie and a dedicated host, $110. By appointment, seven days a week.
1:10 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 30 minutes away. A steakhouse, seafood grill and oyster bar among the vineyards on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, with craft cocktails and tables overlooking a koi pond. Lunch is served 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.
2:30 · Wellington Cellars
About 5 minutes away. The Belmonte family's estate on Dunbar Road in Glen Ellen, with old-vine Zinfandel dating to 1882 and an olive grove beside the vines. The seated Olive Grove Tasting of six wines is $40, and the Owners Tasting, hosted by Vittorio and Henry Belmonte themselves, $130. Reservations for seated tastings; open daily from 10 a.m.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back in Glen Ellen by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Idle Cellars is a two-person winery, so we arrange the visit with the owners first and build the day around it. Salt+Stone serves lunch every day but Wednesday.
About $115 per person in tasting fees for Coursey Graves and Wellington, paid directly to each winery. Idle Cellars' 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 Idle Cellars?
Yes, by arrangement: email the winery and it will reply to set up the visit. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Idle Cellars?
Idle does not publish a fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation.
Who owns Idle Cellars?
Its two winemakers, Ben Larks and Ari Heavner, who met working the 2006 crush in Sonoma Valley.
Is Idle Cellars organic?
Idle works with organically and sustainably farmed vineyards that pick by hand, though not every wine carries organic certification.
What is a Guerrilla Tasting?
Idle's at-home tasting: the winemakers come to your home, choose wines to your taste and tell the story behind each one, with pricing tailored to the event.
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.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"Idle Cellars","url":"https://idlecellars.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"10200 Sonoma Highway","addressLocality":"Kenwood","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95452","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"2006"},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you visit Idle Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, by arrangement: email the winery and it will reply to set up the visit. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Idle Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Idle does not publish a fee, so tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns Idle Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Its two winemakers, Ben Larks and Ari Heavner, who met working the 2006 crush in Sonoma Valley."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Idle Cellars organic?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Idle works with organically and sustainably farmed vineyards that pick by hand, though not every wine carries organic certification."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is a Guerrilla Tasting?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Idle's at-home tasting: the winemakers come to your home, choose wines to your taste and tell the story behind each one, with pricing tailored to the event."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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."}}]}]}