Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Imagery with a Private Chauffeur
Rare grape varieties, artist-designed labels and an on-site art gallery in Glen Ellen, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Imagery began in the mid-1980s, when founding winemaker Joe Benziger set aside small vineyard blocks too distinctive to disappear into larger blends. He partnered with artist Bob Nugent on the first vintage in 1985, and the estate in Glen Ellen opened in 2000 with a tasting room and estate vineyards. His daughter Jamie Benziger became winemaker when he retired in 2017.
The wines lean toward the uncommon: Mourvèdre, Lagrein, Barbera and creative blends alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Every label carries an original work by a contemporary artist, and curator Kara Lynae de Lambert has commissioned more than 300 artists for the label program.
The gallery inside the tasting room shows up to 100 of those works at a time, and guests love wandering it between pours. The seated tastings are relaxed, and Vintage & Vinyl pairs five wines with local cheeses while you choose the records. There is a bocce court and a lawn for picnics under the umbrellas.
Tasting Fees
$25 for the Wine Tasting at the bar. $35 for the Reserve Seated Tasting of five winery-exclusive wines. $45 for All That and a Bag of Chips, five wines with snacks. $75 for Vintage & Vinyl, five wines with local cheeses and your choice of records. $50 per private bocce court for up to 8 guests, with a bottle purchase.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
14335 Highway 12, Glen Ellen
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins welcome at the bar and on the lawn for groups of 8 or fewer; seated tastings and groups of 9 or more need a reservation.
Known For
Rare varieties and blends, artist-designed labels and the art gallery
Founded
1985 (Glen Ellen estate since 2000)
Good to Know
Children are welcome in the tasting room and picnic areas with an adult, but seated tastings are for guests 21 and over. Leashed dogs are welcome. Outside food is allowed on the picnic lawn for groups of 8 or fewer, with a wine purchase.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma
MacArthur Place, a hotel and spa set in six acres of gardens in Sonoma, and The Lodge at Sonoma, an Autograph Collection resort in town, are each about 25 minutes from Imagery, up the Sonoma Highway to Glen Ellen. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:25 · Imagery Estate Winery
The Reserve Seated Tasting ($35) or Vintage & Vinyl ($75), with time in the gallery; we plan about an hour.
11:45 · Kamen Estate Wines
About 20 minutes away. The Sonoma Plaza tasting room of screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen's mountain estate, planted in volcanic rock high in the Moon Mountain District and known for Cabernet Sauvignon. The Seated Immersion of four wines with cheese and charcuterie is $90. Seated experiences need an advance reservation; the tasting room is open daily.
12:50 · Lunch at the girl & the fig
About 5 minutes away. French country cooking on the Sonoma Plaza, with a Rhône-focused wine list, cheese and charcuterie, and a garden patio. Open from 11:30 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:10 · Bartholomew Estate
About 15 minutes away. Owned by the nonprofit Bartholomew Foundation, inside a 375-acre park on the land where Agoston Haraszthy began making wine in 1857, and named by the San Francisco Chronicle one of the 15 most beautiful wineries in Napa and Sonoma. The seated Wine Tasting Flight is $45 to $55, about 1 hour 15 minutes, in the art gallery or, April to October from Friday to Sunday, outdoors on the Oak Knoll over the vineyards. Reservations highly recommended; open daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
3:25 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
About $170 to $220 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 Imagery?
Walk-ins are welcome at the bar for groups of 8 or fewer. Seated tastings and groups of 9 or more need a reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Imagery?
$25 at the bar, $35 for the Reserve Seated Tasting, $45 for All That and a Bag of Chips and $75 for Vintage & Vinyl, as of September 2026.
Can children and dogs visit Imagery?
Children are welcome in the tasting room and picnic areas with an adult, but seated tastings are for guests 21 and over. Leashed dogs are welcome.
Why are Imagery's labels different on every bottle?
Each label carries an original work commissioned from a contemporary artist, and many of the works hang in the gallery at the winery.
Who makes the wine at Imagery?
Jamie Benziger, who took over in 2017 from her father, founding winemaker Joe Benziger.
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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