Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Kenwood Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
A Sonoma Valley original since 1970, known for its Artist Series labels and Jack London Vineyard wines, now back with Korbel's Gary Heck, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 by John Sheela and his brothers-in-law, Mike and Marty Lee, who turned the old Pagani Brothers Winery, a cellar built in 1906, into a modern winery. Mike Lee, the founding winemaker, helped establish Sonoma Valley as one of the first American Viticultural Areas at a time when the region was known for jug wine. F. Korbel & Bros. bought half the winery in 1996 and the rest in 1999, and Pernod Ricard owned it from 2014.
In 1976 Kenwood won the exclusive right to the grapes of Jack London's old ranch in Glen Ellen, on hillsides the author first terraced himself, and its Jack London Vineyard wines were among Sonoma's first vineyard designates. The Artist Series reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, first made in 1975, carried a new label by a different artist each year, with work by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Wayne Thiebaud; the very first label, a reclining nude by David Lance Goines, was rejected by federal regulators and finally used on the 1994 vintage.
Pernod Ricard closed the winery in March 2026, and in April Gary Heck, owner and president of Korbel, bought it back, saying he wants to bring Kenwood back to what it was when he sold it. The winery's website now lists the tasting room on the Sonoma Highway, in the middle of Kenwood, as open daily for tasting. It is a historic, easygoing stop, and we pair it with smaller estates nearby.
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
9592 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
The winery's website lists tasting daily, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We confirm the tasting options by phone or email when we book.
Known For
Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon and Jack London Vineyard wines
Founded
1970
Good to Know
Kenwood changed owners in April 2026, so tasting options and policies may change; we confirm them when we book. Wine is sold through the winery's online store.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:15 a.m. from a Kenwood or Glen Ellen hotel such as Kenwood Inn & Spa or Olea Hotel.
10:15 · Pickup at Kenwood Inn & Spa or Olea Hotel
Kenwood Inn & Spa, on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, is about 5 minutes from Kenwood Vineyards, and Olea Hotel, a small hotel on Warm Springs Road in Glen Ellen, about 15. The tasting room opens at 10:30 a.m., so we time the pickup to arrive for the first tasting. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:30 · Kenwood Vineyards
A tasting in the Kenwood tasting room (fee confirmed when we book). We plan about an hour.
11:40 · Talisman Wine
About 10 minutes away. Scott and Marta Rich's Pinot Noir house; Scott was once winemaker at Etude. They pour in the former Roma Hotel, the oldest commercial building in Glen Ellen, around a big table made from a Hawaiian mango tree. Every flight is seated and about 90 minutes: the Pinot Noir Terroir Tasting of six vineyard sites is $45, and The Ancient Method, foot-trodden whole-cluster Pinot Noir beside the same grapes made the usual way, $65. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; appointments encouraged, walk-ins welcome.
1:20 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 10 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. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Landmark Vineyards
About 5 minutes away. Founded in 1974 by Damaris Deere Ford, great-great-granddaughter of John Deere, and known for Overlook Chardonnay, a style Helen Turley helped set in the 1990s and a seven-time pick for Wine Spectator's Top 100. Tastings are seated outdoors at the foot of the Mayacamas, looking over the vines, with a bocce court for groups: the Exclusive Wine Tasting is $50 and the Reserve Library Tasting of older Chardonnay and Pinot Noir $70, each about 90 minutes. Reservations required; Thursday to Monday, last seated tasting at 3:30 p.m.
4:05 · Back to your hotel
Back in Kenwood and Glen Ellen by 4:20 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Landmark is open Thursday to Monday and Salt+Stone serves lunch every day but Wednesday, so this day works Thursday to Monday. Kenwood's tasting room opens at 10:30, so the day starts a little later.
About $95 to $135 per person in tasting fees for Talisman and Landmark, plus Kenwood Vineyards' tasting fee, which is to be verified upon reservation. Fees are 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
Is Kenwood Vineyards open for tastings?
Yes. After the April 2026 change of ownership, the winery's website lists tasting daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Kenwood Vineyards?
Tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish them online at the moment.
Who owns Kenwood Vineyards?
Gary Heck, owner and president of F. Korbel & Bros., who bought it back from Pernod Ricard in April 2026. Korbel had owned Kenwood from the late 1990s until 2014.
What is the Kenwood Artist Series?
A reserve Cabernet Sauvignon first made in 1975, with a label by a different artist each vintage; artists have included Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Wayne Thiebaud.
What is the Jack London Vineyard?
The historic vineyard on Jack London's old ranch in Glen Ellen, on hillsides the author terraced. Kenwood first made a Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon in 1977.
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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