Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Kosta Browne with a Private Chauffeur
The Wine Spectator Wine of the Year Pinot Noir house, with cellar tours at The Barlow in Sebastopol, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Dan Kosta and Michael Browne met working at John Ash & Co., a restaurant in Santa Rosa, and founded Kosta Browne in 1997 by pooling their tips to buy their first grapes. Browne built the relationships with growers and Kosta ran the business side, with support from Chris Costello.
The winery's 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2011. Today Kosta Browne makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast, the Russian River Valley, the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Sta. Rita Hills, Anderson Valley, Oregon's Willamette Valley and Burgundy. Julien Howsepian, who joined in 2012, became winemaker in 2019, only the third in the winery's history.
The winery sits in The Barlow, an open-air market of food, art and makers in Sebastopol. Visits are seated and prepaid, and the Observations Flight starts with a walking tour of the working cellar before the tasting, a good look at how small-lot Pinot Noir is made.
Tasting Fees
$125 for the Appellations Exploration of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from different regions. $150 for the Observations Flight, with a walking tour of the cellar. $185 for the Reserve Flight, the winery's most exclusive tasting.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
200 Morris Street, Sebastopol
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, with prepaid reservations online. Membership is not required. Days and hours are confirmed when we book.
Known For
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including the 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Wine Spectator's 2011 Wine of the Year
Founded
1997
Good to Know
Experiences take 1 to 8 guests. Private events for 20 or more need extra arrangements, best made at least 90 days ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a hotel such as Farmhouse Inn in Forestville or Vinarosa Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa.
10:00 · Pickup at Farmhouse Inn or Vinarosa
Farmhouse Inn, a 25-room country inn among the vineyards and redwoods of Forestville, and Vinarosa Resort & Spa, set among 92 acres of vineyards in Santa Rosa, are each about 25 minutes from Kosta Browne at The Barlow in Sebastopol. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:25 · Kosta Browne
The Appellations Exploration ($125) or the Observations Flight with a cellar tour ($150); we plan about an hour.
11:35 · Merry Edwards Winery
About 10 minutes away. Founded in 1997 by Merry Edwards, a pioneer of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, and owned by Maison Louis Roederer since 2019, with a vineyard-view tasting room and a quiet patio. The Appellation Tasting is $45 and the Reserve Tasting of its most sought-after Pinot Noirs $90; allow 60 to 90 minutes. By appointment; open daily 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1:10 · Lunch at Underwood Bar and Bistro
About 20 minutes away. A bistro in the village of Graton with red vinyl banquettes, a nickel-topped bar and an open-air patio. Lunch is served Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m., and walk-ins are welcome. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Hartford Family Winery
About 15 minutes away. A family winery founded in 1994 by Don and Jennifer Hartford, Jess Jackson's daughter, known for single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old-vine Zinfandel. The seated Vineyard Exploration of five wines on the patio is $60. Open daily by appointment, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the last appointment at 3:30.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:00 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Underwood serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday, so this day works those days.
About $230 to $300 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 Kosta Browne?
Yes. Visits are by appointment, prepaid online. Membership is not required. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Kosta Browne?
$125 for the Appellations Exploration, $150 for the Observations Flight and $185 for the Reserve Flight, as of September 2026.
Where is Kosta Browne?
At The Barlow in Sebastopol, at 200 Morris Street.
Which Kosta Browne wine was Wine of the Year?
The 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2011.
Who makes the wine at Kosta Browne?
Julien Howsepian, winemaker since 2019, only the third in the winery's history.
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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