Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Nicholson Ranch with a Private Chauffeur
Estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the foothills where Sonoma meets Napa, with a tour through the vineyard and underground cellars, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Nicholson Ranch is on land that has belonged to the Nicholson family since Socrates and Bettye Nicholson bought the parcel in 1962. The winery and vineyards are run by Deepak Gulrajani, whose family also has a sister winery in Napa Valley, Gulrajani Family Estate, with a 7-acre vineyard in Yountville.
The ranch sits in the southern foothills of Sonoma Valley, close to where Napa and Sonoma and four appellations meet, and every wine is estate grown and estate made from its 40 acres: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah, fermented in small batches and aged for as long as three years in French oak. Its Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs have won Double Gold and Best of Class awards at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
What guests remember is the cave tour. You walk the vineyard, see the winery and go down into the underground cellars, tasting five Estate and Reserve wines along the way, and the visit ends in the Great Room. If you would rather sit, the Courtyard Tasting is seated outdoors with views over the vines and hillsides. It is a quick drive from the Sonoma Plaza, which makes it an easy first stop of the day.
Tasting Fees
$50 for the seated Courtyard Tasting of five Estate and Reserve wines, up to 6 guests. $75 for the Cave Tour and Tasting, by appointment, 2 to 8 guests. $60 per person plus 20% gratuity for groups of 7 to 16.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4200 Napa Road, Sonoma
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Courtyard Tasting welcomes walk-ins, with reservations preferred; the Cave Tour and Tasting is by appointment only, for 2 to 8 guests.
Known For
Estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and a tour of the vineyard and underground cellars
Founded
Run by Deepak Gulrajani on land the Nicholson family has owned since 1962
Good to Know
The Courtyard Tasting is for up to 6 guests. Groups of 7 to 16 taste on the picnic area; larger groups call the winery. Selected tastings also pour the wines of Gulrajani Family Estate, the sister winery in Yountville, which are otherwise reserved for club members.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as MacArthur Place or Ledson Hotel.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or Ledson Hotel
MacArthur Place, a few blocks south of the plaza, is about 10 minutes from Nicholson Ranch, and Ledson Hotel, on the east side of the Sonoma Plaza, about 15. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Nicholson Ranch
The Cave Tour and Tasting through the vineyard, the winery and the underground cellars, with five Estate and Reserve wines ($75). We plan about an hour.
11:30 · Platt Vineyard
About 15 minutes away. The Sonoma salon of Platt Vineyard, planted in 2003 by former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Lewis Platt among the redwoods of the West Sonoma Coast and owned since 2022 by AXA Millésimes, the French owner of Château Pichon Baron. The private, seated Monopole Reserve Tasting of four estate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays is $75, about 90 minutes. By appointment, Tuesday to Saturday.
1:05 · Lunch at the girl & the fig
About 5 minutes away. Sondra Bernstein's restaurant on the Sonoma Plaza, serving French country cooking from a seasonal menu, with cheese and charcuterie, a Rhône-focused wine list 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.
2:45 · Talisman Wine
About 25 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.
4:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 4:45 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Platt's salon opens Tuesday to Saturday, so this day works Tuesday to Saturday. Two of the three tastings run about 90 minutes, so the day ends around 4:45.
About $195 to $215 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 Nicholson Ranch?
The Cave Tour and Tasting is by appointment only. The Courtyard Tasting welcomes walk-ins, though reservations are preferred. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Nicholson Ranch?
$50 per person for the Courtyard Tasting and $75 for the Cave Tour and Tasting, as of September 2026. Groups of 7 to 16 are $60 per person plus 20% gratuity.
Where is Nicholson Ranch?
At 4200 Napa Road, in the southern foothills of Sonoma Valley a few minutes southeast of the town of Sonoma, close to where Napa and Sonoma meet.
What is Nicholson Ranch known for?
Estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, all from its own 40 acres, and a cave tour through the vineyard, winery and underground cellars.
Who owns Nicholson Ranch?
The land has been in the Nicholson family since 1962. The winery is run by Deepak Gulrajani, whose family also owns Gulrajani Family Estate in Yountville.
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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