Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Optima Winery with a Private Chauffeur
Alexander Valley and Knights Valley Cabernet from a winemaker who worked alongside André Tchelistcheff, poured for walk-ins, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Mike Duffy declared as a high school sophomore that he would study enology at UC Davis, and in 1980, his last year there, he interned at Trefethen in Napa Valley and was soon hired as assistant winemaker. He moved to Sonoma County in 1983 as winemaker at Balverne, and in 1989 became head winemaker at Field Stone in Alexander Valley, where he worked alongside André Tchelistcheff, America's most influential post-Prohibition winemaker.
While at Field Stone he launched his own Optima label with a Cabernet Sauvignon, and by 1997 it had grown from 400 to 4,000 cases, enough for him to devote all his attention to it. Optima is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley, made in small lots to express each vineyard and to go with food, and it is still family owned and run.
The tasting room in Dry Creek Valley is meant to feel more like visiting friends than a formal tasting room. The staff pours five small-lot wines chosen around what you enjoy and tells the stories behind them, and guests can add a personal walk through the vineyard or a charcuterie board. Dogs are always welcome.
Tasting Fees
$25 per person for the Signature Tasting of five wines, complimentary for club members. $45 for the Wine & Charcuterie Experience, by reservation, and $50 for From Vine to Wine, a personal vineyard walk with a 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
4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Monday. Walk-in tastings welcome; the charcuterie experience needs a reservation. The winery posts occasional family closures on its website.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley
Founded
Launched while Mike Duffy was head winemaker at Field Stone (1989 to 1998)
Good to Know
Dogs are welcome. Club members taste free. Optima also offers in-home wine tastings.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:45 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:45 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and Harmon Guest House, a boutique hotel just off the plaza, are each about 15 minutes from Optima, which opens at 11. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Optima Winery
The Signature Tasting of five small-lot wines ($25), or the vineyard walk with a tasting ($50).
12:10 · Zichichi Family Vineyard
About 10 minutes away. A family estate on West Dry Creek Road with head-pruned Zinfandel and Petite Sirah vines planted in 1920. A host leads a behind-the-scenes walk through the winery, past the barrels and the harvest equipment, then pours four estate wines of your choosing in the rustic tasting room. The winery does not publish its tasting fee. By appointment, daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
1:25 · Lunch at Diavola
About 15 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in a historic building on Geyserville Avenue, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi; the menu changes every day. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:45 · Dutcher Crossing Winery
About 10 minutes away. Debra Mathy's family-run winery at the confluence of Dry Creek and Dutcher Creek, in a 1900s-style farmhouse winery whose breezeway frames the whole northern end of the valley; guests love the view from the patio. The winery does not publish its tasting fee; we confirm it when we book. Reservations recommended; open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:15 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Optima opens at 11 and is closed Monday, so this day works Tuesday to Sunday, starting at 10:45 and ending around 4:15.
About $25 to $50 per person at Optima, paid directly to the winery; tasting fees at Zichichi and Dutcher Crossing are 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
Do I need a reservation at Optima Winery?
No. Walk-in tastings are welcome Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Wine & Charcuterie Experience needs a reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Optima?
$25 per person for the Signature Tasting, $45 for the Wine & Charcuterie Experience and $50 for the vineyard walk and tasting, as of September 2026.
Who is the winemaker at Optima?
Owner Mike Duffy, a UC Davis enology graduate who worked at Trefethen, Balverne and Field Stone, where he worked alongside André Tchelistcheff.
What is Optima known for?
Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley, made in small lots.
Can I bring my dog to Optima?
Yes. The winery says dogs are always welcome.
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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