Russian River Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Paul Hobbs Winery with a Private Chauffeur
Seated tastings with food from the estate garden at Paul Hobbs's Katherine Lindsay Estate, in a winery by architect Howard Backen, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Paul Hobbs grew up one of eleven children on a family orchard in upstate New York, where tasting the same apple from different orchards first taught him about terroir. After a chemistry degree from Notre Dame and a master's in viticulture and enology from UC Davis, he worked alongside Robert Mondavi, who picked him for the founding team at Opus One. He went on to make wine at Simi and to consult for Peter Michael and Lewis Cellars in Napa Valley and Bodegas Catena in Argentina. In 1991 he bought five tons of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon from Larry Hyde in Napa and Richard Dinner in Sonoma, and those grapes became the first Paul Hobbs wines.
In 1998 he planted the Katherine Lindsay Estate outside Sebastopol, named for his great-grandmother; its first harvest came in 2003. The winery now farms eight sites in top appellations for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, all bottled as single-vineyard wines, and Paul still leads the farming and winemaking himself. The approach is careful farming and minimal intervention in the cellar, so each wine shows where it was grown.
The winery here was designed by Howard Backen, and every tasting is seated and comes with food. The Signature Tasting pours four wines with house-made dips, flatbreads and vegetables from the estate garden, and the Vineyard Designate Experience starts with a walk into the Katherine Lindsay vineyard before six limited wines and seasonal pairings. The winery points out that rideshare service is unreliable out here, which is one more reason guests let us do the driving.
Tasting Fees
$95 for the seated Signature Tasting of four wines with house-made dips, flatbreads and garden vegetables, about 75 minutes. $250 for the Vineyard Designate Experience, a vineyard walk and six limited wines with seasonal pairings, about 2 hours. Plus tax.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3355 Highway 116 North, Sebastopol
AVA
Russian River Valley
Visiting
By reservation only. Requests are confirmed by the winery within 2 to 3 business days, with morning and afternoon times; we confirm the day and time when we book.
Known For
Single-vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
Founded
1991 (Katherine Lindsay Estate planted 1998)
Good to Know
All guests must be 21 or older; no pets or infants. Tastings take up to 8 guests, and smaller parties may share a Signature Tasting with another group. Most dietary restrictions can be handled for the Vineyard Designate Experience with 7 days' notice.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sebastopol or Forestville hotel such as The Sebastopol Inn or Farmhouse Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at The Sebastopol Inn or Farmhouse Inn
The Sebastopol Inn, in downtown Sebastopol, is about 10 minutes from Paul Hobbs Winery, and Farmhouse Inn, a 25-room country inn among the vineyards and redwoods of Forestville, about 15. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Paul Hobbs Winery
The seated Signature Tasting with food from the estate garden, about 75 minutes ($95).
11:50 · Littorai
About 20 minutes away. Ted and Heidi Lemon's farm winery on Gold Ridge Road; Ted was the first American hired as winemaker at a Burgundy estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault. The private Single Vineyard Tasting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in the cellar or on covered patios, is $70, and the Gold Ridge Estate Tour & Tasting walks the farm first ($90). By appointment only, Monday to Saturday, for 6 guests or fewer.
1:05 · Lunch at Handline
About 15 minutes away. A casual Sebastopol spot, open since 2016, with seasonal food from local farmers and fishermen, served mostly outdoors. Open daily from 11 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:25 · Kanzler Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. The Kanzler family's 20-acre Pinot Noir estate in the Sebastopol Hills, planted in 1996 on an old apple orchard; Kosta Browne has made a Kanzler vineyard-designate wine every year since 2002. The private, seated tasting starts with the Estate Chardonnay and a walk to the vines, then a flight of Pinot Noirs ($75, about 90 minutes, up to 8 guests). By appointment.
3:55 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sebastopol by 4:10 p.m., or Forestville by 4:25, about six and a half hours after pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works Monday to Saturday, when Littorai hosts, and Kanzler's tasting runs about 90 minutes, so it ends around 4:25; extra time can be added by the hour.
About $240 to $260 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 Paul Hobbs Winery?
Yes. Reservations are required, and the winery confirms requests within 2 to 3 business days. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Paul Hobbs Winery?
$95 per person for the Signature Tasting and $250 for the Vineyard Designate Experience, plus tax, as of September 2026.
Can children visit Paul Hobbs Winery?
No. All guests must be 21 or older, and the winery does not allow infants or pets.
Who is Paul Hobbs?
A winemaker who grew up on a New York orchard, worked on the founding team at Opus One and consulted for estates in California and Argentina before starting his own winery in 1991. He still leads its farming and winemaking.
Where is Paul Hobbs Winery?
On Highway 116 just north of Sebastopol, at the Katherine Lindsay Estate in the Russian River Valley, about 30 minutes from Healdsburg.
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.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"Paul Hobbs Winery","url":"https://www.paulhobbswinery.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"3355 Highway 116 North","addressLocality":"Sebastopol","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95472","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"1991"},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Paul Hobbs Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Reservations are required, and the winery confirms requests within 2 to 3 business days. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Paul Hobbs Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$95 per person for the Signature Tasting and $250 for the Vineyard Designate Experience, plus tax, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can children visit Paul Hobbs Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. All guests must be 21 or older, and the winery does not allow infants or pets."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who is Paul Hobbs?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A winemaker who grew up on a New York orchard, worked on the founding team at Opus One and consulted for estates in California and Argentina before starting his own winery in 1991. He still leads its farming and winemaking."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where is Paul Hobbs Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"On Highway 116 just north of Sebastopol, at the Katherine Lindsay Estate in the Russian River Valley, about 30 minutes from Healdsburg."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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."}}]}]}