Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Peterson Winery with a Private Chauffeur
A father-and-son winery at historic Timber Crest Farms, pouring wines from a mountaintop estate vineyard with a hands-off approach they call Zero Manipulation, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Fred Peterson has grown grapes and made wine since the 1970s, and he still runs a vineyard consulting practice alongside the winery. He began making Peterson wines in 1987 in a small red barn on Norton Ranch, on Lytton Springs Road, and the winery became fully his own in 1995. His son Jamie joined as assistant winemaker in 2002, and in 2006, when the winery moved to Timber Crest Farms, Jamie took over as winemaker.
The heart of the winery is the Bradford Mountain Estate Vineyard: 16 acres on the very top of a 1,264-foot peak on the western edge of the valley, which Fred cleared and planted in the 1980s, with red clay soils and 14 varieties. The Petersons call their approach Zero Manipulation, the gentlest winemaking they can manage, and they celebrate the differences between vintages rather than making every year taste the same. Fruit also comes from longtime grower friends, such as Tom West's old Zinfandel vineyard and the Forchini family's 70-year-old Carignane.
The tasting room was built in 2007 after nearly two decades of appointment-only visits, and it is simple, airy and friendly, on the hill at Timber Crest Farms with picnic grounds and views. Expect a wide, unusual lineup, from estate Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to Zinfandel and Sangiovese.
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
4791 Dry Creek Road, Building 7, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
Walk-ins are welcome Friday and Saturday; other days are by appointment. The winery's pages list slightly different hours, so we confirm times when booking. Groups of 6 or more need an appointment.
Known For
Bradford Mountain Estate wines and old-vine Zinfandel
Founded
1987 (at Timber Crest Farms since 2006)
Good to Know
Groups of 6 or more should call ahead for an appointment. The tasting room is one of several wineries at Timber Crest Farms, with picnic grounds on the hill.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Hotel Trio.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or Hotel Trio
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and Hotel Trio, on Dry Creek Road on the north side of town, are each about 15 minutes from Peterson Winery at Timber Crest Farms. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Peterson Winery
A tasting of current releases in the Timber Crest tasting room, about an hour; we confirm the fee when we book.
11:30 · Michel-Schlumberger
About 15 minutes away. A Spanish mission-style estate with a bell tower and a grand courtyard on Wine Creek Road, where Jean-Jacques Michel planted the first vines in 1979; the 100-acre estate grows more than 15 varieties on benchland above Wine Creek. The Estate Tasting is $40, and from March to October the Estate Tour & Tasting, a private tour of the production facility and grounds with panoramic views of the valley, is $75. Reservations required, daily 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; family- and dog-friendly.
12:55 · Lunch at Dry Creek General Store
About 10 minutes away. A country store since 1881 at the crossroads of Dry Creek Valley, with a deli for sandwiches, soups and salads, a front porch over the valley and a garden out back. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:05 · Hawley Winery
About 10 minutes away. The Hawley family's certified organic estate high on Bradford Mountain, above the valley fog, where John Hawley, a falconer and former head winemaker at Kendall-Jackson, flies his hawks to keep birds off the grapes. The guided Vineyard Tour with a tasting of current releases is $35, and the Falconry Experience with John is $85. By reservation only.
3:20 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. We allow 75 minutes at Michel-Schlumberger for the Estate Tour and at Hawley for the vineyard tour. Peterson takes walk-ins on Friday and Saturday and appointments on other days, and Hawley's estate is by reservation only, so we confirm the day when we book.
About $75 to $160 per person in tasting fees for Michel-Schlumberger and Hawley, paid directly to each winery; Peterson's tasting fee is 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 Peterson Winery?
Walk-ins are welcome on Friday and Saturday, and other days are by appointment. Groups of 6 or more should book ahead. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Peterson Winery?
Tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish them online.
What is Zero Manipulation?
The Petersons' name for making wine as gently as possible, with little intervention in the cellar, so each wine shows its vineyard and vintage.
Who runs Peterson Winery?
Fred Peterson, who started the winery, and his son Jamie, winemaker since 2006 and general manager.
Where is Peterson Winery?
At Timber Crest Farms, 4791 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, about 5 miles from town and next to several other small wineries.
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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