Alexander Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Rancho Maria with a Private Chauffeur
Zinfandel from a Dry Creek vineyard first planted more than a century ago, poured in a relaxed lounge in downtown Geyserville, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
The Rancho Maria story goes back to 1910, when Angelo Lencioni bought a rugged hillside in Dry Creek Valley and planted it to vines. By 1915 he had his own winery there, which he named SunnySide Winery. Today a family owns and farms the ranch, and they have turned the hillside into a garden of vines, fruit trees, vegetable beds and seasonal flowers.
The tasting menu centers on wines from the estate on Lytton Springs Road: old-vine and estate Zinfandel, reserve Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, and the blends Full Monte and Stella. There is also a Crawford Creek Chardonnay and rosés of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The style is bold and fruit-forward, with soft, velvety texture.
The family moved its tasting room from Sonoma to Geyserville, closer to the vineyard, and the lounge on Geyserville Avenue is an easy, welcoming place: tastings take about an hour, children and well-behaved dogs are welcome, and it stays open until 7 p.m. For a deeper visit, the family also offers an estate tour and tasting at the Dry Creek ranch by reservation request.
Tasting Fees
$25 for a 60-minute tasting in the Geyserville lounge. The fee for the estate tour and tasting at the Dry Creek Valley ranch is 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
21015 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville
AVA
Alexander Valley
Visiting
The Geyserville tasting lounge is open Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tastings can be booked ahead; groups of 8 or more call for a reservation. The estate tour at the Dry Creek Valley ranch is by reservation request.
Known For
Old-vine Zinfandel and estate Petite Sirah from Dry Creek Valley
Founded
Vineyard since 1910 (SunnySide Winery, 1915)
Good to Know
A family friendly winery: children and well-behaved dogs are always welcome. Groups of 8 or more should call (707) 215-5000.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:45 a.m. from Geyserville Inn or a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Trio.
10:45 · Pickup at Geyserville Inn or Hotel Trio
Geyserville Inn, at the north end of Geyserville, is about 5 minutes from the Rancho Maria lounge, and Hotel Trio, on Dry Creek Road on the north side of Healdsburg, about 15. The lounge opens at 11, so the day starts a little later. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Rancho Maria
A 60-minute tasting of estate Zinfandel and Petite Sirah ($25).
12:15 · Lunch at Jimtown and Then Sum
About 10 minutes away. A café on Highway 128 in the middle of Alexander Valley, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, with tables inside and out. Open every day except Wednesday, until 4 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.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.
1:30 · Stuhlmuller Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. A family estate on land that was once part of Cyrus Alexander's ranch, reached down a long lane through the vines; the tasting room is in the ranch's historic redwood barn, with a patio over the vineyard. The seated Estate Tasting is $30 and the Reserve Tasting $45. Open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Tuesday; reservations appreciated.
2:55 · Crux Winery
About 25 minutes away. Neighbors Steve Gower and Brian Callahan went from home winemaking to founding Crux in 2012, and they pour their small-batch Rhône wines themselves in the Crux Barrel Room. Appointments last about an hour, with 6 to 8 wines and plenty of time for questions; the fee is confirmed when we book.
3:55 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 4:10 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Rancho Maria opens Thursday to Monday and Jimtown closes Wednesday, so this day works Thursday to Monday. It starts at 10:45 and ends around 4:10.
About $55 to $70 per person for Rancho Maria and Stuhlmuller; Crux's 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 Rancho Maria?
Tastings in the Geyserville lounge can be booked ahead, and groups of 8 or more need to call for a reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Rancho Maria?
$25 per person for a 60-minute tasting in the Geyserville lounge, as of September 2026.
Can children and dogs visit Rancho Maria?
Yes. The winery calls itself family friendly, and children and well-behaved dogs are always welcome.
Where are Rancho Maria's vineyards?
On Lytton Springs Road in Dry Creek Valley, on land Angelo Lencioni planted after buying it in 1910. The tasting lounge is in downtown Geyserville, at the north end of Alexander Valley.
Can I tour the Rancho Maria vineyard?
Yes, by reservation request: the estate tour and tasting at the Dry Creek Valley ranch is an in-depth walk and talk among the vines while tasting the current releases.
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":"Rancho Maria Wines","url":"https://ranchomaria.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"21015 Geyserville Avenue","addressLocality":"Geyserville","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95441","addressCountry":"US"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Rancho Maria?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Tastings in the Geyserville lounge can be booked ahead, and groups of 8 or more need to call for a reservation. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Rancho Maria?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$25 per person for a 60-minute tasting in the Geyserville lounge, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can children and dogs visit Rancho Maria?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. The winery calls itself family friendly, and children and well-behaved dogs are always welcome."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where are Rancho Maria's vineyards?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"On Lytton Springs Road in Dry Creek Valley, on land Angelo Lencioni planted after buying it in 1910. The tasting lounge is in downtown Geyserville, at the north end of Alexander Valley."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I tour the Rancho Maria vineyard?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, by reservation request: the estate tour and tasting at the Dry Creek Valley ranch is an in-depth walk and talk among the vines while tasting the current releases."}},{"@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."}}]}]}