Los Carneros · Sonoma County
Visit Schug Winery with a Private Chauffeur
A private cave stroll and seated tasting at the Carneros Pinot Noir house founded by the first winemaker of Insignia, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Walter Schug (1935 to 2015) grew up in Germany's Rheingau, where his father made Pinot Noir from the Assmannshausen Höllenberg vineyard in the 1920s. He came to California after graduating from Geisenheim in 1959, returned in 1961 with his wife, Gertrud, and later created the first Insignia at Joseph Phelps. When Phelps stopped making Pinot Noir, he founded Schug Winery in 1980, settled in the cool hills of Carneros and helped establish the Carneros AVA in 1983.
Winemaker Johannes Scheid, who met Walter at Geisenheim in 2009, carries on European-styled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with Cabernet blends and sparkling wine, sourced from windswept vineyards on the Sonoma Coast and in Carneros. The winery recently marked 40 years since its first vintage, and its chef, Kristine, creates dishes to pair with the wines.
The visit to book is the Estate Cave Experience: a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a guided stroll through the cave, then a seated tasting in one of the winery's most intimate rooms, 90 minutes and private. Schug sits on Bonneau Road on the Sonoma side of Carneros, about 20 minutes from the Sonoma Plaza, and the drive in through open hills and vineyards is part of the pleasure.
Tasting Fees
$65 for the Estate Cave Experience, sparkling wine, a guided cave stroll and a seated tasting, 90 minutes. $40 for the Wine Tasting Bar, up to 4 guests.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
602 Bonneau Road, Sonoma
AVA
Los Carneros
Visiting
The Wine Tasting Bar is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended, and walk-ins are welcome as space allows. Book online, email info@schugwinery.com or text 707-939-9363.
Known For
European-style Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Founded
1980
Good to Know
The Wine Tasting Bar takes up to 4 guests. The Estate Cave Experience is a private visit; for larger groups, contact the winery by email or text.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma
MacArthur Place, a few blocks south of the plaza, and The Lodge at Sonoma, on Broadway south of the plaza, are each about 20 minutes from Schug Winery. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · Schug Carneros Estate Winery
The Estate Cave Experience, sparkling wine, the cave and a seated tasting, 90 minutes ($65).
12:10 · Cuvaison
About 20 minutes away. Owned since 1979 by the Swiss Schmidheiny family, who planted the Tai Estate Vineyard in Los Carneros and built a modern winery among its cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 2009. The seated Estate Tasting of four wines is $60, about an hour, for up to 4 guests; the Winemaker's Tasting with cheese on the patio is $85, 90 minutes. Advance reservations required; 21 and over.
1:20 · Lunch at Boon Fly Café
About 10 minutes away. A roadhouse in a red barn on the Carneros Highway, named for a Carneros pioneer and known for its donuts and fried chicken. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; reservations are for dinner only, so lunch is walk-in. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · WALT Wines
About 20 minutes away. Kathryn Walt Hall's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house, pouring single-vineyard wines from Oregon to the Sta. Rita Hills just off the northwest corner of the Sonoma Plaza. The Wine & Chocolate Pairing of four single-vineyard Pinot Noirs with Fleur Sauvage chocolates is $60, and the Current Release Tasting $40. Open daily until 5:30 p.m., last tasting at 4:30; reservations recommended.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 4:00 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Schug opens Monday to Saturday, so this day works on those days.
About $165 to $185 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 Schug?
Reservations are highly recommended, and walk-ins are welcome at the tasting bar as space allows. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Schug?
$65 per person for the Estate Cave Experience and $40 for the Wine Tasting Bar, as of September 2026.
Who was Walter Schug?
A Rheingau-born winemaker who created the first Insignia at Joseph Phelps, founded Schug Winery in 1980 and helped establish the Carneros AVA in 1983. He died in 2015.
Is Schug in Sonoma or Napa?
Sonoma. The winery is at 602 Bonneau Road on the Sonoma side of Los Carneros, about 20 minutes from the Sonoma Plaza.
What happens on the Estate Cave Experience?
A welcome glass of sparkling wine, a guided stroll through the cave and a seated tasting in a private room, about 90 minutes.
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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