Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Simoncini Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
A chandelier-lit wine cave reached through the kitchen, with tastings by the creek, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ken Simoncini, a San Jose lawyer whose grandparents on both sides came to America from northern Italy in the early 1900s, bought this property on West Dry Creek Road in 2002 and founded Simoncini Vineyards as a family-owned destination winery. He began building a wine cave in 2006, and it took six years to finish; it also houses the lab and a bottling line.
The winery makes about 1,500 cases a year of single-vineyard, limited-production wines, sold only to its wine club or at the winery: a rosé of Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay from the Big Sticks Vineyard, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, the Grande Rosso Zinfandel blend, the Serio Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon blend and Glorious, a late-harvest Muscat Canelli. Dan Cuzzi began working on the wines in 2008 and has been the full-time winemaker since 2012, the Press Democrat reported in 2023.
The cave is the reason to come. Guests walk through the kitchen to enter it, and inside are chandeliers, a picture window onto a rock wall of shale, obsidian and quartz, and a small tasting room whose arched redwood doors open toward the creek. The Wine Tasting & Cave Tour pours six wines, and the Wine and Food Experience pairs five of them with courses from the winery's kitchen, served in the cave or at the picnic area beside the creek, depending on the weather.
Tasting Fees
$55 per person, plus tax, for the Wine Tasting & Cave Tour of six wines. $185 per person, plus tax, for the five-course Wine and Food Experience, one seating a day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
2303 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, made by phone or email. The Wine and Food Experience has one seating a day, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Known For
Its wine cave, and food-friendly wines such as the Grande Rosso Zinfandel blend
Founded
2002
Good to Know
No pets, infants or guests under 21. The Wine Tasting & Cave Tour is complimentary for wine club members and two guests. Private parties can be arranged.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:00 · 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 Simoncini, out along West Dry Creek Road. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Simoncini Vineyards
The Wine Tasting & Cave Tour ($55), in the cave and by the creek.
11:35 · Cartograph Wines
About 20 minutes away. Alan Baker and Serena Lourie's Pinot Noir house, a certified B Corp, now pouring at the Dry Creek property it bought in 2023. While the main building is under construction, the Benchmark Tasting ($30) is poured on a patio among olive trees, on the cottage porch or in the cottage. Open Tuesday to Saturday; reservations preferred, leashed pets welcome on the patio.
12:45 · Lunch at Bravas Bar de Tapas
About 10 minutes away. James Beard finalists Mark and Terri Stark's tapas bar on Center Street, steps from the Healdsburg plaza, with paella, Spanish wines and tables indoors or outside. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:05 · A. Rafanelli
About 20 minutes away. One of Dry Creek Valley's most sought-after Zinfandel houses: the Rafanelli family has grown grapes and made wine here since the early 1900s, now in its fourth generation, and sells mostly to its A. List, which keeps a waiting list. A casual, personal tasting is $25, for parties of 6 or fewer. By appointment only; days and hours change with the seasons.
3:05 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:30 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Cartograph is open Tuesday to Saturday, and A. Rafanelli sets its hours by season and takes parties of 6 or fewer, so this day works Tuesday to Saturday for up to 6 guests.
About $110 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 Simoncini Vineyards?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only, made by phone or email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Simoncini Vineyards?
$55 per person, plus tax, for the Wine Tasting & Cave Tour and $185 for the five-course Wine and Food Experience, as of September 2026.
Can children visit Simoncini?
No. The winery does not allow pets, infants or guests under 21.
What is the Simoncini wine cave like?
Guests enter through the kitchen into a cave Ken Simoncini spent six years building, with chandeliers, a window onto the rock wall and a small tasting room whose redwood doors open toward the creek.
Who owns Simoncini Vineyards?
Ken Simoncini, who bought the property in 2002. The wines are sold only to the wine club or at the winery.
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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