Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Talty Winery with a Private Chauffeur
A Zinfandel-only family winery where the owner pours his own single-vineyard wines and walks guests through a dry-farmed estate vineyard, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Michael Talty first came to Dry Creek Valley with his father, William, and spent the better part of 15 years making wine in his garage in San Jose. When his father asked him for a Dry Creek Zinfandel, the two went looking for a vineyard to buy, but William died unexpectedly in 1993. Michael kept looking, and in April 1997 he bought a six-acre vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, where he still lives, and named it for his dad. The first wine released, in 2003, was the 2001 William Talty Estate Zinfandel.
Talty makes one wine and tries to do it well: Zinfandel, about 1,300 cases a year, all vineyard-designated, from dry-farmed, head-trained vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties. The estate vineyard is planted in the old Italian field-blend style, with 7% Petite Sirah and 3% Carignane growing among the Zinfandel and never separated in the vineyard or the cellar. The grapes ferment on their native yeasts in small open-top bins, and Michael does most of the vineyard work himself. In 2012 the wine site Snooth named Talty its Winery of the Year.
This is about as personal as Dry Creek Valley tasting gets. The Just Zin tasting puts the current Zinfandels and a few barrel samples in front of you with the owner/winemaker or his assistant winemaker doing the pouring. From April to October the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting starts with a walk through the six planted acres to talk about dry farming, then moves on to library wines; it runs two to two and a half hours and is best booked for a morning.
Tasting Fees
$25 for the Just Zin tasting of current Zinfandels and barrel samples, usually about an hour, waived with the purchase of one bottle per person. $100 for the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting, 2 to 2.5 hours, April to October, with a $25 credit per person toward a purchase.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
7127 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
By appointment, Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Both experiences need a reservation, and the vineyard tour needs 48 hours' notice.
Known For
Single-vineyard, dry-farmed Zinfandel
Founded
1997 (first release in 2003)
Good to Know
Just Zin tastings can be scheduled year round, starting between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The vineyard tour runs April to October, Thursday to Monday, preferably in the morning. Wine club members taste free with up to 4 guests.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or The Madrona.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or The Madrona
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and The Madrona, a 24-room hotel on a historic estate on Westside Road, are each about 25 minutes from Talty, a drive up Dry Creek Road nearly to the top of the valley. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:25 · Talty Winery
The Just Zin tasting with the owner/winemaker or assistant winemaker, about an hour ($25).
11:40 · Mascarin Family Wines
About 15 minutes away. Ed Mascarin and his daughter Mia's two-label winery at the end of a dirt road, where tastings are set under olive trees or on a deck over Dry Creek; winemaker Matt Taylor came here from Araujo Estate in Napa Valley. The seated 32 Winds flight of five wines is $45 and lasts 60 minutes, for 1 to 6 guests. Reservations only.
12:50 · 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.
2:20 · Amista Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. The winery calls itself Healdsburg's first sparkling winery, making traditional-method sparkling wine and Rhône varieties from its organically farmed estate. The Taste of Amista flight is $40, and the Organic Vineyard Tour & Tasting ($60) walks the estate daily at 11 a.m. All experiences are prepaid reservations; open daily 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
3:20 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:35 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works Thursday to Monday, when Talty receives guests. From April to October you can swap the Just Zin tasting for the vineyard tour; it runs two hours or more, so the day becomes Talty, lunch and one more winery.
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 Talty Winery?
Yes. Both the Just Zin tasting and the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting are by advance reservation, and the tour needs 48 hours' notice. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Talty Winery?
$25 per person for the Just Zin tasting, waived with the purchase of one bottle per person, and $100 for the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting, as of September 2026.
What wine does Talty make?
Only Zinfandel. Every wine is a vineyard-designated Zinfandel, from the William Talty Estate vineyard and other dry-farmed, head-trained vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties.
Who makes the wine at Talty?
Michael Talty, the owner, who bought the estate vineyard in 1997 and has been making wine for nearly 40 years.
Where is Talty Winery?
At 7127 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, in the upper part of Dry Creek Valley, about 25 minutes from the Healdsburg plaza.
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":"Talty Winery","url":"https://www.taltyvineyards.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"7127 Dry Creek Road","addressLocality":"Healdsburg","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95448","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"1997"},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Talty Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Both the Just Zin tasting and the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting are by advance reservation, and the tour needs 48 hours' notice. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Talty Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$25 per person for the Just Zin tasting, waived with the purchase of one bottle per person, and $100 for the Estate Vineyard Tour & Tasting, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What wine does Talty make?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Only Zinfandel. Every wine is a vineyard-designated Zinfandel, from the William Talty Estate vineyard and other dry-farmed, head-trained vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who makes the wine at Talty?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Michael Talty, the owner, who bought the estate vineyard in 1997 and has been making wine for nearly 40 years."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where is Talty Winery?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"At 7127 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, in the upper part of Dry Creek Valley, about 25 minutes from the Healdsburg plaza."}},{"@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."}}]}]}