Moon Mountain District · Sonoma County
Visit Ty Caton with a Private Chauffeur
An all-estate family winery on 108 hillside acres of Moon Mountain, with a tasting room in Kenwood, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ty Caton was born and raised in Sonoma. In 1981 his parents bought 108 acres in the Mayacamas range, the site of a ghost winery and vineyard from the early 1900s. Ty came home in 1997, began clearing and terracing the hillsides in the spring of 1998 and planted the first vines in the winter of 2000, often with a jackhammer in the rocky volcanic soil.
His first wine, a 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in 2002, and the first estate vintage, 2002, followed in 2004. Today 40 of the 108 acres are planted, all on hillsides, to seven blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon along with Petite Sirah, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Many topsoils are only 12 to 18 inches over volcanic bedrock, the vines are trained double-guyot for low yields, and no herbicides such as glyphosate are used.
Ty Caton is one of the few wineries in the Moon Mountain District that makes only estate wines. The Kenwood tasting room, opened in 2007, pours classic and reserve Cabernet flights, and private tastings are held at the urban winery in Sonoma and among the vines on the estate. The proprietary blend Tytanium, first made in 2003, is the flagship.
Tasting Fees
$25 to $35 in the Kenwood tasting room for the classic flight or the reserve Cabernet flight, waived with a wine purchase or club sign-up. $40 for the private Urban Winery Tasting in Sonoma with barrel tastings. $50 for the Estate Tasting among the vines, by appointment.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
8910 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood
AVA
Moon Mountain District
Visiting
Kenwood tasting room open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., last tasting at 5. Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged. Private tastings at the estate and the Sonoma winery are by appointment at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the Tytanium blend
Founded
Estate bought in 1981; first release in 2002
Good to Know
The Kenwood tasting room can host groups of any size with notice. Private Sonoma experiences take 2 to 20 guests, and the winery suggests allowing about 90 minutes for the estate tasting and tour. Club members taste free in Kenwood and get 50% off private experiences.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:45 a.m. from a Glen Ellen hotel such as Gaige House or the Olea Hotel.
10:45 · Pickup at Gaige House or Olea Hotel
Gaige House, a Japanese-inspired inn along Calabazas Creek in Glen Ellen, is about 10 minutes from the Ty Caton tasting room, and the Olea Hotel, a boutique hotel on a Glen Ellen hillside, about 15. The tasting room opens at 11. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Ty Caton
A classic or reserve Cabernet flight in the Kenwood tasting room ($25 to $35).
12:05 · VJB Cellars
About 5 minutes away. The Belmonte family's Tuscan-style villa in Kenwood, pouring Italian varieties since 2003, with a deli, wood-fired pizza and gelato on the piazza. The Piazza Tasting of current releases and limited wines is $40, by appointment. Open daily from 10 a.m.
1:10 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 5 minutes away. Todd Lake's restaurant on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, with a steakhouse and seafood grill, an oyster bar and craft cocktails. Lunch Thursday to Tuesday from 11 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 · Loxton Cellars
About 5 minutes away. Australian-born Chris Loxton's working winery in Glen Ellen, known for Syrah, with five acres of estate vineyard around the tasting room. Flights are $20, indoors or out. Walk-ins welcome, reservations encouraged; open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., last seating at 4.
3:20 · Back to your hotel
Back in Glen Ellen 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 any day but Wednesday, when Salt+Stone is closed for lunch.
About $85 to $95 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 Ty Caton?
Walk-ins are welcome in the Kenwood tasting room, though reservations are encouraged. Private tastings at the estate or the Sonoma winery are by appointment. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Ty Caton?
$25 to $35 in the Kenwood tasting room, $40 for the Urban Winery Tasting and $50 for the Estate Tasting, as of September 2026.
Can I visit the Ty Caton vineyard?
Yes. The Estate Tasting is a private tasting among the vines, by appointment at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m.; allow about 90 minutes.
What is Tytanium?
Ty Caton's estate proprietary red blend, first made with the 2003 vintage and the winery's flagship wine.
Where is Ty Caton?
The estate is in the Moon Mountain District on the Mayacamas slopes above Sonoma Valley. The tasting room is in the Kenwood Village Plaza on the Sonoma Highway.
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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