Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit WALT Wines with a Private Chauffeur
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Oregon to Santa Barbara, paired with chocolate or seasonal bites off the Sonoma Plaza, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
WALT is the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house of Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband, Craig Hall, who also own HALL and BACA Wines. Kathryn's parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, were winegrowers who sold grapes from six varieties to several wineries; the family bought its first vineyard in 1972, and Kathryn managed the vineyard from 1982 until 1992. She later served as United States Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001, and the wines carry her family's name.
WALT makes single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast's most distinctive sites, spanning nearly 1,000 miles from the Sta. Rita Hills through Los Carneros, Sonoma County and Anderson Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; the winery calls it 1,000 Miles of Pinot. Its own vineyards include Clos Pepe in the Sta. Rita Hills, Bob's Ranch on the Sonoma Coast and The Corners in Anderson Valley, and Megan Gunderson leads the winemaking with a precise, non-interventionist approach.
The Sonoma tasting room is small and personal, just off the northwest corner of the Sonoma Plaza, and the fun here is travelling the coast in a glass. Choose the Current Release Tasting, four single-vineyard Pinot Noirs paired with Fleur Sauvage chocolates, or, Thursday to Sunday, Root 101, a vertical of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs with six seasonal bites from Sonoma chef Seth Johnson. Caviar, chips and dip, cheese and charcuterie can be added to any tasting, and well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Tasting Fees
$40 for the Current Release Tasting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, or the Michel Foch Champagne Flight. $60 for the Wine & Chocolate Pairing, four single-vineyard Pinot Noirs with Fleur Sauvage chocolates. $85 for Root 101, a vertical of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs with six seasonal bites, Thursday to Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., reserved in advance.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
380 First Street West, Sonoma
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., last tasting at 4:30. Walk-ins are welcome and reservations are always recommended; call 707-933-4440 for groups of more than 4 or same-day reservations. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and closes at 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Known For
Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon to the Sta. Rita Hills
Founded
Walt family vineyard since 1972
Good to Know
Guests must be 21 or older to taste; minors may be allowed in limited areas if you ask ahead. Leashed dogs are welcome, and there is a ramp into the tasting room. Members taste the Current Release flight free for up to four guests.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:30 a.m. from a Glen Ellen or Kenwood hotel such as Beltane Ranch or Kenwood Inn & Spa.
10:30 · Pickup at Beltane Ranch or Kenwood Inn & Spa
Beltane Ranch, a ranch inn on the Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen, is about 20 minutes from WALT Sonoma, and Kenwood Inn & Spa, on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, about 25. WALT opens at 11 a.m., and the day finishes back up the valley near both inns. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · WALT Wines
The Wine & Chocolate Pairing ($60) or the Current Release Tasting ($40). We plan about an hour.
12:05 · Lunch at Cafe La Haye
About 5 minutes away. A small restaurant on East Napa Street, a few steps from the Sonoma Plaza, serving lunch Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations open a month ahead, for parties of up to 6, and we book the table with the rest of the day. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
1:35 · Deerfield Ranch Winery
About 25 minutes away. Robert and PJ Rex's family winery in Kenwood, where every tasting is in the Grand Room at the heart of a 23,000-square-foot cave. The Reserve Tasting in the Cave of five small-batch, aged wines, with footage of the cave being dug, is $75; the Signature Tasting is $35. Open daily; book ahead online.
2:40 · Lasseter Family Winery
About 5 minutes away. John and Nancy Lasseter's organic estate on a Glen Ellen property founded by a French winemaker in 1894; John directed Toy Story. The Estate Vineyard Tour takes you through century-old Heritage Block Zinfandel by club cart, with cheese and charcuterie ($95), and the Patio Tasting of five estate wines looks out over the estate ($60). By reservation only; the entrance is through a school parking lot off Henno Road, and we know the turn.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back in Glen Ellen and Kenwood by 4:00 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Cafe La Haye serves lunch Tuesday to Saturday, so this day works on those days, and at Lasseter we book the hour-long Patio Tasting to keep the finish on time.
About $135 to $230 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 WALT Wines?
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are always recommended, and groups of more than 4 should call. Root 101 must be reserved in advance. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at WALT Wines?
$40 per person for the Current Release Tasting and $60 for the Wine & Chocolate Pairing, as of September 2026. Root 101 with six seasonal bites is $85.
Who owns WALT Wines?
Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall, who also own HALL and BACA Wines. WALT is named for Kathryn's family, who bought their first vineyard in 1972.
What is 1,000 Miles of Pinot?
WALT's name for its range of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, from vineyards spanning nearly 1,000 miles of the Pacific Coast, from the Sta. Rita Hills to Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Can I bring my dog to WALT?
Yes. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a leash.
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":"WALT Wines","url":"https://waltwines.com/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"380 First Street West","addressLocality":"Sonoma","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95476","addressCountry":"US"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at WALT Wines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are always recommended, and groups of more than 4 should call. Root 101 must be reserved in advance. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at WALT Wines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$40 per person for the Current Release Tasting and $60 for the Wine & Chocolate Pairing, as of September 2026. Root 101 with six seasonal bites is $85."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns WALT Wines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Kathryn Walt Hall and Craig Hall, who also own HALL and BACA Wines. WALT is named for Kathryn's family, who bought their first vineyard in 1972."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is 1,000 Miles of Pinot?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"WALT's name for its range of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, from vineyards spanning nearly 1,000 miles of the Pacific Coast, from the Sta. Rita Hills to Oregon's Willamette Valley."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I bring my dog to WALT?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a leash."}},{"@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."}}]}]}