Bohemian Highway Travel Co.

The husband and wife team behind Bohemian Highway Travel Co. offer tours in Napa and Sonoma, but they say the Explorer tour is arguably the most “Sonoma offering” they have.

“These tours are aimed at giving people a very educational wine experience,” says Allyson Weekes, Bohemian Highway Travel Co. co-owner. “We work exclusively with small producers whose focus is on quality — many family owned and operated — and I curate every tour personally so everyone walks away appreciating what’s in their glass more than ever before.”

Bohemian Highway Travel Co. hosts carry a collection of soil samples in the car (volcanic rock, clay, etc.) to demonstrate how soil types and terroir impacts wine flavor. They also often venture into the vines to better explain everything from cover crops to bud break and harvest. The 5 ½ hour tour typically includes visits to two or three wineries (depending on tour lengths) that are not generally open to the public, such as Beltane Ranch.  

The farm-to-table picnic lunch is truly something to look forward to on all of Bohemian Highway’s tours. Meals are prepared by the owners of Sonoma Broadway Farms, a six-acre farm about a mile from Sonoma Plaza. The wife is the chef and the husband the farmer; together they offer local treats like heirloom tomato and ricotta farm toast, farm Niçoise salad and sea salt caramel panna cotta.

Bohemian Highway Travel Co. operates most of their tours using new Land Rover Defender 110 and 130 luxury vehicles, so your ride for the day will be photo-worthy. All winery reservations are made in advance; tasting fees and lunch are included in the tour price. The only cost you should have day of are for the bottles you take home and gratuities.

Find it: Bohemian Highway Travel Co., Sonoma, CA; 707-204-9660

Bike Healdsburg

Let the good times roll through Healdsburg. Bike Healdsburg turns heads when its tours roll through town. Using a 10-seater party bike, guides steer their passengers outside of the popular downtown Healdsburg Plaza area, weaving their way through the more residential streets of the city.

“We try to frequent non-mainstream wineries that are smaller and hidden gems,” says owner and “Chief Creator of Fun,” Jessica Pilling.

The All-Inclusive Tour includes three wine tastings at locations including, but not limited to, Sapphire Hill Winery, Spicy Vines and Meeker Wine. 
At every stop, pedalers taste at least four wines paired with matching nibbles like cheese and crackers, charcuterie, nuts, olives or homemade sweets.
Tours typically cover about two miles. If a group winds up needing an extra bit of help, there’s an electric assist motor to save the day.

For folks tired of wine — it happens — Bike Healdsburg also offers a bicycle-powered bar crawl.

Find it: Bike Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA; 707-385-1477 

Getaway Adventures

If you prefer to spin through town using the more traditional two wheels, Getaway Adventures offers a Wine Tasting & Biking in Healdsburg tour that highlights Sonoma County Wine Country’s Dry Creek and Alexander Valley regions. During the five-to-six-hour outing, you’ll visit two or three wineries. Possibilities include: Quivira Vineyards, Martorana Family Winery, Amista Vineyards and Dry Creek Vineyard. Tasting fees and gratuities are not included in the price of the tour, so budget accordingly.

Getaway Adventures provides everything you’ll need for your day of cycling and sipping in Sonoma County, from a bike and helmet to water, snacks and a picnic lunch. 

Be ready to pedal 10 to 12 miles; routes are generally suitable for all fitness levels. If you’re worried about the distance or just simply prefer an easy day amongst the vines, ask about upgrading to an electric bike for the day.

Tours average between six and eight people, but max out at 12. Private tours are also available.

Find it: Getaway Adventures, 61 Front St., Healdsburg, CA 95448; 800-499-2453

Food and Farm Tours 

It may be best known as Wine Country, but Sonoma County’s award-winning craft spirits scene is making a name for itself. The Distillery & Cocktail Experience by Food and Farm Tours is a private offering designed to teach folks how to appreciate and prepare cocktails using small-batch spirits. An added perk, all of the stops on this five-hour tour are based in Petaluma, meaning you get to spend more time actually doing and less time on the road.

Highlights includes a tour of family owned and operated Griffo Distillery where you’ll tour the distillery and learn the science behind making spirits before enjoying a tasting flight of small-batch gins, vodkas and whiskey paired with locally made, artisanal chocolates. The tour concludes at nearby Luma Bar & Eatery for an interactive cocktail class paired with plant-based snacks like hush puppies, flatbreads and a crudité plate.

Find it: Food and Farm Tours, Sonoma, CA; 415-599-9222

Charlie’s Acres

You can do a bar crawl in just about any city in the world, but in Sonoma, you’ll want to mark your calendar for a “barn crawl” at Charlie’s Acres. The nonprofit farm animal sanctuary is home to more than a 150 animals. Along with pigs and cows, goats and sheep, you’ll find chickens, ducks and a long list of other animals.

A one-of-a-kind fundraiser, Charlie’s Acres typically offers barn crawls four times a year. A handful of wine tasting stations are strategically placed on the farm, allowing folks to sip and swirl as they make their way around the animal sanctuary, meeting the charismatic cast and crew that call it home.
Keep tabs on the special events section of the Charlie’s Acres website for the next barn crawl. If you’re feeling impatient, think about booking a plant-based picnic at the sanctuary. Along with plenty of time with the animals, it includes a vegan cheese and charcuterie spread and a couple glasses of wine.

Find it: Charlie’s Acres, 3281 Napa Road, Sonoma CA 95476; 707-204-0020

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at [email protected].