Sommelier On Wheels
Anyone can pull up to Mondavi or Chateau St. Jean in California and taste some wine. Anyone can book an appointment at Jordan or Far Niente and join a small group for a tour and tasting hosted by an experienced professional. California wine country, however, has numbers of amazing little gems that are not open to the public, not on the maps, and have no signage—that’s where the real experience begins.
Sarah Sandbek of Sommelier on Wheels has a passion for hosting veterans of wine country and discerning first-timers alike. She shows them wines, places, and people that most visitors never see, even on their umpteenth trip to the area. What makes the visits even more unique, personal, and memorable is that they are hosted by owners and winemakers at their private wineries, caves, and often in their homes. Let Sarah handle all the planning, and all you need to do is hop in, relax, and take it all in.
One needn’t hesitate to ask questions about anything; in addition to all the itinerary planning and booking, tours with Sommelier on Wheels boast plenty of on-the-road insight and education into all things wine country, be it the history of the region, farming (viticulture), winemaking (enology), the business model of owning a brand or the ebb and flow of the restaurant and bar scene. With a background in everything from vineyard, lab, and cellar production to restaurant hospitality, Sarah can speak about all of it.
Wine country also abounds with much more than winery visits. Want to spend some time fishing lakeside with a vintner? How about shooting some skeet, or riding ATVs through vineyards and wooded hillsides? Or ziplining through the redwoods? Even hunting trips can be arranged, and there is no shortage of chefs eager to prepare the game for your dinner that evening while you’re out touring and tasting, golfing, shopping, playing bocce, or just sitting by the pool. Maybe you’d like to learn a little something more about cooking or butchering—ask the chef to make it a class so you can participate in addition to enjoying the resulting meal. Have Sarah charter a sail for you on the San Francisco Bay out of Sausalito, less than an hour away. Spend a day touring the local craft breweries or distilleries, or perhaps some organic seedling farms or creamery farmsteads to learn about cheese-making. Better yet, Sommelier on Wheels can create a day tour where you can see some of all these things. Ready to start planning your trip yet?
Trufflepig uses Sommelier on Wheels to put our clients in some of California wine country’s finest caves. And if you’d like to expand your California visit beyond the wines, give us a shout for the complete trip planning experience.
