Why St. Francis Is One of Sonoma’s Best Wineries for Group Wine Tasting

Gather your favorite people and make your next day in Sonoma County one to remember!

Planning a day in Wine Country with your favorite people? Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, planning a bachelorette party, organizing a corporate outing, or simply getting a group of friends together, choosing the right winery can make all the difference.

And let’s be honest, when you’re planning for a group, there are a few things to consider. Does everyone like wine? Is there enough food? Can everyone sit together? What about the person who wants an experience, not just a tasting? And, perhaps most importantly, is there a great view?

At St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, we’ve got options. From chef-driven wine and food pairings to outdoor tastings, vineyard adventures, and our award-winning trolley tour, there are plenty of ways to make your Sonoma wine country day one everyone will be talking about long after the last glass is poured.

So grab your group chat. Here’s your guide to planning a memorable group visit to St. Francis.

Culinary Pairings Made for Groups

We get it. Food is important when you’re wine tasting! St. Francis is home to a full-time, on-site culinary team led by Executive Chef Peter Janiak, with Pastry Chef Marina Medan and Sous Chef Nick Newcomb. Using seasonal ingredients and the bounty of Sonoma County, the team creates thoughtful dishes that start with the wine and bring the flavors on the plate to life.

Our culinary program includes two acclaimed experiences: one elegant and seated indoors, and one relaxed and outdoors. Both pair wine with food, but the experiences are very different.

So, which one is right for your group? Let’s dig in.

Wine & Food Pairings |Five wines. Five dishes.
One very good reason to arrive hungry.

If your group believes wine tasting should come with really good food, this is the experience for you. Our nationally acclaimed Wine & Food Pairings brings together five award-winning artisan wines and a seasonal, five-course menu from Executive Chef Peter Janiak. Served in our elegant Estate dining room overlooking the vineyards, each course is designed to showcase the connection between what’s in your glass and what’s on your plate.

A dedicated Wine Educator guides your group through each pairing, sharing the stories behind the wines while Chef Peter’s seasonal menu highlights the best of Sonoma County’s local ingredients.

There’s a reason this experience continues to stand out among Sonoma wine country experiences. Guests get more than a tasting. They get a seat at the table where wine, food, and hospitality come together. From beautifully prepared seasonal dishes to those memorable moments when Chef Peter or a member of the culinary team stops by, the experience feels personal from beginning to end. Your Wine Educator brings each pairing to life, helping guests discover why certain flavors work together and giving everyone something new to talk about between courses.

And the experience has caught the attention of Forbes, which highlighted St. Francis’ Wine & Food Pairing as a case study in hospitality.

It’s easy to see why this has become such a standout way to experience wine and food in Sonoma. You’re not simply tasting five wines. You’re discovering how wine, food, seasonality, and Sonoma County’s agricultural bounty come together, one delicious pairing at a time. And if you’re bringing a larger group, the communal seating makes it a wonderful way to gather around the table, share the experience, and give everyone plenty to talk about.

Group details: The Wine & Food Pairing is a communal experience that can accommodate groups of up to 20 guests. Guests must be 21 or older. Children and pets are not permitted.

Planning Tip: Bringing more than 10 guests? Our reservation system allows up to 10 guests per reservation, so larger groups will need to make multiple reservations. If you’d like your group seated together, we recommend coordinating your reservations in advance.

One more thing to consider: this is a guided pairing experience, so there is plenty of conversation happening throughout the tasting. If your group is looking for more time to relax, chat, and catch up with fewer interruptions, Secrets of Sonoma may be a better fit.

Secrets of Sonoma| Five wines. Eight dips.
Wine tasting, but make it outdoors.

Looking for something a little more relaxed? Say hello to Secrets of Sonoma | Culinary Wine Pairings of Self Discovery. This outdoor, seated culinary experience is hosted on the Vineyard Portico overlooking Wild Oak Estate Vineyard and the surrounding Sonoma landscape. Designed for groups of 2 to 12 guests, it brings together five wines, eight seasonal dips, and the Four Food Fulcrums: sweetness, acidity, fats and oils, and bitterness.

Rather than following a traditional tasting format, Secrets of Sonoma invites you to explore how different flavors can change the way wine tastes. Taste, experiment, compare notes with your group, and discover what works best for your own palate. No wine expertise required.

One of the biggest draws is the seasonal mezze spread. Chef Peter Janiak’s menu celebrates ingredients at their peak, so the selection changes with the seasons. With eight different dips to explore, every bite brings something new to the experience, from fresh and vibrant flavors to richer, more savory combinations.

The setting is another part of the experience. Gather your group outdoors on the Vineyard Portico with views overlooking Wild Oak Estate Vineyard and the surrounding Sonoma landscape. There’s no need to rush. Settle in, take in the scenery, and enjoy the wine and food at your own pace. And then there’s the fun of discovering your own palate. The Four Food Fulcrums give you a simple way to explore the relationship between wine and food without making the experience feel overly technical. You might find that sweetness brings out something unexpected in a wine, acidity makes a pairing pop, or fats and oils create a completely different balance.

That combination of great food, beautiful views, and a more relaxed approach to wine makes Secrets of Sonoma especially appealing for groups. It’s social, interactive, and gives everyone something to talk about as you taste your way through the experience.

For groups looking for a scenic, social, and delicious way to experience Sonoma, Secrets of Sonoma lets you slow down, explore, and discover wine through your own palate.

Group details: 2 to 12 guests. Guests must be 21 or older. Dogs are welcome outdoors on a leash.

Group Tower Tasting Under the Redwoods

Sometimes the perfect group wine tasting is pretty simple: good wine, good company, a beautiful setting, and plenty of room to mingle.

Enter the Tower Tasting.

Picture your group gathered beneath a canopy of towering redwoods, glasses in hand, surrounded by the natural beauty of the estate. Designed for parties of 9 to 20 guests, the Tower Tasting is one of our most scenic group wine tasting experiences.

Your group will be guided by a dedicated Wine Educator through a tasting of five of our award-winning Artisan wines, with plenty of time to relax, enjoy the setting, and catch up with your crew.

Want to make the experience even more memorable? Food can be added to the Tower Tasting, making it an especially great option for groups looking to linger a little longer.

Wine Club perk: St. Francis Wine Club members can add food to their tasting year-round as one of their membership benefits. So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to bring your friends along, consider this your sign.

Planning Tip: If you’re looking for a group tasting with food, be sure to book the Tower Tasting rather than the Artisan Flight. The Artisan Flight does not offer food as an add-on option.

For the Group That Wants an Adventure

Tour de St. Francis Trolley Tour & Tasting!

Not every group outing needs a full meal. Sometimes you just want good wine, great company, fresh air, and something memorable to do together. That’s where the Tour de St. Francis Trolley Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting comes in. Named Newsweek’s Best Wine Tour, our trolley tour is a unique way to experience St. Francis and explore the estate vineyards.

The seasonal tour runs from May through October and takes guests through the estate vineyards, where they can enjoy wine, stories, and Sonoma scenery along the way. The trolley accommodates groups of up to 15 guests, making it a great choice for bachelorette and bachelor parties, corporate outings, celebrations, and other group gatherings.

The Tour de St. Francis offers something you don’t get from a traditional tasting room experience. You’re outside, moving through the vineyards, taking in the scenery, and seeing the estate from a completely different perspective. Along the way, your Wine Educator shares stories about the vineyards, the wines, and what makes the St. Francis estate special.

It’s also an experience that naturally brings people together. There’s plenty to look at, plenty to talk about, and plenty of opportunities to snap a few group photos along the way. Whether you’re celebrating with friends, hosting a team outing, or simply looking for a memorable way to spend an afternoon in Sonoma, the trolley adds a little adventure to the day.

And unlike a traditional wine tasting, where the destination is the main event, the journey is part of the experience. You’re sipping wine while rolling through the vineyards, enjoying the fresh air and Sonoma landscape as you go.

For groups that want their Wine Country experience to be outdoors, social, scenic, and a little unexpected, it’s hard to beat a day spent touring the vineyards by trolley.

Group details: Up to 15 guests. Seasonal, May through October. Guests must be 21 or older. Dogs are not permitted.

More Ways to Bring Your Group Together

Looking for something a little different? We have plenty of ways to build a group day around wine, food, and the Sonoma experience.

Winery Events | Bring your crew to one of our Trivia Nights or regional wine events throughout the year. They’re a fun, low-pressure way to experience the winery while enjoying wine, food, and a little friendly competition.

Custom Group Tastings |Planning something a little more specific? Our events team can work with you to create a tasting experience tailored to your group’s size, interests, and occasion. Whether you’re planning a corporate outing, birthday celebration, reunion, or just a really good excuse to get everyone together, we can help you find the right experience.

Vineyard Adventure | Prefer to explore at your own pace? Grab a glass of wine and a map from our host, then set off on a self-guided walk through Wild Oak Estate Vineyard. Wine is sold separately, so grab a glass and take your time soaking in the Sonoma scenery. It’s relaxed, scenic, and exactly the kind of activity that makes you want to slow down for a while.

Bringing the Whole Crew |Including the Four-Legged Ones

Here’s another reason groups love St. Francis: our grounds are dog-friendly and family-friendly, so more of your crew can join the fun. Bring your pup along for an Artisan Flight or let the kids join you for a Vineyard Adventure through Wild Oak Estate Vineyard.

Just keep in mind that some experiences are reserved for guests 21 and older and have additional restrictions, so you’ll want to choose your experience accordingly. Our team is always happy to help you figure out which experience works best for your particular group.

That’s what makes St. Francis such a great destination for groups. You can come for the wine, stay for the food, explore the vineyards, hop aboard the trolley, bring the dog, celebrate something big, or simply spend a beautiful afternoon together. Because the best Sonoma wine tasting experiences aren’t always about what’s in the glass. They’re about who you’re sharing it with.

Ready to plan your group visit? Explore our group tasting experiences and find the one that’s calling your group’s name