Amicis Tours, Books, Videos & Seminars
Custom Wine Tours
We're Ralph & Lahni De Amicis, Wine Tour Guides, Seminar Leaders, Travel Writers and TV Hosts. We drive custom winery excursions for up to six (6) guests and plan and manage itineraries for up to fifty guests as destination managers. Our rates for private tours and contact form are at the bottom of this page! We are licensed by the California PUC, TCP#31301 and commercially insured as required.
Our winery tours focus on the wine, food, education and stories of the regions, and of course, getting you there safely. We also don't forget the importance of the spectacular views, beautiful gardens, art collections, farm to table meals and great gift shops that add to your enjoyment and relaxation.
Tours are built around our client's interests and wine preferences, and they normally include several wineries with a nice lunch in the middle, for either one day, or several. Read more about the tours HERE.
Almost all wineries, except for the downtown tasting rooms, now require appointments and the tasting fees have increased. When the wineries moved to all appointment, they reduced the number of people they see, so timing the day can be tricky. So we prefer to do the schedule to ensure that the day flows gracefully. Itineraries are often a mix of client favorites and our suggestions, based on our conversations, and more often, multiple emails. NOTE: A big issue these days is the escalating tasting fees in Napa Valley. Hundred dollar tasting fees per person have become common place, and that is reducing the number of guests wanting to visit the area. Luckily, there are wineries out there with lower tasting fees and we are continually research those. Also, from downtown Napa's hotels the beautiful Sonoma Valley is a short ride away where the wines are great and the tasting fees are more normal. Napa and Sonoma have very high vaccination rates and we have found that 99% of our visitors are fully vaccinated. Both Ralph & Lahni are fully vaccinated. Please do not ask to tour with us if you are not!
Our winery tours focus on the wine, food, education and stories of the regions, and of course, getting you there safely. We also don't forget the importance of the spectacular views, beautiful gardens, art collections, farm to table meals and great gift shops that add to your enjoyment and relaxation.
Tours are built around our client's interests and wine preferences, and they normally include several wineries with a nice lunch in the middle, for either one day, or several. Read more about the tours HERE.
Almost all wineries, except for the downtown tasting rooms, now require appointments and the tasting fees have increased. When the wineries moved to all appointment, they reduced the number of people they see, so timing the day can be tricky. So we prefer to do the schedule to ensure that the day flows gracefully. Itineraries are often a mix of client favorites and our suggestions, based on our conversations, and more often, multiple emails. NOTE: A big issue these days is the escalating tasting fees in Napa Valley. Hundred dollar tasting fees per person have become common place, and that is reducing the number of guests wanting to visit the area. Luckily, there are wineries out there with lower tasting fees and we are continually research those. Also, from downtown Napa's hotels the beautiful Sonoma Valley is a short ride away where the wines are great and the tasting fees are more normal. Napa and Sonoma have very high vaccination rates and we have found that 99% of our visitors are fully vaccinated. Both Ralph & Lahni are fully vaccinated. Please do not ask to tour with us if you are not!
Our 3 Tour Books
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We started producing our tour books in 2005 and it has given us a unique understanding about the world of wine tourism; why visitors come here and what they find most interesting and enjoyable?
We used the shutdown period to create three new, updated versions of our BIG books, one for each county and one that combines the two. They are our best tour books yet!
Our book’s mission
Our aim it to help people to feel comfortable visiting the many small wineries. When we produced our 1st edition 2007, 90% of visitors went to the same 40 wineries. We like to think that our maps, descriptive directories and itinerary guidance have helped change that, so visitors today have a more personal, and enjoyable experience. Now in their 6th edition, our books are used for training tour guides and concierges in how to create comfortable, illuminating tours. We hope you find them helpful. Watch the video and buy the books HERE
Our New Seminar Book
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This wine tasting seminar is designed to take place at a winery tasting room. During the session we look at the traditional connections between astrology and oenology, aka, the wine world. It explains why the wine tastes different during different Moon Signs and how to make that work for you.. This book also includes the 2023 Wine Tasting Calenar and you can find that on the Books Page. You can read more about this approach at the Seminar Page in case you would like host a seminar at your winery or home or attend one.
Our Upcoming Book
Wine Country in Shorts, is a collection of short stories about the area that we have been telling to our clients over the years. They include the story of the Sonoma Plaza and the Silverado Trail, the Judgement of Paris and the Russian River Valley, and the seven flags that have flown over Sonoma, and why they should list eight!
Our TV show Wine Country at Work, ran from 2012 to 2020 Watch those HERE. We have a new show in the works called Wine Country in Shorts, from our book of the same title. The new show focuses on the visitor's point of view and it includes segments from Wine Tasting with the Stars.
We post short videos on our YouTube Channel CLICK HERE, or you can watch them HERE.
Stony Hill Winery
