Amicis Tours, Talks, Books & Documentaries
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Lahni & Ralph DeAmicis Custom Wine Tours, Talks & Travel Books
We're Ralph & Lahni De Amicis, Wine Tour Guides, travel book authors, storytellers and producers of television shows and documentaries. Lahni handles reservations and Ralph drives the tours and does the talks. We arrange custom winery excursions for up to six (6) guests in one car, or twelve (12) in two cars. We also plan and manage itineraries for up to fifty guests as destination managers. We speak to groups throughout the North Bay, as a story teller and in two other topics, one business and one fun.
We work in multiple languages which you can find in the tours drop down tabs at the top of the page. You will find our rates for private tours and a contact form 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 you, our guest's interests and wine preferences, and they normally include two to three 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 guest 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. Fifty to one 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 wonderful family wineries out there with lower tasting fees and since we are continually researching wineries for our popular tour books, we know who they are. Most of the Napa's wineries are small family affairs. Also, the downtowns of Napa and Sonoma are only twenty minutes apart, so from either area you visit the valleys next door. The beautiful Sonoma Valley is a short ride from both downtowns and there the wines are great and the tasting fees are more normal.
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 you, our guest's interests and wine preferences, and they normally include two to three 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 guest 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. Fifty to one 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 wonderful family wineries out there with lower tasting fees and since we are continually researching wineries for our popular tour books, we know who they are. Most of the Napa's wineries are small family affairs. Also, the downtowns of Napa and Sonoma are only twenty minutes apart, so from either area you visit the valleys next door. The beautiful Sonoma Valley is a short ride from both downtowns and there the wines are great and the tasting fees are more normal.
We post short videos on our YouTube Channel CLICK HERE, or you can watch them HERE.
Rates & Details for Private Tours
For parties of 2-6 people
Our Rates: The standard vehicle rate for our Lincoln Navigator is $95 per hour for up to 6 people. We add a 20% fuel & sevice charge when we need to make extensive appointments. That usually means it takes more than four hours, which sounds odd, until your realize that many small wineries don't pick up their phones. It may take three or four tries to reach them. At the time of the booking we discuss this. (If this service fee is necessary this makes the hourly service rate $114*)Gratuity is at the client's discretion. *Fees do not include tasting fees or the cost of lunch. Tours for larger groups of 8-50 people can also be arranged. Please contct us for a quote.
We are sorry but we do not pickup in San Francisco but we work collaboratively with a number of other highly regarded guides and we are happy to refer you to a colleague who is based in San Francisco for your wine tour.
Minimums: We have a 6 hour minimum on all tours for groups of 2-6 ppl. Tours may run longer depending on the itinerary.
For full Contract & Policies details contact Lahni.
Office: 707-235-2648 Email: amiciswinerytours@gmail.com
or submit the form. Please be sure to include your dates, your hotel location and who referred you to us.
For larger group rates and details call us!
Our Rates: The standard vehicle rate for our Lincoln Navigator is $95 per hour for up to 6 people. We add a 20% fuel & sevice charge when we need to make extensive appointments. That usually means it takes more than four hours, which sounds odd, until your realize that many small wineries don't pick up their phones. It may take three or four tries to reach them. At the time of the booking we discuss this. (If this service fee is necessary this makes the hourly service rate $114*)Gratuity is at the client's discretion. *Fees do not include tasting fees or the cost of lunch. Tours for larger groups of 8-50 people can also be arranged. Please contct us for a quote.
We are sorry but we do not pickup in San Francisco but we work collaboratively with a number of other highly regarded guides and we are happy to refer you to a colleague who is based in San Francisco for your wine tour.
Minimums: We have a 6 hour minimum on all tours for groups of 2-6 ppl. Tours may run longer depending on the itinerary.
For full Contract & Policies details contact Lahni.
Office: 707-235-2648 Email: amiciswinerytours@gmail.com
or submit the form. Please be sure to include your dates, your hotel location and who referred you to us.
For larger group rates and details call us!
Our Newest Book & Talk Wine Country in Shorts,
The Stories of Napa and Sonoma
These are the Stories that we have been hearing over the past twenty years in wineries. We finally wrote them down and put them in a book. Honestly, they are not all stories, some are insights about what makes wine country work, and what makes it special. We have also developed a Welcome Talk based on these stories as a charming way to welcome visitors to our region and share with them what makes this place so special. We’ve been gathering stories about Napa and Sonoma for almost twenty years, usually while standing behind our wine tour clients in tasting rooms and during walks through vineyards, wineries and caves. The clients would say later that the wines were great, but it’s the hospitality and the stories they remember. Read More on the Talks Page
Booking a Tour
If you would interested in touring with us filling out as much of the form below as you feel like will help smooth the process, as long as you include the date. We will quickly let you know if we are available, and if we are not, we will do our best to connect you to another fully licensed and insured guide/driver. After nineteen years in the business we know all the good ones! Please do not consider any of these questions judgemental. All kinds of people come to Napa and Sonoma for all kinds of reasons, with all levels of knowledge about wine. The number four reason people visit wine country is education. It sits just below the desire to relax and enjoy, and two spots above an interest in wine. It is a very beautiful and welcoming place that we feel sure you will enjoy.
Call to Book a Talk or Tour 707-235-2648
or use the form below or send an email to: amiciswinerytours@gmail.com
Our TV show Wine Country at Work, began 2012 and it's still going strong. Watch shows HERE. We have new show in the works that are come from our book Wine Country in Shorts, and we do segments based on Wine Tasting with the Stars book and calendar series, Enjoy!
BioDynamic Wineries
"WINE IS BOTTLED POETRY" - ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
As we were workiing on the Wine Country in Shorts book Lahni found this quote related to an interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's quote By the winemaker Susan SelbyRose is a sonnet: It is simple, enjoyable and has a limited life. Zinfandel is a limerick: It is fun, playful and sometimes a bit dirty. Pinot Noir is a Haiku: It requires precision and technical expertise. Cabernet Sauvignon is the Epic: It is lengthy and serious and will live forever.
Advice to Visitors
Many of our guests returning to Wine Country are experiencing sticker shock because the coast for tastings and hotel rooms went through the roof. Honestly, we feel shocked too. But just because the prices at some wineries and hotels have gone ballistic, that does not mean everyone has elevated their expectations.
There are still lots of wineries where the tasting fees are reasonable, and there are hotels that don’t expect you to take out a second mortgage to stay with them. In terms of putting a roof over their heads, many of our clients are staying in VRBO’s, primarily in Sonoma, which has a wider variety than Napa. Even the Sonoma hotels are more reasonable, and it is just a short ride if you want to tour in Napa. In American Canyon and around Healdsburg there are some wonderful hotels that are reasonably priced.
Also, many of our clients are choosing to tour in Sonoma. The place is gorgeous, the people are friendly, the wines are excellent, and the tasting fees are reasonable. While even Sonoma has some expensive tastings here and there, their high-end fees are Napa’s mid and low range.
The reason for this difference is Napa’s focus on Cabernet grapes, which are the most expensive wines, and make up half of their vineyards. Sonoma is much more varied in their grapes, growing over a hundred varieties, and they do it so well. Also, Sonoma has a wider variety of climates than Napa, which makes it fun to tour.
We have just released our new tour book, Sonoma Winery Maps, and as we put it together, it reminded us of how much we have always enjoyed touring in Sonoma. So, when you are planning your tour, you can expect that we will be looking at the best deals for the most remarkable experiences, because we want you to come back and enjoy this remarkable place.
Our Tour Books
Our aim is 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
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Sonoma Winery Maps
Just Released
A good map matters in Sonoma, because it is a big rural county with five major grape growing areas, filled with great wineries that can be hard to navigate. The roads don’t have much signage or streetlights and addresses can be obscured by bushes. The GPS that works well in suburbs is sketchy on those narrow, winding roads and steep hillsides, and it often does not recommend the best, safest and most scenic route.
To make the 24 maps easy to use when you’re driving, where there is a high concentration of wineries we’ve divided the valleys into two sections. There are also maps of the downtowns including hotels, restaurants and tasting room locations.
The chapters on Creating a Daytrip and Getting Around Sonoma will help you get the most enjoyment from your time, while ‘The ABC’s of Wine Tasting’ will help you improve your winery experiences.
The 280 Winery Directory is indexed to the maps and there are multiple notes that provide useful details. Our insights as tour guides bringing clients to these many properties are what makes our books special! $17.95 Find it at Amazon by typing in Sonoma WInery Maps DeAmicis.
To make the 24 maps easy to use when you’re driving, where there is a high concentration of wineries we’ve divided the valleys into two sections. There are also maps of the downtowns including hotels, restaurants and tasting room locations.
The chapters on Creating a Daytrip and Getting Around Sonoma will help you get the most enjoyment from your time, while ‘The ABC’s of Wine Tasting’ will help you improve your winery experiences.
The 280 Winery Directory is indexed to the maps and there are multiple notes that provide useful details. Our insights as tour guides bringing clients to these many properties are what makes our books special! $17.95 Find it at Amazon by typing in Sonoma WInery Maps DeAmicis.