Amicis Wine Tours, Napa & Sonoma, Apps, Books & TV

Contact Us!

For more information about us and how we can help you plan your visit or if you would like to book a Napa Wine Tour or Sonoma Wine Tour,  call Lahni at 707-235-2648 (she is very friendly and loves to hear from you!) or use this handy form to email us. We respond very quickly. Rates: $75 per hour for car & driver + a small fuel charge, (either $30 or $50 for the day, depending on your starting point). No hidden fees. (Some high-end 'collector tours' may be billed at a slightly higher hourly rate.)

Have an iPhone, iPad? Plan your visit using our two best selling Phone Apps: Napa Valley Wine Tour & Sonoma Winery Tour (Sutro Media) for iPhone, iPad and Droid. They include sample tours, hundreds of entries and original maps, photos plus videos to help you navigate our winding country roads safely. Note: iPad users, our app is designed for the larger format and looks great! 

Check them out!

 

Napa App on iTunes: Here

 

Sonoma App on iTunes: Here

Have an Android? Plan your visit using our newly released Android Apps: Napa Valley Wine Tour & Sonoma Winery Tour (Sutro Media). With sample tours, hundreds of entries and thousands of original maps, photos and videos they help you navigate our winding country roads safely. 

Check them out!  

 

Napa App on Google: Here

Sonoma App on Google: Here

If you have arrived here at our website by searching Google you will find 100's of helpful pages here about wine touring, lodgings and restaurants. There is even more info in our Apps. Enter that section through the Trip Planning Tab.

 

Wine Country provides a needed retreat and education for sophisticated adults living in a global economy. So, we drive the tours ourselves and design each tour around our guest's interests because a cookie cutter approach doesn't do them or this region justice. It makes a difference!   Choosing a Guide 

For MORE about Ralph & Lahni

Testimonials:

Dear Lahni and Ralph:

Thanks to both of you for our recent wine tour in Napa. You were perfect guides, very attentive to our needs and wants, and brimming with knowledge about wines, vineyards, wineries, and Napa history. Thanks for the extra stop at the Culinary Institute. Your Lincoln Navigator was ultra-comfy and it was a relief to just sit back and sample the wine without having to worry about driving. I hope that any readers of this letter understand that they will be getting great value for their money.

Best wishes and may our paths cross again.

Bob and Sharon S, Chuck R and Rosemarie N - Spring 2011      For more testimonials

What you should know about Wine Country!

First of all, Napa and Sonoma are stunning no matter what time of year you visit. In the summer it looks like Tuscany, gold and green, and in the winter it looks like Ireland, misty and verdant. Then there is the lovely climate (about ten to fifteen degrees warmer than San Francisco), the great architecture and gardens, the fantastic food and the friendly people.

All of these would be reason enough to visit, but on top of that there are the wineries and of course, the wine, some of the finest in the world, and you get to see actual vineyards that those wines come from and meet the people who make them! Our books and guided tours are all designed to help you enjoy your visit to the fullest while learning about this wonderful area and this wonderful art!

Wine Country can be tricky though, with lots of country roads, not a lot of road signs or street lights, hundreds of wineries, lots of hotels and restaurants and a wide variety of wines spread over two large, agricultural counties, bisected by a mountain range. That's why experienced guides and drivers are a great investment in your enjoyment and safety (think about avoiding a costly DUI) and they make all the difference in the memories that you bring home. By the way, remember to bring a camera and sunglasses because there is lots of beautiful scenery and very bright sun!

About the bestselling tour book, ‘Your Day in Wine Country, Touring the Wineries of Napa and Sonoma’. We rebranded it as the Amicis Winery Guide: Dream Tours of Napa & Sonoma. and in 2010 produced individual county versions as well.

They offer a complete description of what goes into a typical tour, with all of the things you’ll need to know to feel right at home. That is followed by some of our favorite tours, based on their starting point, theme and cost of tasting fees. It is really a 'connect-the-dots' guide for navigating between wineries, picnic spots, restaurants, gift shops and of course, more wineries! Filled with self-driven, safe tours that have been road tested by professionals, you get all the fun without the fuss.

It is also chock full of maps that show where to find the best wineries in both Napa and Sonoma. The directory section includes hundreds of wineries with their pertinent information that you want such as tasting room hours, tasting fees and wine lists as well as any added features like if they have gift shops, picnic areas, art collections, gardens, views, tours and more. If we are not available to set up your tour, our books and iPhone Apps will help you to create your own daytrip with confidence! Go to the Books link to order your copy. Or email us to schedule a tour. Amicis Winery Tours of Napa, Sonoma or San Francisco.

Amicis Winery Tours 2013

Contract & Current Policies & Rates - SUVs

FEES: The standard vehicle rate for parties up to 6 persons is $75 per hour. We do add a fuel surcharge since fuel costs are so high. Surcharge is currently $30 for tours originating out of downtown Napa or Sonoma and touring in either the Napa or Sonoma Valleys. There is a $50 fuel charge for tours originating out of and/or touring in San Francisco, Calistoga or Healdsburg. Fuel charges are subject to change in relation to gasoline prices. We do not add hidden fees at the end of the tour such as service fees, PUC fees, taxes, etc. as many other carriers do. Some people like to give the driver a gratuity and while it is always appreciated, it is not expected. Tasting fees and the cost of meals is not included. Tasting fees on average run between $15 - $25 per winery per person (some are less, some quite a bit more) although couples often share a tasting. Also included, as our gift to our guests, will be an autographed copy of one our books in our ‘Amicis Winery Guides Series’. (while supplies last) Note: pricing through limos.com is calculated in a slightly different way but we convert it to our current pricing, usually lower, at the time of booking.

MINIMUMS: We have a 5 hour minimum every day including Friday, Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays and 6 hrs originating out of the San Francisco, Calistoga or Healdsburg areas (although 8 hrs is more common for tours from these areas b/c of drive time back and forth to/from wine country), 3 hrs minimum for dinner/events.

TRANSLATION & SPEAKERS FEES: We offer translation services in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and a bit of German at no additional charge when providing tour services for groups of 6 or fewer. We can also offer translation as a separate service. When translation only, not driving, is requested, the hourly fee is $30.  We are also professional speakers and are knowledgeable about wine country. Fees for speaking services can range from $500 - $2,500 per event, depending upon the size of group, location, topic and venue as well as the length of the assignment. Please phone for customized pricing.

RESERVATION POLICY: We tour in SUVs for the ease and comfort of our clients. The fees will be charged at $75 per hour, with no surprise add-ons (license fees, tax, surcharges, etc) at the end of the day. Tasting Fees and the cost of meals are not normally included but can be arranged so as to include them in a flat rate billing. (see FEES)

For your convenience, you are welcome to change the card you actually use at the end of the tour. We take your card for confirmation because of our cancellation policy.  YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED: To reserve a date we need complete billing information including CC#, exp date, name on card, security code number (CSC), billing address, billing phone. We would also like a cell phone number to be used on the day of the tour. Email confirmations will be sent when the reservation is finalized by your returning the reservation email with your acceptance of the contract terms. This written acceptance, together with your typed or other electronic signature (matching name on credit card) is required within 24 hours of receipt of our reservation email. This signature and giving us your billing details denotes full agreement and acceptance of this entire contract agreement.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel this date prior to 7 days before the scheduled day of tour, there is no cancellation fee. Cancellations within the 7 day period before the date of the tour will be charged a $150.00 non-refundable cancellation fee on the card we have on file. Cancellations within the 2 days prior to the date of the tour will be charged for the full amount of time scheduled for the tour. Tours cancelled on the day of the tour may be charged an additional fuel charge if the driver has already left the garage. Open ended tours will be charged 5 hour minimum tour, or $375.00, 6 hour minimum for San Francisco pick up or $450.00 or the full amount of any special deal price to the card on file. If the driver has already left and is en route before the cancellation is received, an additional fuel surcharge will also apply.

LIABILITY: The client is responsible for his/her guests in every regard to this agreement. Client assumes full financial responsibility for any damage to our vehicle or property caused by client or party whether by accident, neglect or intent. Excessive cleaning fee for any vomit/bodily fluids is $500 plus loss of revenue. Client assumes responsibility for overtime fees and authorizes credit card charges to be made for these costs or any others due and not collected at the end of the tour. Amicis Tours assumes no responsibility for items left in the vehicle at any time. Driver may terminate the charter without refund should they deem client or party unruly or violating safe operation of the vehicle. Amicis Tours assumes no responsibility for illegal acts of client during rental. Amicis Tours cannot be held responsible for delays or inconvenience due to traffic, unforeseen mechanical failures or situations deemed an "Act of God".

BILLING: All fees are processed through the parent corporation:  SPACE AND TIME DESIGNING, INC.

Please provide an email address and let us know if you would like a copy of your paid bill sent to you after the charge has been processed.