Napa Valley, the most popular wine destination in California, is just 60 miles north of San Francisco. But why would you even leave the Bay Area when there are plenty of wineries in San Francisco that you can visit? Here’s a guide for touring the San Francisco Bay Area’s most prestigious wineries, from the best wine stops to San Francisco luxury coach bus and minibus rentals that you should know about.
Best San Francisco Wineries
In this part of the guide, we’ll talk about the best wineries in San Francisco – ROAR wines and Oro En Paz – as well as wine bars that you can visit without leaving the city.
ROAR Wines
ROAR Wines was established by the Franscioni family. They planted their first vineyard, Rosella, in 1996. The next year, they partnered with the Pisoni family to plant Gary’s Vineyard. They also opened two vineyards in the region, the Sierra Mar Vineyard and the Soberanes Vineyard, before launching ROAR Wines.
Today, they produce premium Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier, and Chardonnay that you can taste when you visit their beautiful vineyards in Santa Lucia Highlands. But if you want to skip the road trip and just taste their delicious wines, head to Swirl Wine Brokers in Point Richmond.
Oro En Paz
Oro En Paz was founded by three friends, Ben Herod, Nate Clark, and James Davids, who want to continue San Francisco’s tradition of producing top-quality wines. Their name, Oro En Paz, means gold in peace, which they took from the city’s motto and represents their passion in producing great and premium wines.
They get their grapes from different vineyards in North California, but you can go straight to their winery in Treasure Island to taste their delicious wines.
San Francisco Wine Bars
Aside from ROAR Wines and Oro En Paz, San Francisco has several other places that serve premium wines. Here are two of the best wine bars in the Bay Area:
- If you’re a lady who loves to drink wine, The Riddler is the best place to visit in the Bay Area. It’s run by women and it serves a small selection of snacks, from fun waffles to luxurious caviar, that you can pair with your sparkling wine.
- Food, wine, and live music? You can find all of these at Amelie Wine Bar. The place has a full restaurant and a vintage-inspired bar, which make it perfect for a romantic date. While eating, you’ll be surrounded by bottles of wine that are displayed on its rustic shelves.
Bus Rental and Accommodation Tips
Now that you know where you can find the best wineries in San Francisco, let’s talk about how to actually get there. If you’re travelling in a group, the best way to get around the Bay Area and its prestigious wineries is to rent a bus. Choose among these three types of buses:
Mini Coach Bus
A mini coach can fit up to 28 people plus your luggage and AV equipment. The only thing it’s missing is a washroom, but that won’t be a problem if you’re only travelling a short distance between stops.
School Bus
Yup, a school bus. It’s a quirky way to get to different wine stops in the Bay Area, which makes it the perfect mode of transportation for fun events like a bachelorette party. Just like the mini coach, a school bus is spacious and good for short distances. It’s also a cheap transportation option.
Coach Bus
A coach bus is ideal for long trips, especially with its on-board bathrooms, so you may want to choose this option if you’re planning to visit vineyards outside San Francisco, like those in Santa Lucia Highlands, Napa Valley, and Sonoma Valley. It can fit huge groups of 30 to 55 people.
So this has been your guide on the best wineries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Once you’ve decided your stops, you can choose the best mode of transportation to make your trip the best it can possibly be.
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Shannah
March 6, 2019 at 8:39 pmI love that I found this blog! Last time we were in the Bay Area we wanted to check out some wineries but hadn’t done any research and didn’t know where to start. Will be saving this for our next trip, thanks!
Christine Z
March 10, 2019 at 9:24 pmThanks for the tips on the best wine bars! I am headed to San Francisco in August and wrote down their names. Hope I get to visit them.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:08 pmHope you get to visit them too, Christine!
Yukti
March 7, 2019 at 8:49 amI love to visit wineries as they are very beautiful and it is good that there are many prestigious wineries near San Francisco. I would love to rent the bus as it would be fun to go by bus, but I never knew that we can also hire school bus. Thanks for sharing wonderful post.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:03 pmYes you can and it sounds like such a fun and unique idea!
Lola La Paz
March 7, 2019 at 9:52 amOkay, now I already want a glass of wine! Good thinking to include transportation in this guide! If you can go with a larger group of friends I would opt for the school bus. Looks like a lot of fun.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:04 pmThe school bus is the perfect option for a big group!
Carol Colborn
March 11, 2019 at 5:56 pmAlthough maybe the best wineries are outside of the Bay area…in Napa, Sonoma, Livermore, etc.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:08 pmYou’re absolutely right, Carol!
Nitin Singhal
March 12, 2019 at 11:18 amWow, lots of wineries in San Francisco. It is good that you included transport information as well. This gets very helpful for trip planning.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:09 pmHappy to help, Nitin!
Jenn and Ed Coleman
March 12, 2019 at 6:11 pmThis looks like a great way to try amazing California wines without leaving the city. One of the things I love (and hate) about San Fran is very much a city. Public transportation works so well there. You can even take BART right out of the airport. Unfortunately, traffic and parking is horrible. Taking a wine tour in the city looks like the best of both worlds.
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:09 pmI agree with you there about SF’s public transportation!
Alison
March 13, 2019 at 8:46 amI think I will take the school bus (being a former teacher)! Love that there are wineries right in the city. Sign me up for a visit!
Carmen Edelson
March 13, 2019 at 6:10 pmHa, then I’m sure the school bus option would be an interesting one for you 😉
Tom
March 13, 2019 at 11:44 pmWhen in Rome, drink the wine. San Fran, and so much else of California, is so perfectl positioned by good wine country. The wine bars are a great idea and thank goodness someone was smart enough to invent the concept, but I think nothing substitutes for actually going out to a winery. Just the feeling from the open space, the rows of vines, and the usually rustic (or faux rustic, but that’s fine too) tasting area.
Carmen Edelson
March 18, 2019 at 10:03 pmI totally know what you mean, Tom!
Yara
March 14, 2019 at 12:07 amI love this post, but the most intriguing thing is the school bus rental – I just wonder why? Cannot wait to visit San Fran again and do a proper winery tour. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Carmen Edelson
March 18, 2019 at 10:03 pmThanks so much for reading 🙂
Ketki
March 14, 2019 at 8:22 amI am yet to visit a winery (yes, i know!). Your post makes me want to visit one soon. It would so cool to spend a day among the grape vines and taste the amazing wines with some cheese.
Carmen Edelson
March 18, 2019 at 10:03 pmI hope you enjoy it when you finally do go!
Tammie
March 14, 2019 at 7:15 pmI had no idea you could rent a school bus!
Carmen Edelson
March 18, 2019 at 10:03 pmVery cool option I think!