Vineyard Tram Tour: viticultural and winery overview.
Winery visits can vary considerably, and most are kid-unfriendly; even kid-hostile. But Benziger does a really nice tour that families can enjoy together while getting an informative overview of viticulture and wine making (how about that nifty tractor ride through the vineyards!). The property is stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately, in Sonoma of all places, the wine is even less than mediocre, and that part of the experience will leave Mom and Dad with a bad taste in the mouth, literally. So BYOW* if you plan to picnic around here.
*bring your own wine
Located here are beautiful valley oaks and gardens, an art gallery and picnic grounds, and a tasting room. This is the only winery in the valley to offer a motorized tram tour of the vineyards, and children are welcome. Call ahead for reservations.
We have taken visiting family here to wine taste, and were pleasantly surprised at how much fun our kids had. There are antique farm equipment pieces about the property to look at and talk about, plus we found a great spot for a picnic. Of course, the wine is excellent and the tasting room is really nice, as is the staff.