Ralph Amicis is amazing. We hired him to take us to 4 wineries and could not have had a better time. The entire day he was sharing his his knowledge of Sonoma history and wine making in general. The spots we went to were each amazing and unique from each other. We really feel like we had a great sampling of what Sonoma has to offer. The vehicle was clean. He brought tissue, waters, cozy blankets (it was a little chilly for outdoor wine tastings) and even gave us each a signed copy of his book. We highly recommended Amicis Tours. Thank you Ralph!!! read more

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We can't say enough good things about Ralph. First and foremost his knowledge of this region is no less than expertise! We have had the pleasure of Ralph driving us around several times, exploring, educating us and finding the best wineries that meet our wants and desires! Top notch service and knowledge every time! Also,,,extreme attention to detail for the perfect picnic! read more

Amicis Tours - Wine Tours Near Me

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My wife and I were visiting Sonoma over the holidays, and read the Yelp reviews for Amicis Tours and decided to give them a try. I called their office, while at breakfast, and they were most accommodating as to our location, time of pick up as well as knowledge of the wineries in the area. We had a great time. Ralph was very knowledgeable of just about everything in the area. He's rather fascinating and seems to know a lot more than just great wine. His Lincoln Navigator was spacious, clean and easy to get in and out of. After the 5th winery, that automatic step-in bar comes in rather handy. He was thoughtful with helping my wife keep dry with his umbrella as it was particularly rainy that day. The only suggestion I would make to improve this tour experience is for you to talk with the driver before starting the tour to determine the experience you want to have. Would you rather be driven to the wineries and be dropped off, or would rather have the driver accompany you inside the tasting room. While we appreciated Ralph's extensive knowledge, we would have preferred going into the wineries ourselves, and having our own individual experience rather than having Ralph accompany us into the tasting rooms, and trying to offer information in parallel with the winery host. We should have clarified this with him after the first winery, but just decided to go with it. Overall, it was fine, we learned a lot. In hindsight we would probably prefer to be more on our own. We would certainly use him again. He also has written many books about the region as well as created a helpful Iphone/Droid application with pictures and descriptions of the Sonoma wineries. read more

My friends and I had the pleasure of having Ralph drive us around on our last day of tastings in the area. The three of us decided on 4 different wineries. Ralph and Lahni were very helpful in suggesting tastings that would be appropriate for the mood we were looking for. Ralph was extremely knowledgeable!! It also really helped having him around to keep us on track. Not always the easiest thing to remember reservation times, etc on your third glass of wine! I won't hesitate to book Ralph again on all of my future wine tasting weekends! read more

Eloping in Napa means we had to schedule a wine tasting tour! I found out about Amicis Tours through Yelp. After speaking to Lahni (and a few other wine tour companies) I decided that Amicis was the best option. Amicis Tours charges $75/hour and includes everything - service fee, PUC fees, license fees, fuel, etc. They also use a Lincoln Navigator which worked out for us since it was just the two of us and some of the wineries we went too were off of narrow roads...it would have been hard for a limo to get through! We wanted to take advantage of Sonoma and Napa and we scheduled a 4 hour wine tour of Napa (which we actually extended to 6 because we were having so much fun!!!) and then a 6 hour tour of Sonoma. Lahni was very responsive and thorough. I never felt like I was waiting for a reply and Lahni made sure that I felt comfortable with the terms of the tour. They will customize your tour to your liking. My husband and I don't know much about wine but we did give them a couple of wineries we wanted to go to but the rest we played by ear and left it up to Ralph! The day of the tours, Ralph was very prompt and prepared - he had lots of bottled water ready for us! He also provided us with a couple of their wine tour books which were wonderful keepsakes from the day! For lunch, he found us great picnic spots and we had sandwiches from local delis. He even had picnic supplies - a tablecloth, napkins, etc. It was cute. Ralph is extremely knowledgable about wine but also about the whole wine country area! We loved riding around with him as he spoke about the terrain, landscape, and milestones in wine country's history. Ralph also brings a personal touch - he'd walk us in to some wineries, explain how the tasting worked (especially for our very first stop!) and then he'd let us have fun and enjoy it. We went to 10 wineries in total, between two days and not only did we sample some great wine, we were able to tour wine caves, and experience biodynamic farming. I would highly recommend Amicis Tours to anyone who is looking for a great day of tasting wine. :) It was not your average wine tour and felt really personalized and comfortable. read more

My husband and I were just in Glen Ellen with 2 friends of ours. We were visiting during the week and didn't plan ahead as to what our plan of attack to visit wineries was. We googled a few options and called on them. We spoke to Ralph and he was available the same day (perhaps not the case on a weekend, but on a Wednesday we considered ourselves lucky). Of the options we called, Amicis was the most reasonable of the private tours. Within one hour, Ralph was able to pick us up in a Navigator. We let him be our guide and take us to the wineries he suggested based on our tastes. Not only were we taken to wonderful wineries with views, great wines, and great educators, but Ralph was so knowledgeable about the area that we also basically got a tour of the Sonoma Valley. Would recommend to anyone, expert or novice. Well worth the comfort and safety of knowing you have a driver. Oh, and Ralph also provided plenty of bottled water to help with the wine tasting!! read more

We chose this tour guide based on his experience with the area and reasonable price; with a week notice we were able to arrange a wine tasting for a day. Ralph was wonderful and was a walking encyclopedia of Napa - geology, wine, history, current events. The drives between wineries were like a mini course and his SUV was comfortable and clean. Unlike one of the other review experiences, he did not accompany us into most of the wineries (about half) and I might have wanted a bit more attention on his part during tasting. But, then he wasn't himself tasting so there is only so much he can say. Really it was fine but folks should clarify what they might expect. He did a great job selecting places I had not been before and next time I'll give him more notice so we can go to more appointment only locations. read more

See wine country in style! These wonderful folks know wine country and make sure that their guests experience is memorable. We recommend Amicis Tours to our friends and customers who come to Napa because we know that they will be happy with their tour and take home memories that will last a lifetime. Ralph and Lahni are two of Napa's best ambassadors. read more

I was introduced to Amicis tours a few years back when a group of us went to Napa on a friends get together weekend trip. Since then I have continued to use Ralph and Lahni each year. I go to Napa at least once a year. Reasons for using a tour guide/driver for your wine country adventures: If you are planning on a full day of tastings and no one wants to be the designated driver, use Amicis tours. Not all that familiar with the area and want a scenic, well planned and executed tour, use Amicis tours. Want to pamper that special someone for a special occasion, use Amicis tours. I schedule well in advance each year and both Lahni and Ralph are experts of the area which is a huge asset in engaging them on planning the itinerary. Just read the books he and Lahni have authored on both Napa and Sonoma. I have never been disappointed with any part of the process and trip, they are friendly and professional. Ralph has been our tour guide; he is full of great local information and history. The guy is well wired into the area. I have compared notes with friends on their experiences with other tour guides/drivers and based on my own experiences using similar companies in other cities, hands down Amici tours wins. Ralph is an engaging tour guide. They treat people like they have known you for years. Amici tours use SUVs which I really prefer over limos. Why, because a limbo sits low and you really want to see the view of the vineyards as you drive by riding high. This last trip my date is a budding professional photographer; Ralph made some amazing suggestions for new wineries to me, that had photographic opportunities. He also picked a fantastic picnic spot. Tip; don't waste your time picnicking at V.Sattui. Ask Ralph and Lahni to help choose a cozy and romantic spot, get food at either Dean and Deluca's or Calmart along the way and enjoy. Notice I did not mention Oakville; I will need to write that review. They can also recommend hotels and restaurants. I have had some memorable experiences with Amicis tours therefore I cannot advocate enough to use them for your wine country adventures. read more

I highly recommend Amicis Tours! I just got back from vacation in San Francisco which included a day in Napa. Ralph was our guide and driver extraordinaire! He was punctual, extremely knowledgeable about Napa and San Francisco, friendly, fun to talk to, and an overall really interesting guy! Thank you, Ralph, for making this such a memorable experience!!!!!!!!! First, the scheduling of our tour was very easy and we were told the hourly fees and gas fee up front. They were serious about no surprise fees! Second, Ralph picked us up at our hotel in San Francisco, which was very convenient and did not cost extra. I had a tough time finding a company that would do a pick up at a San Francisco hotel without charging a lot more. Third, Ralph really took our preferences, tastes, and quirks into consideration when selecting the wineries and a picnic spot. He also had a lot of chilled bottled water so we would stay hydrated and keep up our tasting endurance. We let Lahni know ahead of time about our preferences (we really dislike crowds and love dry riesling and malbec). Each place Ralph took us to was quiet without a huge tour crowd and he took us to place with dry riesling and malbec. We definitely wouldn't have been able to figure that out on our own. Ralph also really took the time to get to know us on the drive from San Francisco, so we found the wineries he chose for us to be phenomenal. Ralph is also very laid back and easy to talk to which made it easy to relax. Our only must see big winery that we knew we wanted to go to beforehand was Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and that was our 2nd tasting. The others we went to were Trefethen, St. Clement, Rutherford Hills, Regusci, and quick stop at Jacuzzi. Our picnic lunch was at Rutherford Hills with a stunning view. Ralph had real utensils (big plus!) and a cute tablecloth for our picnic table. We decided on stopping at Dean & Deluca for our picnic items. The Dean & Deluca itself was pretty exciting because it's the biggest one I've ever seen. Overall, our day in Napa turned out to be our favorite day of the trip and we could not have done it without Amici Tours. I will definitely turn to them again for future visits and will recommend them to all our friends!!!! read more

My boyfriend had planned a special day with Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis for us in wine country & I was not disappointed! They are warm & lovely people with an amazing knowledge of the area & the wineries. They answered all our questions in great detail & really listened to our likes & dislikes, catering the day around our preferences. We did not have to think at all which was perfect when you are taking a holiday!! The locations were incredibly beautiful at the wineries we were taken to & we managed to learn a lot along the way.. We were also given a great book at the end of the day they had written on the wine country, which was pretty special. Thank you Ralph & Lahni. read more

We had the good fortune of touring with Ralph for three full days recently. I cannot recommend him highly enough. He has encyclopedic information to share and I found myself talking to him almost non-stop on our tours. I'm not much of a talker, but I felt so edified by Ralph's prodigious store of knowledge that I couldn't stop asking questions. He was always at the ready with interesting and enthusiastic anecdotes that truly illuminated the history of the area, the winemakers and the wine. He asked me what we preferred in wine and he delivered some incredible versions that both expanded and rewarded our palettes. We hope to spend more time with Ralph in the future. It was a genuine pleasure. read more

Ralph and Lahni have been a great service to us now twice: Once when we planned our first guided tour of the Napa-Sonoma area and were unable to connect; and this last time when we spent the day with Ralph, tasting at four different biodymanic (organic) wineries. Ralph's knowledge of the area and history, his insights on the locations and personel, his background and knowledge of other fascinating topics (he speaks ~ 5 languages), and his vivacity are exceptional and appreciated. We had a great day, filled with fantastic wines, beautiful scenery, and delightful conversation with people who make it all happen. Thank you, Amicis Tours! read more

We LOVED our experience with Amicis tours. Ralph made our trip exceptional. He and his wife are extremely knowledgeable of the Napa Valley and know all of the hidden gems. As soon as Ralph pulled up to pick us up for the first day we knew we were in good hands. Similar to other reviewers I found Amicis Tours via yelp. After speaking and email with Lahni I knew they were the best option for us. We had a few vineyards we wanted to hit but left it up to Ralph and Lahni's knowledge to plan the rest. We visited so many new vineyards and even join a few wine clubs along the way. Ralph was quick on his feet to think of a new lunch location when the buzzing bees were out in force in early September. We cannot speak more highly of Amicis tours and look forward to seeing them on our next trip to the Napa Valley! read more

This is by far the best wine tour experience in Sonoma and Napa county. Ralph and Lahni are excellent and their customer service is fantastic!! If you want to discover Napa Valley, you need to reach Amicis Tours! read more

Wonderful tour! Lahni was our guide, she came and picked us up and took us to some wonderful wineries. I thought it might be awkward having someone drive us a around, but Lahni was very easy to talk to and she was very knowledgeable about the area. It was a great way to tour the area, and avoid wasting time at mediocre wineries. She even gave us advice on where to go the next day on our own, and low ans behold, we discovered our new favorite winery! Thanks Lahni, for a great experience! We'll see you again. read more

We worked with Lahni and Ralph on our recent trip to Napa. What a great experience with them! Extremely professional and knowledeable. They truely care about their guests and their expereinces in the wine country and are absolutely connected. We'll definitely work with them again and have already recommended them to our friends. read more

Ralph was awesome. Wouldn't consider going back to Napa without having Ralph as our tour guide!