Many moms and dads visit California wine country for much-needed “grown-up” time in one of the world’s most beautiful wine regions, but many don’t realize that dozens of the state’s wineries offer special activities and accommodations for kids. While adults sample the latest vintages, children can have their own fun tasting grape juice, romping in play areas, visiting with farm animals and playing outdoor games.
Before embarking on a fun family outing in California’s wine country, we recommend that parents call ahead or check the winery website to make sure minors are welcome. Some don’t allow guests under age 21 due to liability concerns or preference. Once kids get the green light, they’ll be able to join you at the winery, and can often participate in vineyard and winery tours. We make every effort to maintain the accuracy of this list. However, policies do change, so please contact wineries prior to visiting to confirm their policies. Dog-friendly wineries require that pups be leashed and well behaved.
ACORN Winery/Alegría Vineyards – Healdsburg, Sonoma County
Legos, crayons and cornhole keep kids entertained while parents taste. Children may also explore the vineyards adjacent to the tasting room, join parents on a guided vineyard walk and taste grapes during harvest. Appointment required for visits
Address: 12040 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707-433-6440
Directions: U.S. 101 to Exit 502, and then head south on Old Redwood Highway, past Limerick Lane. Our street address is 12040 Old Redwood Highway. Our turn off of Old Redwood Highway will be on your left and is marked by a red and white ACORN Winery sign.
Alexander Valley Vineyards – Healdsburg, Sonoma County
Kids can join in winery and cave tours with their parents, visit the vineyards, enjoy the picnic area and meet the winery dogs. While the adults taste wine, children can do a winery seek-and-find puzzle. No advance reservations and/or appointments are required for visitors and walk-ins are welcome. There is a complimentary cave tour where you can learn about the barrel aging program. The tour is offered two times per day: 12:00 and 2:30.
Address: 8644 Highway 128, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707-433-7209
Alpha Omega – St. Helena, Napa County
The winery presents kids with crayons and the coloring book Exploring the Napa Valley with Traveler Teddies, a kid-friendly guide to the Napa Valley.
Address: 1155 Mee Lane at Hwy 29, St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: 707-963-9999
Ancient Peaks Winery – Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo County
Zipline above the vines at the winery’s Santa Margarita Ranch (kids weighing 30-100 pounds can fly tandem with an adult). After zooming through the adventure course, families can have lunch (with wine for the adults) at the Ancient Peaks café.
Address: 22720 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita, CA 93453
Phone: 805-365-7045
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves – Healdsburg, Sonoma County
Book the Vineyard Tour and ride a vintage Pinzgauer truck to the top of Lily Hill, where parents sample wine and kids can watch hawks soar overhead. Families may also picnic on the lawn and tour the wine caves.
Address: 9711 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707-473-9171
Brassfield Estate Winery – Clearlake Oaks, Lake County
The winery invites families to play bocce ball and cornhole, and relax in Brassfield’s picnic area.
Address: 10915 High Valley Road, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423
Phone: 707-998-1895
Buena Vista Winery – Sonoma, Sonoma County
Tours led by period actors include wine caves and the Historic Wine Museum, which features an entertaining multimedia show. There’s also a picnic area and hedge maze.
Address: 18000 Old Winery Rd., Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: 800-926-1266
Captain Vineyards – Moraga, Contra Costa County
Families can book a farm stay, have a picnic or tour the vineyard and winery. During harvest, kids are invited to help crush grapes.
Address: 1969 Joseph Drive, Moraga, CA 94556
Castello di Amorosa – Calistoga, Napa County
Tour a massive replica of an Italian castle, complete with a dungeon, then meet the estate peacocks and farm animals. Kids can sample grape juice and enjoy their own play area.
Address: 4045 St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga, CA 94515
Phone: 707-967-6272
Chasewater Winery & Olive Mill – Kelseyville, Lake County
At this pup-friendly winery, families can spend the day playing bocce ball, enjoying the picnic tables and lawn and sampling the estate’s olive oil.
Address: 5625 Gaddy Ln., Kelseyville, CA 95451
Phone: 707-279-2995
Cline Cellars – Sonoma, Sonoma County
The park-like, historic grounds feature expansive lawns, ponds stocked with carp and turtles, vintage train cars and the winery’s Sicilian donkeys, Fancy and Pudding.
Address: 24737 Arnold Drive, Highway 121, Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: 707-940-4044
DeLoach Vineyards – Santa Rosa, Sonoma County
The winery features educational, family-friendly tours highlighting DeLoach’s history, winemaking techniques and farming practices. Families can also picnic in the winery grove.
Address: 1791 Olivet Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: 707-755-3300
Domain Artefact – Escondido, San Diego County
Pack a picnic and play cornhole and giant Jenga, or visit with the ranch dogs and farm animals.
Address: 15404 Highland Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92025
Phone: 760-432-8034
Fenton Herriott Vineyards – Placerville, El Dorado County
Enjoy the picnic area and play bocce ball on one of two full-sized courts.
Address: 120 Jacquier Ct., Placerville, CA 95667
Phone: 530-642-2021
Francis Ford Coppola Winery – Geyserville, Sonoma County
Coppola welcomes families with two large swimming pools, a bocce ball court, a children’s library, a gallery filled with memorabilia from Coppola’s films, board games and more.
(Note: This season, pool access is only available through cabine reservations, which are currently sold out through October 2021. However, cancelations do occur, so check the website for availability.)
Address: 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, CA 95441
Phone: 707-857-1400
Frog’s Leap – Rutherford, Napa County
Dogs and kids are welcome at Frog’s Leap, which includes a barn, farm animals, and fruit and vegetable gardens. The winery also occasionally hosts specific family-friendly tasting times.
Address: 8815 Conn Creek Rd., Rutherford, CA 94573
Phone: 707-963-4704
Fults Family Vineyards – Lower Lake, Lake County
Families at this kid- and dog-friendly winery are invited to enjoy the golf range and picnic tables.
Address: 11441 Highway 29, Lower Lake, CA 95457
Phone: 707-690-0338
Furthermore Wines – Sebastopol, Sonoma County
Parents can bring their kids and dogs along for a day of bocce ball and picnicking.
Address: 3541 Gravenstein HighwayNorth, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: 707-823-3040
Grey Wolf Vineyards & Cellars – Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County
While parents enjoy a glass or bottle outside overlooking the vineyards, children can play giant Connect Four, giant Jenga and cornhole. Barton’s Kitchen Window serves lunch with many family-friendly options.
Address: 2174 Highway 46 West, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Phone: 805-237-0771
Heritage Oak Winery – Acampo, Lodi/San Joaquin County
Outdoor family fun includes picnicking, hiking down to the river, kayaking and occasional guided bird walks.
Address: 10112 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo, CA 95220
Phone: 209-986-2763
Holly’s Hill Vineyard – Pleasant Valley, El Dorado County
The winery offers an outdoor toy box for kids and family-friendly camping through Harvest Hosts.
Address: 3680 Leisure Lane, Placerville, CA 95667
Phone: 530-344-0227
Honig Vineyard & Winery – Rutherford, Napa County
Also dog-friendly, the winery caters to kids with juice boxes, Goldfish crackers and coloring books for $10 per child.
Address: 850 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford, CA 94573
Phone: 707-963-4272
Iron Hub Winery and Vineyards – Plymouth, Amador County
This kid- and dog-friendly winery offers children’s activities — including cornhole, giant Jenga, coloring books and giant dominoes — while parents enjoy a seated patio tasting.
Address: 12500 Steiner Road, Plymouth, CA 95669
Phone: 209-245-6307
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate – Fulton, Sonoma County
Kids are welcome to play bocce ball, picnic and tour the extensive vegetable garden, which includes a chicken coop, bat boxes and a demonstration beehive.
Address: 5007 Fulton Rd., Fulton, CA 95439
Phone: 866-287-9818
Landmark Vineyards – Kenwood, Sonoma County
The winery has an expansive lawn and picnic area, plus a bocce ball court.
Address: 101 Adobe Canyon Rd., Kenwood, CA 95452
Phone: 707-833-0053
Napa Cellars – St. Helena, Napa County
Families can play bocce ball, ladder ball and cornhole. The winery also has a picnic area and often features live music.
Address: 7481 St. Helena Highway South, Oakville, CA 94562
Phone: 707-944-2565
Navarro Vineyards – Philo, Mendocino County
Navarro offers grape juice tastings of Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer for kids, plus family-friendly vineyard tours and a picnic area.
Address: 5601 Hwy 128, Philo, CA 95466
Phone: 707-895-3686
Raymond Vineyards – St. Helena, Napa County
The outdoor Theater of Nature showcases the ways in which all of nature’s “actors” — including chickens and goats — play a crucial part in crafting quality wine.
Address: 1584 St. Helena Hwy, St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: 707-963-3141
Retzlaff Vineyards – Livermore, Alameda County
The winery has a picnic area and a lawn with big toy tractors for kids to play on. Reservations are required for wine tasting and to enjoy the picnic space. (Effective July 1, Retzlaff guests may bring their own food (with their own serve-wear) to enjoy when they visit the winery.)
Address: 1356 South Livermore Ave., Livermore, CA 94550
Phone: 925-447-8941
Shannon Ridge Winery – Lower Lake, Lake County
This kid- and dog-friendly winery offers vineyard hikes, bocce ball and picnic tables.
Address: 13888 Point Lakeview Road Lower Lake, California
Phone: 707-994-9656
Six Sigma Ranch and Winery – Lower Lake, Lake County
Meet Topper, the winery’s pot belly pig, who loves to have his ears rubbed. On select Saturdays, kids can help feed the livestock. The estate also includes vast picnic grounds, cornhole, and trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Address: 13372 Spruce Grove Road, Lower Lake, CA 95457
Phone: 707-994-4068
Sterling Vineyards – Calistoga, Napa County
Ride the gondola up the mountain to the winery, where families are welcome to take a self-guided tour. Kids are given snacks, juice and a coloring book package on arrival.
Address: 1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515
Phone: 800-726-6136
Zaca Mesa Winery – Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County
Families are invited to bring their dogs, and enjoy a picnic or play a game on the giant chess board.
Address: 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441
Phone: 805-688-9339
