As we’ve said before, children and bars are not a good fit. However, some wineries are kid-friendly and we will mention a few here that we’ve been to in the past where both parents and children can have a good time.
If you’re planning to take your kids, it might be a good idea to make a few phone calls to the wineries you’re thinking of visiting and ask if kids are welcome, or even allowed. In nice weather, some will invite you to sit outside for the tasting so the children can play. Some will offer crayons and paper; some will give the children juice. Paraduxx welcomes kids and even dogs in their large garden behind the winery where kids have games to play with, while their parents have their tasting sitting in lawn chairs. At Plumpjack Winery they give lollipops and Chardonnay-grape sodas to the little ones and invite them to play outside on their grounds.
Picnics are fun for the whole family but very few wineries now have picnic areas. Those that do got their permits before the law restricting them was enacted. It is fun to buy a bottle of wine and bring it outside to have a picnic with your kids. Of course you have to buy from that winery if you want to use their picnic area; it’s only fair.
The winery V. Sattui in Saint Helena makes picnicking a particular attraction. In addition to winetasting, you can buy your meal in their Italian Market Place and Deli where they have a great selection of cheeses, sandwiches, salads, chicken, breads, pizza, etc. Of course, you can pick up a bottle of wine in their huge shop, buy your food and walk outside, choose a table on their picnic grounds and have a great time with your kids. We have done it a few times (but without kids) and always enjoyed it. Do remember that bringing food from outside is not allowed. Honestly there’s no need for that; they have everything you want in their deli.
Some wineries, such as Château St. Jean, sell charcuterie, cheese, bread sticks, crackers, etc. On a beautiful warm day, what a pleasant thing it is to stop at one of those wineries with your family, have a wine tasting and/or buy a bottle of wine and some of their food and sit outside looking at the vineyard while you’re having your lunch. We do that as often as we can (weather permitting). It adds so much pleasure to your wine tasting experience
Over the years that we have been in California tasting wine, one of our favorite places to stop for a tasting and a picnic has been Preston of Dry Creek, now called Preston Farm & Winery. They have a large picnic ground and welcome you to have a picnic there, as long as you buy a bottle of their wines. You’ll enjoy being there and so will your children. If you’re visiting on a week-day, you can have fun playing bocce with your kids. We’ve seen families having picnics there and kids running around and playing with the many cats that run free. Yes, at Preston Winery they are cat lovers and there are cats everywhere that will come to you to beg for food and let you pet them. They used to make beautiful posters featuring a cat sipping their wine. Being a cat lover herself, of course Lucie bought one of those and had it framed.
Besides making great Rhône style wines (our favorite is called “L. Preston”), the barn-style winery itself is very rustic, surrounded by not only vineyards but olive trees. Preston is an organic farm and winery, with home-grown vegetables and fruits. They also make delicious olive oil. In the tasting room, they always display some freshly baked bread to sample with their olive oil. Outside, they have a farm store where you can buy some of their organic products or just stroll around and feel like you’re stepping back in time.
So please, if you absolutely want to take your children with you in Wine Country, make a few phone calls beforehand to make sure that the winery you want to visit is kid-friendly.
Have fun. Cheers!