Platypus Tours Limited

With the beautiful autumn colors in full swing at the  wineries in Napa Valley , why not spend the Thanksgiving holiday in wine country? With some exciting events taking place, we highly recommend packing your bags and experiencing Napa and Sonoma for the holiday season! Wine country definitely knows how to celebrate a special occasion with delicious food and amazing wine (of course), see the list of wineries and restaurants open on Thanksgiving here. As always, we highly recommend calling ahead to make your reservations to ensure you are able to taste at the  wineries in Sonoma  and Napa Valley. Looking for something truly memorable this holiday season? Our friends over at Balloons Above the Valley will be open this Thanksgiving and are currently having a holiday special! Experience a breathtaking hot air balloon ride over the rolling hills covered in vineyards this holiday weekend. You can find out more information by visiting their website here. Wanting to skip th...

Still trying to book your next Napa Valley getaway, but unsure of what time of year to go? Looking to experience something new on your trip to wine country? Look no further than the annual Napa Valley Film Festival week from November 13-17, 2019. This world-class film festival, combined with educational cinematic art programs, is Cinema Napa Valley’s main focus and mission for the community. The valley becomes enriched with the excitement for the film festival and not to mention the incredible food and wine components. Since there is an increase in visitors during this time, we recommend you book your hotel, restaurant reservations, and  Napa wine tour  or Sonoma wine tour ahead of time. Choosing to attend Napa Valley Film Festival will leave you with some remarkable memories. From the feature films competition, to industry mixers, to panel conversations with film industry professionals, to the popular Festival Gala. The Film Festival is a true way to celebrate the importa...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year here in beautiful wine country (and we’re not talking about Christmas)! Harvest is here for most wineries in Napa and Sonoma wineries and they’re all gearing up for this busy season. People travel from all over the world to this small corner of California to experience the iconic season of harvesting the grapes that will then begin the fermentation process and lead to that delicious wine in their glass. While the valley fills with travelers looking to explore the region and all the food and wine it has to offer, the wineries in Napa are ready to celebrate. The wineries have been waiting all year for the hustle and bustle of harvesting the grapes and seeing the fruits of their labor. If you are headed to wine country during this time you are in luck, the wineries in Napa and Sonoma wineries welcome guests to join in on the fun. Make sure to visit your favorites wineries website and social media accounts to see if they will be hosting any e...

It is true, Napa Valley is one of the most gorgeous destinations in the world with some of the best known wineries. While the Napa Valley wineries seem to be the main attraction when visiting wine country, there are countless options to get outside and experience all the beauty. Some may be surprised to discover there is so much more to do on your visit to Napa Valley along with a Napa wine tour! If you are looking to experience some Napa Valley wineries in addition to exploring other adventures in the area, we have created a list of other outdoor activities you can experience.  The water is calling. Experience the valley in a whole new way with a kayak, paddle board or gondola ride on the river right though Napa. If you are looking for a full lake experience look no further than Lake Berryessa, a quick 45-minute drive away from downtown. Experience a full day at the lake and not to mention the gorgeous drive along the way through beautiful wine ...

Each Platypus Wine Tour offers guests the chance to explore wine country, taste fine wines from wineries in Sonoma and wineries in Napa , and dine on a picnic lunch at a scenic location. Our chefs prepare the picnic and when it’s lunchtime, our tour guides prepare the meal. Recently, more and more guests have asked us “what is in that special sauce in the sandwiches?!” Our chef loves getting these questions because it means folks enjoyed the food enough to want to recreate it themselves. The sauce is surprisingly simple so there’s no excuse not to try it at home. Pair it with your favorite wines from wineries in Sonoma or wineries in Napa. So, by popular demand, we present Chef Carlos’ The balsamic dressing used for our sandwiches (but can have other uses too – get creative!): Chef Carlos’ Balsamic Dressing 1 cup Balsamic vinegar 2 cups Olive oil 2 Tbs Dijon mustard 2 Tbs dry Italian seasoning 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper In a blender add all ingredients except oil...

It’s a new year and that means winter is here! That means it’s time to enjoy Sonoma County without all the hustle and bustle of the tourist season and the price hike that comes with it. Many from around the country and even in the bay area don’t know that Sonoma County is a year-round destination. Just because the leaves fall doesn’t mean the fun does too! In fact, winter is one of the best times to see the wild mustard flowers growing in the vineyards and visit Russian River Valley wineries, Healdsburg wineries and Alexander Valley wineries. Start your day off right by taking a hot air balloon high above Sonoma County with Up & Away ballooning. You will be floored by the stunning beauty of the wine regions from above and possibly be able to see Napa Valley or even San Francisco if you’re lucky. From there you can enjoy many of the Healdsburg wineries and Alexander Valley wineries but be sure to wander for a bit around the town’s adorable plaza. A couple wineries to remember ar...

Harvest 2018 has come and gone and it was a fantastic time of year for a Napa winery tour or a Sonoma winery tour . Visitors from around California and the world were greeted with a buzz of activity from the exciting sights of grapes coming in off of trucks to watching them get crushed in the bladder presses. Some winery tours even got a little dirty, helping with punch downs and other hands-on winemaking fun! For this year’s harvest, the Napa wineries and Sonoma wineries had similar vintages characterized by an unseasonably cool late summer with a dry and warm fall with the growing season starting a little later than usual. Surprisingly, the wine country tours in Napa were greeted with a very small amount of rain this season with only one day of significant precipitation. Along with the educational and tasting tours, both local and international workers descended on the valley in great numbers to help with a large number of grapes being brought in. From the Russian River winer...