When Taylor Curtin began planning a bachelorette party for her sister, Chelsea, she wanted the experience to be intimate and low-key. Las Vegas and Nashville didn’t quite match Chelsea’s laid-back personality, so they opted for San Francisco and a visit to Wine Country.
At first, Taylor thought about renting cars or hiring Uber drivers to help the group of 10 women enjoy Wine Country. Instead, she contacted Green Dream Tours about a private tour to Sonoma Valley.
“I honestly can’t tell you how grateful I was that I decided to go with Green Dream Tours,” said Taylor. “Booking the tour was by far the best money spent on the entire weekend. Not only did it totally take the stress out of the day, but it also added to everything we could have expected.”
Chelsea’s high school, college and work friends came from as far away as Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Nashville, Michigan, Ohio and Rhode Island. Being together and not having to drive or worry about directions gave the women time to relax and chat. (San Francisco is about an hour from Sonoma.)
After picking up the women at the private residence they had rented for the weekend, Green Dream Tours veteran guide Dylan Haas helped make the bachelorette party fun and entertaining, with jokes and San Francisco-inspired tunes. The women also learned a lot about viticulture from Dylan and the hosts at each winery, which was another bonus since most had never been to Wine Country.
Not everything was perfect, though. The day of the tour, it rained, which meant the women were able to put their custom-made bridal party hats to good use.
“The weather was definitely something that became a positive of the day,” said Taylor. “The weekend was gorgeous except for our day in Sonoma, and what could have turned into a damper on our fun turned into a highlight. We had fun taking photos in the rain, wearing our bridal party hats we had made. Thank goodness because they came in handy.”
The group visited three wineries. Taylor said the tasting room at Nicholson Ranch was gorgeous and that the group really enjoyed the wine there. The bachelorette party also had fun playing with the dogs at Larson Family Winery.
Their favorite? Cline Family Cellars, which was the last stop on the tour.
“Even though it was pouring that day and we didn’t get to enjoy the grounds as much, we loved the fish pond and the spacious tent to enjoy our last stop on our journey,” said Taylor.
The bachelorette party had lunch at HopMonk Tavern Sonoma. Located a few blocks from historic Sonoma Plaza, HopMonk provided a timely break from wine tasting.
“I couldn’t have picked a better place myself,” said Taylor. “The staff was wonderful and accommodating to dietary restrictions we had with us. Dylan had to pry us away from the food and atmosphere. We really enjoyed the midday break.”
On the way back to San Francisco, Dylan opened a complimentary bottle of wine to help Chelsea and her friends celebrate. Taylor said that small gesture made the whole group feel special.
“Green Dream Tours seemed to get the vibe we were going for,” said Taylor. “From the lunch choice and winery itinerary, everything was great. Worth every penny!”
