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Green Dream Tours Excited About Moscone Center Expansion

January 7, 2019 | Posted in Tour Tidbits, Wine

With the recent grand reopening of Moscone Center in San Francisco, the entire Bay Area is gearing up for what promises to be an upsurge in convention business. This fact is not lost on Green Dream Tours, which specializes in wine tours from San Francisco to Napa and Sonoma

“It’s always a good idea to take a day off from a convention and enjoy yourself,” says Elie Sasson, owner of Green Dream Tours. “Every trip to San Francisco should include a trip to the Wine Country.”

Green Dream Tours, a member of the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, has been helping convention attendees experience Wine Country for more than 10 years. Small-group tours feature pickups at most hotels near the convention center, and throughout San Francisco’s downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf areas. Public tours also include tasting fees, water, mints, planned stops for lunch, and knowlegable and fun guides.

Most convention attendees spend a few extra days in San Francisco before and after their events. Wine Country tours are a great way to explore beyond the city limits to take advantage of all the Bay Area has to offer. For those traveling with spouses, significant others or family members, wine tours from San Francisco provide those not attending conventions something to look forward to. (Convention attendees pressed for time may even be able to sneak away when sessions are light!)

Groups meeting in San Francisco often seek smaller venues to host private events during major conventions. A private group tour to Wine Country can fill this need, combining local immersion with ready-made entertainment.

Besides an anticipated increase in visitors coming to San Francisco for conventions, the Moscone expansion reflects a renewed commitment to sustainability. Moscone, which is seeking LEED Platinum certification, boasts the largest array of rooftop solor panels in San Francisco. The convention center also harvests water from fog and below the building, and has its own water treatment plant.

Green Dream Tours has been committed to sustainable tourism since its first tour to Sonoma Valley in 2008. Each year, Green Dream Tours purchases carbon offsets that go toward projects such as reforestation, which works to eliminate carbon from the environment. The company also visits many green wineries. In Sonoma, for example, Nicholson Ranch is committed to sustainable farming practices. Starmont Winery and Vineyard is a certified Napa Green Winery, generating electricity from solar panels.

Green Dream Tours is a partner of San Francisco Travel, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. As a locally-owned, small business, Green Dream Tours provides behind-the-scene experiences designed to showcase the vibrant wine regions beyond San Francisco. Among the new features at Moscone Center is a dedicated tourism center where conference attendees can learn about and book tours like those offered by Green Dream Tours.Green Dream Tours

Wine Country tours may be booked online or by calling 415-692-1644. An experienced tour consultant will provide advice on public or private tours, including winery selections, lunch, and visits to landmarks such as Napa’s Oxbow Market and Sonoma Plaza.

“You are guaranteed to have a great time on our wine tour, while escaping the convention routine for a day,” says Elie. “We are the best in the business.”

Private Wine Country Tours Make All Occasions More Special

December 2, 2018 | Posted in Private Wine Tours, Tour Tidbits, Wine

What kind of Wine Country experience are you seeking? Green Dream Tours creates custom itineraries from San Francisco to Sonoma and Napa that are perfectly paired with your personal tastes and interests.

Whether you’re high on a specific winery or prefer reds over whites, Green Dream Tours will work with you to design a day you’ll never forget. You don’t have to be celebrating anything, but private wine tours are a sure-fire way to elevate all special occasions.

Teri and Daniel Hull took a private wine tour to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. They were visiting San Francisco from Illinois, while Teri’s mom watched their two sons back home.

“We decided to do a Wine Country tour because we had spent a week in Tuscany in the summer of 2016 and we wanted to see what the winery scene in the United States is like,” said Teri. “I had not been on a Wine Country tour in California before, just Italy.”

The Hulls visited two historic wineries in Sonoma: Buena Vista, the oldest commercial winery in California dating to 1857, and Gundlach Bundschu, the state’s second oldest winery. The Hulls also tasted wine at Nicholson Ranch, which is featured on Green Dream public tours.

“Our favorite winery was Nicholson Ranch,” said Hull. “It was a beautiful space both inside and outside. Loved the wines also!”

For lunch, the Hulls headed to Sonoma Plaza, which has more than a dozen eateries lining the historic square. They chose The Girl & the Fig, which is very popular with locals.

“It was delicious and just what we needed after tasting wines all morning,” said Hull. “We ended up buying some of their chutney to bring home.”

Barbara Valbuena is an experienced traveler who was visiting San Francisco from Delaware. She chose to do a private wine tour to the Dry Creek Valley area in northern Sonoma County. Joining her on the tour was her friend, Betty Sherburne.

“We have realized the importance of having a knowledgeable, friendly and courteous guide,” said Valbuena. “We wanted a private car with guide/driver for the two of us. As senior citizens, we prefer our privacy and the opportunity to make our own choices of two outstanding wineries.”

Barbara says she selected Michel-Schlumberger Winery Estate for its attractive garden, Hispanic-style estate and wines. They also tasted wine at family-owned Lambert Bridge, which has a woman winemaker, lavash gardens and a redwood tasting room.

“Delaware law does not allow wine/liquor to be shipped into private homes, which is unfortunate because I would have bought a case of that Chardonnay,” said Barbara. “It was superb when I tasted it again for Thanksgiving dinner. The Lambert Bridge Chardonnay was full of flavor and well bodied with a nice aftertaste.”

For lunch, Barbara and Betty stopped in quaint yet trendy Healdsburg Plaza. They enjoyed an informal lunch at the Costeaux French Bakery. “It was very good and was just the perfect type of place we wanted,” said Barbara.

Besides Wine Country, the tour also featured a drive past San Francisco homes with spectacular bay views, a drive along the Embarcadero, and photo ops at the Palace of Fine Arts and Golden Gate Bridge. 

“The staff at Green Dream Tours was extremely cooperative and helpful in organizing our visit according to our wishes, and they answered my emails promptly,” said Valbuena. “We carry happy memories of our day with our tour guide.”

7 Reasons to Book a San Francisco Wine Tour During the Holidays

November 14, 2018 | Posted in Wine Country

San Francisco wine tours are awesome all year long, but the ambience becomes especially celebratory amid the holiday seasons.

Green Dream Tours runs small-group tours from San Francisco to Napa and Sonoma year round. Consider booking a Wine Country tour as a gift to yourself, or better yet, bring along your friends or office mates for a stress-free holiday party.

Here are 7 reasons to book a Wine Country tour over the holidays. 

1. Instant Holiday Party: Whether you’re looking for a girls-day-out activity or a year-end office celebration, a Wine Country Tour is a stress-free way to get the gang together.

2. Great Weather: For those living in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States, you’ll find Wine Country weather very enjoyable. Temperatures often range in the high ’50s and ’60s even in the winter.

3. Wine Country Gifts: Get your holiday shopping out of the way. Our tours visit either Napa’s Oxbow Market or Sonoma Plaza, where a variety of shops feature unique Wine Country gifts for your friends and family.

4. Wine For You & Friends: Speaking of gifts, wine makes a great present during the holidays. Who doesn’t love getting a bottle of wine as a present? And if you have an extra special bottle of wine on hand, it will no doubt be put to good use during planned or impromptu holiday gatherings.

5. Make the Most of Vacation Time: Lots of people have extra days off from work in November and December. A Wine Country tour makes for an easy, fun getaway, whether you live in the San Francisco Bay Area or visiting from afar.       

6. Stress Management: A Wine Country tour will help you cope better with annoying house guests over the holidays. Wine has a way of making every situation better and provides a great excuse to indulge in guilt-free day-drinking.

High-end Wine Tasting7. Festive Cheer: Many wineries decorate for the holidays, so a Wine Country tour will boost your holiday spirit, even if your name is Ebenezer Scrooge. 

Green Dream Tours has taken more than 40,000 guests to Wine Country over the past 10 years. With a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, Green Dream Tours is a member of the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame and regarded as the top San Francisco wine tour.

Fall Crush Creates Buzz in Wine Country

October 23, 2018 | Posted in Sonoma Wine Tours, Wine, Wine Country

Fall is a magical time of year in Wine Country, which is why everyone who visits San Francisco should make sure to head north to Napa and Sonoma valleys.

Just when summer vacations come to an end and tourist season begins to slow, fall crush takes over Wine Country, adding an exciting burst of color and vibrancy to the region. You probably won’t witness women in long skirts stomping grapes, but you’ll likely see workers in vineyards handpicking fruit and bins of grapes waiting to be crushed by machines that can even remove the stems.

“Fall is not only an incredibly stunning time of year to plan a Wine Country trip, but it is potentially the best time of year for visitors to catch an in-person glance at the winemaking side of things,” says Marissa Napierski, who works in hospitality and sales for Hagafen Cellars in Napa. “It’s one thing to hear stories and explanations, but it’s even more engaging to be able to see the winemaking teams in action.”

Green Dream Tours - Wine making, David stirring grapesAt Homewood Winery in Sonoma, our guests got to see David Homewood stirring Pinot Noir grapes picked from the property that morning. He made the punch-down instrument himself. After the grapes were punched down by Dave, he lets the juice sit with the skins until it morphs into the exact right color and flavors before being put into barrels. Then from barrels to bottles!

When our small-group tour recently visited Peter Cellars in Sonoma, harvest was also in full swing. Newly picked grapes were being moved from bins to cylinders for crushing. Peter Cellars relies on Old World winemaking techniques, which Peter learned in France before settling in Sonoma Valley.

At Hagafen, the extra work that always accompanies harvest brings out the best in everyone who works at the boutique winery from top to bottom.

Green Dream Tours - Grapes“If there is one thing we pride ourselves on at Hagafen, it’s teamwork,” says Marissa.  “From the vineyard and cellar team to the front of house staff, we all seem to be in a happier state of mind. It must be something in the air.”

To learn more about the fall crush in Wine Country, book a tour today. Green Dream Tours is a TripAdvisor Hall of Fame member and has helped more than 40,000 guests experience Napa and Sonoma valleys over the past 10 years.

Get to Know the “Wise Guides” from Green Dream Tours

August 25, 2018 | Posted in Tour Tidbits

Green Dream ToursMeet the Wise Guides.

Green Dream Tours is blessed to have great guides, who are crucial in helping our 10-year-old San Francisco-based company offer fun, small-group tours to Wine Country. Our guides are so popular that we get calls from total strangers asking if they can do a tour with Dylan, for example.

Based on TripAdvisor reviews, Robin’s knowledge of California history is quite impressive. Aaron is regularly applauded for his professionalism. And Heather, who also serves as our fleet manager, knows all the San Francisco hotspots since she was born here.

We thought you’d enjoy getting to know our guides better, so we asked them a few questions to find out what makes them tick. Here’s what we learned:

Heather has worn many hats at Green Dream Tours, but it’s her own travels that have helped shape her guiding style.

“I was born in San Francisco in the Summer of Love. Both my parents were hippies and I lived in Haight Ashbury for the first four years of my life. I started traveling at a very early age. I lived in Greece for a year before moving to Canada to start school. I have lived in many places and in doing so have been able to meet, and can relate to, a wide variety of people.”

Green Dream Tours - Passenger SelfieDylan has been guiding for four years. He’s a rock star, literally. His band is called Midnight Snackers.

“I just knew that I wanted to do anything but the corporate role I was trapped in. I tried some guiding on the weekends at the recommendation of a friend and quickly fell in love with it.  More than any other aspect of guiding, I love the idea of helping someone have a really great day.”


Robin takes pride in tours that are fun and informative.

Green Dream Tours Tour Guide“Being a tour guide, I get to perform before an audience. That may sound conceited, but telling stories is something I enjoy. I realize some people are more interested in the alcohol content than the historical content. I try not to talk too much, but when somebody I’ve only just met comes up to me and says, ‘I wanted to ask you about something you said’—as they say in the old MasterCard campaign, it’s priceless.”

Aaron is a real people-person.

“The thing I love most about guiding is the people I meet and having the opportunity to share their experiences as they visit San Francisco and Wine Country. Being able to listen to their stories and share their experiences here is almost always interesting and refreshing.” 

We asked our guides what they liked most about guiding. Their answers had one common denominator: The People.

Heather says: “I call tour guiding ‘traveling in place.’ I treat every day as a new opportunity to not only make new friends but also to learn about life in other places. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world and bringing them together. Enjoying great wine is a bonus!”

Heather

Green Dream Tours Celebrates 10 Years of Wine Country Tours

June 28, 2018 | Posted in Tour Tidbits, Wine, Wine Country

High-end Wine TastingHigh-end customer service and a focus on Wine Country have helped San Francisco-based Green Dream Tours carve out a niche in the competitive Northern California tourism space.

Since offering its first Wine Country tours 10 years ago, Green Dream Tours has guided more than 40,000 guests from around the world to Napa and Sonoma valleys. Using 14-passenger luxury buses, the small-group tours visit boutique and family-owned wineries, with a blend of education and fun.

“We are a small operation that focuses on quality over quantity,” says Elie Sasson, owner of Green Dream Tours. “Many companies offer a variety of tours: city tours, Muir Woods/Sausalito, Yosemite, etc. We’ve found that specializing in one area has allowed us to develop the best possible product. It’s easier, in my opinion, to do one thing and do it well than to try to keep too many plates spinning at once.”

Green Dream Tours is regularly recognized for its customer service, including recent qualification for the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame. Based solely on guest reviews, the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame is given for earning the Certificate of Excellence five consecutive years.

Erin Troy is a partner and operations manager at Green Dream Tours. Once a guide herself, Troy has helped shape Green Dream Tours by recruiting tour leaders with personality and passion.

Green Dream Tours, inside the bus“Our guides are awesome, not to mention experienced and knowledgeable,” says Troy.  “It’s incredibly gratifying to receive the continuous stream of amazing feedback and reviews from happy customers.”

Like a fine wine, Green Dream Tours doesn’t rush guides into handling tours solo.

“We want to ensure that they are fully prepared to lead great tours before we send them out on their own,” says Troy. “I don’t know what we would do without our ‘Green Dream Team’ of guides. They are the front and center or our company, and I couldn’t be more appreciative.”

Troy says Green Dream Tours scores high with guests thanks to the Sonoma and Napa wineries the tours visit. Because Green Dream Tours uses smaller, luxury buses, groups are able to visit quaint, off-the-beaten-path vineyards.

Green Dream Tours facilities“I feel so fortunate that we have developed such great relationships with the wineries over the years,” says Troy. “They take such good care of our customers on a daily basis. We’ve become regulars at wineries and it’s nice to receive special treatment for being reliable customers. You can’t offer a wine tour without the wine!”

While Green Dream Tours has made its mark with Wine Country tours, the company may be ready to expand in other areas to take into account changing desires and requests, according to Sasson. For example, Green Dream Tours is already committed to sustainable tourism and may add an experience that combines tourism and volunteering.

“I think the next 10 years will bring more learning and more growth to the company,” says Sasson. “We expect to broaden the scope of our offerings to include the emerging cannabis market. We also want to capitalize on the growing craft beer industry by offering beer tasting and brewery tours.”

5 Fabulous Things to Do When You Visit San Francisco

June 10, 2018 | Posted in Wine, Wine Country

What’s on your San Francisco bucket list? There are so many things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area that it may be hard to cram in everything on your list.

Green Dream Tours, San Francisco Golden Gate BridgeGreen Dream Tours makes it easy to check off five key experiences simply by booking our Alcatraz and Wine Country Combo Tour:

1. Golden Gate Bridge
2. Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting
3. Fisherman’s Wharf
4. Boat Ride on San Francisco Bay
5. Tour of Alcatraz Prison and Village

“Our Alcatraz and Wine Country Combo Tour is one of our most popular tours for good reason,” said Green Dream Tours owner Elie Sasson. “It combines two of the Bay Area’s premier attractions into one day of fun.”

The first stop on the Alcatraz and Wine Country Combo Tour is the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see. The tour goes across the Golden Gate Bridge, with a photo op on the northeast side of the span. What makes this photo op so special is that you can get pictures of the bridge and the San Francisco city skyline.

San Francisco weather is so fickle that sometimes it’s foggy on the San Francisco side of the bridge and totally clear once you head north. (If you want to get out of the San Francisco fog, a Wine Country Tour often does the trick!)

Green Dream Tours, Cline Family CellarsAfter the Golden Gate Bridge, we head directly to Sonoma Valley, where your wine tasting experience begins around 10 a.m. at Cline Family Cellars. We love Cline for many reasons, but for starters, it’s committed to sustainable farming, just like Green Dream Tours is committed to sustainable tourism. The next stop in Sonoma Valley is Homewood Winery. Winemaker David Homewood sources his fruit from a variety of vineyards to produce distinctive wines.

“In Sonoma Valley, we visit and taste wines at two of the region’s premier wineries,” said Sasson. “Cline Cellars boasts Rhone-style varietals, specializing in Zinfandel. Homewood is a small, family-run micro-winery, producing only 1,000 cases per year.”

From Wine Country, the tour returns to San Francisco for lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf. There are many places to dine in this area of San Francisco, and your guide will help you select the restaurant that suits your tastes and pocketbook.

AlcatrazEvery trip to San Francisco should include a boat ride on the bay. Obviously, you boat over to Alcatraz Island, but don’t take this part of the tour for granted. The 1.25-mile boat ride to and from Alcatraz is exciting, offering spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands and the San Francisco city skyline.

The final stop on the Alcatraz and Wine Country Combo Tour is Alcatraz, once home to some of the most notorious outlaws in modern history, including Al Capone. “The Rock” as it’s often referred to, no longer houses prisoners, but the cells are still there for you to explore as well as the grounds, where prison guards lived. The official Alcatraz tour features an audio headset available in 11 languages.

While there are many things that should be on your San Francisco bucket list, Green Dream Tours can help you check off five experiences in one day if you join our Alcatraz and Wine Country Combo Tour.

Alcatraz tours must be booked five days in advance. For those short on time, we offer a half-day tour to Sonoma Valley.

Book online now or call us at 415-692-1644 for further information.

Green Dream Tours Earns Prestigious Spot in TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame

May 31, 2018 | Posted in Tour Tidbits, Wine Country

Trip AdvisorGreen Dream Tours has qualified for the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame after earning the Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary in June 2018, San Francisco-based Green Dream Tours has guided more than 30,000 guests to Wine Country. The Certificate of Excellence is based on TripAdvisor’s guest reviews.

“We are very proud to have achieved Hall of Fame status with TripAdvisor,” said Elie Sasson, owner of Green Dream Tours. “We feel that we have worked very hard to achieve this, and that we deserve this recognition.  We also feel that prospective clients will recognize this achievement and want to book with us.”

Green Dream Tours specializes in small-group tours to Napa and Sonoma. All public tours are limited to 14 guests on new luxury buses. The company also offers private tours throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, ranging from one to 25 people. (Larger groups can be accommodated upon request.)Green Dream Tours Vineyard

“We got here because of all of the hard work put in by our team over our 10 years in service,” said Sasson. “We have listened to what our customers want and expect from a wine tour, and have made many improvements over the years.”

According to veteran guide Dylan Haas, the Green Dream Tours ownership allows each guide’s unique personality to flourish and enhance tours, rather than force guides to fit into a specific mold.

“We each have a unique passion for service, guiding and wine that is rooted in our unique personalities,” said Haas. “So each guide and each tour is different, but each has the common theme of passion for quality and service.

Tour group, Green Dream Tours, inside the bus“We love and strive to give our guests the best tour of their lives,” said Haas.

Green Dream Tours relies on close relationships with Napa and Sonoma wineries to deliver amazing tours. Wineries range from family-owned estates to organic vineyards to boutique tasting rooms.

 

Here are a few examples of recent guest reviews:

Great Tour, very personal (small group)
The day was beautiful. The tour guide Robin was knowledgeable and friendly. My husband and I learned a lot about wine. We visited small wineries not the bigger more commercial ones, which I really enjoyed because I felt you had more of a one-on-one service. I would highly recommend this tour!
Excellent tour to know Napa and its wineries
It was a superb tour where we visit 3 different wineries with diverse perspectives. Skip (our guide) was always helpful, funny, and taught us a lot about Napa, its history, people, etc. We strongly recommend.
Sonoma Tour
This tour exceeded our expectations! Dylan, our tour leader and driver not only made us laugh for 5 hours but he was kind, helpful, and made sure each of us had what we needed. We have been raving about the tour since we got back! Larson Family winery was our favorite spot and the weather was absolutely perfect! Thank you!!!!

 

For a Stress-Free Bachelorette Party, Consider a Private Wine Country Tour

May 30, 2018 | Posted in Bachelorette Parties, Private Wine Tours, Wine Country

Private Wine Country Tour, Bachelorette PartyWhen 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 in a luxury van 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.

Private Wine Country Tour, Bachelorette Party

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.

Private Wine Country Tour, Bachelorette Party

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!”

Cheers to Mom and Wine Country!

May 8, 2018 | Posted in Sonoma Wine Tours

Cheers to Mom, Green Dream Tours, VineyardDear Mom,

Happy Mother’s Day!

It was so fun to be able to take you on a tour of Sonoma Valley with Green Dream Tours.

Thanks for sharing the experience with me 🙂

We got so lucky with the weather. The views were great, and our photo together at the Golden Gate Bridge turned out amazing. Can’t believe it wasn’t fogged in!

I loved seeing how much you enjoyed the wines at Robledo Family Winery. Those were some of my favorites, too. Not sure if that was because they were the first wines we tried at 10:15am. As they say, “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning!” Hehe.

Mom and I, Larson Family WineryThe wines they poured at Larson Family Winery paired very well with the picnic lunch. Bubba, the resident chocolate lab at the winery, sure did take a liking to you. Bubba’s got great taste! I think we could have lingered on the patio all day.

Spring is such a lovely time in Wine Country: rolling green hills, new leaves on the vines and seeing the cute tiny clusters of what will become grapes! Hard to believe how close the flames came to burning Nicholson Ranch to the ground back in October. With all the new growth since the fires, you can hardly tell that the area was badly burned. It also feels great to support the winery by being there to taste and buy their wines.

Another highlight for me was our free time in the quaint downtown Sonoma Plaza. Perfect temperature for strolling through the square and watching the kids chase the ducks around the fountain…and those Russian tea cakes from Basque Cafe were so delicious!

The other people on our tour were fun to hang out with. I love it that everyone was so friendly and that we had such a good time socializing with people we had never met before.

Green Dream Tours, San Francisco, Golden Gate BridgeIt was just wonderful to be able to share such a fun and relaxing day in Wine Country with you. Thanks for being such an amazing mother and always reminding me to appreciate life!

Cheers to you, MOM!

Love, Erin

Erin Troy is a partner and the operations manager at Green Dream Tours. She and her mom went on our Sonoma Valley Tour, and here are Erin’s memories from the day.