The bus was comfortable, well maintained and quiet - very good. The bus drives was excellent - very good narration, few entertaining anecdotes, just the right mix. The wineries were a different story. The fist one - ROCHE - was by far the most attractive setting with beautiful gardens and seating areas. They "hosts" made no secret their mission was to sell wine and memberships, and they were pushy at that. The educational quality of the tour was as forgettable as the quality of their wines, which were from abysmal to grocery store budget quality, but never anywhere near a $30 - $40/bottle. No need to search for professional reviews - there aren't any.
The second winery - MADONNA - offered by far more education about wines and even for a 30 year wine veteran offered a takeaway. The wines were also of a much higher caliber and were at least approaching the asking price in their quality. They sale of wine and memberships wasn't anywhere near as hardcore pushy as the first winery.
The third stop was so crappy that I don't even remember the name. It had no business on this tour. It wasn't a winery, just a tasting spot with shops and restaurants - cute enough, but not for a dedicated winery tour. The wines were absolutely bottom of the box-wine shelf quality - to the point were I poured mine out, and gave the extra ticket to a fellow who seemed thirsty.
Response from Host
Jun 2021
Dear Frank,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful and detailed feedback. I wanted to let you know we've taken the good and the bad elements you've mentioned in your review to heart.
I'm incredibly proud that our guide narration and bus condition met your expectations.
I'll share your experience with our partner wineries to ensure that our wine tour experience deserves a 5-star review on your next visit.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're grateful for customers like you that push our company to set a high-quality standard.
Best,
Xavier
General Manager
Gray Line San Francisco