Really enjoyed my day. If I was in the area again I would know to make a trip to Muir Woods a trip of its own as I would have liked to spend much longer there and not have been so rushed to get back to the bus.
The first winery (Mayo) was adorable, the wine delicious and the person who met us (Courtney?) spent lots of time explaining interesting stuff. The whole vibe was quality but relaxed and friendly. The second winery we visited (name escapes me) was totally different, felt they were only interested in selling, no time to talk to us. But, in fairness, they were also dealing with a medical emergency for one of our guests so maybe it was not the usual experience. The last winery (Cline) was the biggest but also extremely pretty. They were super organized, with a lovely cooled space for us to sit and sip while they explained each wine, and then we were free to wander the lovely gardens, see the ducklings and donkeys.
I included the lunch upgrade and lunch certainly was very nice with a wine pairing with each course, but it wasn’t super special and, if I had known we would be stopping for lunch in such a super cute little town square with so many interesting lunch options I wouldn’t have done the lunch upgrade.
Our driver (Jake) had a few things to deal with through the day - lost guests after lunch, one guest tripping and having to go for medical attention and organizing his retrieval later - and through it all he remained calm and good-natured. He’s driving a big bus full of wine-sippers through San Fran traffic, probably takes a special skill set. Stopped on the way home at a good spot for bridge photos which he didn’t have to as traffic was a bit rush-hour busy by then but it was a clear, sunny day and he was kind.
Good all round day, value for money but skip the lunch upgrade, you don’t need to do it, lots of good options for lunch.