For a small team that wants an easy, low-key afternoon together, a seated tasting on a hilltop patio is a simple form of wine team building. This family-owned winery sits on a hilltop in the Livermore Valley, an easy drive from the rest of the Bay Area, and seats groups of up to 10 guests on its Panoramic Patio for a 90-minute guided tasting overlooking rolling vineyard views.
The traditional seated tasting is priced at $25 per guest. It is a guided tasting that showcases the variety of what the winery makes, and the winery calls the patio the easiest way to slow down, sip and take in the Livermore Valley.
What's Included
- A 90-minute seated tasting for your group on the Panoramic Patio
- A guided tasting that
For a small team that wants an easy, low-key afternoon together, a seated tasting on a hilltop patio is a simple form of wine team building. This family-owned winery sits on a hilltop in the Livermore Valley, an easy drive from the rest of the Bay Area, and seats groups of up to 10 guests on its Panoramic Patio for a 90-minute guided tasting overlooking rolling vineyard views.
The traditional seated tasting is priced at $25 per guest. It is a guided tasting that showcases the variety of what the winery makes, and the winery calls the patio the easiest way to slow down, sip and take in the Livermore Valley.
What's Included
- A 90-minute seated tasting for your group on the Panoramic Patio
- A guided tasting that showcases the variety of the winery's wines
- Rolling vineyard views from the hilltop patio
- Seating for groups of up to 10 guests
What to Expect
Your group settles in at the patio overlooking the vineyard and works through a guided flight that shows the range of the winery's work, from lighter pours to the estate Cabernet Sauvignon the family is known for. The pace is unhurried: there is time to talk between pours, ask questions about the wines and the estate, and simply enjoy the view.
The seated format keeps everyone at one table instead of crowding a bar, which makes it easy for a small group to stay together and talk. If you are celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, let the winery know when booking and the team will do what it can to make the visit special.
Why It Works for Small Teams
Among team building activities for small groups, a seated tasting is about as easy as it gets to plan. There is nothing to prepare, no skill required and no pressure to perform, and the 90-minute window fits neatly after a morning meeting or before an early dinner. Guests who are new to wine and guests who already know their Cabernet both have something to enjoy.
It is a natural choice for team bonding outings for a project team, a leadership group or a few colleagues celebrating a work anniversary, and a modest per-guest price makes it one of the friendlier team building outings for small groups to approve.
About the Winery
The winery began as a family vineyard on a Livermore Valley hilltop. The founding couple bought their hilltop property and planted the estate vineyard entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1999, first selling their fruit to another local winery before deciding to make wine of their own. In April 2008 the family opened the doors with just one wine, a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Today the winery is still family-owned and women-owned, run by the founders' daughter as President, with a longtime winemaker guiding the Cabernet program.
More Ways to Spend the Day
The estate offers several other experiences if your group wants to stay longer. Arbor Cabanas on the front lawn give groups of up to 12 a private, shaded retreat for 2.5 hours, with outdoor seating, glassware, an ice bucket and bottle service from the team, weather permitting. A guided Barrel Tasting and Vineyard Tour runs Friday to Sunday at 11:00 AM and takes guests on a walk through the estate vineyards and into the barrel room to sample wine still in progress. From November through March, a private heated igloo on the patio seats up to 8. The expansive front lawn is family friendly, and guests may bring a picnic to enjoy with wine by the glass or bottle.
Plan Your Visit
- Reserve your seated tasting and share your group size, up to 10 guests
- Arrive during tasting room hours: Sunday to Wednesday from noon to 5 PM, Thursday to Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM
- Settle in on the Panoramic Patio for a 90-minute guided tasting
- Stay for a glass or bottle on the front lawn if your group wants to linger
Good to Know
- Seated tastings take place on the Panoramic Patio and are exclusively for guests 21 and over, except infants under one year old in a stroller
- Groups of up to 10 guests can book a seated tasting
- Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends
- The last seated tasting starts at 3:30 PM every day
- No outside alcohol is permitted, and only documented service animals can visit
- The tasting room is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
At $25 per guest for a 90-minute guided tasting with a view, it is a relaxed way to give a small team or a group of friends an afternoon in Livermore Valley wine country.
