Benziger Family Winery

As it is wine country after all, a visit to Santa Rosa isn’t quite complete without toasting at a few area wineries. Because Mom and Dad like to imbibe as much as the next person, the area has introduced family-friendly tasting experiences. At Korbel Champagne Cellars, book a private tour (ask for Desmond!) to get a behind-the-scenes look at the winery’s nearly 140-year history. Kids love walking among the gigantic barrels, pressing the buttons on old wine-making machinery (when prompted, of course) and stacking corks while the grownups enjoy some of Korbel’s finest. Plus, there is a too-cute marketplace for great sandwiches, salads, desserts and wine cocktails once hunger strikes.

Quarryhill Botanical Garden

Benziger Family Winery also makes the tasting experience a treat for the whole clan—even supplying grape juice for the littles while parents get to enjoy a selection of reds. A tour of Benziger is made extra special thanks to a tram ride through the beautiful hilly vineyards filled with stops for photo ops. If the family likes learning about the grapes and agriculture component of wine-making, they will also get a kick out of wondering the gorgeous 25-acre Quarryhill Botanical Garden. The garden spotlights a vast variety of flora and fauna, all grown from seeds from East Asia. It also has one of the largest selections of maple trees in the world on its grounds, which are sprinkled with ponds and babbling waterfalls.