Though they might seem like just another visitor attraction at a winery, wine caves do serve a specific purpose — to store wine at a steady, cool temperature as it ages to perfection. And when when it’s hot outside, these underground caverns also do a great job of keeping wine tasters comfortably chilled.
Here are a few favorite carved-out hillsides where you can taste wine and stay cool in the hot days ahead.
Gundlach Bundschu Winery
At Sonoma County’s second oldest family-owned winery, six generations of the Bundschu family have been busy making wine since 1858. The Underground Cave Tour is offered at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily. Tour hosts guide guests through the wine cave — as well as the regenerative vineyards, weather permitting — while teaching them about Gundlach Bundschu’s family history, its winemaking and barrel-aging process, and sustainable vineyard practices. Tours last about 90 minutes. Limited to guests 13 and over. Reservations are required; reserve on Tock. $80 per person. 2000 Denmark St., Sonoma, 707-938-5277, gunbun.com
Buena Vista Winery
Founded in 1857 as California’s first premium winery, Buena Vista is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Barrel Tasting and Winery Tour, guests learn about the founder of the historic winery, Count Agoston Haraszthy, and try a flight of wines, including a barrel tasting in the cave. The tour is offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily and lasts 90 minutes. $60 per person, $48 for wine club members. Reserve on Tock. 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, 800-926-1266, buenavistawinery.com
Benziger Family Winery
Private wine tastings and dinners in the caves have resumed at Benziger Family Winery. The Tribute Estate Tour & Tasting includes a visit to the caves. Tours run approximately 90 minutes and are offered at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday, and at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Reservations are required and tours are limited to eight people. $85 per person, $68 for wine club members. 1883 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 707-935-3000, benziger.com
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves
The private Immersive Winery Tour starts next to the winery’s 100-year-old Zinfandel vines, but a majority of the time is spent underground in the wine caves. Tours are available by reservation for private groups of four to eight people. The experience ends with a seated private tasting of five wines, including small-lot Zinfandels. Allow 90 minutes for the tour. Booking at least 72 hours in advance is required; tours can sell out weeks in advance. $75 per person, $50 for wine club members. 9711 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-473-9171, bellawinery.com
Alexander Valley Vineyards: Complimentary cave tours are offered daily at noon and 2:30 p.m. While exploring the 25,000-square-foot wine cave, guests learn about barrel selection and how it can impact a wine’s flavor. Reservations are required for groups of eight or more. Tours last about 30 minutes. The winery also offers an Estate Tasting that includes four wines and can be done before or after the cave tour. The Estate Tasting is $20 per person for groups of six or less, $40 per person for groups of seven or more, and complimentary for wine club members. The Reserve Tasting is $30 per person for groups of six or less, $50 per person for groups of seven or more, and complimentary for wine club members. 8644 Highway 128, Healdsburg, 707-433-7209, avvwine.com
Thomas George Estates: This wine cave, completed in 2010, measures over 8,000 square feet, with nearly 2,000 square feet dedicated to hosting visitors. Guests can explore the entire cave, from production spaces with barrels and concrete vessels to the Wine Cave Library. The Single Vineyard Cave Tasting includes a seated tasting in the wine cave or the picnic area, tasting of six wines and a pizza for two. $75 per person, $90 per person for groups of nine or more. Reservations are recommended. 8075 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-8031, thomasgeorgeestates.com
Deerfield Ranch Winery: Guests can tour this 23,000-square-foot wine cave, shaped like a wine glass, during cave tastings held daily (by reservation only). The tour lasts about an hour and includes tasting of five wines. Guests learn about the advantages the subterranean space provides for aging wine and how extended barrel aging impacts the wine. $35 per person for the Signature Tasting in the cave, $75 per person for the Reserve Tasting. Reserve on Tock. 10200 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5215, deerfieldranch.com
Schug Carneros Estate Winery: The Library Tour & Tasting offers guests a walking tour of the vineyards, winery cellar and cave before a seated tasting in the estate’s Library Room, which includes five wines and a complimentary cheese plate. During the Cave Tour & Culinary Experience, guides lead guests on a tour of the property followed by a seated wine and food pairing inside the wine caves. The tour and tasting includes both current vintages and older hard-to-get bottles, paired with small bites prepared by winery chef Kristine Schug. Tours are available by reservation (made at least 72 hours in advance) for private groups of up to eight people. Wine tastings and tours are available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Plan on 90 minutes to two hours for the experience. $75 per person for Library Tour, $100 per person for Cave Tour. 602 Bonneau Road, Sonoma, 707-939-9363, schugwinery.com
Kunde Family Winery: Offered November through March, the Cave Tasting at Kunde includes a tasting of the estate’s library and reserve wines along with cheese and charcuterie bites while seated in Kunde’s hillside caves. Available for groups up to 10 people at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Allow two hours for the experience. Reservations are required. $100 per person, $80 per person for wine club members. 9825 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5501, kunde.com