Kunde Family Winery — Attraction in St. Helena

Kunde is such a special and beautiful winery! My husband and I just visited last weekend to celebrate 10 years together and did the Kunde on the Mountaintop experience. This was hands down my favorite winery experience I've had in my 4 trips to the Napa/Sonoma areas. I really didn't want it to end!

The "Kunde on the Mountaintop" experience began with a splash of rose upon checking in. We then got poured a lovely Sauvignon Blanc as we got a tour of the caves and the winery grounds. We then got a taste of Chardonnay as we got in the Kunde van and made our way up to the mountaintop. Once up there, we had a tasting of truly amazing red wines while enjoying a breathtaking view of Kunde's vineyards and Sonoma valley. It was really cool to see the vineyards up close especially basically taking a drive through them. We passed the spot where people can get married (including Seth Rogen in 2011!) and the boxing ring that was used in the Bottle Shock film. In fact, we learned that a lot of the movie was filmed at Kunde, which of course, we came home and rewatched it and remembered so much of what we had seen on our drive and during our visit!

Our tour guide, Sean, was absolutely phenomenal. We ended up basically being on a private tour by chance, so we got the extra time to ask questions and learn about Kunde, Sonoma valley and its AVAs and wine knowledge in general. He helped us pair our charcuterie with the wines he presented us. I fell in love with Kunde's Cab Franc with brie cheese so much so that I had to buy a bottle to bring home with me! We appreciated all of the conversation we had with Sean and the time he took to ensure we had a fantastic celebration and experience on the mountaintop.

In case anyone is wondering, yes there are bathrooms located in the mountaintop area, so do not worry (LOL)! After about an hour on the mountaintop, we made our way back to the main property. We got to sit in a private room and finish up our tasting. We really could have spent way more time at Kunde and been perfectly content. We walked around the property a bit and took pictures by their stunning pond. The fall foliage definitely added to the beauty of Kunde this visit.

We have been guests at Kunde before during my 30th birthday in 2022 when we were a large group. The amazing customer service we received then was matched and exceeded this time around, which I didn't think was possible. This winery is definitely one you cannot miss, regardless of the...

Edit: Third visit today 11/2/24 - absolutely amazing experience. First of all it’s incredibly beautiful right now with the fall colors. Sean, Rae, and Sally helped us with a bar lounge tasting and they were so incredibly kind and helpful. Couldn’t ask for a better experience - and I picked up my shipment of wines!! Can’t wait to enjoy them at home. The wine tastings were amazing and generously poured. I am so happy to be a member here.

Edit: second visit today 8/10/24- just as awesome an experience as the first !! Tried the Kineybrook tasting and loved all the wines - our favorite was the 2022 Chardonnay reserve. What made the experience incredible was the kindness and warmth of our server Carrie. She was so helpful and attentive and also made us feel very comfortable with our two babies running around. Way to go Carrie !!

Original review: My family and I became members today after an amazing first experience and tasting with Sonaya. I was the designated driver so I actually didn’t taste the wine, but everybody thoroughly enjoyed the wine, the ambiance, and most importantly the attentive and kind reception we received by everybody we spoke to. The lady welcoming folks with reservations in the K room was very friendly and helpful. Sonaya also did a wonderful job, providing us with the perfect, personalized wine tasting experience for those that were drinking. She also explained the benefits of membership and we decided that we want to make Kunde a part of our experience living in the Bay Area. We took home twelve wonderful bottles mixed between Rose, Syrah, and Meritage. We really look forward to experiencing our membership here and will update this post as we...

Good wine, mediocre experience. We visited 4 different wineries during our trip to Sonoma, and this was our least favorite. The wine was good and the property beautiful, but the experience was disappointing. Upon arrival, we were greeted and asked if we would like to do one of two tastings. We chose the one we wanted and were poured our first taste. We asked if we could take our glasses outside and walk around while we sipped the wine. We were told that we had to stay inside. Let me include that we visited mid week in March and saw only 1 couple outside when we walked in and were 1 of 4 groups inside. The weather was BEAUTIFUL-- not a cloud in the sky and 60 degrees, so not surprising that we would have preferred to take in the beauty of our surroundings. The winery also has multiple seating areas around the property; there was plenty of space and walking around would not have been intrusive on other guests. So we stood inside at the dim bar for our tasting, listening to the faulty, rattling fan in the background. Our server was knowledgeable of the wines, but more than once rushed us on to the next tasting. On one round, my husband still had his entire pour in his glass when she approached with the next bottle and said, "ready for the next one?" She continued to stand there, bottle in hand, until my husband downed his tasting and could pour the next taste into his glass. It was awkward and uncomfortable--it did not seem as if the experience was a priority for this server. We were given an additional complimentary port and chocolate taste at the end, which was kind. But overall, I would not recommend this winery for their tasting experience nor...