Several of wine country's best-known picnic lawns no longer let you bring your own food. The Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau's 2015 picnic guide listed Chateau St. Jean, Kunde, B.R. Cohn, Viansa, Gundlach Bundschu, Jacuzzi, St. Francis and Landmark as picnic spots; as of September 2026, all eight bar outside food. So do Charles Krug and Regusci in Napa, and Korbel and the old Hop Kiln farther north. Most now sell you the picnic instead, but a place that welcomes your own basket is within about two miles of each (distances here are straight-line).
Ownership has shifted too: after Vintage Wine Estates' 2024 bankruptcy, Kunde, B.R. Cohn and Viansa carry Adair Family Wines branding, and Chateau St. Jean's website says it's part of Foley Family Wines.
At a glance
| Winery | Your own food? | Nearest place that allows it |
|---|---|---|
| Chateau St. Jean | No; booked picnic only | Hamilton Family Wines, about 0.6 mi |
| Kunde | No | Kenwood Plaza Park, about 0.5 mi |
| B.R. Cohn | No | Imagery Estate, about 0.8 mi |
| Viansa | No | Cline, about 0.3 mi |
| Gundlach Bundschu | No | Bartholomew Park, about 1.3 mi |
| Jacuzzi | No | Cline, about 0.2 mi |
| St. Francis | No | Hamilton Family Wines, about 1.8 mi |
| Landmark at Hop Kiln | Members only | Rochioli, about 0.1 mi (May–Sept.) |
| Charles Krug | No | Beringer, about 0.6 mi |
| Regusci | No | Pine Ridge, about 1.1 mi |
| Rutherford Hill | Yes, with a bottle purchase | Honig, about 1.4 mi |
| Korbel | No | Guerneville River Park, about 1.7 mi (no alcohol) |
Sonoma Valley and Carneros
Chateau St. Jean: a booked picnic only
- Older guides: Many, the 2015 guide included, describe the lawn as a free spot for your own blanket and food.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Chateau St. Jean allows no outside food or picnicking. Its only picnic is the booked Estate Picnic ($70 per person, two to six guests aged 21 and over, Thursday to Monday), with provisions from the winery's market and a four-wine flight.
- Bring your own instead: Hamilton Family Wines, about 0.6 miles away, welcomes picnic food and kids in its olive grove, with no reservation needed for a glass or bottle.
Kunde: no outside food
- Older guides: The 2015 guide described a shaded picnic area under valley oaks by a reflecting pool.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Every experience on Kunde's visit page says no outside food, and there's no picnic program.
- Bring your own instead: Free Kenwood Plaza Park, about half a mile away, has shaded lawns, a gazebo and picnic tables, and its county page says alcohol is allowed (no restrooms).
B.R. Cohn: buy your picnic on site
- Older guides: The 2015 guide listed B.R. Cohn as a picnic spot.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): B.R. Cohn's FAQ says outside food isn't permitted. Buy wine and snacks there instead and sit in its unreserved seating areas.
- Bring your own instead: Imagery Estate Winery, about 0.8 miles away, has a free, first-come lawn; its picnic tables need one bottle per two guests, plus a $50 table fee on weekends and holidays.
Viansa: marketplace picnics only
- Older guides: The 2015 guide listed Viansa, and Sonoma Valley's vintners directory still tags it with a picnic area.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Viansa allows no outside food or drinks. Buy bottles and snacks in its Italian Marketplace and picnic on the upper lawn, or reserve a table from $60 plus a one-bottle minimum.
- Bring your own instead: Cline Family Cellars, about 0.3 miles away (details below).
Gundlach Bundschu: baskets for sale, no outside food
- Older guides: Older magazine roundups say you can bring your own food, and the winery was on the 2015 list.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Gundlach Bundschu's FAQ says no outside picnics or food; it sells ready-made picnic baskets, cheese and charcuterie instead.
- Bring your own instead: Bartholomew Park, about 1.3 miles away, is free, with three picnic areas among vineyards and redwoods and no purchase needed. Its winery sells bottles for the park; ask before bringing your own wine.
Jacuzzi: head across the road
- Older guides: The 2015 guide listed Jacuzzi as picnic-friendly.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Jacuzzi Family Vineyards' FAQ says it doesn't accommodate bring-your-own food and points picnickers to its sister winery, Cline.
- Bring your own instead: Cline, about 0.2 miles away, across the highway.
St. Francis: pairings, not picnics
- Older guides: The 2015 guide listed limited patio seating for picnics.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): St. Francis permits no outside food or beverages, and every experience is by appointment.
- Bring your own instead: Hamilton Family Wines, about 1.8 miles away in Kenwood.
Carneros
A relaxed family winery on the Carneros stretch of Hwy 121, and one of the easiest places in Sonoma Valley to bring your own picnic: grab a pondside table (book ahead or walk in), buy two bottles and settle in. Kids, dogs and big groups are all welcome.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine purchase
- Required
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Outside
- Fee
- not confirmed
Nearest picnic food: Angelo's Wine Country Deli · 1.2 mi
Kenwood
A family-owned Rhône-focused winery (Grenache is the star) on the former Paradise Ridge Kenwood site, built around drop-in glasses and bottles under the olive trees. It explicitly welcomes outside picnic food, kids and dogs outdoors — one of the most relaxed picnic stops on Hwy 12.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine purchase
- Required
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Outside
- Fee
- No picnic fee
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.2 mi
Glen Ellen
An art-driven small-lot winery on Hwy 12 known for its artist-designed labels and on-site gallery, with one of the easiest bring-your-own-picnic setups in Glen Ellen. Weekday picnic tables just need a bottle purchase; weekends add a table fee.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine purchase
- Required
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Outside
- Fee
- not confirmed
Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 1.2 mi
Sonoma
A privately owned estate park that's open to the public, run by the nonprofit Bartholomew Foundation, and one of the prettiest free picnic spots near Sonoma, with lawns, redwoods and vineyard views minutes from the Plaza. The on-site winery that funds the park sells bottles and tumblers for picnickers, though the rules don't say whether you can bring your own wine.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine allowed
- not confirmed
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Outside
- Fee
- Free entry
Nearest picnic food: Sonoma's Best · 0.7 mi
Napa Valley
Charles Krug: no outside food or picnicking
- Older guides: Several list Napa's oldest winery as a bring-your-own spot, some saying weekday picnics are fine.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Charles Krug's visit page says outside food and picnicking aren't permitted, though you can order its cheese boards or wood-fired pizza (Thursday to Sunday) with a tasting.
- Bring your own instead: Beringer Vineyards, about 0.6 miles away, allows outside food at picnic benches on the edge of its estate. Or try free Lyman Park, about a mile away on Main Street, where beer and wine are allowed until 8 p.m.
Regusci: no outside food or drink
- Older guides: Once a well-known Stags Leap District picnic lawn, it's still on older lists.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Regusci permits no outside food or drink, and every guest must be 21 or older.
- Bring your own instead: Pine Ridge Vineyards, about 1.1 miles away on the Silverado Trail, allows outside food with a free garden reservation; buy wine on arrival, and the table is yours for 90 minutes.
Rutherford Hill: picnics stay, the old fees are gone
- Older guides: Pages around the web quote a $75 table fee or a $30 picnic-and-bottle package.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Neither fee appears on Rutherford Hill's website. Its FAQ allows picnics in the Upper Picnic Grove, an oak grove above the Silverado Trail, with a minimum bottle purchase (amount not stated), but not on the Valley Vista Terrace or where tastings are running. Call (707) 963-1871 to confirm the minimum.
- Bring your own instead: If the grove is full, Honig Vineyard & Winery, about 1.4 miles away, has a first-come picnic area for use before or after a tasting.
Stags Leap & Silverado Trail
A Stags Leap District Cabernet house on the Silverado Trail with hillside caves. Its bookable Garden View Seating is one of the few ways to picnic in the Stags Leap area: bring your own food, buy a bottle, and relax in a shaded garden with ridgeline views.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine purchase
- Required
- Reservation
- Required
- Dogs
- Outside
- Fee
- No fee listed
Nearest picnic food: Addendum at Ad Hoc · 1.5 mi
St. Helena
Lyman Park is St. Helena's Main Street green: pick up picnic supplies downtown and eat at a table by the gazebo. City code allows beer and wine until 8 p.m. It's the most convenient legal spot for a picnic with a bottle in the up-valley's walkable downtown.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine allowed
- yes
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Yes
- Fee
- Free entry
Nearest picnic food: The Model Bakery · 0.1 mi
Rutherford
A family-owned Rutherford winery best known for Sauvignon Blanc and a strong sustainability story. It is one of the more family- and dog-friendly stops in mid-valley, with a picnic area where you can eat your own food before or after a tasting.
- Own food
- yes
- Wine purchase
- not confirmed
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Dogs
- Yes
- Fee
- not confirmed
Nearest picnic food: La Luna Market · 1.2 mi
Russian River Valley
Landmark at Hop Kiln: members only
- Older guides: The historic stone hop kiln on Westside Road still appears on picnic lists, and Wine Road's directory tags it with picnic facilities.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): The property, now Landmark Vineyards at Hop Kiln Estate, allows outside food only for Wine Society members; others can buy cheese and charcuterie with a seated tasting by the pond. Landmark's Kenwood estate has the same rule.
- Bring your own instead: Rochioli, about 0.1 miles away, allows picnics on its patio from May through September, by appointment (adults only, no pets). Year-round, Riverfront Regional Park, about 1.5 miles away, has redwood-shaded tables, and alcohol is allowed.
Korbel: lunch comes from the deli
- Older guides: Popular Sonoma picnic lists still feature Korbel for bring-your-own or riverside picnics.
- Now (checked Sept. 25, 2026): Korbel's own site says outside food, beverages and picnicking aren't allowed; its deli sells sandwiches and salads for the outdoor tables.
- Bring your own instead: Guerneville River Park, about 1.7 miles away, is free but bans alcohol year-round. For wine with lunch, Gary Farrell, about 3.7 miles away, rents hilltop picnic tables for $55 (up to four guests) plus a two-bottle minimum.
Good news: wineries that confirmed bring-your-own
As of September 2026, each of these says on its own website that your food is welcome:
- Cline Family Cellars, Carneros: at pondside tables for two hours with a two-bottle purchase; walk-ins are welcome when a table is free.
- Foley Johnson, Rutherford: in a reserved vineyard lounge, for $50 per group (up to eight) plus at least two bottles.
- Pine Ridge, Stags Leap District: with a garden reservation (see Regusci, above).
- Balletto Vineyards, Santa Rosa: on its Olive Terrace or vineyard meadow, where its June 2026 picnic ideas suggest bringing food from a Sebastopol market (not during ticketed events).
- Truett-Hurst, Healdsburg: at its Tasting Barn near the Plaza with a minimum wine purchase, for groups of six or fewer.
- Raymond Burr Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley: with a $25 seated patio tasting; the fee is waived with a two-bottle purchase per guest.
- Smith Story Wine Cellars, Healdsburg: at the outdoor seats of its Wine Garden; pack it in and pack it out.
Kenwood Vineyards is open again. After posting "closed until further notice" in spring 2026, Kenwood Vineyards' website is back, listing daily tasting from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a new number, (707) 824-7770. It doesn't mention picnics yet, so call before bringing food to the old redwood picnic area.
For every recent change, with dates, see picnic policy updates.
