Picnic policy updates
Picnic rules change quietly — a lawn closes, a fee appears, a deli shuts. We log what we find while re-checking our 380 listings, newest first.
- Policy change
Truett-Hurst, Raymond Burr and Smith Story welcome your own food
Three Healdsburg-area wineries now say outright that you can bring a picnic. Truett-Hurst allows it at its downtown Tasting Barn with a wine purchase (groups of six or fewer). Raymond Burr welcomes outside food with its seated tasting, and Smith Story allows it at its outdoor seating.
- Policy change
New picnic boxes at Andy's Produce and Gott's Roadside
Andy's Produce Market in Sebastopol now sells grab-and-go picnic packs, and Gott's Roadside in St. Helena sells group boxed meals for pickup (order by 2 p.m. the day before).
- Note
Confirmed: no picnics at Opus One, Caymus or Silver Oak
Each winery's own visitor policy now says outside food or picnicking isn't allowed, so our "no" is confirmed rather than inferred. Chateau Montelena reserves picnicking for members.
- Policy change
Frank Family's picnic booking vanishes from Tock
Frank Family's own picnic page still offers $25 private tables where you bring your own food, but the Picnic & Bottle Service booking is gone from its Tock page and its FAQ now says outside food isn't allowed. Call the winery before you pack a basket.
- Policy change
Scribe's Knoll Picnic is members-only for now
Scribe's estate reservations, including the Knoll Picnic, are currently limited to members of its Viticultural Society. Non-members can call or text the winery to ask.
- Policy change
Cline, Foley Johnson and Pine Ridge confirm bring-your-own picnics
After mixed signals on Tock, all three wineries' own visit pages say you can bring your own picnic food. Cline asks for a two-bottle purchase at its pondside tables, and walk-ins are welcome when a table is free. Foley Johnson's reserved vineyard lounge costs $50 per group plus two bottles. Pine Ridge allows outside food with a garden reservation.
- Policy change
Eight classic Sonoma Valley picnic lawns no longer allow outside food
The Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau's 2015 picnic guide listed them as picnic spots, but Chateau St. Jean, Kunde, B.R. Cohn, Landmark, Gundlach Bundschu, Jacuzzi, St. Francis and Viansa now bar bring-your-own food. Most sell you the picnic instead (marketplace boxes, cabanas or a booked picnic).
- Policy change
Chateau St. Jean: the famous lawn is now a booked $70 picnic
Picnicking on Chateau St. Jean's historic lawn now works only through its reserved "Estate Picnic" (about $70 per person, 2–6 guests), with food from the winery. Outside food isn't allowed.
- Policy change
Charles Krug says no outside food or picnicking
Several older guides still list Napa's oldest winery as a bring-your-own picnic spot. The winery's visit page now says outside food and picnicking aren't permitted; you can still order its cheese boards or wood-fired pizza on the lawn.
- Policy change
Korbel: buy food at the deli, don't bring it
Korbel still appears on popular Sonoma picnic lists, but its own site says outside food and beverages aren't allowed on the property. Its deli and outdoor seating are the picnic option.
- Policy change
Hop Kiln is now Landmark — outside food for members only
The historic Hop Kiln property on Westside Road now pours as Landmark Vineyards at Hop Kiln Estate. Its pondside picnic area is no longer a bring-your-own spot for the public: outside food is limited to wine club members.
- Policy change
Rodney Strong, Bricoleur and Dutton Estate sell picnics instead
All three appear on older picnic lists, but none allows outside food now; each offers a paid picnic package instead. Lambert Bridge and Emeritus reserve bring-your-own picnics for wine club members.
- Policy change
Rutherford Hill's old picnic fees are gone
The $75 table fee and $30 picnic-and-bottle package quoted around the web no longer appear on the winery's site. Its FAQ now describes the Upper Picnic Grove with a minimum bottle purchase.
- Policy change
Members-only picnics at Alpha Omega and Bennett Lane
Both Napa wineries now reserve picnicking for wine club members, so they're listed as no-picnic for the public.
- Policy change
Black Stallion: bring-your-own replaced by an Estate Picnic Lunch
Older guides say you could bring your own food with a small purchase. Today the winery offers its own chef-made Estate Picnic Lunch (about $60 per person) instead.
- Policy change
Regusci no longer hosts picnics
Once a well-known Stags Leap picnic lawn, Regusci now allows no outside food or drink, and visits are 21+.
- Policy change
Kenwood Vineyards is open again
After posting "closed until further notice" in spring 2026, Kenwood Vineyards' website is back with tasting daily from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a new phone number, (707) 824-7770. It doesn't mention picnics yet, so call before you bring food to its old redwood picnic area.
- Closed
Vella Cheese Company closes
The Sonoma cheesemaker, a picnic-supply institution near the Plaza, made its last sales on September 4, 2026.
- Closed
Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant has closed
The Oxbow Public Market cheese shop closed at the end of 2025. Other Oxbow vendors still sell sandwiches, charcuterie and boxed lunches for a picnic.
- Note
Who owns what: Kunde, B.R. Cohn and Viansa are now Adair Family Wines
After Vintage Wine Estates' 2024 bankruptcy, Kunde, B.R. Cohn and Viansa carry Adair Family Wines branding; Chateau St. Jean's site now says it's part of Foley Family Wines. Policies changed with the owners, which is why older guides are unreliable.
- Note
Napa Picnic Guide launches
Our first full check of picnic policies across Napa and Sonoma wineries, parks, delis and picnic companies, verified against each venue's own website wherever it states a policy.
Spotted a change? Tell us — we re-check against the venue's own policy before updating.
