Bartholomew Estate Winery (Bartholomew Park) picnic guide

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking

Picnics welcome

Bring your own food

Allowed

Outside wine / alcohol

Not confirmed

Purchase required

No

Reservation

Not required

Fee

Free — the privately owned park is open to the public and no purchase requirement is stated for picnicking

Food on site

Grazing boards with a seated tasting ($85/person incl. tasting, Wed–Sun, 48-hour notice). 'Wine to go' with recyclable tumblers sold 11am–4pm daily for use in the park.

Groups

Seated tastings are 21+; group tastings of 9+ must be booked in advance (events@bartestate.com). Buses, RVs and oversized vans are not allowed in the winery or park. The main gate may close when parking fills; a second entrance off Old Winery Road serves the Castle Lawn area.

Dogs

Leashed dogs welcome throughout the property (not in barrel rooms on behind-the-scenes tours)

Kids

Kids welcome in the park and on the lawns; all seated tasting areas are 21+ (wine-to-go is the suggested family option)

Hours

Tasting room daily 11am–4:30pm; park 10am–6pm (no entry after 4:30pm); trails 10am–4:30pm

Tastings

$45–$55 per person flight; $85 with grazing board

House rules

The winery and park run under separate permits, so outside food is not allowed in the winery's tasting areas (Oak Knoll, Eucalyptus Grove, Courtyard Patio, Gallery) — only in the park's designated picnic areas. Park open 10am–6pm with no entry after 4:30pm; leashed dogs only. Outside alcohol policy not stated; wine for the park can be bought on site (wine to go, 11am–4pm).

What the picnic area is like

The mission-style winery sits inside a 375-acre private park that is open to the public. Picnic tables are spread under live oaks along mulched paths and succulent beds (the garden area is often called Antonia's Garden), with views over vineyards, a duck pond and the valley; there are also lawns where kids can run. Trails climb through oak, madrone and redwood woodland to a bay view.

• Picnic tables
• Lawn
• Shade trees
• Vineyard views
• Pond or lake
• Gardens
• Hiking trails
• Restrooms
• Parking

Good for: Families · Dogs · Budget-friendly · Views · Groups · Quiet

About Bartholomew Estate Winery (Bartholomew Park)

A historic winery set inside Bartholomew Park, a 375-acre private preserve on Sonoma's east side with free parking, oak-shaded picnic tables and about three miles of hiking trails. It is one of the few Sonoma Valley spots where you can picnic without buying anything, and wine to go is sold for the park.

• Picnicking welcome in designated park areas — no purchase required
• Wine to go in recyclable tumblers, 11am–4pm daily
• 3+ miles of trails, duck pond, windmill and a bay view at the top
• Leashed dogs welcome; lawns for kids
• No buses, RVs or oversized vans

More bring your own food spots in Sonoma CountyMore dog-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore family-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore free spots in Sonoma CountyMore no reservation spots in Sonoma CountyMore best views spots in Sonoma CountyMore groups spots in Sonoma County

Pick up picnic food nearby

• Sonoma's Best

  Sonoma · 1 mi

• Basque Boulangerie Café

  Sonoma · 2 mi

• Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market

  Sonoma · 2 mi

More picnic spots nearby

Park

Bartholomew Park

Sonoma· 0.3 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationDogs OKShade

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.

Bartholomew Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food

yes

Wine allowed

not confirmed

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

Outside

Fee

Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Sonoma's Best · 0.7 mi

Add to my day: Bartholomew ParkDetails: Bartholomew Park

Winery

Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Sonoma· 2 mi

Buy food on sitePurchase requiredNo reservationDogs OK

One of California's oldest wineries (founded 1858), still run by the founding family, with a relaxed, music-loving vibe and a big estate on the east edge of town. Picnicking is on the winery's terms: it sells picnic baskets and snacks but no longer allows outside food.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Buy food on siteChecked Sep 2026

Own food

no

Wine purchase

Required

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

Yes

Fee

not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Sonoma's Best · 1.2 mi

Add to my day: Gundlach Bundschu WineryDetails: Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Park

Depot Park

Sonoma· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

A relaxed neighborhood park a short walk from the Plaza, with bocce and petanque courts, a playground and public restrooms next to the picnic tables. It's the downtown option for dog owners, since leashed dogs are welcome here but banned from the Plaza, and the same 11:30 a.m.-to-sunset drinking window applies.

Depot Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food

yes

Wine allowed

yes

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

Yes

Fee

Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market · 0.1 mi

Add to my day: Depot ParkDetails: Depot Park

Park

Sonoma Plaza (Plaza Park)

Sonoma· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedShade

Sonoma's historic central square is the easiest picnic in the valley: grab food from the shops around it, claim a shady patch of lawn, and legally open a bottle between 11:30 a.m. and sunset. It is lively, free and walkable to dozens of tasting rooms, with playgrounds and a duck pond for kids, but dogs are not allowed.

Sonoma Plaza (Plaza Park)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food

yes

Wine allowed

yes

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

No

Fee

Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Sonoma's Tuesday Night Market · 0.0 mi

Add to my day: Sonoma Plaza (Plaza Park)Details: Sonoma Plaza (Plaza Park)

All picnic spots in Sonoma Valley →

Frequently asked questions