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Winery · Kenwood, Sonoma County

Chateau St. Jean Winery picnic guide

Picnic by reservationNo outside foodPurchase required$$$1 bookable picnic experience

Can you picnic at Chateau St. Jean Winery?

Only by reservation — Chateau St. Jean Winery offers picnicking as a booked experience or reserved table. Food comes from the winery; outside food isn't allowed. A wine purchase is part of the deal. Fee: Estate Picnic $70 per person (2–6 guests, 120 minutes, self-guided). Outside wine and alcohol aren't allowed.

Heads-up: many guides still describe Chateau St. Jean's lawn as a free bring-your-own picnic spot. Today it's a booked Estate Picnic with food from the winery.

Checked September 2026 from chateaustjean.comStated on the venue's own website

Formal gardens and lawn before the turreted Chateau St. Jean building below Sugarloaf Ridge
Photo: Sarah Stierch · CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking
Picnic by reservation
Bring your own food
Not allowed
Outside wine / alcohol
Not allowed
Purchase required
Yes
Reservation
Required
Fee
Estate Picnic $70 per person (2–6 guests, 120 minutes, self-guided): pick seasonal provisions at the winery's market and enjoy them with a flight of estate wines. Bocce group experience $75/person with wine ($20 without).
Food on site
On-site market with seasonal picnic provisions; cheese & charcuterie boards $55–$65
Groups
Estate Picnic 2–6 guests; Bocce Large Group Experience 8–35 guests; groups of 7+ use the event request form or call.
Dogs
Leashed dogs allowed; bring waste bags
Kids
Family-friendly; kids of all ages welcome
Hours
Daily 10am–5pm (last reservation 3:30pm)
Tastings
$30 bar; $50–$65 seated; $110 reserve (8–14 guests)
House rules
Official policy: outside food and picnicking are not permitted on the property — the only picnic is the booked Estate Picnic with food bought at the winery's market.

Book a picnic at Chateau St. Jean Winery

Comparing options? See every winery picnic you can book in Napa & Sonoma.

  • Tock

    Estate Picnic

    $70 per person ($50 for club members); includes a four-wine flight and lunch

    Self-guided picnic: you choose seasonal provisions at the winery's market (house and local charcuterie, salads, preserved vegetables, olives, cheese and baguette, mustards, a macaron or pastry; vegetarian options) plus a flight of four estate wines.

    2-hour reservation · 2–6 guests (21+ only) · Thu–Mon; book at least 24 hours ahead

    Check availability

Prices as listed when we checked; the booking page has current availability.

What the picnic area is like

The famous formal grounds around a French-inspired country chateau: a big lawn facing the vineyards, a stand of redwoods and Mediterranean-style gardens around the house. A separate lawn-games area has bocce, cornhole, lounge furniture and picnic tables for groups.

  • Picnic tables
  • Lawn
  • Shade trees
  • Gardens
  • Vineyard views
  • Bocce
  • Deli or market
  • Restrooms
  • Parking

Good for: Families · Dogs · Romantic · Large parties · Groups · Views

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About Chateau St. Jean Winery

Kenwood's showpiece estate with a chateau, formal gardens and one of the best-known lawns in wine country. Its long-standing free picnic grounds are gone: outside food is now banned, and picnics happen only through a paid Estate Picnic booking with food from the winery's market.

  • No outside food — picnic only via the $70/person Estate Picnic
  • Lawn, redwoods and chateau gardens
  • Bocce/cornhole group area for 8–35
  • Kids and leashed dogs welcome
  • Now part of Foley Family Wines

More dog-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore family-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore best views spots in Sonoma CountyMore groups spots in Sonoma CountyMore food sold on site spots in Sonoma County

Make a day of it

Stock up at a deli nearby, then picnic close by — a short, easy loop.

  1. Glen Ellen Village Market

    Deli & market · Glen Ellen · about 6.0 mi away

  2. Chateau St. Jean Winery (this winery)

    Winery · Kenwood

  3. Hamilton Family Wines

    Winery · Kenwood · about 0.7 mi away

  4. Ty Caton Vineyards (Kenwood Tasting Room)

    Winery · Kenwood · about 0.8 mi away

More picnic spots nearby

Courtyard fountain framed by Italian cypresses and potted flowers, with an oak and a table in front, at Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood
Winery

Landmark Vineyards (Kenwood Estate)

Kenwood· 0.5 mi

Buy food on sitePurchase requiredReserve aheadDogs OK

A Chardonnay and Pinot Noir house at the foot of Sugarloaf Ridge whose lawn, fountain courtyard and bocce court make it feel like a picnic spot — but for non-members the food has to come from the winery's own cheese-and-charcuterie selection.

Landmark Vineyards (Kenwood Estate)

Buy food on siteChecked Sep 2026
Own food
no
Wine purchase
Required
Reservation
Required
Dogs
Outside
Fee
not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.8 mi

Details: Landmark Vineyards (Kenwood Estate)
Winery

Hamilton Family Wines

Kenwood· 0.6 mi

Bring your own foodPurchase requiredNo reservationDogs OK

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.

Hamilton Family Wines

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
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

Details: Hamilton Family Wines
Winery

Ty Caton Vineyards (Kenwood Tasting Room)

Kenwood· 0.6 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservation

A walk-in-friendly Kenwood tasting room for a Moon Mountain District Cabernet specialist. With no food service, it invites visitors to bring their own picnic, which makes it a handy stop in a stretch of Highway 12 where many big wineries ban outside food.

Ty Caton Vineyards (Kenwood Tasting Room)

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine purchase
not confirmed
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
not confirmed
Fee
not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.2 mi

Details: Ty Caton Vineyards (Kenwood Tasting Room)
Sunny Tuscan-style courtyard with umbrella-shaded tables where guests eat at VJB Vineyards & Cellars
Winery

VJB Vineyards & Cellars

Kenwood· 0.7 mi

Buy food on sitePurchase requiredNo reservation

A family-run Italian marketplace-winery in Kenwood where the deli, pizza oven and gelato counter are half the draw. It's a great buy-your-lunch stop, but outside food isn't allowed.

VJB Vineyards & Cellars

Buy food on siteChecked Sep 2026
Own food
no
Wine purchase
Required
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
not confirmed
Fee
not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Glen Ellen Village Market · 4.0 mi

Details: VJB Vineyards & Cellars

All picnic spots in Sonoma Valley →

Frequently asked questions

Can you picnic at Chateau St. Jean Winery?

Only by reservation — Chateau St. Jean Winery offers picnicking as a booked experience or reserved table. Food comes from the winery; outside food isn't allowed. A wine purchase is part of the deal. Fee: Estate Picnic $70 per person (2–6 guests, 120 minutes, self-guided). Outside wine and alcohol aren't allowed.

Can you bring your own food to Chateau St. Jean Winery?

No. Chateau St. Jean Winery doesn't allow outside food, but you can buy food there: on-site market with seasonal picnic provisions; cheese & charcuterie boards $55–$65.

Can you bring your own wine to Chateau St. Jean Winery?

No. Like most wineries, Chateau St. Jean Winery doesn't allow outside wine or alcohol — buy a bottle there to enjoy with your picnic.

Do you need a reservation to picnic at Chateau St. Jean Winery?

Yes. Book ahead on their website. Estate Picnic 2–6 guests; Bocce Large Group Experience 8–35 guests; groups of 7+ use the event request form or call.

Is there a fee to picnic at Chateau St. Jean Winery?

Estate Picnic $70 per person (2–6 guests, 120 minutes, self-guided): pick seasonal provisions at the winery's market and enjoy them with a flight of estate wines. Bocce group experience $75/person with wine ($20 without).

Are dogs allowed at Chateau St. Jean Winery?

Leashed dogs allowed; bring waste bags.

Is Chateau St. Jean Winery good for kids?

Family-friendly; kids of all ages welcome.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Official visit page current Sept 2026 (site footer © 2026, 'Member of Foley Family')). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Chateau St. Jean Winery before you go. How we verify.

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