I don’t know if it’s really a restaurant as much as it just a shack with picnic tables, but I always stop by Gott’s Roadside because it’s delicious.
Picnic and bocce at Dutch Henry may work for a visit and the wines are good as well or at least they used to be. I haven’t had one in a while. Winery Status Updates – Dutch Henry
The town of Sonoma has TrainTown and Safari West if those would appeal to the kids. Can be combined with some visits to Sonoma Valley and/or Carneros wineries.
Clayton, Safari West, while a great recommendation for the kids, is on Porter Creek Road between Calistoga and Santa Rosa.
A little research will show those wineries, (number dwindling), that are kid friendly.
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but: Having a personal driver, (drives your car, or use a tour/limo service), is highly recommended if you intend to taste with children in tow. DUI with children in the car is an automatic felony child endangerment. Being realistic, why would you drive children around if you are drinking and in the case of wine tasting, going bar to bar.
The town of Sonoma has a beautiful central square with shops and winery tasting rooms galore. A tasting at Sojourn, Kamen and Enkidu is easy, with excellent wines.if you stay Napa, then Heitz still has free tastings and is great. Towns of Yountville, St Helena and Calistoga are cute. You can taste great wines for not much money as long as you call ahead. A winery tour, even if at a commercial winery, would be enlightening for newbies and kids, and at least 100 of them are offered…
Last trip we did Mumm, lunch at Tra Vigne, and finished at Montelena. We have 4 kids and they were well taken care of and had a blast. Mumm has a nice patio and art exhibit. The grounds at Montelena have lots of interesting things to look at and has a Pokestop if the kids roll like that.
Healdsburg and many of the tasting rooms are a little more kid friendly, but Napa is fun too.
Plan something for everyone
- visit/tour of the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield (about 20 minutes from Napa).
- Lunch at Bounty Hunter
- After lunch one tour/tasting - maybe something iconic like Mondavi or Beringer
Jelly Belly is cool, but IIRC best Mon - Fri when the factory is operational.
Of course V Sattui. Our girls were 7, 8 and 9 when we first took them to Napa. They are bummed every time we go without them now. They primarily want the picnic at V Sattui, but going up there makes them feel like they get to part of something “adult”. And who knows, the parents might like the wine there. Even if not, it’s a casual place to taste.
They would love the castle too, but last time we took them on the weekend, we had to park out by the loading dock so they didn’t even get to roam around the front of it. I wouldn’t go there on a weekend if you don’t want to pay for the admission. And Chateau Montelena had popsicles made from the juice of wine grapes for the kids.
I don’t like the advice about, “no kids.” That doesn’t answer her question at all. She was explicit in asking for places in wine country that would be affordable and fun for both the adults and kids. To tell her not to bring the kids is pointless, and of utterly no help.
Not at all. It’s an honest opinion and one she should be aware of. Some places just aren’t for kids. No matter how much wineries try to be “kid friendly”, watching parents taste wine is boring. Bored kids want to do something. That something likely as not is going to irritate other people.
These days people think kids should participate in every activity. They shouldn’t. And most parents don’t discipline their kids either, and god forbid someone else should tell the kids to behave. I told some kids to knock it off the other day in a department store. They were throwing things at each other in one of the aisles. The parents told me the kids were their responsibility, not mine. Bad move.
There may be places for kids at wineries. If there’s a pool, playground, etc., that’s fine. But don’t have them hanging around inside.
You don’t take kids to a bar either. People who take their kids should know that other people are not necessarily going to appreciate it, and should be aware that they’ll be seen, at least by some, as inconsiderate.
Grumpy ole “get off my lawn!” man alert!
That’s a pretty broad brush you’re painting with. We actually prefer going to most tastings without our kids. But they do ask if they can come every time we go up to Napa. So we tailor the visits accordingly. We won’t take them to the higher end or private tastings unless it’s one of our own exclusive private tastings we’re getting as a membership perk. Any they are interested in wine. They try to guess what grape it is by the smell at home and are interested in hearing what the person at the winery is telling us about each wine. I understand what you’re saying about people that just drag kids around because they are all on vacation together and the parents want to go to Napa. But I’m sure you’ll see your blanket statement doesn’t fit everyone.
I agree - you are right. And if you’ve taken pains to teach them manners, and it sounds as if you have, I’m more than happy to reciprocate and will show them great consideration.
And to the post above - not at all. I like kids. The fact that I don’t necessarily want YOUR kids ripping and running in a place that has nothing to do with kids doesn’t make me grumpy, it makes you inconsiderate and teaches them that they’re always entitled to do whatever they want.
If I’m getting loud and dropping f bombs, would you to take offense and send the kids to a safe space?
So it’s a broad brush and it sounds as if you’re one of the parents who understands. But too many kids today have no consideration and their parents don’t help. I have a world of respect for parents who actually teach their kids to be polite and to understand what’s appropriate under differing circumstances.
Are there 7-15 year old kids that like art museums?
Do you have any children?
On this point I would take offense with or without kids with me. Just like controlling their kids, some adults aren’t very good at knowing appropriate behavior for themselves.
But this thread is sliding. Bring the kids, take them on a cheese and meat picnic and one or two of the more casual wineries that are cater more to the tourist than quiet tastings.
Maybe not your Lord of the Flies brood, but many kids enjoy doing stiff like that with their parents. 
Based on some of the behavior I’ve seen from wine tasters, I often wonder what percentage of grown ups oenophiles like art museums!
This is silly trash talk, I don’t think your kids are like Lord of the Flies. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Man, the wineries must live seeing you come in the door.