Welcome!
The Vietnam Tour will bring together a variety of sommeliers for a week of learning, exploring and experiencing California wine. The program is designed to offer a deeper understanding of California wines through vineyard visits, tastings, master classes and more.
This site provides your itinerary, helpful travel information, key resources on California wine and will also link to a digital wine catalogue on the Bottlebooks platform. The catalogue includes a complete list of the wines featured during the program. We will share instructions on how to use the tool to maximize its functionality.”
Sunday, November 16
Arrival at SFO (AM Arrival)
Group 1 arrival at 6:30 am
Group 2 arrival at 9:15 am
Meet Michelle Xia (cell: 530-680-9929) and the bus driver outside of customs.
The driver will have a sign for the group: "VIETNAM SOMMELIER GROUP".
Overnight in Livermore at Homewood Suites
Group 1 Check-In
9:30am | Check in at Homewood Suites (Group 1)
Group 2 Check-In
12:15pm | Check in at Homewood Suites (Group 2)
Maple Street Eatery
1:00pm | Casual Lunch
Locanda
6:00pm | Dinner at Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar
Overnight in Livermore
Homewood Suites
Wente Vineyards
8:30am | California Wine Overview "Wines and Terroir from the Golden State" with David Glancy at Wente Vineyards
Wente Vineyards
11:00am | Tasting and Lunch
Host: Michael Parr, Vice President of International Sales at Wente Vineyards
Hotel Check-In
3:00pm | Check in at Wine and Roses
Lodi Vintners
5:00pm | Masterclass Tasting and Dinner in The Cellar Room, Wine and Roses
Host: Stuart Spencer, Executive Director of Lodi WineGrape Commission
Wineries: Ironstone Vineyards & Michael David Winery
Overnight in Lodi
Wine & Roses
LangeTwins Family Winery
9:00am | Lodi vintners Old Vine Vineyard Tour
Hosts
Stuart Spencer, Executive Director of Lodi WineGrape Commission
Joseph Lange, International Sales Director at LangeTwins
Black Stallion Winery
12:00pm | Lunch, Tour, and Tasting
Host
Jing Jin, Director Sales & Marketing Operations at Delicato Family Wines
Matthiasson
3:00pm | Tour and Tasting
Host
Steve and Jill Matthiasson, Owners of Matthiasson
Hotel Check-In
5:00pm | Check in at The Archer
Darioush
6:30pm | Dinner
Host
Matthew Sharp, President at Darioush
Overnight in Napa
The Archer Hotel
Wednesday, November 19
Depart The Archer at 7:45 am (no luggage)
Masterclass
8:30am | The History of Napa in 6 glasses with Kelli White at Napa Valley Vintners
Pine Ridge
11:00am | Lunch, Tour and Tasting
Host
Mark Cervellero, VP East and Exports at Crimson Wine Group
Shafer Vineyards
2:00pm | Tour and Tasting
Hosts
- Ilse Mapes, Director of Guest Services at Shafer Vineyards
- Aitor Bischoff, Head of Hospitality at Shafer Vineyards
Break at Hotel
4:00pm | The Archer
Farmstead
5:30pm | Dinner at Farmstead by Long Meadow Ranch
Hosts
- Brad Groper, Chief Sales Officer at Long Meadow Ranch
- Brent Shortridge, Export Manager at Schramsberg Vineyards
- Peter Willmert, CEO of Hudson Vineyards
- Steven Folb, General Manager at Ehlers Estate
Overnight in Napa
The Archer Hotel
Thursday, November 20
Depart The Archer at 7:45 am (with luggage)
H2 Hotel
9:00am | Somm Talk, A Candid Dialogue With Three Master Sommeliers
Hosts
- David Glancy MS
- Chris Miller, MS
- Anthony Anselmi, MS
DeLoach Vineyards
11:30am | Tour, Tasting, and Lunch
Host
Alexis Taillard, Sales Manager at Boisset Collection
Ramey Vineyards
2:30pm | Tour and Tasting
Host
Karen Wineberg, Director of Sales Administration at Ramey Vineyards
Check in Hotel
4:15pm | Harmon House
Jackson Family Vineyards
6:00pm | Dinner
Host
Tiffany Stewart, Business Development Manager, International Marketing at Jackson Family Wines
Overnight in Healdsburg
Harmon House
Friday, November 21
Depart Harmon House at 8:30 am (with luggage)
BACA Wines
9:00am | "Rooted in Sustainability" An Overview of the Sonoma County Wine Region at BACA Wines
Host
Ashley Boyle, Trade Relations & International Programs Manager at Sonoma County Vintners
Panelists
Peter Oakes, WALT/BACA Hospitality and Tasting Room Manager
John Doxon, Dry Creek Vineyard
Mark DeVere MW, The Donum Estate
Jeff Zappelli, HALL Family Wines
Claire Ramey, Ramey Wine Cellars
Olivia Wright, Rodney Strong Vineyards
Silver Oak Cellars
11:00am | Lunch and tasting at Silver Oak, Alexander Valley
Host
Dan Kemp, Winemaker at Silver Oak Alexander Valley
Alexander Valley Vineyards
2:00pm | Tour and Tasting
Host
Robert Wetzel, National Sales Director/Owner at Alexander Valley Vineyards
Check in Hotel
5:30pm | The Argonaut
Abaca
7:00pm | Dinner with Paso Robles
Host
Christopher Taranto, Communications Director at Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
Overnight in San Francisco
The Argonaut Hotel
Saturday, November 22
Travelers on the 10:30 am and 11:40 am flights will be picked up by a bus at 7 am. Please meet in the lobby.
Travelers on night flights will have access to their hotel rooms throughout the day. Christopher and Michelle will facilitate Uber transportation to the airport in the evening.
Guest Travel Information
What to wear
Afternoons and evenings can be cool and windy, especially in coastal areas. Bring a jacket or sweater with you at all times.
- Casual, jeans ok. Please dress for vineyard & winery visits with sturdy footwear – closed toe shoes
- Winery Dinners: Smart casual (Tip: Avoid wearing heels)
What to bring
- Passport / ID for hotel check-ins
- Credit card for incidentals / personal use when you check in
- Electronic chargers, adapters, back-up battery packs
- Curiosity, Positive Attitude & Questions!
Tips
- Join the tour WhatsApp group for helpful reminders. Check back for a link to join here.
- Traveling in a group is even more pleasant if we do not have to wait for anyone. We kindly ask everyone to be on time.
What is covered in your stay
- Hotel stays, group transportation, transportation to and from SFO
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
What is not covered
- Personal incidental expenses – spa services, mini-bar, room service, etc.
- Additional hotel room nights and transportation outside of the pre-arranged conference and regional tours.
- Travel Insurance – we recommend you take out travel insurance as Wine Institute is not able to do this for you.
Guest Travel Information
Stay connected on the Tour
If you haven’t joined yet, make sure to join the Vietnam Sommeliers WhatsApp group! It’s a great place to connect with fellow tour members, share photos and updates, and stay engaged with our growing community.
Meet your fellow travelers
See the incredible lineup of sommeliers from Vietnam! Get to know your fellow travelers and the tour guides who will accompany you throughout the entire week.
Level Up Your
California Wine Knowledge
Capstone is California’s premier wine certification program, designed for both professionals and wine enthusiasts. With four levels of study, it covers everything from geography and viticulture to producers, the wine business, and more. Developed by leading global experts, the multilingual curriculum offers a comprehensive path from novice to expert.