We booked an appointment about two weeks ahead of time. When we got there, we buzzed and the gate opened and we drove through. That was the best service we had the rest of that visit.
We arrived, parked, and walked to the tasting room. We were one of the three total parties there at the time. Someone asked us if we were the appointment, I said yes, and then they said "Good, glad you showed up."
We were sat outside at request and we asked our server how it worked. Our server was brief and not very friendly. He told us there was a nice cheese tray, but when we did not want that, he brought us some stale buttered popcorn to go with the green-flavored olive oil, not the flatbread that was mentioned on the website.
For our flight, I asked for the bubbles, and he assumed both my husband and I wanted the same thing and left immediately. My husband had to get up and ask him to bring him what he wanted. When we started asking him questions about the grapes or the production process, he would just respond with "I don't know" and then just stand there with nothing else to stay. He would serve us what we asked for and if he had a question, he would read the vague menu description to us as if we could not read them ourselves. Really enlightening. He was hard to find the rest of the time and we had to ask another server for water.
What made this worse was that there were groups arriving all around us, some just walk-ins, without reservations, and they were seated with servers that could tell you the oak percentages, the fields each grape was picked in, etc and more. These servers were just spouting out facts to everyone else.
Towards the end of our tasting, my husband went to the restroom. Our server saw my husband was gone, came to the table, and asked if we were done. I told him no, he asked what I wanted, and I told him I would wait to order when my husband returned. The server then stood at the table without talking or bothering to take care of his other tables. It was really awkward. I guess he was ready for us to leave.
When we did get done, he told us that we could have our receipt emailed or not have one at all. I guess those choices just made it easier not to tip him.
When we were about to leave, we asked a different server if she would take our picture with the backdrop of the valleys. She said "in a minute" and then ignored our request and went back to servicing HER tables never stopping to help us.
For $20/person, I had a ton more fun at Landmark Vineyards or Roche in downtown Sonoma- which were both cheaper, btw.