Clients reviews about Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma

This was our first visit to Napa and we were admittedly overwhelmed and unsure of how to approach everything…until we met Cheryl!!! She took one requested winery on our list and curated an absolutely amazing 3 day itinerary, handled all of the bookings, and was our driver for the entire trip (we rented a Turo flying in/out of Sacramento). I am still at a loss for words with how much of a personal, intimate, and absolutely amazing experience she put together for us. She was on time every morning and kept us on schedule throughout our time there. She knows the area and “behind the scenes” players/winemakers in the area that I doubt you will find with any other similar service. We cannot recommend Cheryl enough and will be utilizing her every time we go back. AMAZING!! ~ Ross C

I cannot recommend DD Napa/Sonoma enough. My wife and I visited Napa for the first time in almost 10 years last week (second time using DD Napa/Sonoma), and Cherie somehow upped the ante from our incredible 2015 visit. We gave her clear yet wide-berth preferences for booking our itinerary, and she booked us at six unique yet memorable tasting (and eating experiences) - including a day in the off-the-beaten-path Pope Valley, which we will not soon forget. There is no better car trip companion for your group than Cherie - she greeted us each morning with homemade baked goods, was knowledgeable about our destinations (and Napa in general), and could not have been kinder and more pleasant. We will certainly be back and using DD Napa/Sonoma as soon as we can. ~ Matt S

Paul made our 20th anniversary trip visit to Napa nothing short of extraordinary. His passion, knowledge, and warmth created an experience that was as personal as it was unforgettable. Paul isn’t just a driver, he’s a storyteller, an educator, and someone who genuinely cares about connecting people to the land, the wine, and the deeper purpose behind it all. If you’re looking for a fantastic driver, someone kind and inspiring in wine country, Paul is your guy. Thank you, Paul, for sharing your vision and creating an experience we’ll never forget. We also want to thank Cherie for helping to curate our experience from restaurant recommendations to wineries to visit. Her insight and willingness to help enhance our trip to make it memorable was wonderful! I cannot recommend ddnapasonoma more highly. ~ Cheron S

Absolutely Outstanding Designated Driver – Cherie is the BEST! We had the absolute pleasure of having Cherie as our designated driver for a wine tour through Napa for two separate days, and she was truly incredible from start to finish. Her professionalism, punctuality, and warm personality made our experience seamless and so much more enjoyable. Cherie knew the valley inside and out, offered great suggestions along the way, and made sure we stayed on schedule without ever feeling rushed. She was patient, courteous, and just a joy to be around—always one step ahead and made everyone feel comfortable and taken care of. If you’re planning a wine tour in Napa and want peace of mind while enjoying every sip, do yourself a favor and book Cherie. She elevated our whole day and we can’t recommend her highly enough! ~ Jonathan E

Ona at Designated Driver provides a wonderful service! Not only can she provide a good driver but she can also plan a wonderful itinerary to wineries that are unique and only accessible by someone “connected” and knows many winemakers in the valley. She booked tastings for us at amazing wineries that we never would’ve discovered otherwise. She also booked dinner reservations for us at wonderful restaurants. All the planning is done in advance so by the time you get to Napa, you just get picked up and enjoy your day! No worries about getting to all of your tastings on time and of course no worrying about driving. I’ve been to Napa 7 times and the last two times I’ve used Designated Driver’s services. It is the best and easiest way to explore Napa and I won’t do it any other way in the future. ~ Susan C

THE BEST TIME!! Cheryl was our driver, and she was spectacular !! She assisted with the curation of the wine tastings and the experience was something that I will never forget! There were 5 of us in our group, and she took care of everything - made sure we were at our appointments on time, and if we did run late, she'd make sure the vineyard knew so, and accommodated accordingly. Cheryl has so much knowledge of Napa, and has built a very impressive network of wine makers and vineyards - and she shares those connections with her clients. In addition to being so knowledgeable, she was SO FUN to hang out with ! She really made this trip extra special! HIGHLY recommend!! I wish I could give 10 stars! ~ John Y

If I could give Cherie 85 stars I would! In all seriousness, Cherie was the absolute BEST tour guide/driver and incredibly knowledgeable about the area. We ended up visiting 3 wineries today - loved the first (Duckhorn), hated the second (won’t be named), and after the second asked for her opinion on the third (also won’t be named). Rather, Cherie suggested another option instead (Burgess), which was absolutely PHENOMENAL!! From the wineries, to lunch, to the conversation all around, Cherie is an absolute ROCKSTAR!! We should’ve just let her plan our entire day for us because every recommendation through the day was spot on! If you don’t book with Cherie, it’s your loss! We’d absolutely recommend Cherie and plan on contacting her again on our next trip to Napa - and yes, we plan on asking her to coordinate our entire day! ~ Justin F

Cheryl was amazing!!!! I was skeptical at first when I found a recommendation on FB to use her to plan our Napa winery trip and experience. My family and I decided the $ was worth the gamble and it sure was!!!! Cheryl delivered an amazing itinerary of larger and smaller family wineries, made all the bookings, then drove us to and from each. She put up with our craziness and jumped at the chance to switch things up last minute so that we could support a small family winery affected by fires and then visit a secret spot. My husband, brothers, and my sister-in-laws created lasting memories and a some that are hard to remember due to all the great wines that we drank! We look forward to returning to Napa in the future and will not hesitate to reach out to Cheryl to plan and drive us around. We know it will be an amazing time and experience!!!!!! ~ Libby J

Cherie was the BEST driver and host we could've ever asked for! She was basically our psuedo-mom for the last 48 hours, driving us around Napa and sharing her knowledge regarding good pairings, restaurant recommendations, wine purchasing, questions to ask, etc. My husband and I are both vegetarian and didn't know what to get for lunch - she some how managed to pick us wraps/sandwiches with the ingredients of what we both would order (and this was just Day 1)! She also had extra water bottles and electrolytes and as we were here for our honeymoon, she surprised us with cookies after dropping us back at the hotel! We plan to make many trips to Napa (and eventually Sonoma) each time and plan to only have Cherie drive us! She is the best and most humble person and truly one in a million! We give her a million stars! 🤍🤍🤍 Thank you Cherie for making our honeymoon in Napa truly memorable! ~ Swapna S

The concierge at our hotel referred us to Ona at Designated Drivers after we asked about securing a driver to visit wineries throughout Napa, and I am so grateful for the connection! Cheryl was assigned to us for the weekend. Cheryl was more than a driver – she was informative, helpful, and attentive! It was obvious to us that she wanted us to maximize our time in Napa and hoped we would get everything we wanted out of our trip. Cheryl even surprised us with private tours and tastings with winemakers! Our trip would not have been the same without Cheryl!! I highly recommend Cheryl and this company and will certainly be calling them back on my next trip to Napa! ~ Amy E

Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma was truly a fantastic service! Cheryl was early every day making sure we got to our destinations on time. Her driving was great and she was extremely professional. We had a few winery reservations that we had made and there were a few other things we we wanted to do that she was able to help us fit into our schedule. She also had some awesome suggestions for lunches, dinners and additional wineries - all great suggestions! We had so much fun with Cheryl - she was easy to hang out with for several hours a day and we can’t wait to come back and see her again soon! ~ Erin S

Robert with Designated Drivers was phenomenal! He was incredibly knowledgeable on the area, the history, the wines. He showed up early. Had excellent communication. Was always ready when we were. He knew the wine make process and shared a lot of information. In the future, i would ask him & Designated Drivers to pick out a few of their favorite wineries and try those! Designated Drivers was great for us since we already had a rental car. They have separate insurance that applies to the car. I did not feel any pressure from the company and they were incredibly helpful. Will definitely use again. ~ Savannah L

My name is Aaron Shepard. I’m a sommelier in Central Washington. I inquired about a trip to Napa through a group I follow and wanted an experience to gain insight on the local wine culture in the area. Cheryl Roberts was Jonny on the spot with ideas and personable experiences in the Napa and Sonoma area. My family and I had a wonderful time! She booked all our tours, tastings and showed us her favorite locations which provided an experience I will never forget. Is you are in Napa I highly recommend her services. She will not disappoint! Thank you Cheryl for the experience. ~ Aaron S

Cheryl was great! This was our first trip to Napa for wine tastings. I was overwhelmed and had no idea how to choose which tastings to do. Cheryl was recommended through a Napa wine group on Facebook! So not only did she do our itinerary but we were able to use the designated drivers services for a driver so we wouldn't have to worry about driving through the valley after a full day of wine tastings. She's very easy to communicate with via FB and answered all my millions of questions! Definitely will use her and Designated drivers on our next trip to the valley! ~ Ashley D

Thank you to Cheryl Roberts and her team at Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma. She arranged our winery visits and did not lead us astray! The wineries she recommended were some of our favorites. Our driver, Joe, was personable and very knowledgeable about the area. He was a great tour guide as well as driver (and picker-upper of lunch!) Our whole experience with DDNapaSonoma was top notch. We highly recommend this company to anyone visiting the Napa Valley. The comfort of knowing we could taste to our hearts' content and not have to drive was invaluable. Thank you Cheryl and Joe! ~ Renee E

We had the best time touring the Russian River Valley earlier this month. Our hotel concierge connected us with Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma. Our driver, Ken, was so knowledgeable and we loved learning all the things he taught us about managing a vineyard, growing the grapes, and making wine. He also had fantastic suggestions for additional places to visit even though we would be seeing those places on our own. When we come back to Sonoma County, I’ll be sure to use Designated Drives Napa Sonoma again and will definitely request Ken as our driver! ~ Lindsay H

Cheryl was our driver and gave us a unique perspective on the area, it's culture, and in-sight of the history and progress of the valley as a Napa-born guide. Our day was well planned based upon our wants (lunch, affinity toward reds) well paced - didn't over-stay or feel cheated of time - and well organized. Our party was celebrating a milestone birthday and an anniversary, and received special attention at each stop. Cheryl was punctual and pleasant. We will request her on our next trip through the valley. ~ Rob P

My wife and I, along with two friends traveled to Napa for the first time and because of Michael, the trip was a memorable one. Michael has been driving for 15+ years, knows the area extremely well, was always on time and made sure we made our reservations without worry. If you're looking for a reliable driver in addition to someone that is very knowledgeable and also a joy to be around, Michael is your guy! I would highly recommend this company and cannot wait to come back to the area to request Michael again! Thanks BBM! ~ Octavio H

Our driver, Ken, was fantastic! Easily one of the best parts of our trip. He was knowledgeable and helped us get where we needed to be and even recommended a few places in between. Ken also helped us make last minute changes when we needed to - seamlessly coordinating on our behalf so we could enjoy all our experiences. He also tolerated six “animated” women whose singing was all the more impressive by the end of the day. Do yourself a favor-get a driver with Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma, and make sure it’s Ken! ~ Kelly B

I booked a trip with Designated Drivers in September for a group of 3. We were staying in Sonoma and wanted to day trip to Napa without having to worry about transportation. Cheryl was easy to communicate with and set us up with a great itinerary of 3 wineries, two of which were very small and we never would have found without her. Our driver Ken was very friendly and knowledgeable about wine and the area. We had an awesome day touring the wineries and I would 100% use Designated Drivers Napa Sonoma again! ~ Kristen P

From start to finish DDNapaSonoma was awesome to deal with. Our initial contact was with Cherie who asked a ton of questions to properly set our itinerary. She ended up spot on in setting up tastings with awesome people in great settings with fantastic wines. Our driver Cheryl was top notch. She was professional, fun and a wealth of knowledge. An amazing experience was had by our party of 4 and when we return, I will look to Cheryl and Cherie to guide us again. ~ Jay F

We have used Designated Drivers Napa three times now. The last time (March 2024) was maybe the best yet. Our driver was Cheryl and she was so knowledgable about the area and provided some tips on dinners out and other wineries to visit. She was polite and friendly, but also knew when we were just having fun and hanging out! We had a tight schedule with three wineries and lunch that day - she kept us on time getting us to where we needed to go! Highly rec the company and Cheryl, specifically. ~ Janna G

I could not recommend the service more. Cherie was amazing. She was there early and had a lot to tell us about the area of Napa. She even picked up lunch for us in between wineries and everything was well taken care of. She also gave us great recommendations around the city of Napa as well. This is such an affordable option. I will be recommending designated drivers to all my friends, heading to Napa and hope to visit again in the future and use their service. ~ Brittney L

My parents and I visited Napa, and we had the joy of having Cheryl as our driver — she was super nice and accommodating. After reviewing our itinerary and learning about what types of wineries we have visited in the past, she helped us get in to a really unique & special vineyard that fit our style. She helped make our day fun and simple. We all plan to use this company again and will recommend it to our friends. We also 100% plan to work with Cheryl again, as she was phenomenal! ~ Sarah M

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