Wine Road Podcast - Episode 244 with Bruce Marinace, a private tour driver in Wine Country.

About this episode

Bruce Marinace shares his journey from IT in Silicon Valley to becoming a private tour driver in Sonoma County.

Welcome to Wine Road, hosted by Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa, with thanks to Ron Rubin for supporting the podcast. (0:24 - 0:48) Thanks to River Road Family Vineyards and Winery for their support. Explore their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at riverroadvineyards.com. (0:49 - 0:59) Episode 244 features Bruce Marinace, a tour driver and guide in Sonoma County. (1:03 - 1:15) Beth met Bruce at Alexander Valley Vineyards during their cave expansion event, leading to his podcast invitation. (1:32 - 1:47) Bruce transitioned from IT in Silicon Valley to wine tours in Sonoma after moving for his wife. (2:08 - 2:23) Bruce humorously recounts joining the Santa Rosa Mother's Club and adjusting to life as a stay-at-home dad. (3:11 - 3:31) Inspired by a TV show, Bruce began driving for wine tour companies, eventually joining Private Wine Drivers. (4:23 - 4:43) Private Wine Drivers offers intimate experiences at boutique wineries, connecting guests with winemakers. (5:05 - 5:15) Bruce prefers driving smaller vehicles for personalized tours and enjoys building relationships with clients. (6:15 - 6:30) Bruce helps clients navigate Sonoma's 490 wineries, tailoring tours to their preferences. (7:17…

People in this episode

Hosts: Marcy Gordon, Beth Costa

Guest: Bruce Marinace

Topics covered

• wine tours
• Sonoma County
• private tours
• family life
• career transition

Keywords

• Alexander Valley Vineyards
• Private Wine Drivers
• Chardonnay
• Pinot Noir

Sponsors

River Road Family Vineyards and Winery

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Books & works: Wine Road Podcast, Wine Road

Places: Wine Country, Sonoma County, Silicon Valley, Sonoma

More episodes of Wine Road: The Wine, When & Where of Sonoma County

• Wine Road Podcast - Episode 251, Virginie Boone · April 23, 2026 · 51 min
• Wine Road Podcast, Episode 250 - Diane DiRoma, River Road Family Vineyards & Winery · April 9, 2026 · 37 min
• Wine Road Podcast - Episode 249 - Damy Tamburrino - Foppiano Vineyards · March 26, 2026 · 27 min
• Wine Road Podcast - Episode 248 - Lauren Fremont · March 12, 2026 · 25 min
• Wine Road Podcast - Episode 247 - Sidney Hunter, Barrel Tasting guest · February 26, 2026 · 25 min
• Wine Road Podcast - Episode 246 - Janae Franicevic / Sunce Winery · February 12, 2026 · 38 min