# Cruising Sonoma Valley in a Vintage VW Bus with Ronnie Cotter of West Wine Tours

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours.md
Podcast: [The Sonoma Spiel](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529)
Published: 2026-04-03T20:17:43+00:00
Episode link: https://SonomaValley.podbean.com/e/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/xkckucqw2fdvvck8/RONNIEWESTWINETOURS_Final.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529/episodes/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours
Duration seconds: 3014

## Resource

In this episode of The Sonoma Spiel, Tim talks with Ronnie Cotter of West Wine Tours about one of the most memorable ways to explore Sonoma Valley: riding through wine country in a vintage Volkswagen bus. Ronnie shares what makes West Wine Tours special, from its fleet of colorful classic VW buses to its focus on family-owned wineries, boutique tasting experiences, and a more laid-back, off-the-beaten-path feel. They talk about some of the stops guests might enjoy, including Bartholomew Estate Winery, Winery Sixteen 600, and Anaba, along with the stories, scenery, and local flavor that make the ride part of the experience. The conversation also covers Ronnie’s path into hospitality, growing up in Sonoma, learning to drive stick, working as a farmer before becoming a tour guide, and why he enjoys helping visitors see what Sonoma Valley is really all about. Along the way there are detours into deli sandwiches, music playlists, local golf, pizza memories, and visitor questions about burgers, hostels, mashed potatoes, and hot springs. It’s a warm, funny, local episode about classic vehicles, Sonoma hospitality, and the joy of taking the scenic route. In this episode: Vintage VW bus tours in Sonoma Valley Family-owned wineries and boutique tasting experiences Ronnie’s path from farming to hospitality Bartholomew, Winery Sixteen 600, and Anaba Local stories, visitor questions, and Sonoma favorites Learn more:westwinetours.com About The Sonoma Spiel The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit. 🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:👉 https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass Got questions…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529/episodes/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel-5578529/cruising-sonoma-valley-in-a-vintage-vw-bus-with-ronnie-cotter-of-west-wine-tours.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.