St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Alioto-Tournahu with a Private Chauffeur
A seven-acre family vineyard north of St. Helena, fifty years in one family and now making its own wine under a Master Sommelier's eye, with private tastings by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
George and Evelyn Tournahu bought seven acres just north of St. Helena in 1976, as a summer house with room for the grandchildren and a creek for picking berries. The vineyard came with it, planted to Napa Gamay. In 1998, on the advice of their son-in-law, Master Sommelier Nunzio Alioto, they replanted the whole property to Cabernet Sauvignon, and for the next twenty-six years the fruit went into other people's bottles.
The vineyard sits in the St. Helena AVA on an alluvial fan of gravel, clay and river rock, with a creek running through the land. From 2015 Thomas Rivers Brown made a single-vineyard Tournahu Cabernet for Mending Wall. In 2024 the family kept fruit for itself for the first time, with winemaker Rich Frederick, formerly of Revana: an estate Sauvignon Blanc and the first estate Cabernet, due for release in 2026.
This is a very personal visit. Alioto-Tournahu is not open to the public, but the family hosts private tastings by appointment, arranged by email or phone, so we make the request and build the day once a time is confirmed. Nunzio passed the Master Sommelier exam in 1987, and the family aims for Napa Cabernet in the style of the 1960s to 1990s: grace, savoriness and fineness.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Alioto-Tournahu does not publish a tasting fee; it is confirmed when the private tasting is arranged.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Not open to the public. Private tastings by appointment, arranged by email or phone with the family; we arrange it on your behalf. Days, times and length of visit are confirmed by the winery.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sancerre-inspired Sauvignon Blanc from a single St. Helena vineyard
Founded
1976 (vineyard purchased; first estate wines 2024)
Good to Know
The vineyard address is confirmed with the appointment. Ages, group size and pets are not published; we confirm them when the visit is accepted. The wines are sold only through the winery's allocation list.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Hotel St. Helena. The family sets the tasting time, so the start may move once it is confirmed.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Hotel St. Helena
Both are close: Hotel St. Helena on Main Street is about 5 minutes from the vineyard, and Harvest Inn at the south end of town about 10. If the family offers a different time, we build the day around it. The day below runs about six and a half hours, and extra time is added by the hour.
10:15 · Alioto-Tournahu
A private tasting at the family vineyard, arranged by appointment. No fee or length of visit is published, so we allow about an hour and confirm the details when the visit is accepted.
11:35 · Sphaerics
About 15 minutes away. A young Chardonnay and Pinot Noir house from winemaker Laura Jones, formerly of Aubert, where the visit starts in the cellar with a barrel preview. $75, about 90 minutes, waived with a wine purchase. By appointment; the address is shared with the booking.
1:20 · Lunch at Solbar
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Solbar, the restaurant at Solage in Calistoga, served Monday through Saturday from 11:45 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:45 · VGS Chateau Potelle
About 20 minutes away. A small French-owned winery with a tasting house and garden, pouring single-vineyard wines (Mount Veeder Cabernet among them) with bites from La Toque. A private Wine Tasting of six wines is $75; we allow about an hour. By reservation, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 21 and over.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:15 p.m.
About $150 per person in tasting fees for Sphaerics and VGS Chateau Potelle, plus Alioto-Tournahu's fee, which is confirmed when the visit is arranged. Fees are paid directly to each winery.
Alioto-Tournahu hosts only by appointment, so the day is set once the family confirms a time. With lunch in Calistoga, the day runs about six and a half hours. Solbar serves lunch Monday to Saturday; on Sundays we pick another spot.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Alioto-Tournahu?
Yes. Alioto-Tournahu is not open to the public and hosts private tastings by appointment only, arranged by email or phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Alioto-Tournahu?
The winery does not publish a tasting fee; it is to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Who owns Alioto-Tournahu?
The Tournahu and Alioto family. George and Evelyn Tournahu bought the vineyard in 1976, and Master Sommelier Nunzio Alioto, their son-in-law, guides the wines with winemaker Rich Frederick.
How can I buy Alioto-Tournahu wine?
Only through the winery's allocation list. The first releases are the estate Sauvignon Blanc and the 2024 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
Where is the Alioto-Tournahu vineyard?
Just north of the town of St. Helena, in the St. Helena AVA, on a neighborhood road it shares with vineyards such as Gamble, Panek and Shibumi Knoll.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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