Downtown Napa · Napa Valley
Visit Benevolent Neglect with a Private Chauffeur
A 1970s-style vinyl lounge in downtown Napa, with a secret room behind a bookcase and minimal-intervention wines, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Ben Brenner and Matt Nagy started Benevolent Neglect in 2013 and opened their downtown Napa tasting lounge in 2022. Matt learned winemaking working alongside Thomas Rivers Brown and Steve Matthiasson; Ben came up through restaurants and harvest work before turning to hosting.
The name is the approach: minimal intervention, no water or acid additions unless needed, no new oak, and red wines bottled unfined and unfiltered. The fruit comes from small vineyards from Mendocino to Carmel, including organically farmed Ribolla Gialla at Bengier Vineyard in Oak Knoll, which the winery calls the largest planting of the grape in California.
The lounge on Second Street is the fun part. It has retro seating, wood paneling and a working turntable, with album covers on the walls, and guests are invited to bring a record of their own to play. Behind a bookcase there is a private room for groups and special tastings. It is a relaxed, music-first start to a day of serious wine.
Tasting Fees
$45 for the Benevolent Neglect Wine Flight (1 to 6 guests). $110 for the Private Room Experience (2 to 35 guests). Durations are not published; we allow about an hour.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1417 2nd Street, Napa
AVA
Napa Valley
Visiting
Tastings in the lounge at 1417 Second Street, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., reserved and prepaid on Tock. We arrange it on your behalf.
Known For
Minimal-intervention California wines and a 1970s vinyl tasting lounge
Founded
2013 (lounge opened in 2022)
Good to Know
The Wine Flight takes parties of 1 to 6; the Private Room takes 2 to 35. Bring a vinyl record to share if you like. Ages and walk-in policy are not published, so we confirm them when booking.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:45 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Archer Hotel Napa or 1801 First. The lounge opens at 11 a.m., so we start a little later than usual.
10:45 · Pickup at Archer Hotel Napa or 1801 First
Both are a few minutes from the lounge in downtown Napa. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
11:00 · Benevolent Neglect Wines
The Wine Flight in the vinyl lounge ($45); we allow about an hour. The Private Room Experience ($110) is the step up for a group.
12:20 · Robinson Family Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. A family estate built against the Stags Leap Palisades, where a member of the Robinson family hosts every tour and tasting. The private tour and seated tasting is $65 for about an hour and 15 minutes. By appointment, Tuesday to Saturday; last booking at 2:45 p.m.
1:50 · Lunch at Mustards Grill
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Mustards Grill on Highway 29 just north of Yountville, a Napa Valley favorite for more than 40 years, open daily for lunch. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:05 · Blackbird Vineyards
About 18 minutes away. Pomerol-inspired blends of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, poured at the Blackbird Lab, a modern, intimate tasting room in south Napa. The Blackbird Flight is $75, about an hour. Reservations at least 24 hours ahead, Monday to Saturday; last tasting at 3:30 p.m.
4:05 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:20 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
About $185 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Robinson Family is closed Sunday and Monday and Blackbird is closed Sunday, so on those days we swap in other wineries. We leave off an optional fourth stop; three wineries is the right pace.
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 Benevolent Neglect?
Yes, we reserve ahead. Tastings are booked and prepaid on Tock. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Benevolent Neglect?
$45 per person for the Wine Flight and $110 for the Private Room Experience, as of September 2026.
Can I bring my own record?
Yes. The lounge has a working turntable, and guests are invited to bring a vinyl record to share.
Who owns Benevolent Neglect?
Founders Ben Brenner and Matt Nagy, who started the winery in 2013.
What kind of wine does Benevolent Neglect make?
Small lots from vineyards across California, made with minimal intervention; the reds are unfined and unfiltered.
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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