Coombsville · Napa Valley
Visit Black Cat Vineyard with a Private Chauffeur
A tiny family winery on its home vineyard in Coombsville, with private tastings by request, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Tracey Reichow spent a dozen years on a bond trading floor before she discovered viticulture, studied at UC Davis and Napa Valley College, planted a vineyard at her home in Coombsville and founded Black Cat Vineyard in 1999. She crafted the wines by hand for many years. Today her daughter Samantha, who helped plant the estate vineyard as a child, runs the winery with Tracey's husband Rick.
The estate vineyards and the family home sit in the Coombsville AVA, a quiet area of rolling benchland close to the city of Napa, where Black Cat grows Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The family also works with Rutherford and St. Helena fruit for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and with a Howell Mountain Zinfandel vineyard of nearly 100-year-old vines. Production is very small and sold directly to customers.
Because the wines are highly allocated, Black Cat hosts only a few tastings, and all of them are private, with wine club members given priority. That makes a visit a personal one, on a family property rather than in a tasting room. We send the request on your behalf and confirm what the family can offer for your date.
Tasting Fees
Black Cat does not publish a tasting fee. The format and any cost of a private tasting are confirmed by the winery when the request is accepted.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1352 4th Avenue, Napa
AVA
Coombsville
Visiting
Private tastings only, in very limited number, by request through the winery's form or by email; club members have priority. We make the request on your behalf.
Known For
Small-lot Coombsville Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Cabernet Franc and old-vine Howell Mountain Zinfandel
Founded
1999
Good to Know
Availability depends on the family's schedule, so ask well ahead. The winery sells 100% direct to consumers, mainly through its allocation list and wine club.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Milliken Creek Inn or Silverado Resort.
10:00 · Pickup at Milliken Creek Inn or Silverado Resort
Milliken Creek Inn, a small inn on the Napa River off the Silverado Trail, is about 12 minutes from Coombsville, and Silverado Resort, the golf and spa resort at the foot of Atlas Peak, is about 10 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Black Cat Vineyard
A private tasting on the family's Coombsville property, by request only. We plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
11:30 · Ackerman Family Vineyards
About 8 minutes away. A small Coombsville Cabernet house whose Stonehaven Vineyard was the first in Coombsville to be certified organic, pouring at the Ackerman Heritage House just steps from downtown Napa. The Ackerman Tasting of current releases is $65; we allow about an hour. By reservation, Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
12:45 · Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni, an Italian restaurant among the vineyards on Howard Lane, a valley favorite for more than 30 years, open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Caldwell Vineyard
About 20 minutes away. A 123-acre hillside estate in Coombsville where you taste underground, in a tasting room carved from rock inside the winery's cave. The Caldwell Vineyard Tasting Experience is $150 for 90 minutes, five estate wines with cheese and charcuterie. By reservation, daily at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:50 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
About $215 per person in tasting fees for Ackerman and Caldwell, paid directly to each winery, plus any fee Black Cat sets for a private tasting.
Ackerman Family Vineyards hosts Tuesday to Friday; on other days we swap in another Coombsville estate.
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 Black Cat Vineyard?
Yes. All tastings are private and by request, and wine club members are given priority. We send the request and confirm the details. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Black Cat Vineyard?
Black Cat does not publish a tasting fee; any fee for a private tasting is set by the winery when it accepts the request, as of September 2026.
Who founded Black Cat Vineyard?
Tracey Reichow, a former bond trader turned winemaker, founded it in 1999 after planting a vineyard at her Coombsville home.
Who runs Black Cat Vineyard today?
Tracey's daughter Samantha Reichow, the CEO, with her father Rick, who designed and built the production facility in 2010.
What is Black Cat Vineyard known for?
Small-lot Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from its Coombsville estate, along with Rutherford and St. Helena Cabernet and an old-vine Howell Mountain Zinfandel.
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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