Rutherford · Napa Valley
Visit Cakebread Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
A family winery known for Chardonnay, Cabernet and wine with food, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Jack and Dolores Cakebread, high-school sweethearts from Oakland, bought a 22-acre ranch in Rutherford and founded Cakebread Cellars in 1973. Jack, a photographer, paid the down payment with his advance for photographing a book on American wine. Their first wine was 157 cases of 1973 Chardonnay.
The winery building, designed by the architect William Turnbull and finished in 1980, won architecture awards in three straight years. Cakebread was the second winery certified Napa Green, in 2008, and its visitor center opened in 2019. Sons Dennis and Bruce Cakebread are co-owners today.
Cakebread is known for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and for pairing wine with food from its own garden and kitchen. Visits are warm and well run, from a courtyard tasting to a full wine and food pairing.
Tasting Fees
$60 for the Classic Tour or the Courtyard Tasting, about 75 minutes. $95 for the Estate Tasting, $100 for the Reserve Library Tasting and $125 for The Perfect Pair wine and food, each about 75 minutes. The Family Tasting is $50 per adult.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
8300 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford
AVA
Rutherford
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only, paid when booked.
Known For
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and wine with food
Founded
1973
Good to Know
Tastings are 21 and over, except the daily 10 a.m. Family Tasting, where guests under 21 are free. Groups of 10 or more book a private experience. No outside food or picnics. Cancel 48 hours ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford or Harvest Inn in St. Helena.
10:00 · Pickup at Auberge du Soleil or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Auberge du Soleil, on the hillside above Rutherford, and Harvest Inn, set among gardens at the south end of St. Helena, are each about 7 minutes from Cakebread. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Cakebread Cellars
The Courtyard Tasting or Classic Tour, about 75 minutes ($60), or The Perfect Pair wine and food ($125).
11:40 · Honig Vineyard & Winery
About 5 minutes away. A family-owned, solar-powered Rutherford winery known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet. The Terrace Tasting is about 75 minutes ($40); a shorter flight is $30 and the 90-minute Reserve Room tasting is $115. By appointment.
1:00 · Lunch at Rutherford Grill
About 3 minutes away. Lunch at Rutherford Grill on Highway 29 in Rutherford, 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.
2:15 · PlumpJack
About 8 minutes away. An Oakville estate founded in 1995, making Cabernet Sauvignon around an 1880s winery building. The PlumpJack Experience is about an hour ($80); the Collector's Tasting ($120) runs 90 minutes and adds half an hour to the day. By reservation.
3:20 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Grgich Hills Estate
Adds about an hour. Founded by Mike Grgich, the winemaker behind the Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Walk-ins are always welcome for wine by the glass or bottle on the garden patio; open until 4:30 p.m.
About $180 to $285 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
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 Cakebread Cellars?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only and paid when booked. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Cakebread?
From $60 per person for the Courtyard Tasting or Classic Tour to $125 for The Perfect Pair, as of September 2026.
Can children visit Cakebread?
Yes, at the Family Tasting, daily at 10 a.m., where guests under 21 are free. Other tastings are 21 and over.
Can I bring a picnic to Cakebread?
No. Outside food and picnics are not allowed.
Who owns Cakebread Cellars?
The Cakebread family. Jack and Dolores Cakebread founded it in 1973, and their sons Dennis and Bruce are co-owners today.
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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