St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Calafia with a Private Chauffeur
Randle Johnson's personal label since 1979, from the founding winemaker of the Hess Collection, with a tiny estate vineyard in St. Helena, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Randle Johnson made the first Calafia wine in 1979, at Carl Doumani's Stags' Leap Winery. A UC Davis viticulture graduate, he went on to become the founding winemaker at the Hess Collection, where he worked for 38 years before retiring at the end of 2020. Calafia is the personal label he runs with his wife MaryLee; as the winery puts it, Randle makes the wine and MaryLee does everything else.
The flagship is La Reina, an estate-bottled Bordeaux blend from the Johnsons' own small vineyard in the St. Helena AVA. Randle also makes heirloom and unusual wines in tiny lots: Verdelho, Charbono, a Rockpile Zinfandel and a rosé of Pinot Noir called The Princess, many under 100 cases. The name comes from the legend of Queen Calafia, and griffins guard the label.
Calafia has no tasting room. Visits are by appointment with the Johnsons, so this is a rare chance to sit down with a winemaker who has worked in Napa Valley for more than 50 years and hear the stories behind each bottle. We request the visit for you and plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation.
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
By appointment only; there is no tasting room. We request the visit with the Johnsons on your behalf.
Known For
La Reina estate Bordeaux blend, plus small lots of Verdelho, Charbono and Zinfandel
Founded
1979
Good to Know
Production is very small, often under 100 cases of a wine, so most wine is sold through the website and Club Calafia. Visits depend on the Johnsons' availability, so ask a few weeks ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Meadowood.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Meadowood
Harvest Inn, a garden hotel at the south end of St. Helena, and Meadowood, the resort east of town at the foot of Howell Mountain, are each about 10 minutes from Calafia. The day below runs about six and a half hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Calafia Cellars
A visit by appointment with the Johnsons, arranged on your behalf. We plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
11:35 · Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards
About 15 minutes away. A family estate in quiet Conn Valley, east of St. Helena, where the founder still makes the wine and the Signature Tasting is poured in the cave. $135 for 1.5 to 2 hours, with an optional charcuterie board. By appointment, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
1:35 · Lunch at Forum at Meadowood
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Forum, the main restaurant at Meadowood at the foot of Howell Mountain, with seasonal dishes drawn from the Meadowood farm. Lunch is served on weekdays, with brunch on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:00 · Phifer Pavitt Wine
About 20 minutes north. A family estate on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga, born from a weekly date night, with tastings in its Winery and Tasting Barn. $95 for current releases, waived with the purchase of three bottles of Phifer Pavitt Cabernet Sauvignon. By appointment, morning or afternoon; we allow about an hour.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:25 p.m., about six and a half hours after pickup.
About $230 per person in tasting fees for Anderson's Conn Valley and Phifer Pavitt, paid directly to each winery, plus Calafia's fee, if any, confirmed with the appointment.
Forum serves lunch on weekdays (brunch on weekends) and Conn Valley hosts Monday to Saturday, so this day fits a weekday best. Calafia sets its appointment time, and we adjust the day around it. Back by about 4:25 p.m.
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 Calafia?
Yes. Calafia has no tasting room, and visits are by appointment only. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Calafia?
Calafia does not publish a tasting fee. Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Who owns Calafia Cellars?
Randle and MaryLee Johnson. Randle, the founding winemaker of the Hess Collection, has made Calafia wines since 1979.
What wines does Calafia make?
La Reina, an estate-bottled Bordeaux blend, and a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, plus small lots of Verdelho, Charbono, Rockpile Zinfandel and The Princess, a rosé of Pinot Noir.
Where does the name Calafia come from?
From the legend of Queen Calafia, whose island in an early Spanish novel gave California its name, according to the winery. Griffins, the guardians of her wealth, appear on the label.
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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