Calistoga · Napa Valley
Visit Carter Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
Small-lot Beckstoffer Cabernet from a Eureka hotelier's wine obsession, poured by appointment at the base of Mount St. Helena, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Carter Cellars grew out of the Carter House inn and Hotel Carter in Eureka, where Mark Carter built a wine list for Restaurant 301 that has held a Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1998. Winemaker dinners there led to a friendship with Nils Venge, and the two made the first Carter Cellars vintage in 1998 from the Hossfeld Vineyard. Mark Carter still runs both the Eureka hotels and the winery.
The label began with no winery of its own, buying fruit from top Napa vineyards. Since 2000 it has made Cabernet from the Beckstoffer portion of the original To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, and today it also bottles Beckstoffer Las Piedras, Missouri Hopper and Bourn. The winery says its wines have earned numerous perfect 100-point scores. Russell Bevan now directs the winemaking.
In 2006 Mark Carter and Nils Venge founded Envy Wines on 17 estate acres on Tubbs Lane, and Carter Cellars now pours on the same estate. Guests taste in The Carter Room, at the base of Mount St. Helena. Tastings are seated and by appointment, offered three times a day, so the visit is small and unhurried.
Tasting Fees
Carter Cellars does not publish its tasting fee online. The winery confirms the fee when it confirms your seated tasting.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1170 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga
AVA
Calistoga
Visiting
Seated tastings daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., by appointment. Online bookings are requests, confirmed by email or phone.
Known For
Vineyard-designated Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, led by Beckstoffer To Kalon
Founded
1998 (estate winery on Tubbs Lane since 2006)
Good to Know
Parties of up to 12 can request a tasting online; larger groups call the winery. The Carter Room shares the Tubbs Lane estate with Envy Wines, which Mark Carter and Nils Venge also founded.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 9:40 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Indian Springs Calistoga or Calistoga Motor Lodge. Carter Cellars seats its tastings at set times (10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.), so we pick up a little early to arrive for the 10:00 seating.
9:40 · Pickup at Indian Springs Calistoga or Calistoga Motor Lodge
Both hotels are on Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga, about 6 minutes from Tubbs Lane. Indian Springs is a historic hot springs resort with a mineral pool, and Calistoga Motor Lodge is a restyled mid-century lodge with its own spa. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:00 · Carter Cellars
A seated tasting in The Carter Room at 10:00, the first seating of the day. Plan on about an hour.
11:15 · Larkmead Vineyards
About 12 minutes away. A family estate on Larkmead Lane, where the semi-private Salon Tasting pours three red wines among pollinator gardens with views of the estate vineyard. $90, 45 to 60 minutes. By appointment, seven days a week.
12:30 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on Main Street in St. Helena, open daily from 11:30 a.m. (11 a.m. on weekends). Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
1:55 · Bremer Family Winery
About 12 minutes away. A family winery on the slopes of Howell Mountain, 2.3 miles up Deer Park Road from the Silverado Trail. The tasting of five wines is $45 (waived with two bottles per person), with a cave tour on request; we allow about an hour. By appointment for up to 6; last appointment at 4 p.m.
2:55 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:15 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Optional: Markham Vineyards
Adds about an hour. A St. Helena winery on Highway 29 built around a 150-year-old stone cellar, with tastings indoors or outside under the olive trees. Walk-ins are welcome for the Discovery of Napa tasting ($55), and leashed dogs are welcome; open daily until 5:30 p.m.
About $135 per person in tasting fees at Larkmead and Bremer, plus the Carter Cellars fee, which the winery confirms at booking. Fees are 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 Carter Cellars?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the winery confirms each request by email or phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Carter Cellars?
Carter Cellars does not list its tasting fee online; the winery confirms it when it confirms your reservation, as of September 2026.
What is Carter Cellars known for?
Small-production, vineyard-designated Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, which it has made since 2000, plus Las Piedras, Missouri Hopper and Bourn.
Who owns Carter Cellars?
Mark Carter, who also runs the Carter House inns and Restaurant 301 in Eureka, founded it in 1998 with winemaker Nils Venge.
How large a group can visit Carter Cellars?
Parties of up to 12 can request a seated tasting online. For larger groups, the winery asks you to call.
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.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"Carter Cellars","url":"https://cartercellars.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1170 Tubbs Lane","addressLocality":"Calistoga","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"94515","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"1998","containedInPlace":{"@type":"Place","name":"Calistoga AVA"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Carter Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Tastings are by appointment at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the winery confirms each request by email or phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Carter Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Carter Cellars does not list its tasting fee online; the winery confirms it when it confirms your reservation, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Carter Cellars known for?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Small-production, vineyard-designated Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, which it has made since 2000, plus Las Piedras, Missouri Hopper and Bourn."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns Carter Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Mark Carter, who also runs the Carter House inns and Restaurant 301 in Eureka, founded it in 1998 with winemaker Nils Venge."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How large a group can visit Carter Cellars?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Parties of up to 12 can request a seated tasting online. For larger groups, the winery asks you to call."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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."}}]}]}