Downtown Napa · Napa Valley
Visit Claudio Family Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
Chris Jones's balanced, minimal-intervention wines, poured on a patio by the Napa River at the Napa Valley Car Club, and a suggested day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Chris Jones made his first wine at home in 1998, in the middle of a technology career that began in 1984, learning through family connections in New York. After retiring from tech he went professional in 2021, made the 2021 and 2022 vintages in Santa Rosa, and moved the winery to St. Helena in 2023.
Claudio Family Cellars makes white wines, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a Vintner's Select red blend. Jones keeps intervention in the cellar to a minimum and works with organic principles, aiming for balanced, lower-alcohol wines with restrained oak so the fruit comes through.
Tastings are held at the Napa Valley Car Club on Water Street in downtown Napa, on a patio by the Napa River or in climate-controlled rooms indoors. Seatings are at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. with light snacks, and a charcuterie plate, light lunch or dessert can be added. Reservations are made with Chris by phone or email, which we handle for you.
Tasting Fees
$49 for four wines and $75 for seven wines, with light snacks included. The fee is waived with the purchase of two bottles per person. A charcuterie plate, light lunch or dessert can be added.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
930 Water Street, Napa
AVA
Napa Valley
Visiting
Tastings at the Napa Valley Car Club, 930 Water Street, Napa, at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Reservations by phone (507-269-7773) or email. Tasting days are not published, so we confirm the date when we book.
Known For
Small-lot Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made with minimal intervention
Founded
2021 (home winemaking since 1998)
Good to Know
Seatings are at fixed times, so the day is built around the 1 p.m. tasting. Outside food from local vendors is allowed. Ages, group size and pets are not published; we confirm them when we book.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Archer Hotel Napa or Andaz Napa.
10:00 · Pickup at Archer Hotel Napa or Andaz Napa
Archer Hotel Napa, a boutique hotel with a rooftop bar, and Andaz Napa, a boutique Hyatt hotel, are both in downtown Napa, a few blocks from the Car Club. Claudio pours at set times, so the day is built around the 1 p.m. seating, with a Coombsville estate and an early lunch before it and an Oak Knoll winery after. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Shadybrook Estate Winery
About 12 minutes away. A Coombsville estate with a 16,000-square-foot wine cave and an equestrian center, where guided horseback rides through the Cabernet can be paired with a tasting. Wine Tasting on the Grand Terrace with a cheese and charcuterie board is $95, 90 minutes. By reservation, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
12:00 · Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni
About 15 minutes away. A quick 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. We keep it to about 45 minutes so you're seated for the 1 p.m. tasting. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
1:00 · Claudio Family Cellars
About 10 minutes away. The 1 p.m. seating at the Napa Valley Car Club: four wines for $49 or seven for $75, with light snacks, on the riverside patio or indoors. Plan on about an hour and a quarter. By reservation.
2:30 · Matthiasson
About 15 minutes away. Steve and Jill Matthiasson's Oak Knoll farm winery, with outdoor tastings among organically farmed vines and rarer grapes such as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco. The standard tasting is $75, about 75 minutes. By appointment, seven days a week, with a limited number each day.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
About $219 to $245 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
The day is built around Claudio's 1 p.m. seating. Tasting days are not published, so we confirm the date when we book.
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 Claudio Family Cellars?
Yes. Tastings run at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. and are reserved by phone or email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Claudio Family Cellars?
$49 per person for four wines or $75 for seven, with light snacks, waived with two bottles per person, as of September 2026.
Where is the Claudio Family Cellars tasting?
At the Napa Valley Car Club, 930 Water Street in downtown Napa, on a patio by the Napa River or indoors. The winery itself is in St. Helena.
Who makes Claudio Family Cellars wine?
Founder Chris Jones, a home winemaker since 1998 who went professional in 2021 after a career in technology.
Is food served at the tasting?
Light snacks come with every tasting, and a charcuterie plate, light lunch or dessert can be added. Outside food from local vendors is allowed.
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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