St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Crocker & Starr with a Private Chauffeur
Charlie Crocker and Pam Starr's estate around an 1870s stone winery, where a private visit starts with sparkling wine in the vineyard, and a suggested six-hour day around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
In 1971 Charlie Crocker, great-grandson of the railroad builder of the same name, bought the old Dowdell property at the south edge of St. Helena, with vineyards and stone buildings from the 1870s. In 1997 Pam Starr, then winemaker at Spottswoode, came to look at the vineyard. A three-hour conversation later the two shook hands and founded Crocker & Starr, and they are still equal partners.
The Irish-born Dowdell family made beer, wine and brandy here until Prohibition closed them in 1920. Today 85 of the estate's 100 acres are planted, in the St. Helena AVA, and Pam moved the whole vineyard to organic farming, though it is not certified. The first release was the 1997 Cabernet Franc, and Wine Spectator ranked the Sauvignon Blanc 12th on its 2005 Top 100. Cabernet Franc and the Stone Place Cabernet lead the lineup.
The visit is private and personal. You are handed a glass of sparkling wine and walked into the vines, then into the winery with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and finally seated under the shaded Garden Arbor for the estate reds: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The estate is a few minutes from Main Street, so it fits at either end of the day.
Tasting Fees
$95 per person for the Estate Vineyard Experience, about 75 minutes. $125 with cheese and charcuterie (48 hours' notice).
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
700 Dowdell Lane, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By reservation only. The private Estate Vineyard Experience is for individuals or groups up to 6; larger groups contact the winery by phone, text or email. Days and hours are not published; times are set when booking.
Known For
Cabernet Franc, the Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from the Crocker Estate
Founded
1997 (estate buildings from the 1870s)
Good to Know
Groups up to 6 book online; larger groups call or text 707-967-9111. The cheese and charcuterie pairing needs 48 hours' notice. One tasting fee is waived with a membership sign-up or a three-bottle red wine purchase. Age and pet rules are not published; we confirm them when booking.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Southbridge Napa Valley.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Southbridge Napa Valley
Both are a few minutes from the estate: Harvest Inn on Highway 29 at the south end of St. Helena, and Southbridge Napa Valley at the south end of Main Street. The day below runs about six and a quarter hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Crocker & Starr
The Estate Vineyard Experience, about 75 minutes ($95), or $125 with cheese and charcuterie.
11:50 · Fantesca
About 15 minutes away, up Spring Mountain Road. A private Spring Mountain estate on land from Caroline Bale's 1860 dowry, where a host walks you through the vineyard, cellar and mountainside cave before a seated tasting with valley views. The Private Tour & Tasting is $200, 90 minutes. By appointment, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; no children on the property.
1:40 · Lunch at Cook St. Helena
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Cook St. Helena, a small, much-loved Italian restaurant on Main Street. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:55 · Foley Johnson
About 10 minutes away. Bill Foley and Carol Johnson Foley's Rutherford estate, with tastings in a converted 1920s redwood barn among the vines and a terrace facing the Vaca Mountains. The Luxury Cabernet Tasting in the VIP room is $100, with the Peral Vineyard Cabernet and a cheese and charcuterie board; we allow about an hour. Open daily; last tasting at 4 p.m.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back in St. Helena by about 4:15 p.m.
About $395 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
The day runs about six and a quarter hours. Fantesca does not allow children on the property.
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 Crocker & Starr?
Yes. The Estate Vineyard Experience is by reservation for groups of up to 6; larger groups contact the winery. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Crocker & Starr?
$95 per person for the Estate Vineyard Experience, or $125 with cheese and charcuterie, as of September 2026.
Who owns Crocker & Starr?
Partners Charlie Crocker, who owns the Crocker Estate, and winemaker Pam Starr, who founded the winery together in 1997.
What is Crocker & Starr known for?
Cabernet Franc, starting with its first release, the 1997, along with the Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc that Wine Spectator named to its 2005 Top 100.
What is the history of the Crocker Estate?
The Dowdell family farmed hops and grapes here in the 1870s and made beer, wine and brandy until Prohibition. Charlie Crocker bought the property in 1971.
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":"Crocker & Starr","url":"https://www.crockerstarr.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"700 Dowdell Lane","addressLocality":"St. Helena","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"94574","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"1997","containedInPlace":{"@type":"Place","name":"St. Helena AVA"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Crocker & Starr?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. The Estate Vineyard Experience is by reservation for groups of up to 6; larger groups contact the winery. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Crocker & Starr?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$95 per person for the Estate Vineyard Experience, or $125 with cheese and charcuterie, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns Crocker & Starr?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Partners Charlie Crocker, who owns the Crocker Estate, and winemaker Pam Starr, who founded the winery together in 1997."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Crocker & Starr known for?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cabernet Franc, starting with its first release, the 1997, along with the Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc that Wine Spectator named to its 2005 Top 100."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the history of the Crocker Estate?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Dowdell family farmed hops and grapes here in the 1870s and made beer, wine and brandy until Prohibition. Charlie Crocker bought the property in 1971."}},{"@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."}}]}]}