Yountville · Napa Valley
Visit Handwritten with a Private Chauffeur
Side-by-side tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon from different Napa Valley AVAs in south Yountville, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Handwritten Wines was founded in 2009 around a simple idea: just as each person's handwriting is unique, so is each wine and each vintage. The winery focuses on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with each bottling sourced from a different Napa Valley AVA, mostly from hillside and mountain vineyards.
Winemaker Andrew Wright came to Napa Valley in 2012 and worked at Harlan and BOND Estates, Promontory and The Napa Valley Reserve before becoming head winemaker at Merryvale in 2019. Alongside the Cabernets, Handwritten makes a Bordeaux-style blend called Three Words, a Sauvignon Blanc called The Author, a Carneros Chardonnay and a Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.
Tastings are seated and by appointment at the tasting room in south Yountville, in the Yountville AVA, which locals call the SOYO House. You taste four Cabernet Sauvignons side by side, each from a different part of the valley, so the differences are easy to compare.
Tasting Fees
$75 for the Classic Experience, four Cabernet Sauvignons side by side with truffle potato chips and crackers (waived with a $100 purchase). $100 for the Bread & Butter Experience, with artisan bread, butters, prosciutto and cheese (waived with a $150 purchase).
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
6494 Washington Street, Yountville
AVA
Yountville
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., by appointment only; walk-ins are not accommodated.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon from different Napa Valley AVAs, poured side by side
Founded
2009
Good to Know
Parties of 1 to 6 book online; call for same-day bookings or larger groups. Guests under 21 and pets need advance notice. Cancellations within 4 hours are charged the full fee.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Bardessono or Hotel Yountville.
10:00 · Pickup at Bardessono or Hotel Yountville
Handwritten is in south Yountville, a short ride from the hotels in town. Bardessono, a LEED Platinum hotel and spa off Washington Street, and Hotel Yountville, a resort and spa in central Yountville, are each about 3 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Handwritten Wines
The Classic Experience ($75) or the Bread & Butter Experience ($100). We allow about an hour here.
11:30 · Shafer Vineyards
About 12 minutes away. A hillside estate in the Stags Leap District, home of Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. The 90-minute tasting is $140. By appointment, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1:20 · Lunch at Oenotri
About 18 minutes away. A southern Italian restaurant on First Street in downtown Napa, serving lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Materra
About 10 minutes away. A Cunat family winery in the Oak Knoll District with views of both mountain ranges from its patio. The guided tasting of five wines is $45. By reservation; open daily, last tasting at 4 p.m.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:50 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Optional: JaM Cellars
Adds about an hour. A lively wine and music studio on First Street in downtown Napa. Walk-ins are welcome; tastings start at $45, and it is open daily until 10 p.m. (midnight Thursday to Saturday).
About $260 to $285 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Shafer hosts visits Tuesday through Saturday only, so plan this day for any day but Sunday or Monday.
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 Handwritten?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, and walk-ins are not accommodated. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Handwritten?
$75 per person for the Classic Experience and $100 for the Bread & Butter Experience, waived with a $100 or $150 wine purchase, as of September 2026.
Can children or pets come to Handwritten?
Guests under 21 and pets need advance notice, and accommodations are limited.
What makes Handwritten different?
Each Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a different Napa Valley AVA, and they are poured side by side so you can compare them.
Who makes the wine at Handwritten?
Andrew Wright, who worked at Harlan and BOND Estates and was head winemaker at Merryvale.
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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