Oakville · Napa Valley
Visit Harbison Estate Wines with a Private Chauffeur
About 75 cases a vintage of block-designate Cabernet Sauvignon from a small estate on Oakville's east side. Harbison does not receive visitors; here is what to know, and a day at sought-after estates nearby that do host.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Joe and Pat Harbison came to wine through charity. Joe, known for his wine cellar, built auction lots for charities for three decades, and the couple then made the JP Harbison label from purchased Oakville fruit, offering just six cases of the first vintage for sale and donating the rest. JP Harbison ran from 1998 to 2007 and raised more than $3 million for children's charities.
In 2005 they found a small parcel on Oakville's east side, on the Silverado Trail, and planted it to Cabernet Sauvignon on the same uplifted alluvial fan and red volcanic soil as its well-known neighbors. Three small blocks, The Trail, Pony Express and Horseshoe, yield about 75 cases of Harbison Estate Cabernet each vintage, and each is bottled on its own. Jean Hoefliger is the winemaker. Robert Parker gave the 2013 Pony Express 100 points.
There is no tasting room; Harbison is private and does not take appointments. The wines go to an allocation list, and select bottlings have been sold at Oakville Grocery. The day below stays in Oakville and Rutherford, with lunch at Oakville Grocery.
Tasting Fees
Harbison does not offer tastings. On the day below, the tasting fees are $75 at Nickel & Nickel, $65 at Silver Oak and $60 at Cakebread, about $200 per person in all, paid directly to each winery.
Tasting fees as of October 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
Oakville
AVA
Oakville
Visiting
Harbison is private: there is no tasting room, and it does not offer tours, tastings or appointments.
Known For
Block-designate Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon: The Trail, Pony Express and Horseshoe
Founded
Estate planted 2005; first estate vintage 2008
Good to Know
Request a place on the allocation list at harbisonestatewines.com. Contact (707) 945-0760 or info@harbisonestatewines.com; mail goes to P.O. Box 113, Oakville.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Rancho Caymus Inn or Auberge du Soleil.
10:00 · Pickup at Rancho Caymus Inn or Auberge du Soleil
Since Harbison does not host visitors, this day takes you to three sought-after estates nearby that do. Rancho Caymus Inn and Auberge du Soleil are both in Rutherford, about 10 minutes from the first stop. The day runs about five and a half hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Nickel & Nickel
About 10 minutes away. Single-vineyard wines tasted at a restored farmstead in Oakville. Uncork & Unwind is $75 for four wines in about an hour; open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., reservations encouraged.
11:25 · Silver Oak Cellars
About 5 minutes away. Cabernet Sauvignon only, aged in American oak, at a LEED Platinum winery in Oakville. The Silver Oak Tasting of four wines is $65, about an hour, by reservation.
12:35 · Lunch at Oakville Grocery
About 5 minutes away. Lunch at Oakville Grocery, a Napa Valley stop since 1881, with wood-fired pizza and artisan sandwiches. We confirm hours when we book. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book. Select Harbison bottlings have been sold here.
1:55 · Cakebread Cellars
About 5 minutes away. A family winery in Rutherford known for Chardonnay, Cabernet and wine with food. The Classic Tour or the Courtyard Tasting is $60, about 75 minutes, by appointment and paid when booked.
3:10 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:30 p.m., about five and a half hours after pickup.
About $200 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
All three wineries are open daily, so this day works any day of the week. Cakebread is by appointment only and paid when booked, which we arrange.
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
Can you visit Harbison Estate Wines?
No. Harbison is private and offers no tours, tastings or appointments, as of October 2026. We can plan a day at nearby Oakville and Rutherford wineries that do.
How can I buy Harbison wine?
Through the allocation list at harbisonestatewines.com. Select bottlings have also been sold at Oakville Grocery.
Who owns Harbison?
Joe and Pat Harbison, who made the charity label JP Harbison from 1998 to 2007 before planting their Oakville estate in 2005.
What are The Trail, Pony Express and Horseshoe?
The estate's three small vineyard blocks, each bottled as its own Cabernet Sauvignon, for about 75 cases in all each vintage.
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 833-915-2436.
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