Calistoga · Napa Valley
Visit Hourglass with a Private Chauffeur
Two family vineyards and a modern winery built into the mountainside at the Blueline estate in Calistoga, designed by Olle Lundberg, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Hourglass is the Smith family's story. Ned Smith left advertising in San Francisco for Napa Valley in 1964, became only the second real estate agent in the valley, and introduced future vintners such as Jack and Jamie Davies of Schramsberg to their land. In 1976 he kept one six-acre knoll north of St. Helena for himself, at the narrowest pinch of the hourglass-shaped valley. His son Jeff Smith and Jeff's wife Carolyn built Hourglass from there.
Today Hourglass is two vineyards and a winery. The original Hourglass Vineyard, 4 acres at Lodi Lane, was first planted to Zinfandel in 1977 and replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992. The 20-acre Blueline Vineyard in Dutch Henry Canyon, bought in 2006, grows all five red Bordeaux varieties in the Calistoga AVA. The lineup includes Hourglass Cabernet, the Blueline Estate wines, HGIII, Sauvignon Blanc and the Mabon wines.
The winery is the draw: San Francisco architect Olle Lundberg designed it as an "anti-Napa" building, with a clean cantilevered roof that melds with the mountain and a cellar that leads deep into the hillside at the Blueline estate. Tastings are by appointment only, arranged by email, and the $150 fee for new guests is waived with a purchase of three bottles per person. We set the appointment for you.
Tasting Fees
$150 per person for new guests, waived with the purchase of three bottles per person. The length of the visit is confirmed with the appointment.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4208 Silverado Trail North, Calistoga
AVA
Calistoga
Visiting
By appointment only, arranged by email (tnt@hourglasswine.com); we arrange it on your behalf. Days, hours and length of visit are not published and are confirmed with the appointment.
Known For
Hourglass and Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties, and a winery built into the mountainside
Founded
1976 (Hourglass Vineyard acquired; Blueline Vineyard added in 2006)
Good to Know
Appointments only, so ask ahead. Ages, group size and pets are not published; we confirm them when booking. Wines are also offered through a personalized allocation and Hourglass membership.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Four Seasons Napa Valley or Meadowood.
10:00 · Pickup at Four Seasons Napa Valley or Meadowood
Four Seasons Napa Valley, on the Silverado Trail just outside Calistoga, is about 8 minutes from Hourglass, and Meadowood, the resort east of St. Helena at the foot of Howell Mountain, about 15. The day below runs about six and a half hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Hourglass
A tasting by appointment at the Blueline estate winery, built into the hillside where the valley ends and the mountain begins. The visit length is not published, so we allow about 75 minutes ($150 for new guests, waived with three bottles per person).
11:45 · Vineyard 29
About 15 minutes away. A St. Helena estate north of town, where the Signature Experience opens with a CRU wine, tours the winery and caves, then pours current Vineyard 29 and CRU releases with a seasonal, locally sourced spread. $110, 1.5 hours, by appointment.
1:30 · Lunch at Market
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Market, an American restaurant in a historic brick and stone building on Main Street in St. Helena, open for lunch Monday to Saturday from noon. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:45 · Amulet Estate
About 10 minutes away. A small hillside estate where the St. Helena AVA meets Howell Mountain, in a winery designed by Howard Backen; the private tour walks the vineyards and cellar and ends with current releases in a candlelit cave. The Private Tour & Tasting is $100, at least 90 minutes. By appointment only, for 2 to 12 guests.
4:15 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:30 p.m. at Meadowood (about 4:35 p.m. to Four Seasons), about six and a half hours after pickup.
About $360 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries (Hourglass's $150 is waived with a three-bottle purchase per person), paid directly to each winery.
This day runs about six and a half hours with two 90-minute visits; extra time is billed by the hour. Market serves lunch Monday to Saturday; on Sunday we choose another St. Helena restaurant.
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 Hourglass?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, arranged by email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Hourglass?
$150 per person for new guests, waived with the purchase of three bottles per person, as of September 2026.
Who owns Hourglass?
The Smith family. Jeff Smith founded Hourglass with his wife Carolyn on the vineyard his father, Ned Smith, acquired in 1976.
What is special about the Hourglass winery?
Architect Olle Lundberg designed it as an "anti-Napa" building, with a cantilevered roof that melds with the mountain and a cellar that leads into the hillside at the Blueline estate.
Where are the Hourglass vineyards?
The 4-acre Hourglass Vineyard is at Lodi Lane north of St. Helena, at the narrowest point of the valley. The 20-acre Blueline Vineyard is in Dutch Henry Canyon in the Calistoga AVA, where the winery stands.
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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