St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Joseph Phelps with a Private Chauffeur
Home of Insignia, California's first proprietary Bordeaux-style blend, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Joseph Phelps, a construction businessman who built wineries for others, bought a 670-acre cattle ranch in Spring Valley, east of St. Helena, and founded his own winery in 1973. The estate sits on Taplin Road, with a terrace looking out over the vineyards.
Its first Insignia, from the 1974 vintage, was California's first proprietary red blend, a Bordeaux-style wine whose makeup changes each year. Insignia has been the winery's flagship ever since. The Phelps family owned the winery until 2022, when it was bought by the Moët Hennessy group.
Tastings are seated and hosted, pouring current releases including Insignia, and the winery also makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from its Freestone Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. It is a polished, classic Napa Valley visit.
Tasting Fees
$120 for the seated Founder's Tasting, about an hour, including Insignia. $150 to $225 for the Curated Tasting Journey, $210 to $220 for the Collector's tastings and $275 for the Phelps Table, about 90 minutes, Wednesday to Friday. Non-tasters are $20.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
200 Taplin Road, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Open by reservation only, prepaid when booked. No walk-ins.
Known For
Insignia and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Founded
1973
Good to Know
Up to 8 guests per booking; groups of 9 to 12 book the large group tasting, with a 22% service charge. Guests must be 21 or older, and at least half of each group must taste. Service animals only.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Auberge du Soleil or Alila Napa Valley.
10:00 · Pickup at Auberge du Soleil or Alila Napa Valley
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Auberge du Soleil, on the hillside above Rutherford, is about 8 minutes from Joseph Phelps, and Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt luxury resort on Main Street, is about 10 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Joseph Phelps Vineyards
The Founder's Tasting on the terrace, about an hour ($120).
11:25 · Round Pond Estate
About 10 minutes away. A Rutherford estate that pairs its wines with its own olive oils and estate-grown food. Tastings from $60. By appointment, Wednesday to Sunday.
12:35 · Lunch at Rutherford Grill
About 3 minutes away. Lunch at Rutherford Grill on Highway 29, open daily; we reserve ahead for groups. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
1:30 · Frog's Leap
About 7 minutes away. A relaxed, organic, dry-farmed winery around a red barn in Rutherford. The Rooted in Rutherford experience runs 90 minutes ($100), Thursday to Monday. By appointment.
3:15 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Grgich Hills Estate
Adds about an hour. Founded by Mike Grgich, the winemaker behind the Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Walk-ins are always welcome for wine by the glass or bottle on the garden patio; open until 4:30 p.m.
About $280 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. This day works Thursday to Sunday, when all three are open.
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 Joseph Phelps?
Yes. Visits are by reservation only and prepaid. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Joseph Phelps?
$120 per person for the Founder's Tasting, as of September 2026, with longer experiences from $150 to $275.
What is Joseph Phelps Insignia?
A Bordeaux-style red blend first made in 1974, California's first proprietary red blend. Its makeup changes with each vintage.
Can children visit Joseph Phelps?
No. Guests must be 21 or older.
Who owns Joseph Phelps Vineyards?
The Moët Hennessy group, which bought the winery from the Phelps family in 2022.
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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