St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Lewelling with a Private Chauffeur
Cabernet from one of Napa Valley's oldest continuously owned family vineyards, planted in 1864 and still farmed by the Wight family, poured by appointment in St. Helena, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Pioneer horticulturalist and winegrower John Lewelling planted the vineyards of the Lewelling estate near the western foothills of St. Helena in 1864. His great-granddaughter Janice Lewelling Wight and her husband Russ built a home on the property in 1950 and replanted the vineyard, and today their sons Alan, Doug and Dave farm 28 acres on part of the original estate, one of the oldest continuously owned and farmed family vineyards in Napa Valley.
For decades the family sold its Cabernet Sauvignon to other Napa Valley wineries; in 1992 it began making its own vineyard-designated wine. Dave Wight, who studied viticulture and enology at U.C. Davis, made the wine from the start and now consults, while Doug's daughter Haley Wight, the sixth generation on the ranch, is the winemaker. The gravelly loam of the St. Helena AVA gives Cabernets with cherry, currant and berry flavors.
The family sells mainly through its mailing list, with one offering each fall, and the Cabernets sell out quickly. Tastings are by appointment only at the family's tasting room on Vidovich Avenue in St. Helena, booked by email. It is a small family operation, so we make the request for you and build the rest of the day once a time is confirmed.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Lewelling does not publish a tasting fee; it is confirmed when the appointment is made.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1282 Vidovich Avenue, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Tastings by appointment only, at the tasting room at 1282 Vidovich Avenue in St. Helena. Reservations are made by email; we arrange it on your behalf. Days, hours and length of visit are not published.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, including the Wight Vineyard bottling, from a vineyard planted in 1864
Founded
1864 (vineyard); own wine since 1992
Good to Know
Wines are offered to mailing list members each fall before public release, and recent Cabernet pairs have sold out in the offer. Ages, group size and pet policy are not published; we confirm them when the appointment is set.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Wydown Hotel. Lewelling sets appointment times by email, so the start time may move once the visit is confirmed.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Wydown Hotel
Both are close to the tasting room: Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort just south of St. Helena, is about 5 minutes away, and Wydown Hotel, a boutique hotel on Main Street downtown, is about 5 minutes away. If the family offers a different time, we build the day around it. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Lewelling Vineyards
A tasting with the family at the Vidovich Avenue tasting room, by appointment. Lewelling does not publish a length of visit or fee, so we allow about an hour and confirm the details when the appointment is set.
11:35 · Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery
About 20 minutes away. A mountaintop winery on Spring Mountain, where winemaker Charles Smith welcomes visitors and the Cook's Flat Reserve honors the 1884 land patent for the property. The Smith-Madrone Tasting is $65; allow about an hour. Prepaid reservation required, for 2 to 10 guests.
12:55 · Lunch at Market
About 20 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.
2:20 · Sequoia Grove
About 12 minutes away. Rutherford Cabernet poured in the estate gardens or the historic barn where the winery opened in 1979, beneath a grove of sequoia trees. The Single Vineyard Experience is $75 ($100 with paired bites), about 90 minutes. Reservations required; closed Tuesdays.
3:50 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:05 p.m., about six hours after pickup.
About $140 per person in tasting fees for Smith-Madrone and Sequoia Grove, plus Lewelling's fee, which is confirmed when the appointment is made. Fees are paid directly to each winery.
Lewelling confirms its appointment time by email, so the day is set once the family replies. Market serves lunch Monday to Saturday and Sequoia Grove is closed Tuesdays, so plan this day for Monday or Wednesday to Saturday.
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 Lewelling?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, booked by email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Lewelling?
Lewelling does not publish a tasting fee; it is to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
How old is the Lewelling vineyard?
John Lewelling planted it in 1864, and the family calls it one of the oldest continuously owned and farmed family vineyards in Napa Valley.
Who makes the wine at Lewelling?
Haley Wight, the sixth generation of the family on the ranch, with her uncle Dave Wight, the winemaker since 1992, now consulting.
How can I buy Lewelling wine?
Through the mailing list, which receives an annual newsletter and offering each fall before the wines are released to the public.
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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