Oakville · Napa Valley
Visit Mark Herold with a Private Chauffeur
A Highway 29 tasting room in Oakville for the Cabernets of Mark Herold, the scientist-winemaker who founded Merus, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Mark Herold grew up in Panama and earned a Ph.D. in ecology at UC Davis before a harvest job turned him toward wine. He made his first barrel in 1992 and joined Joseph Phelps as research enologist in 1996. In 1998 he started Merus in his garage in downtown Napa, the Cabernet that, in the winery's words, put him on the map.
After selling Merus, Mark worked with other grapes for a while, even planting Tempranillo budwood from Spain, and returned to Cabernet in 2010. Today the focus is small-production Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville, Atlas Peak and Oakville, alongside the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of B. Wise Vineyards, poured in the same room.
The tasting room sits on Highway 29 in the Oakville AVA, and the winery describes it as eclectic, modern and approachable, like Mark himself. Guests choose a seated Cabernet flight or one of the Savory Sessions, where wines meet savory macarons or truffle bites. It is an easy, unhurried first stop, five minutes from Yountville.
Tasting Fees
$50 for the Mark Herold Appellation Series, a seated flight of Napa Valley Cabernets, or the B. Wise Vineyards Series of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. $75 for The Savory Sessions, a flight of both labels with savory macarons, cheese and charcuterie (Macaron Edition) or truffle-inspired bites (Truffle Edition). Durations are not published; we allow about an hour.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
7415 St. Helena Highway, Napa
AVA
Oakville
Visiting
Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome for parties under 6; reservations are recommended and required for 6 or more.
Known For
Small-production Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville, Atlas Peak and Oakville
Founded
Merus in 1998; Mark Herold Cabernets since 2010
Good to Know
Seated experiences are reserved online or by calling 707-256-3111. Parties of 6 or more must reserve. Age and pet rules are not published; we confirm them when we book.
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
Both hotels are in Yountville, about 5 minutes from the tasting room. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Mark Herold Wines
The Appellation Series flight of Cabernets, about an hour ($50). The Savory Sessions ($75) add savory macarons or truffle bites.
11:30 · Fleury Estate Winery
About 8 minutes away. A small family winery on Galleron Road with private salon tastings of reserve wines and outdoor seating with valley views. The Reserve Wine Tasting is $95 for six wines, 45 to 60 minutes, waived with four bottles per guest. By appointment; hours are not published, so we confirm the time when we book.
12:50 · Lunch at Lucy Restaurant and Bar
About 15 minutes away. Lunch at Lucy, the restaurant at Bardessono on Yount Street in Yountville, with a seasonal menu drawn from the hotel's organic garden. Lunch is served daily until 2 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Kapcsandy Family Winery
About 5 minutes away. A Hungarian-American family estate on the historic State Lane Vineyard, where a tour of the vineyard and winery ends in a seated tasting. $175, about two hours. By appointment, Tuesday to Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; 21 and over.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:10 p.m., about six hours after pickup.
About $320 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Kapcsandy hosts Tuesday to Saturday at 2 p.m., so this day works Tuesday through 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 Mark Herold Wines?
Not for small groups: walk-ins are welcome for parties under 6, and reservations are recommended. Parties of 6 or more must reserve. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Mark Herold Wines?
$50 per person for the Appellation Series or B. Wise Vineyards flight, and $75 for The Savory Sessions with food, as of September 2026.
Who is Mark Herold?
A UC Davis-trained scientist who joined Joseph Phelps as research enologist in 1996 and founded Merus in 1998 before starting his own label.
Where is the Mark Herold tasting room?
At 7415 St. Helena Highway on Highway 29, in the Oakville AVA between Yountville and Oakville.
What does Mark Herold make?
Mostly small-production Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville, Atlas Peak and Oakville. The room also pours B. Wise Vineyards Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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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