Los Carneros · Napa Valley
Visit McKenzie-Mueller with a Private Chauffeur
A family winery in the Carneros hills, started by a former Mondavi director of enology, with laid-back tastings modeled on small French family estates, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Karen McKenzie and Bob Mueller founded the winery in 1989. Bob is a third-generation farmer who was director of enology at Mondavi and on the original winemaking team for Opus One, and he helped found the Los Carneros Water District. Karen, raised in the town of Monticello before Lake Berryessa covered it, taught art at Napa High while running the business.
The family believes the cool, breezy Los Carneros AVA, with its heavy clay soil, can make complex Bordeaux varieties as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Cabernet Franc is a house specialty. Every wine is unfiltered and made to age with food, and the next generation, led by Samantha, now carries the winery forward.
The tasting is honest, personal and unhurried, modeled on the small family wineries in France the founders loved. The Current Release tasting pours five wines, and the staff are happy to talk farming, aging and, with wine club manager Max, jazz. It feels like visiting someone's farm, which it is.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. The Current Release tasting pours five wines. Club members can add a library Cabernet Franc vertical ($70 or $90).
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
2530 Las Amigas Road, Napa
AVA
Los Carneros
Visiting
Tastings by appointment only, Monday through Saturday; Sunday availability varies. Reserve by phone (707-252-0186) or email.
Known For
Age-worthy, unfiltered Carneros Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Founded
1989
Good to Know
Groups of 10 or fewer. No shared tastings; the fee is per person. Club members can book library Cabernet Franc verticals.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch.
10:00 · Pickup at Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch
Both resorts are in Carneros, about 8 minutes from the winery. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery
The Current Release tasting of five wines; we plan about an hour. The fee is confirmed when we book.
11:35 · Hess Persson Estates
About 20 minutes away. A Mount Veeder estate whose Estate Tasting includes a guided walk through the Lions Head Cellar and garden. $70, about 90 minutes. By reservation; open Thursday to Monday. (The art galleries are closed for a refresh through the end of 2026.)
1:25 · Lunch at Oenotri
About 18 minutes away. Southern Italian cooking with wood-fired pizza in downtown Napa. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:50 · Cuvaison
About 12 minutes away. A Carneros estate known for cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a seated tasting room looking over the vineyards. The Estate Tasting of four wines is $60, about an hour. By reservation.
3:50 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
About $130 per person in tasting fees for Hess Persson and Cuvaison, plus McKenzie-Mueller's tasting fee, which is confirmed when we book; paid directly to each winery.
Hess Persson is open Thursday to Monday and McKenzie-Mueller Monday to Saturday, so this day works Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Monday.
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 McKenzie-Mueller?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, Monday through Saturday. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at McKenzie-Mueller?
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish its current release fee online, as of September 2026.
Who founded McKenzie-Mueller?
Karen McKenzie and Bob Mueller, in 1989. Bob was director of enology at Mondavi and on the original winemaking team for Opus One.
What is McKenzie-Mueller known for?
Unfiltered, age-worthy wines from Los Carneros, especially Cabernet Franc, along with other Bordeaux varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
How big a group can McKenzie-Mueller host?
Groups of 10 or fewer.
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.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery","url":"https://www.mckenziemueller.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2530 Las Amigas Road","addressLocality":"Napa","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"94559","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"1989","containedInPlace":{"@type":"Place","name":"Los Carneros AVA"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at McKenzie-Mueller?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, Monday through Saturday. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at McKenzie-Mueller?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish its current release fee online, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who founded McKenzie-Mueller?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Karen McKenzie and Bob Mueller, in 1989. Bob was director of enology at Mondavi and on the original winemaking team for Opus One."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is McKenzie-Mueller known for?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Unfiltered, age-worthy wines from Los Carneros, especially Cabernet Franc, along with other Bordeaux varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How big a group can McKenzie-Mueller host?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Groups of 10 or fewer."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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."}}]}]}