St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Melka with a Private Chauffeur
A small family winery on the Silverado Trail, run by two winemakers, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Philippe and Cherie Melka started their label in 1996, soon after moving back to Napa Valley from France. They began with two wines, Métisse and CJ, and about 500 cases. Philippe studied geology, agronomy and enology, and Cherie microbiology. The couple still make every wine together, from harvest dates to final blends.
In 2011 they bought a 15-acre property off the Silverado Trail in the St. Helena AVA, and their winery was finished for the 2017 harvest. The 2020 Glass Fire destroyed the original two-acre Cabernet vineyard. They replanted it as the 3.5-acre Montbleau Vineyard and dug a 5,000-square-foot cave beneath the estate to age two vintages on site.
Visits are by appointment and personal. The tasting salon sits in a 1982 farm barn, now home to a library of about 3,000 bottles across 20 vintages. Tastings range from a relaxed 45-minute pour in the loft, with valley views, to seated tastings in the salon and aged wines in the cave.
Tasting Fees
$75 for Meet Melka, 45 minutes in the loft. $150 for the Signature Selection Tasting in the salon, 90 minutes. $225 for the Legacy Tasting of aged wines in the cave, 90 minutes. Each fee is waived with a wine purchase or membership.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
2900 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment only. Visits are requested by phone or email with three preferred dates and times.
Known For
Métisse Bordeaux-style blends and single-vineyard reds, CJ Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, and Mekerra wines from their Knights Valley vineyard
Founded
1996 (estate winery completed in 2017)
Good to Know
Every tasting is by appointment, and fees are waived with a wine purchase or membership. Tastings are hosted by the small Melka team, so plan well ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Alila Napa Valley, in downtown St. Helena, is about 8 minutes from Melka, and Harvest Inn, at the south end of town, is about 12 minutes away. Melka sets times on request, so we ask for a 10:15 start. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Melka Estates
Meet Melka, 45 minutes in the loft with views of the valley ($75). The Signature Selection Tasting ($150) runs 90 minutes and moves the rest of the day back 45 minutes.
11:15 · Cathiard Vineyard
About 13 minutes away. A family estate on Zinfandel Lane at the foot of the Mayacamas, with a gravity-flow winery and a horseshoe cellar cut into the hillside. The Private Estate Experience, a winery tour followed by a tasting of three wines, is $175. By reservation only.
12:45 · Lunch at Mustards Grill
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Mustards Grill on Highway 29 just north of Yountville, serving lunch and dinner seven days a week since 1983. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Stags' Leap Winery
About 12 minutes away. A historic Manor House estate on the Silverado Trail, where the tour and tasting explore the property's colorful past. The Manor House Experience is $95 and runs 90 minutes; a private Porch Tasting is $110. By appointment; guests must be 21 or older.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Alpha Omega
Adds about 90 minutes. A family-owned winery on the Rutherford Bench, about 20 minutes from Stags' Leap Winery and on the way back to St. Helena. Walk-ins are welcome when availability allows; tastings start at $75 and run 90 minutes. Open daily; last seating at 4:30 p.m.
About $345 to $435 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. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
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 Melka?
Yes. Melka Estates hosts tastings by appointment only. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Melka?
$75 per person for Meet Melka, $150 for the Signature Selection Tasting and $225 for the Legacy Tasting, each waived with a wine purchase or membership, as of September 2026.
Who owns Melka Estates?
Philippe and Cherie Melka, who founded it in 1996 and make the wines together.
What is Melka known for?
Métisse, its Bordeaux-style blends and single-vineyard reds, along with CJ Cabernet Sauvignon, named for the couple's children Chloe and Jeremy, and Mekerra wines from a high-elevation vineyard in Knights Valley.
What happened to the Melka estate vineyard in the Glass Fire?
The original two-acre Cabernet vineyard was lost in the 2020 Glass Fire, making 2019 its final vintage. The Melkas replanted it as the 3.5-acre Montbleau Vineyard and built a cave beneath the estate.
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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