St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Orin Swift with a Private Chauffeur
Dave Phinney's label-driven winery, pouring in a historic bank building on Main Street, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Winemaker Dave Phinney founded Orin Swift Cellars in 1998 with two tons of Zinfandel. The name is not a person: it joins his father's middle name, Orin, and his mother's maiden name, Swift. Phinney had started as a temporary harvest worker at a Napa winery in 1997, and in 2000 he blended his best lots into The Prisoner, his first big hit.
Orin Swift is known for bold, blended wines with artistic labels, including Papillon, Abstract and Machete. The winery opened its first official tasting room in St. Helena in 2014 and began a partnership with the Gallo family in 2016. The tasting room sits in the heart of the St. Helena AVA, in downtown St. Helena rather than at a vineyard estate.
Today the tasting room fills a renovated historic bank building on Main Street. Four experiences use different parts of the building, from a standing tasting at the bar to a seated flight, older bottles poured in the old bank vault, and rare small-lot wines in a private room set apart from the main floor.
Tasting Fees
$45 for Rock, a 45-minute standing tasting. $60 for Paper, a 90-minute seated flight. $80 for The Vault, 90 minutes with aged magnums or library wines (Thursday to Monday). $125 for Scissors, a two-hour tasting of rare, limited-production wines at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3:15 p.m.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1321 Main Street, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are required, through Tock or by phone or email.
Known For
Bold red blends with artistic labels, such as Papillon, Abstract and Machete
Founded
1998 (St. Helena tasting room opened in 2014)
Good to Know
Service animals only. Party sizes vary by experience: up to 4 for Rock, up to 6 for Paper, 2 to 8 in The Vault and up to 10 for Scissors. The Vault is offered Thursday to Monday.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Alila Napa Valley.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Alila Napa Valley
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt luxury resort on Main Street, is about 2 minutes from Orin Swift, and Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort at the south end of town, is about 5 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Orin Swift Cellars
Rock, a 45-minute standing tasting ($45). Paper, the 90-minute seated flight ($60), moves the rest of the day back 45 minutes.
11:15 · Spring Mountain Vineyard
About 10 minutes away. A historic estate up Spring Mountain Road whose 1973 Chardonnay placed fourth at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The Vista experience, a guided walk of the estate and a flight of estate wines, is $95 and about 90 minutes. By reservation, for parties of 1 to 7.
12:55 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 10 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on the south side of St. Helena, open daily from late morning. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:25 · Honig Vineyard & Winery
About 8 minutes away. A family-owned Rutherford winery known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, whose sustainability program includes solar power and sniffer dogs in the vineyard. The Terrace Tasting is $40 and about 75 minutes. By appointment; well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: HALL St. Helena
Adds about an hour. Craig and Kathryn Hall's estate on Highway 29 at the south end of St. Helena, about 7 minutes from Honig and close to both hotels. Reservations are recommended and walk-ins are welcome; tastings start at $45. Open daily until 5:30 p.m.
About $180 to $195 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 Orin Swift?
Yes. All tastings are by advance reservation, through Tock or by phone or email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Orin Swift?
$45 per person for Rock, $60 for Paper, $80 for The Vault and $125 for Scissors, as of September 2026.
Where does the name Orin Swift come from?
Orin Swift is not a person. Founder Dave Phinney combined his father's middle name, Orin, and his mother's maiden name, Swift.
What is Orin Swift known for?
Bold blended wines with artistic labels, including Papillon, Abstract and Machete. Dave Phinney also created The Prisoner here in 2000.
What is The Vault at Orin Swift?
The tasting room is in a historic bank building, and The Vault experience is poured in the bank's old vault, featuring aged magnums or library wines. It runs about 90 minutes, Thursday to Monday, for $80 per person.
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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