St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Panek with a Private Chauffeur
A 22-acre family vineyard on a knoll north of St. Helena, with wines made by Thomas Rivers Brown, visited by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Cindy and Jim Panek met at the University of Michigan, raised their three children in Northern California and in 2000 bought a small vineyard just north of St. Helena. They replanted the property completely and for years sold high-end Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. In the fall of 2017 their son Nathan became a partner, and the family started its own wine brand.
The vineyard covers 22 acres of black loam and crushed gravel atop a slight knoll on the valley floor, in the St. Helena AVA. Thomas Rivers Brown, named Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine in 2010, makes the Panek wines. He worked with this fruit for years before that, for Pulido-Walker and for his own Rivers-Marie, which bottles a Panek Vineyard Cabernet.
Panek has no public tasting room; tastings are by appointment at the estate on Highway 29. That means a quiet, personal visit among the vines rather than a busy bar. We call the family on your behalf and confirm the time and what they can offer for your date.
Tasting Fees
Panek does not publish a tasting fee. The format and any cost of a visit are confirmed by the winery 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
3440 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment only at the estate, 3440 St. Helena Highway North, arranged by phone; we make the request on your behalf.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from the St. Helena AVA, made by Thomas Rivers Brown
Founded
2000 (wine brand since 2017)
Good to Know
Appointments depend on the family's schedule, so ask ahead. Wines are sold mainly through the winery's mailing list and online store.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:30 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Meadowood or Alila Napa Valley, so the day lines up with Fisher Vineyards' noon visit.
10:30 · Pickup at Meadowood or Alila Napa Valley
Meadowood, the resort east of St. Helena at the foot of Howell Mountain, is about 12 minutes from the estate, and Alila Napa Valley, in St. Helena, is about 8 minutes away. Pickup is at 10:30 so the day lines up with Fisher Vineyards' noon visit. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:45 · Panek Vineyards
A private visit at the estate north of St. Helena, by appointment only. We plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
12:00 · Fisher Vineyards
About 12 minutes away. A family winery founded by Fred and Juelle Fisher in 1973; their Calistoga estate sits at the foot of the Palisades along Simmons Creek, next to the Eisele Vineyard. The visit fee is $95 for up to 6 guests, and we allow about 90 minutes. By appointment, with visits at 10 a.m. and noon.
1:45 · Lunch at Sam's Social Club
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Sam's Social Club at Indian Springs in Calistoga, a sit-down restaurant named for town founder Samuel Brannan, serving lunch Monday through Friday and brunch on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:05 · Chateau Boswell Winery
About 15 minutes away. A family winery founded in 1979 on the Silverado Trail north of St. Helena, with a hand-hewn stone winery; during your appointment your group is the only one on the property. Chateau Boswell does not publish a tasting fee; we confirm it when we book and allow about an hour. By appointment only.
4:15 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:30 p.m., six hours after pickup.
About $95 per person for Fisher, paid directly to the winery, plus any fees Panek and Chateau Boswell set when the visits are booked.
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 Panek?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, arranged by phone with the family. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Panek?
Panek does not publish a tasting fee; any fee is set by the winery when the appointment is made, as of September 2026.
Who makes the Panek wines?
Thomas Rivers Brown, Food & Wine's Winemaker of the Year in 2010, who also bottles a Panek Vineyard Cabernet under his own Rivers-Marie label.
What does Panek Vineyards grow?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc on 22 acres in the St. Helena AVA, just north of St. Helena.
Who owns Panek Vineyards?
Cindy and Jim Panek, who bought the vineyard in 2000, with their son Nathan as a partner since 2017.
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":"Panek Vineyards","url":"https://www.panekvineyards.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"3440 St. Helena Highway North","addressLocality":"St. Helena","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"94574","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"2000","containedInPlace":{"@type":"Place","name":"St. Helena AVA"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Panek?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Tastings are by appointment only, arranged by phone with the family. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Panek?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Panek does not publish a tasting fee; any fee is set by the winery when the appointment is made, as of September 2026."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who makes the Panek wines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Thomas Rivers Brown, Food & Wine's Winemaker of the Year in 2010, who also bottles a Panek Vineyard Cabernet under his own Rivers-Marie label."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What does Panek Vineyards grow?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc on 22 acres in the St. Helena AVA, just north of St. Helena."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns Panek Vineyards?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cindy and Jim Panek, who bought the vineyard in 2000, with their son Nathan as a partner since 2017."}},{"@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."}}]}]}