St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Patent with a Private Chauffeur
A two-person St. Helena winery where you sit down with a winemaker of more than 50 Napa harvests, visited by private request, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Patent Wines is the small St. Helena winery of Tom Rinaldi and Eric Risch, who between them count about 75 years in Napa Valley wine. Tom began at Freemark Abbey and in 1978 became the founding winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards, where he made 22 vintages before building wineries such as Pellet Estate, Provenance and Hewitt.
The focus is narrow by choice: Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Tom picks the vineyards himself, including three St. Helena AVA sites (Beckstrom, Varozza and a vineyard the winery keeps unnamed), an Oak Knoll Cabernet block and Miller Ranch near Yountville, first planted in the 1890s, where a few Sémillon and Muscat vines grow among the Sauvignon Blanc. There is no wine club with required shipments.
Patent has no traditional tasting room. A visit is a chance to sit down, taste the wines and spend time with the people who make them, usually Tom or Eric themselves, and often with Norma Jean, the winery and vineyard dog. Visits are by private request: we contact the owners on your behalf and confirm the time and meeting place they offer for your date.
Tasting Fees
Patent does not publish a tasting fee. The format and any cost of a private visit are confirmed by the owners when the request is accepted.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
No public tasting room. Visits are by private request, arranged by email or phone with the owners; we make the request on your behalf and confirm the meeting place.
Known For
Classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, much of it from St. Helena AVA vineyards
Founded
Founded by Tom Rinaldi and Eric Risch
Good to Know
Patent is run by two people, so ask well ahead and keep the group small. There is no wine club; subscribers receive occasional private offers with no required purchases.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Meadowood or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Meadowood or Harvest Inn
Meadowood, the resort east of St. Helena at the foot of Howell Mountain, and Harvest Inn, on Highway 29 at the south end of town, are both a few minutes from St. Helena, where Patent is based; the owners set the meeting place when they accept the visit. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Patent Wines
A private, seated visit with the owners, by request only. We plan about an hour; the meeting place, format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
11:30 · Sullivan Rutherford Estate
About 10 minutes away. A Rutherford family estate devoted to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, built around a residence designed with architect John Marsh Davis in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. The Founder's Tasting begins with a guided walk through the vineyards and gardens, then a seated tasting; $150, and we allow about 90 minutes. By appointment.
1:10 · Lunch at Auberge du Soleil
About 10 minutes away. Lunch high on Rutherford Hill at Auberge du Soleil, with views across the valley; the Bar serves daily from 11:30 a.m., and The Restaurant offers a prix fixe lunch. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Marciano Estate
About 15 minutes away. The 19th-century Bourn family property west of St. Helena, with its original stone home, a winery designed by Howard Backen and an olive grove that yields the estate's own oil. Private tastings are $125 to $150 and last 60 to 90 minutes. By appointment, Sunday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 21 and over.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
About $275 to $300 per person in tasting fees for Sullivan and Marciano, paid directly to each winery, plus any fee Patent sets for your visit.
Marciano Estate is closed on Saturdays; on a Saturday we swap in another St. Helena estate.
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 Patent?
Yes. Patent has no public tasting room, and every visit is arranged by request with the owners. We send the request and confirm the time and place. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Patent?
Patent does not publish a tasting fee; any fee for a private visit is set by the winery when it accepts the request, as of September 2026.
Who makes the wine at Patent?
Tom Rinaldi, who was the founding winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards in 1978 and has worked more than 50 Napa Valley harvests.
What wines does Patent make?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, from vineyards in the St. Helena AVA, the Oak Knoll District and Miller Ranch near Yountville.
Who owns Patent Wines?
Tom Rinaldi and Eric Risch. Eric oversees operations, sales and vineyard relationships and is president of Appellation St. Helena.
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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