Rutherford · Napa Valley
Visit Pestoni with a Private Chauffeur
A fifth-generation family winery on Highway 29 in Rutherford, with picnic grounds and valley views, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Albino Pestoni came to Napa Valley from a Swiss village near the Italian border in 1882. In 1892 he, his wife Maria Madonna and their four sons planted their first vineyard and built a stone and redwood winery at the base of Howell Mountain. In 1923 his son Henry and Henry's wife Lena bought the Pestoni Ranch on Whitehall Lane, which the family still farms.
In 1994 Bob and Sylvia Pestoni opened Rutherford Grove Winery next to the family's Rutherford vineyards, and in 2017, for the family's 125th year of Napa Valley winemaking, it was renamed Pestoni Family Estate Winery. Greg Pestoni, of the fourth generation, runs it today. Aaron Pott, Food & Wine's 2012 Winemaker of the Year, has directed winemaking since the 2024 vintage.
The winery sits in the Rutherford AVA, behind a small estate vineyard of Merlot and Sangiovese, with views west to the Mayacamas Mountains. The easygoing Heritage Tasting is poured in an outdoor pavilion or on the picnic lawn, where families and leashed dogs are welcome. Red-focused tastings and library pours move into the renovated indoor tasting room.
Tasting Fees
$45 for the Heritage Tasting outdoors and $75 for the Single Vineyard Tasting, each about 75 minutes. $100 for the Pestoni Library Experience, a tour and tasting of six library wines with the Estate Director or a member of the family.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1673 St. Helena Highway South, St. Helena
AVA
Rutherford
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except major holidays. Tastings are booked online in advance.
Known For
Rutherford Sangiovese, Howell Mountain and Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, and estate Sauvignon Blanc
Founded
1892 (current winery opened as Rutherford Grove in 1994)
Good to Know
The indoor tasting room is 21 and over. Children and well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome on the picnic grounds, where the Heritage Tasting is poured. Parties of one to six book online; larger parties, with children counted in the total, should email the winery first. Outside food is allowed at the picnic tables, for up to two hours.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Auberge du Soleil.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Auberge du Soleil
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort at the south edge of St. Helena, is about 5 minutes from Pestoni, and Auberge du Soleil, on a hillside above Rutherford, is about 12 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Pestoni Family Estate Winery
The Heritage Tasting, about 75 minutes ($45), in the outdoor pavilion or on the picnic lawn. The Single Vineyard Tasting ($75) runs the same length and is poured in the indoor tasting room.
11:40 · Nickel & Nickel
About 8 minutes away. A sister winery to Far Niente in Oakville, set around an 1884 Victorian farmhouse and a historic Gleason barn. Uncork & Unwind, four wines in 60 minutes, is $75. Reservations are encouraged; 21 and over, no pets.
12:50 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 10 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena, farmhouse cooking with ingredients from the ranch's own farm, open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. (11 a.m. on weekends). Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:10 · Shafer Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. A hillside estate in the Stags Leap District, home of Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. The Collectors Experience, five current releases including Hillside Select, is $140 and runs 90 minutes. By appointment, Tuesday through Saturday.
3:40 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Merryvale Vineyards
Adds about an hour and a half. A heritage winery in downtown St. Helena, back up the valley near your hotel. The Winery Exclusives tasting ($50, 90 minutes) accepts walk-ins as space allows, though a reservation is recommended; open daily until 5:30 p.m.
About $260 to $290 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Shafer receives guests Tuesday through Saturday only. On a Sunday or Monday we swap in another Stags Leap District winery.
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 Pestoni?
Book ahead. Tastings are reserved online, daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for parties of one to six. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Pestoni?
$45 per person for the Heritage Tasting, $75 for the Single Vineyard Tasting and $100 for the Pestoni Library Experience, as of September 2026.
Can children visit Pestoni?
Yes, on the picnic grounds with the outdoor Heritage Tasting. The indoor tasting room is 21 and over, and children count toward the party size, so parties over six should email the winery before booking.
Can we bring a picnic to Pestoni?
Yes. Outside food is allowed at the picnic tables, which are available for up to two hours. Bring your own plates and cutlery.
Who owns Pestoni Family Estate Winery?
The Pestoni family, whose Napa Valley winemaking goes back to 1892. Greg Pestoni, of the fourth generation, is the proprietor.
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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