St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Post Parade with a Private Chauffeur
Kentucky bourbon partner Brook Smith's small-lot Napa Cabernet, made by Thomas Rivers Brown and poured in private tastings at Mending Wall on the Silverado Trail, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Brook Smith, a partner in several Kentucky bourbon ventures, came to love Napa Cabernet through Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt and vineyard owners Paul and Suzie Frank. In 2010 he teamed up with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to start Post Parade. The name comes from the racetrack: the post parade is the moment thoroughbreds walk onto the track, minutes before they load into the starting gate.
Post Parade makes small-production, site-specific Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from vineyards such as Panek in St. Helena, Larkmead and Kenefick Ranch in Calistoga, Policy in Yountville and Oakville Ranch, plus Don Miguel on the Sonoma Coast. Brown, who made his name at Schrader and Outpost and with his own Rivers-Marie, works with minimal intervention so each vineyard shows through.
Post Parade has no tasting room of its own. Guests are welcomed by appointment, seven days a week as availability allows, at Mending Wall Winery on the Silverado Trail in the St. Helena AVA. Each tasting is hosted privately for your group and focuses on Post Parade's small-lot wines. Appointments are made by email or text, and we take care of that for you.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Post Parade does not publish a fee for its private tasting at Mending Wall.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3730 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment only, seven days a week subject to availability, at Mending Wall Winery, 3730 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena. Appointments are requested by email or text; we arrange it on your behalf. Hours are not published.
Known For
Small-lot, site-specific Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Thomas Rivers Brown
Founded
2010
Good to Know
Every tasting is private for your group. Ages, group size and pet policy are not published; we confirm them when booking. Current releases, library wines, gift sets and large formats are sold online, and there is a membership.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Four Seasons Napa Valley or Meadowood.
10:00 · Pickup at Four Seasons Napa Valley or Meadowood
Four Seasons Napa Valley, on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga, is about 8 minutes from Mending Wall, and Meadowood, at the foot of Howell Mountain, about 12. Post Parade sets appointment times on request, so we confirm the 10:15 start when we book. The day runs a little over six hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Post Parade Wines
A private tasting of Post Parade's current releases at Mending Wall. The length is not published; we allow about an hour and a quarter.
11:45 · The Debate
About 12 minutes away. A downtown St. Helena salon where single-vineyard Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons from famous sites are poured side by side for comparison. The Collection Tasting is $75, about 90 minutes. By appointment, privately hosted.
1:25 · Lunch at Rutherford Grill
About 10 minutes away. Lunch at Rutherford Grill at the Rutherford crossroads, a sit-down grill open daily. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves
About 8 minutes away. A St. Helena estate on Highway 29 whose visit leads into marble-lined caves for tastes drawn straight from the barrel. The Cave Experience and Barrel Tasting is $120 plus tax; the length is not published, so we allow about 75 minutes. By reservation; closed Wednesday.
3:55 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:15 p.m., about six and a quarter hours after pickup.
About $195 per person in tasting fees for The Debate and Del Dotto, plus Post Parade's fee, which is confirmed when the visit is arranged. Fees are paid directly to each winery.
Post Parade confirms its appointment time on request, and Del Dotto is closed on Wednesdays, so we finalize the day once both are confirmed. The day runs about six and a quarter hours.
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 Post Parade?
Yes. Post Parade hosts private tastings by appointment only, at Mending Wall on the Silverado Trail. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Post Parade?
Post Parade does not publish a tasting fee; it is to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Where do you taste Post Parade wine?
At Mending Wall Winery, 3730 Silverado Trail North, between St. Helena and Calistoga. Post Parade has no tasting room of its own.
Who makes Post Parade wine?
Thomas Rivers Brown, partner and winemaker since founder Brook Smith started the label in 2010.
What does the name Post Parade mean?
It is the moment thoroughbreds walk onto the racetrack just before entering the starting gate, a nod to founder Brook Smith's Kentucky roots.
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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