Mount Veeder · Napa Valley
Visit Random Ridge with a Private Chauffeur
Poet and surfer Bill Hawley's 10-acre vineyard at 2,200 feet on the Napa-Sonoma ridgeline of Mount Veeder, with views to the Golden Gate. Random Ridge does not receive visitors; here is what to know, and a day at sought-after estates nearby that do host.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Bill and Susan Hawley were both 27, with a one-year-old son, when they bought a wild 42-acre property at the end of a dirt fire road on the Napa-Sonoma county line in 1979. Bill, a winegrower, poet and surfer, built an off-the-grid passive solar house of recycled redwood with a friend in 1980, then cleared knobcone pine and manzanita and planted the vineyard. He named the place on a poetic whim.
The 10-acre vineyard sits at 2,200 feet on the southernmost ridge of the Mayacamas, in Napa's Mount Veeder appellation, on rocky volcanic soils. The southern view takes in San Francisco Bay, Mount Tamalpais and the Golden Gate Bridge. The winery calls its limited bottlings spicy, extracted and rich, "wines with alti-dude": Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Old Wave Zinfandel and red blend, and a Zinfandel rosé.
Random Ridge sells through its website, with California shipping only, and through restaurants and shops across California, from Chez Panisse in Berkeley to the Glen Ellen Inn. There is no tasting room and no visiting program, so it does not receive visitors. The day below stays with Mount Veeder, at estates on the same mountain, or pouring its wines, that do host.
Tasting Fees
Random Ridge does not offer tastings.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
Napa
AVA
Mount Veeder
Visiting
Random Ridge does not receive visitors; it has no tasting room, and the wines are sold online and through restaurants and shops.
Known For
Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Cabernet Franc, and Zinfandel
Founded
Land bought in 1979; vineyard planted in 1981
Good to Know
Online orders ship within California only; Venmo orders are taken by text at 707-540-3123. Join the mailing list on the website.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch.
10:00 · Pickup at Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch
Since Random Ridge does not host visitors, this day takes you to three sought-after estates nearby that do, all with Mount Veeder wines. Carneros Resort and Spa and Stanly Ranch, both set among the Carneros vineyards, are the closest resorts to the mountain, about 25 minutes from the first stop. The day fits in about six hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:25 · Hillwalker Vineyards
About 25 minutes away. A boutique vineyard at 1,000 feet on Mount Veeder that proprietor Kevin Morrison brought back to life, farmed organically and dry-farmed. By appointment or private request; the fee is confirmed when we book. We allow about an hour.
11:45 · Majuscule Wine
About 15 minutes away. Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Lisa Chu's steep volcanic vineyards on Mount Veeder, with a Seasonal Vineyard Walk among the vines from late spring to early fall. A limited number of private tastings each year, hosted by the owners; the place and fee are confirmed when we book. We allow about an hour.
1:10 · Lunch at Boon Fly Café
About 25 minutes away. Lunch at Boon Fly Café in Carneros, which serves its daytime menu every day until 4 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Brandlin Estate
About 8 minutes away. A Mount Veeder estate whose ridgetop vineyard was first planted in 1926, poured at sister winery Cuvaison in Carneros as a seated tasting of five estate wines with pairings by chef Aaron LeRoi. By reservation daily for 2 to 8 guests; tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. We allow about 75 minutes.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Tasting fees for all three estates are confirmed when we book; none publishes a price online. They are paid directly to each winery.
All three host by appointment or private request (Majuscule only a limited number of times a year, with its vineyard walk from late spring to early fall), so we confirm the order when we book. Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting.
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
Can you visit Random Ridge?
No. Random Ridge has no tasting room and does not host visitors, as of September 2026. We can plan a day at nearby wineries that do.
How can I buy Random Ridge wine?
On randomridge.com (California shipping only), by text for Venmo orders, or at the restaurants and shops it lists across California.
Who owns Random Ridge?
Bill Hawley, a winegrower, poet and surfer, and his wife Susan Brandt-Hawley, who bought the land in 1979.
Where is Random Ridge?
At 2,200 feet on the Napa-Sonoma county line at the south end of the Mayacamas, in Napa's Mount Veeder AVA, at the end of a dirt fire road.
What is Random Ridge known for?
Spicy, rich mountain Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, which the winery calls "wines with alti-dude."
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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