St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Riverain with a Private Chauffeur
Small-lot Cabernet by Thomas Rivers Brown, including a 100-point Tench Vineyard Reserve, poured privately at the production winery, and a day that includes a visit to Tench itself.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Riverain was founded in 2010 by longtime friends Steve Nordhoff and Dean Gray. Dean bought a home in Rutherford a few steps from the Napa River, and over dinner there with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown the idea of their own label took shape. The name is an old French word meaning both near the river and a local.
Brown, named Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine, has made the wines from the start. The core is Cabernet Sauvignon from Tench Vineyard on the eastern Oakville bench; the 2023 Reserve, from a few hand-selected barrels, scored 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck, with 279 cases made. A 2023 Cabernet from Phelan Ranch, at 1,800 feet next to Pritchard Hill, was the label's first mountain fruit.
Riverain has no public tasting room. It invites guests for a private tasting at its production winery in St. Helena, requested through the website and confirmed by the team. We send the request on your behalf, and the day pairs it with a visit to Tench Vineyards, where the Reserve is grown, so you taste the wine and then walk the vineyard.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation.
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
Napa Valley
Visiting
By private request only, at Riverain's production winery in St. Helena. Requests are made through the winery's website and confirmed by the team; we arrange it on your behalf.
Known For
Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon made by Thomas Rivers Brown
Founded
2010
Good to Know
There are no posted hours, and the winery does not publish the production winery's address; it is confirmed with the booking. Wines are sold online and through the mailing list.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Meadowood.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Meadowood
Both are in St. Helena, a short drive from Riverain's production winery: Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort at the south end of town, and Meadowood, the resort at the foot of Howell Mountain. The tasting is private, so the time is set when the team confirms; we plan on 10:15. The day runs about six and three-quarter hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Riverain Vineyards
A private tasting at the production winery in St. Helena, arranged on your behalf; the time and any fee are confirmed by the team. Plan on about an hour.
11:35 · Tench Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. The eastern Oakville bench vineyard behind Riverain's Reserve, where Margaret Tench and Rem Reigersman built a winery with caves in 2017 beside an oak knoll where red-tailed hawks hunt. Visits take about two hours and cover the winery, caves and vineyard; any fee is confirmed when the family sets the appointment. By prior appointment, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
1:50 · Lunch at Mustards Grill
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Mustards Grill on Highway 29 just north of Yountville, a Napa Valley favorite for more than 40 years, open daily for lunch. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:10 · Handwritten Wines
About 8 minutes away. Winemaker Andrew Wright, who worked at Harlan and BOND, pours four Cabernets side by side in Yountville with truffle potato chips. The Classic Experience is $75 (allow about an hour), waived with a $100 purchase. By appointment, daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; no walk-ins.
4:15 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:40 p.m., about six and three-quarter hours after pickup.
About $75 per person in tasting fees for Handwritten Wines, plus the Riverain and Tench fees, which are confirmed when the visits are arranged; paid directly to each winery.
Riverain and Tench are both by private arrangement, so we request them well ahead and fit the day to the times they confirm. It runs about six and three-quarter hours, back around 4:40 p.m.
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 Riverain?
Yes. Riverain offers private tastings by request only, confirmed by its team. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Riverain?
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation; Riverain does not publish a fee, as of September 2026.
Who owns Riverain?
Longtime friends Steve Nordhoff and Dean Gray, who founded it in 2010.
Who makes Riverain wine?
Thomas Rivers Brown, who has made every vintage. His 2023 Tench Vineyard Reserve Cabernet scored 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck.
Where does Riverain's fruit come from?
Mainly Tench Vineyard on the eastern Oakville bench, plus Phelan Ranch, a mountain site next to Pritchard Hill.
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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