Oak Knoll District · Napa Valley
Visit Robert Biale Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
Heritage Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from a family farm, home of Black Chicken, and a suggested six-hour day around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Bob Biale founded the winery in 1991 with his father Aldo and partners Dave Pramuk and Al Perry, on the family's farm north of Napa. The Biales had farmed here since the 1940s.
The flagship wine has a famous story. In the 1940s a teenage Aldo sold his mother's homemade Zinfandel, and on the shared party-line telephone the family's code word for it was "a black chicken." Black Chicken is now the winery's benchmark Zinfandel.
Biale specializes in heritage Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from old vineyards, some planted in the 1880s. Tastings are outdoors on the heated Back Porch, relaxed and generous.
Tasting Fees
$50 for the Valley Vista tasting, 90 minutes, daily. $85 for the Estate Experience with a vineyard tour and barrel sample, 90 minutes, Friday to Monday at 10 a.m.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4038 Big Ranch Road, Napa
AVA
Oak Knoll District
Visiting
By appointment, because of county permit limits; walk-ins only when there is space. Tastings are outdoors on the Back Porch.
Known For
Heritage Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, including Black Chicken
Founded
1991
Good to Know
Online bookings take up to 4 guests; groups of 5 or more contact the winery. No picnics. Cancel 48 hours ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Silverado Resort or Andaz Napa.
10:00 · Pickup at Silverado Resort or Andaz Napa
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Silverado Resort, a golf and spa resort at the foot of Atlas Peak, is about 10 minutes from Biale, and Andaz Napa, a boutique Hyatt hotel in downtown Napa, is about 12 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Robert Biale Vineyards
The Valley Vista tasting, about 90 minutes ($50).
11:55 · Laird Family Estate
About 8 minutes away. An elevated tasting room with views across the valley, where families, well-behaved pets and picnics are welcome. Flights are $50 to $60, waived with a wine purchase. By reservation.
1:05 · Lunch at Mustards Grill
About 11 minutes away. Lunch at Mustards Grill on Highway 29, a Napa Valley institution open daily. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:20 · Trefethen Family Vineyards
About 8 minutes away. A family estate since 1968 around an 1886 wooden gravity-flow winery, the only one of its kind left in Napa Valley; its Chardonnay won the 1979 Wine Olympics. Winery flights are about an hour ($45). By reservation, 21 and over.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Darioush
Adds about an hour. A winery inspired by ancient Persepolis, with columns and reflecting pools on the Silverado Trail. The Estate Bar Tasting takes walk-ins ($60, 45 minutes); open until 5 p.m.
About $145 to $155 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
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 Robert Biale?
Yes. Visits are by appointment, with walk-ins only when there is space. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Robert Biale?
$50 per person for the Valley Vista tasting and $85 for the Estate Experience, as of September 2026.
What is Black Chicken?
Biale's flagship Zinfandel, named for the family's 1940s code word for homemade Zinfandel on a shared party-line phone.
What is Robert Biale known for?
Heritage Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from old vineyards.
Are tastings indoors?
No. Tastings are outdoors on the Back Porch, which is heated in cooler weather.
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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