Napa · Napa Valley
Visit Rockmere with a Private Chauffeur
A small family vineyard on the Silverado Trail, with wines by Jeff Ames and a private visit that starts in the caves where they are made, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Proprietor Chet Pinckernell spent summers in Northern California as a boy, driving out with his family from Maryland. Decades later, from his home in Memphis, he studied viticulture and winemaking and founded Rockmere in 2016. The name is the street he grew up on, Rockmere Court, and it suited the very rocky soil he found walking the rows. A six-foot pile of collected stones keeps growing at the back of the vineyard.
The vineyard is on the Silverado Trail in the southeast corner of Napa Valley. Winemaker Jeff Ames, who grew up less than two miles from Chet in Memphis, helped choose the site in 2015 and watched the vines for three years before the first vintage. Chet still spends mornings in the vineyard, and his daughter Bailey runs marketing and sales.
Visits are private and educational. The appointment begins in the caves of the custom crush facility where Rockmere is made: you walk through the production area to the Rockmere barrels, taste the vintages still aging, and finish with a formal tasting of current releases. Guests love tasting from the barrel before the bottle. One tasting fee is waived for every two bottles purchased.
Tasting Fees
$75 per person for the private tasting appointment: a cave and production walk, barrel samples of aging vintages and a formal tasting of current releases. One fee is waived for every two bottles purchased.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4130 Silverado Trail, Napa
AVA
Napa Valley
Visiting
By appointment, requested through a Rockmere account (members sign in; others join the mailing list first). We arrange it on your behalf. The appointment is at the caves of the custom crush facility where Rockmere is made, confirmed with the booking. Cancellations need 48 hours' notice.
Known For
Small-lot estate wines made by Jeff Ames
Founded
2016
Good to Know
One tasting fee is waived for every two bottles purchased. Cancellations need 48 hours' notice. The online shop is for guests 21 and over and ships in minimums of three bottles.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Silverado Resort or Milliken Creek Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Silverado Resort or Milliken Creek Inn
Both are on the east side of Napa near the Silverado Trail, about 10 to 15 minutes from the first stop; the cave location is confirmed with the appointment. The day below runs about six hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Rockmere Vineyards
The private cave, barrel and current-release tasting ($75). The winery does not publish a length; we allow about 90 minutes.
12:00 · Hope & Grace Wines
About 15 minutes away. A small Yountville winery founded by winemaker Charles Hendricks, with seated tastings indoors or on a pet-friendly patio. The Reserve Library Tasting is $75; we allow about an hour. Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; reservations recommended.
1:15 · Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni
About 10 minutes away. Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni, an Italian restaurant among the vineyards on Howard Lane, a valley favorite for more than 30 years, open daily from 11:30 a.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 · Jean Edwards Cellars
About 15 minutes away. A family Cabernet house pouring in The Tasting Barn near Silverado Resort. The Portfolio Experience of top selections is $65, about 90 minutes. Reservations recommended; open weekdays noon to 4 p.m. and weekends 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:10 p.m., about six hours after pickup.
About $215 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 Rockmere?
Yes. Tastings are by appointment, requested through a Rockmere account. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Rockmere?
$75 per person for the private cave, barrel and current-release tasting, with one fee waived for every two bottles purchased, as of September 2026.
Where does the Rockmere tasting take place?
In the caves of the custom crush facility where Rockmere is made; the location is confirmed with the appointment.
Who makes Rockmere wine?
Winemaker Jeff Ames, who helped select the vineyard site in 2015.
Who owns Rockmere Vineyards?
Proprietor Chet Pinckernell, who founded it in 2016; his daughter Bailey runs marketing and sales.
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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