St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Rombauer with a Private Chauffeur
A family winery on a garden knoll off the Silverado Trail, known for its Carneros Chardonnay, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Koerner and Joan Rombauer moved their family to a 40-acre knoll in St. Helena in 1972. Koerner was an airline pilot, and Joan later spent 12 years in sales at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Their first wine was a 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon, made partly in Koerner's garage, which was bonded as a winery for the purpose. The winery is still family-owned.
The family crushed its first Chardonnay at the new St. Helena winery in 1982, and Chardonnay became the wine Rombauer is best known for, making Wine Spectator's Top 100 list five times, starting with the 1991 Carneros Chardonnay. From 1982 to 2008 the winery also made wine for young labels such as Dominus, Spottswoode, Duckhorn and Corison. Winemaker Richie Allen, a harvest intern in 2004, has led the cellar since 2008.
The tasting room sits on a knoll just off the Silverado Trail in the St. Helena AVA, looking west to the Mayacamas over gardens with more than 100 varieties of plants and flowers, with art the founders collected tucked among them. Hosted tastings pour five wines indoors or outside. Dogs and picnics are welcome in the outdoor areas, and a cave tour walks down among the barrels.
Tasting Fees
$25 for the Hosted Tasting of five wines, indoors or outdoors, about 75 minutes. $75 for the Wine & Bites Pairing, five wines with five bites, 90 minutes (Friday to Sunday, through December 2026). $125 for the Cave Tour and Tasting, 90 minutes to 2 hours at set times.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3522 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tastings are by reservation; for a booking within 24 hours, call the winery. Wine by the glass or bottle on the patio takes walk-ins when space allows.
Known For
Chardonnay, especially from Carneros, plus Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc
Founded
1980 (St. Helena winery built in 1982)
Good to Know
Children are welcome and count toward the party size. Hosted tastings take parties of up to 10. Leashed dogs and picnics are welcome outdoors; indoors, service animals only and no outside food. ADA-accessible tables are limited, so call ahead.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Meadowood or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Meadowood or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Meadowood, a 250-acre resort estate in a wooded canyon off the Silverado Trail, is about 8 minutes from Rombauer, and Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort just south of downtown St. Helena, is about 12 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Rombauer Vineyards
Hosted Tasting of five wines, about 75 minutes ($25), inside or out in the gardens. The Cave Tour and Tasting ($125) runs 90 minutes to 2 hours at set times and needs a longer day.
11:55 · Paloma Vineyard
About 20 minutes away. A family winery up on Spring Mountain, where owner and winemaker Sheldon Richards often hosts the tasting himself, in his living room or on his deck. The Home Sweet Home tasting of four wines is $60 and about an hour, with a $100 deposit refunded on arrival. By appointment, Monday to Saturday.
1:10 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 15 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead, Long Meadow Ranch's farmhouse restaurant in St. Helena, with menus built on produce from the family's own farm and ranch. 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.
2:15 · Alpha Omega
About 8 minutes away. A Rutherford estate whose terrace looks across its fountains, a local landmark, to the Mayacamas Mountains. Tastings are $75 to $125 and about 90 minutes, and you choose your flight on arrival. Reservations recommended; walk-ins welcome when space allows. Open daily.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Napa Cellars
Adds about an hour. A relaxed Oakville tasting room on Highway 29, about 10 minutes south of Alpha Omega, with shaded picnic grounds where dogs are welcome. Walk-ins are welcome as space permits; try the 30-minute Flight Light or a guided tasting from $40 (90 minutes). Open Thursday to Monday until 5 p.m.
About $160 to $210 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Paloma Vineyard is closed on Sundays; on a Sunday we will suggest another Spring Mountain winery in its place. The optional stop, Napa Cellars, is open Thursday to Monday.
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 Rombauer?
Yes for tastings. Hosted tastings and the cave tour are by reservation, and bookings within 24 hours are made by phone. Wine by the glass or bottle on the patio takes walk-ins when space allows. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Rombauer?
$25 per person for the Hosted Tasting, $75 for the Wine & Bites Pairing (Friday to Sunday, through December 2026) and $125 for the Cave Tour and Tasting, as of September 2026.
What is Rombauer known for?
Its Chardonnay, which has made Wine Spectator's Top 100 list five times. The winery also makes Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
Can children visit Rombauer?
Yes. Children are welcome and should be counted in the party size when you book.
Who owns Rombauer?
The Rombauer family. Koerner and Joan Rombauer founded the winery in 1980, and it is still family-owned.
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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