Los Carneros · Napa Valley
Visit Saintsbury with a Private Chauffeur
A Carneros Pinot Noir pioneer since 1981, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Dick Ward and David Graves, who met studying winemaking at UC Davis, founded Saintsbury in 1981. They named it for George Saintsbury, the English writer of Notes on a Cellar-Book, and released their first wines in 1982.
The winery building, designed by the architect Ned Forrest, went up in 1983, and in 1990 they bought the Brown Ranch vineyard. Saintsbury was among the first wineries to bottle single-vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir, and its 1995 Reserve Chardonnay made Wine Spectator's Top 100.
Tim Colla has been winemaker since 2015. The tasting is relaxed and personal, in the garden with current Pinot Noir and Chardonnay releases and a cellar walk when possible.
Tasting Fees
$65 for the Garden Tasting of four current releases and a Cellarbook Pinot Noir, about 75 minutes.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1500 Los Carneros Avenue, Napa (Carneros)
AVA
Los Carneros
Visiting
By appointment only, with tastings on the hour and half hour from 10 a.m. to mid-afternoon.
Known For
Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including Brown Ranch
Founded
1981
Good to Know
Online bookings take up to 6 guests; larger groups contact the winery. No picnics.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:15 a.m. from a Carneros hotel such as Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch, for a 10:30 tasting.
10:15 · Pickup at Carneros Resort and Spa or Stanly Ranch
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Carneros Resort and Spa, with vineyard cottages in Los Carneros, is about 3 minutes from Saintsbury, and Stanly Ranch, an Auberge resort on a working ranch at the south end of the valley, is about 6 minutes away. Pickup is at 10:15 because tastings start on the hour and half hour. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:30 · Saintsbury
The Garden Tasting, about 75 minutes ($65).
12:00 · Bouchaine Vineyards
About 8 minutes away. A family estate that calls itself the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros, known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Garden Tasting is about 90 minutes ($45; all ages and dogs welcome); the Terrace Tasting is about an hour ($75). By reservation.
1:40 · Lunch at Boon Fly Café
About 9 minutes away. Lunch at Boon Fly Café at Carneros Resort, a roadhouse open daily with brunch until 4 p.m.; lunch is first come, first served. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:55 · Domaine Carneros
About 4 minutes away. A French-style château built by the Champagne house Taittinger, pouring sparkling wine on its terrace. Tastings from $45, about an hour. By reservation, 21 and over.
4:05 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:15 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Madonna Estate
Adds about an hour. The Bartolucci family's organic, dry-farmed estate, one of the few in Napa Valley that still takes walk-ins. Tastings are $30, waived with two bottles; open until 5 p.m. Families and dogs welcome.
About $155 to $185 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 Saintsbury?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Saintsbury?
$65 per person for the Garden Tasting, about 75 minutes, as of September 2026.
Where does the name Saintsbury come from?
From George Saintsbury, the English author of Notes on a Cellar-Book.
What is Saintsbury known for?
Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including the single-vineyard Brown Ranch.
When was Saintsbury founded?
In 1981, by Dick Ward and David Graves.
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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