Spring Mountain District · Napa Valley
Visit School House with a Private Chauffeur
A Spring Mountain property in one family since 1940, named for its 1880s one-room school house, visited by emailed reservation, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
John O. Gantner Jr. bought this Spring Mountain property in 1940, the year his son John was born. John Morse Gantner, an eighth-generation San Franciscan descended from the family of Salvador Vallejo, has worked the vineyard all his life and wrote Spring Mountain Story about growing up there in the 1940s. He runs it with Nancy Walker, who served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1979 to 1991.
The vineyard takes its name from an 1880s one-room school house that stood on the property until it burned in the mid-1980s. Since the mid-1950s the family has quietly made very small quantities of wine here in the Spring Mountain District, long before small mountain producers were in fashion. Recent releases include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and the Mescolanza Zinfandel blend.
School House has no tasting room or published tasting menu. Visits to taste the wines are by reservation, requested by email from the family's host. We send the request on your behalf and confirm what they can offer for your date, then build the rest of the day around Spring Mountain and St. Helena.
Tasting Fees
School House does not publish a tasting fee. The format and any cost of a visit are confirmed by the winery when the reservation is accepted.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3549 Langtry Road, St. Helena
AVA
Spring Mountain District
Visiting
By reservation only, requested by email; no tasting room or posted hours. We make the request on your behalf.
Known For
Tiny-production Spring Mountain District wines made by one family since the mid-1950s, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Founded
1940 (wines since the mid-1950s)
Good to Know
Visits depend on the family's schedule, so ask well ahead. Wines are sold mainly through the winery's own store and mailing list.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Meadowood.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Meadowood
Alila Napa Valley, in St. Helena, is about 12 minutes from Langtry Road, and Meadowood, the resort east of town at the foot of Howell Mountain, is about 18 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · School House Vineyard
A visit and tasting with the family on Spring Mountain, by reservation only. We plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
11:30 · Spring Mountain Vineyard
About 8 minutes away. A historic Spring Mountain estate around the Victorian mansion Miravalle, where an Estate Ambassador leads you through a 19th-century olive grove, botanical gardens and a vista over terraced vineyards before a flight of estate wines. $95 for about 90 minutes. By reservation, daily, 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
1:20 · Lunch at Forum at Meadowood
About 20 minutes away. Lunch at Forum, the main restaurant at Meadowood at the foot of Howell Mountain, with seasonal dishes drawn from the Meadowood farm. Lunch is served Monday to Friday, with brunch on weekends until 3 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:40 · Chateau Boswell Winery
About 8 minutes away. A family winery founded in 1979 on the Silverado Trail north of St. Helena, with a hand-hewn stone winery; during your appointment your group is the only one on the property. Chateau Boswell does not publish a tasting fee; we confirm it when we book and allow about an hour. By appointment only.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
About $95 per person for Spring Mountain Vineyard, paid directly to the winery, plus any fees School House and Chateau Boswell set when the visits are booked.
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 School House?
Yes. Visits to taste are by reservation only, requested by email. We send the request and confirm the details. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at School House?
School House does not publish a tasting fee; any fee is set by the winery when it accepts the reservation, as of September 2026.
Why is it called School House Vineyard?
It is named for the 1880s one-room school house that stood on the property until it burned in the mid-1980s.
How long has the family owned School House?
Since 1940, when John O. Gantner Jr. bought the property; wine has been made there since the mid-1950s.
Who runs School House Vineyard?
John Morse Gantner and Nancy Walker.
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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