St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Selah with a Private Chauffeur
Former Oakland A's pitcher Joe Blanton's Howell Mountain Cabernet, made by Thomas Rivers Brown and poured by appointment request at Mending Wall on the Silverado Trail, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Kentucky-born Joe Blanton found wine as a young pitcher with the Oakland A's, at team dinners on the road where older players ordered for the table, and on trips to nearby Napa Valley. A bottle of 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia turned that interest into an obsession. In 2014 he bought a small Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard on Howell Mountain, and Selah Wines became his next chapter.
Blanton built a strong team for a small project: winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, one of the valley's most sought-after consultants, and vineyard manager Josh Clark. Brown started at Turley Cellars in the late 1990s as assistant to Ehren Jordan and is known for a hands-off, non-interventionist style. The focus is Cabernet from Howell Mountain, an appellation Blanton long admired, now with more than a decade of vintages.
There is no tasting room on the mountain. Selah pours at its partner winery, Mending Wall, on the Silverado Trail just south of Calistoga, in the St. Helena AVA; the winery calls it a central location for all things Thomas Rivers Brown. Tastings are by appointment request through the Selah website, and we send the request for you. Expect a small, personal visit rather than a busy bar.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Selah does not publish a tasting fee.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3730 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment request only, at partner winery Mending Wall, 3730 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena. Days, times and length of visit are not published; we make the request on your behalf.
Known For
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon made by Thomas Rivers Brown
Founded
2014 (Howell Mountain vineyard purchased)
Good to Know
Ages, group size and pet policy are not published; we confirm them when the appointment is accepted. Wines are sold through the Selah online shop and wine club.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Indian Springs or Meadowood. Selah confirms appointment times on request, so the start may move.
10:00 · Pickup at Indian Springs or Meadowood
Indian Springs, the historic hot springs resort in downtown Calistoga, is about 10 minutes from Mending Wall, and Meadowood, below Howell Mountain where Selah's vineyard grows, about 12. If Selah offers a different time, we build the day around it. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Selah Wines
A tasting of Selah's Howell Mountain wines at Mending Wall, by request. The length is not published; we allow about an hour and a quarter.
11:45 · Lamborn Family Vineyards
About 10 minutes away. A Howell Mountain family, farming at 2,200 feet since 1969, that hosts tastings at its custom crush winery in Calistoga, led by Mike or Brian Lamborn. $75 for current releases, applied toward a six-bottle purchase. By reservation; we confirm the address and time when we book.
1:20 · Lunch at Gott's Roadside
About 18 minutes away. Classic American fare at picnic tables on Main Street in St. Helena, open daily from 11 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 · Frank Family Vineyards
About 12 minutes away. A Craftsman House tasting room on the grounds of the historic Larkmead Winery, first established in 1884. The Frank Family Estate Tasting is $60, seated in the house, on the back patio or in the courtyard; allow about an hour. By reservation; 21 and over.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:45 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
About $135 per person in tasting fees for Lamborn and Frank Family, plus Selah's fee, which is confirmed when the visit is arranged. Fees are paid directly to each winery.
Selah sets visit times on request, so the day is confirmed once Mending Wall has a time for you. Lamborn shares its winery address with the booking.
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 Selah?
Yes. Selah pours by appointment request only, at its partner winery Mending Wall. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Selah?
Selah does not publish a tasting fee; it is to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Who owns Selah Wines?
Joe Blanton, the Kentucky-born former Oakland A's pitcher, who bought his Howell Mountain vineyard in 2014.
Where do you taste Selah wine?
At Mending Wall, 3730 Silverado Trail North, between St. Helena and Calistoga. The vineyard itself is on Howell Mountain and is not open for visits.
Who makes Selah wine?
Thomas Rivers Brown, with vineyard manager Josh Clark farming the Howell Mountain site.
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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