Oakville · Napa Valley
Visit Tench with a Private Chauffeur
A family vineyard on the eastern Oakville bench since 1965, where a two-hour visit takes in the winery, the caves built in 2017 and the vineyard, and a suggested six-hour day around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
John and Joan Tench came to California from England in the 1920s and bought this Oakville land in 1965, meaning to raise Hereford cattle, until grapes proved the better fit. Their son Brian and his wife Adair took over, and the first Tench Vineyard designated Cabernet was made by Gustave Niebaum winery in the 1980s. For decades the family sold grapes to other wineries.
In 2016 Margaret Tench and her husband Rem Reigersman moved onto the property, and they built a winery with caves, finished days before the 2017 harvest, for the first Tench Vineyards estate wine. The 42-acre vineyard sits on the eastern Oakville bench, with rocky, iron-rich golden-red soils, beside a 19-acre oak-covered knoll where red-tailed hawks hunt.
Visits are tours and tastings by prior appointment, typically two hours, through the production facility, the caves and the vineyard. Grapes travel only a short way up the knoll to the winery, and the team still uses foot-stomping. Guests get the whole story, from cattle ranch to cave, from the family that lives it. We arrange it on your behalf.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
Oakville
AVA
Oakville
Visiting
Tours and tastings by prior appointment only, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., requested by email (estate@tenchvineyards.com). We arrange it on your behalf.
Known For
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the eastern Oakville bench
Founded
1965 (vineyard); winery and caves 2017
Good to Know
Appointments typically take two hours and include the winery, caves and vineyard, so wear comfortable shoes. Ages, group size and any fee are confirmed by the family when the appointment is set.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Bardessono or Napa Valley Lodge.
10:00 · Pickup at Bardessono or Napa Valley Lodge
Bardessono, a garden hotel in Yountville, and Napa Valley Lodge, a boutique lodge at the north end of Yountville, are each about 10 minutes from Tench on the Silverado Trail. This day runs about six hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Tench Vineyards
A private tour of the winery, caves and vineyard with a tasting, typically about two hours. Any fee is confirmed by the family.
12:30 · Lunch at Brix
About 10 minutes away. Lunch at Brix on Highway 29, with a daily-changing farm-to-table menu drawn from its own gardens; lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Tuesdays. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Kapcsandy Family Winery
About 8 minutes away. A Hungarian-American family estate on the historic State Lane Vineyard, where the visit is a walk through the vineyard and winery followed by a seated tasting. $175, about two hours. By appointment, Tuesday to Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; parties of 2 to 6, 21 and over.
4:00 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:10 p.m., about six hours after pickup.
About $175 per person in tasting fees for Kapcsandy, paid directly to the winery, plus any fee Tench sets for the visit.
Tench's tour runs about two hours, so this day pairs it with lunch and one more estate. Kapcsandy hosts Tuesday to Saturday and Brix is closed Tuesdays, so plan this day for Wednesday to Saturday.
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 Tench?
Yes. Tours and tastings are by prior appointment only, requested by email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Tench?
Tench does not publish a tasting fee. Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
How long is a visit to Tench?
Typically about two hours, including the production facility, the caves and the vineyard.
Who owns Tench Vineyards?
Margaret Tench and Rem Reigersman, the third generation of the family, who took over in 2016.
When did Tench start making its own wine?
The winery and caves were finished days before the 2017 harvest, which became the first Tench Vineyards bottling.
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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