St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit The Debate with a Private Chauffeur
Single-vineyard Cabernets poured side by side in a downtown St. Helena salon, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
The Debate was founded in 2010 by two longtime friends, winemaker Jean Hoefliger and entrepreneur Rob McKay Jr. Hoefliger, who was raised in Switzerland, was the founding winemaker at Alpha Omega. From the first vintage, each release has set three single-vineyard wines side by side so drinkers can compare how different Napa Valley sites shape the same grape. Cabernet Franc joined the lineup in 2016.
The core wines each come from a single vineyard, including well-known sites including Beckstoffer To Kalon, Stagecoach, Denali, Sleeping Lady and Harbison. Each vintage is wrapped in a custom newspaper of topics that made headlines in that vintage, a tradition that grew out of debates at Hoefliger's family dinners during harvest.
Tastings take place at The Spring House, a salon on Spring Street in downtown St. Helena, in the St. Helena AVA, which opened as the brand's first tasting room in 2022. The Collection Tasting is a privately hosted, 90-minute session comparing single-vineyard Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons, and hosts encourage questions, comparisons and friendly disagreement.
Tasting Fees
$75 for the Collection Tasting of single-vineyard Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons, about 90 minutes. $275 for a prix fixe lunch with 4 to 5 Debate wines at The Charter Oak (minimum 4 guests, seatings 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). A Library Tasting of older vintages is also offered by email request.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
1244 Spring Street, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment only. Reserve online or by email; tastings are privately hosted.
Known For
Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Beckstoffer To Kalon and other noted Napa Valley sites
Founded
2010 (tasting room opened in 2022)
Good to Know
Online reservations are for 1 to 6 guests and are prepaid. The Library Tasting and larger groups are arranged by email. The Charter Oak lunch needs at least 4 guests.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Alila Napa Valley.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Alila Napa Valley
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Harvest Inn, at the south end of St. Helena, and Alila Napa Valley, an adults-only resort at the north end of Main Street, are each about 5 minutes from The Debate. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · The Debate
The Collection Tasting, about 90 minutes ($75), in the Spring House salon on Spring Street.
11:55 · Mending Wall
About 8 minutes away. A small winery on the Silverado Trail in the foothills of Howell Mountain, with wines made by Thomas Rivers Brown. The Estate Tasting, a flight of current releases with your own wine curator, is $85 and runs 60 to 90 minutes. By appointment only.
1:10 · Lunch at Rutherford Grill
About 15 minutes away. Lunch at Rutherford Grill on Rutherford Road, 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.
2:25 · Far Niente Winery
About 8 minutes away. An Oakville estate around a 19th-century stone winery, where the Il Dolce Far Niente tasting of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon is hosted outdoors beneath the cork trees with a seasonal cheese plate. $130, about 60 minutes. By appointment, daily; tastings include walking and stairs.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: Stewart Cellars
Adds about an hour. A family-owned winery on Washington Street in Yountville, about 10 minutes from Far Niente, whose NOMAD Cabernets come from Beckstoffer's Heritage Vineyards. Walk-ins are welcome (reservations advised); the seated Portfolio Tasting of four wines is $45 for 60 minutes. Open until 6 p.m.
About $290 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 The Debate?
Yes. All tastings are by appointment, reserved online or by email. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at The Debate?
$75 per person for the 90-minute Collection Tasting, and $275 per person for the prix fixe lunch pairing at The Charter Oak (minimum 4 guests), as of September 2026.
What is The Debate known for?
Single-vineyard, single-variety Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from sites such as Beckstoffer To Kalon, Stagecoach and Denali, released side by side so guests can compare how each vineyard tastes.
Who founded The Debate?
Winemaker Jean Hoefliger and entrepreneur Rob McKay Jr., longtime friends who started the project in 2010.
Why do The Debate's wines come wrapped in a newspaper?
Each vintage is wrapped in a custom newspaper of topics that made headlines that year, meant to start conversation at the table, a tradition from the winemaker's own family dinners.
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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