Diamond Mountain District · Napa Valley
Visit The Vineyardist with a Private Chauffeur
A historic 1879 Diamond Mountain estate with a 100-point Cabernet, private seated tastings in the estate salon and a vineyard tour by ATV with panoramic views, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Dirk Fulton and Becky Kukkola found this Diamond Mountain property in 2000 after a decade-long search. More than a century earlier, pioneer Lorenz Petersen cleared the land and planted a vineyard, and international brokers came to Calistoga each spring to buy his wine by the cask. In the 1800s a grower who farmed, made and sold his own wine was called a vineyardist, and the estate's name honors him.
Twenty small blocks, 24 acres of vines on a 120-acre estate, climb east-facing slopes at 800 to 1,300 feet in the Diamond Mountain District, looking across the valley to Mount St. Helena. Jim Barbour redeveloped the vineyard, Phil Coturri farms it, and Tony Biagi makes the wine. Jeb Dunnuck gave the 2021 Calarcadia Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 100 points, and Vinous's Antonio Galloni named it one of Napa's fifteen leading wineries.
Visits are private and by reservation, exclusively for your group. The Signature Tasting is a seated tasting of current releases with a seasonal cheese plate in the estate salon. The Estate Tour and Tasting starts with a vineyard tour by ATV or SUV, with panoramic views of Diamond Mountain and the 1879 estate, then the same seated tasting. Guests who like to see where the wine grows should choose the tour.
Tasting Fees
$195 for the Signature Tasting, a seated tasting of current releases with a seasonal cheese plate, 60 to 75 minutes. $250 for the Estate Tour and Tasting, a vineyard tour by ATV or SUV followed by the seated tasting, 90 to 105 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
263 Petrified Forest Road, Calistoga
AVA
Diamond Mountain District
Visiting
By reservation only. Every tasting is private, reserved exclusively for your group. Days and times are not published; reservations go through the winery's general manager by form or email, and we arrange it on your behalf.
Known For
Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, led by the Calarcadia Vineyard bottling, and Sauvignon Blanc
Founded
2000 (estate dates to 1879)
Good to Know
Production is extremely limited; wines are offered through a waitlist and membership. Ages, group size and pet policy are not published; we confirm them when booking. The tour uses an ATV or SUV on hillside vineyard roads.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Indian Springs or Four Seasons Napa Valley.
10:00 · Pickup at Indian Springs or Four Seasons Napa Valley
Indian Springs, in downtown Calistoga, is about 8 minutes from the estate, and Four Seasons Napa Valley about 12. The Vineyardist confirms its time when it accepts the reservation. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · The Vineyardist
The Signature Tasting in the estate salon, 60 to 75 minutes ($195). The Estate Tour and Tasting ($250) runs 90 to 105 minutes; if you choose it, we add about 30 minutes to the day.
11:45 · Tamber Bey Vineyards
About 12 minutes away. A working horse ranch on Tubbs Lane where you taste stableside in the courtyard, with the horses close by and views of Mount St. Helena and the Palisades. The Courtyard Experience is $50 to $75 and the Cabernet Sauvignon Flight is $125; the length is not published, so we allow about an hour. By reservation; 21 and over.
12:55 · Lunch at Sam's Social Club
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Sam's Social Club at Indian Springs in Calistoga, a sit-down restaurant named for town founder Samuel Brannan, serving lunch Monday through Friday and brunch on weekends. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:00 · Davis Estates
About 8 minutes away. A Howard Backen designed winery on the Silverado Trail with 11,000 square feet of caves and wide views over the north valley. The Napa Cave Tour and Wine Tasting walks the vineyard, winery and caves, then sits you at a private table with small bites ($125, about 90 minutes, at 10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m.). By reservation, up to 6 guests.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:45 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
About $445 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
The Vineyardist does not publish its open days, so we confirm the 10:15 tasting when we book. Davis Estates' cave tour runs at set times, so lunch is kept to about an hour. At Tamber Bey we book the $125 Cabernet Sauvignon Flight.
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 Vineyardist?
Yes. All visits are by reservation only and private for your group. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at The Vineyardist?
$195 per person for the Signature Tasting and $250 for the Estate Tour and Tasting, as of September 2026.
What is the Estate Tour at The Vineyardist?
A private vineyard tour by ATV or SUV with panoramic views of Diamond Mountain and the 1879 estate, followed by a seated tasting with a seasonal cheese plate, 90 to 105 minutes.
Who owns The Vineyardist?
Dirk Fulton and Becky Kukkola, who bought the estate in 2000. Tony Biagi is the winemaker.
What is The Vineyardist known for?
Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon; Jeb Dunnuck rated the 2021 Calarcadia Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 100 points.
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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