Soda Canyon · Napa Valley
Visit V12 Vineyards with a Private Chauffeur
An IndyCar champion's hillside Cabernet estate up Soda Canyon Road, with a new tasting terrace and 360-degree views, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
V12 Vineyards belongs to Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART IndyCar champion, who bought this rocky hillside up Soda Canyon Road in 2001. The first vines went in in 2006 and the first harvest came in 2008. The name stands for the Vasser family, Jimmy's racing number 12 and the V12 engine, and his sister Vicki Vasser runs the estate and its visits.
The 45-acre property sits in the Vaca Mountains between the Stags Leap District and Atlas Peak, in the Soda Canyon area of the Napa Valley AVA. About eight acres are planted, mostly to four clones of Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Malbec. Winemaker Chad Alexander makes about 700 to 800 cases a year of Cabernet, Malbec and Chardonnay.
The 2017 wildfires destroyed the original winery. The rebuilt building, finished in 2023, keeps barrels and tanks below and a tasting venue above, with 360-degree views of the rolling hills and an al fresco tasting. Visits are by advance reservation only and the estate is not open to the general public, so a tasting here is quiet and personal, high above the valley floor.
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
2001 Soda Canyon Road, Napa
AVA
Napa Valley
Visiting
By advance reservation only; the estate is not open to the general public. Reservations by email (vicki@v12vineyards.com) or phone (707-225-2551).
Known For
Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from Soda Canyon
Founded
2001 (first harvest 2008)
Good to Know
Days, hours, group size and ages are not published; we confirm them when we book. Soda Canyon Road is a winding hill road, so we allow extra time for the drive.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Silverado Resort or Milliken Creek Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Silverado Resort or Milliken Creek Inn
Silverado Resort, a golf and spa resort at the foot of Atlas Peak, is about 15 minutes from V12, and Milliken Creek Inn, on the Napa River just off the Silverado Trail, about 20 minutes. The tasting time is set when the winery confirms the reservation, and we move the pickup to match. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · V12 Vineyards
An estate tasting by advance reservation in the hospitality space above the cellar or out on the terrace. Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation; we plan about 90 minutes.
12:10 · Aequitas Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. A rocky hillside vineyard at about 800 feet on Atlas Peak Road, above the cloud line, with a panoramic view over Silverado Resort and the valley. By appointment or private request with proprietor Amy Ash; the fee is confirmed when we book. We allow about an hour.
1:25 · Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni, an Italian restaurant among the vineyards on Howard Lane, a valley favorite for more than 30 years, open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:45 · Kasten Family Wines
About 8 minutes away. A two-acre Oak Knoll Cabernet vineyard planted in 2003, where the Kasten family hosts tastings at the estate and makes no more than 500 cases a year. By appointment only; the fee is confirmed when we book. We allow about an hour.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
V12 Vineyards, Aequitas Vineyards and Kasten Family Wines do not publish tasting fees; each is confirmed when the visit is booked and paid directly to the winery.
V12, Aequitas and Kasten all host by appointment, so we send the requests early and confirm times before your day. Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting.
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 V12 Vineyards?
Yes. Visits are by advance reservation only, and the estate is not open to the general public. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at V12 Vineyards?
V12 does not publish its tasting fee; tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Who owns V12 Vineyards?
Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 CART IndyCar champion. His sister Vicki Vasser is managing director and looks after estate visits.
What does the name V12 mean?
V for the Vasser family, 12 for Jimmy's racing number, and the V12 racing engine. The winery also points to its four vineyard blocks, four clones and four rootstocks.
Where is V12 Vineyards?
Up Soda Canyon Road in the hills east of Napa, between the Stags Leap District and Atlas Peak, in the Napa Valley AVA.
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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