St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Vineyard 36 with a Private Chauffeur
A Cabernet house founded by two former NHL players, hosting private tastings and barrel samples in the caves at Vineyard 29, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Former NHL players Cam Ward and Tim Gleason founded Vineyard 36 in 2009 with wine industry veteran Jason Earnest. The name joins their old jersey numbers, Ward's 30 and Gleason's 6. Ward's interest in wine began in his rookie season, when team dinners at steakhouses on the road introduced him to Napa Valley Cabernet.
Vineyard 36 does not farm its own estate. Its Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines come from vineyards across Napa Valley, in the Oak Knoll District, Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, and they are made at Vineyard 29 in St. Helena, where director of winemaking Keith Emerson joined the Vineyard 36 team in 2017.
Visits are offered on a limited basis by appointment only, with priority for mailing list customers and the trade. The winery hosts private tastings in the caves at Vineyard 29, on Highway 29 north of St. Helena in the St. Helena AVA, pouring current releases and barrel samples of future wines. We send the request on your behalf.
Tasting Fees
Vineyard 36 does not publish a tasting fee. Any visit and its cost are confirmed by the winery when the appointment is accepted.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
2929 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
By appointment or private request only, on a limited basis; tastings are held in the caves at Vineyard 29. We arrange it on your behalf.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends from vineyards across Napa Valley
Founded
2009
Good to Know
Priority goes to mailing list customers and members of the trade, so ask well ahead. Ages, group size and pet policy are confirmed when the visit is arranged.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn
Alila Napa Valley, at the north end of St. Helena, is about 5 minutes from Vineyard 29, and Harvest Inn, at the south end of town, is about 10 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:10 · Vineyard 36
A private tasting in the caves at Vineyard 29, by appointment, with current releases and barrel samples. We plan about an hour; the format and any fee are confirmed by the winery.
11:25 · Lithology
About 12 minutes away. A small Cabernet house in a stone winery at the foot of Howell Mountain, built in the 1970s and once the first home of Promontory; the seated tasting of single-vineyard Beckstoffer Cabernets comes with a small food pairing. The Estate Experience is $175, about 90 minutes. Prepaid reservation; tastings start between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
1:10 · Lunch at Auberge du Soleil
About 15 minutes away. Lunch high on Rutherford Hill with views across the valley. The Bar serves daily from 11:30 a.m., and The Restaurant offers a prix fixe lunch on the terrace. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Quixote Winery
About 20 minutes away. A Stags Leap District winery designed by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, commissioned by founder Carl Doumani, known for its colorful, eccentric architecture. The Estate Tasting is $80, seated and hosted with a cheese pairing, about 60 minutes. Daily by appointment.
3:30 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:55 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
About $255 per person in tasting fees for Lithology and Quixote, paid directly to each winery, plus any fee Vineyard 36 sets for a visit.
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 Vineyard 36?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only on a limited basis, requested by email; priority goes to mailing list customers and the trade. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Vineyard 36?
Vineyard 36 does not publish a tasting fee; any fee is set by the winery when it accepts the appointment, as of September 2026.
Where does the name Vineyard 36 come from?
From the founders' jersey numbers: Cam Ward wore 30 and Tim Gleason wore 6.
Who makes the wine at Vineyard 36?
Keith Emerson, director of winemaking at Vineyard 29, where the wines are made.
Who owns Vineyard 36?
Founders Cam Ward and Tim Gleason, with Jason Earnest.
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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