Fountaingrove District · Sonoma County
Visit HLR Cellars with a Private Chauffeur
A family mountain estate at 1,300 feet where the owner farms the vineyard and makes the wine himself, visited by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Steve and Joan Heller bought this mountain property west of Calistoga in 2010 and established HLR Cellars in 2012. Steve, a Cornell-trained food scientist with a PhD and a former executive at General Mills, is the owner, the vineyard manager and the winemaker, so the wines are one person's work from vine to bottle.
The 11.5-acre vineyard was planted in 1992 and sits at about 1,300 feet, roughly a mile west of Diamond Mountain, where cool Pacific breezes come through in the evenings. The Hellers have greatly improved the farming since they bought it, and everything is estate grown and bottled from Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, a Reserve Cabernet from the best barrels, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and two blends, Hella•licious and Hella•Nora. Production is around 1,000 cases a year. Wine Enthusiast gave the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 93 points, and the 2018 Estate Cabernet won a Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
HLR is a small, personal place, and it is a regular stop for the wine tours we drive up into the Fountaingrove District, about ten minutes from downtown Calistoga. There is no walk-in tasting room: visits are by appointment, and we arrange it with the winery on your behalf and confirm the time when we book. Guests who like to taste mountain Cabernet and Merlot with the family that grows it will feel right at home.
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
5136 Sharp Road, Calistoga
AVA
Fountaingrove District
Visiting
By appointment only; there is no walk-in tasting room. We arrange the visit on your behalf and confirm times when booking.
Known For
Estate-grown mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the Hella•licious and Hella•Nora blends
Founded
2012 (property purchased 2010; vineyard planted 1992)
Good to Know
Visits are private and arranged in advance. Group size, children and pets are confirmed with the winery when we book. Wines are sold online and through the mailing list, and the winery also sells its own HLR olive oil.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:15 a.m. from a Calistoga hotel such as Indian Springs or Mount View Hotel.
10:15 · Pickup at Indian Springs or Mount View Hotel
Indian Springs, the Calistoga hot springs resort founded by Samuel Brannan, and Mount View Hotel, on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Calistoga, are each about 10 minutes from HLR Cellars, up into the mountains west of town. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:30 · HLR Cellars
A private estate visit and tasting by appointment; we arrange it with the winery and confirm the time and fee when we book.
12:00 · Fisher Vineyards
About 20 minutes away. Fred and Juelle Fisher's family estate high in the Mayacamas since 1973, with a barn winery of 1978 built from timber grown on the property and barrel caves reached by an underground stairway. A tasting visit for up to 6 guests is $95, at 10 a.m., noon or 2 p.m. By appointment; the winery confirms within 48 hours.
1:25 · Lunch at Sam's Social Club
About 25 minutes away. The restaurant at Indian Springs in Calistoga, named for resort founder Samuel Brannan, with seasonal American cooking and outdoor tables. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:50 · Larkmead Vineyards
About 10 minutes away. One of Napa Valley's oldest family estates, founded in 1895 and owned by the Solari family since 1948. The seated Salon Tasting of three red wines is poured among pollinator gardens looking out over the estate vineyard, $90 and 45 to 60 minutes; the private Estate Tasting adds a tour, library wines and cheese and charcuterie, $150 and 75 to 90 minutes. By appointment, seven days a week.
3:50 · Back to your hotel
Back in Calistoga by 4:00 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. Fisher hosts visits at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., so we time the morning to arrive for the noon visit, and lunch is a little later than usual. HLR visits are by appointment, so we confirm the day and time with the winery when we book.
About $185 to $245 per person in tasting fees for Fisher and Larkmead, paid directly to each winery; the HLR Cellars tasting fee is to be verified upon reservation.
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
Can I visit HLR Cellars?
Yes, by appointment. HLR is a regular stop for wine tours in the Fountaingrove District, and we arrange the visit with the winery on your behalf. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at HLR Cellars?
Tasting fees are to be verified upon reservation; the winery does not publish a fee.
Is HLR Cellars in Napa or Sonoma?
Sonoma County. The winery has a Calistoga address, but the vineyard is in Sonoma County's Fountaingrove District, about a mile west of Diamond Mountain and about ten minutes from downtown Calistoga.
Who owns HLR Cellars?
Steve and Joan Heller, who bought the property in 2010 and established the winery in 2012. Steve is also the vineyard manager and winemaker.
What wines does HLR make?
Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, a Reserve Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, plus the Hella•licious and Hella•Nora red blends. Wine Enthusiast rated the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 93 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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