Napa Native is a family owned, and operated tourism company based right in the heart of Napa Valley. As a third generation Napa Valley family, we are determined to provide an accurate look into the wine country life style. To us, the history, culture and people that make up our community should be the focal point of your visit. The reality is that the authentic wines, properties and families of Napa Valley are buried beneath the big marketing dollars these larger commercial entities are putting out. To them, Napa Valley is a spectacle. To us, it's a lifestyle. We are the voice for the small producers, the family owned businesses and those passionate souls that make this valley great!
Thus Napa Native was born from the passion to provide rich context for this immersive culture. Through years of experience as grape growers, wine makers, and tour guides, we have created a vertically integrated tourism company that is the essence of our wine country culture. We have pulled together a vast network of lifetime locals that are proud to show you where they grew up and what they are passionate about. Transportation has proven to be the single thread for most adventures in Napa Valley. With our modest fleet, a team of passionate locals and strategic relationships across the valley, we can provide authentic and exclusive offerings only available from Napa Native. To go in parallel with the tours, our premium wines, handcraft from our 3rd generation estate are available for consumption and purchase during the tours, or stand alone. Our VRBO partners offer special rates for our customers, and allow us the freedom to provide inhome private massages, chef experiences or even yoga classes. Proposals, anniversaries, or even renewing vows are all special requests we coordinate as well. With professional photography available, capturing that special moment is discrete and seamless. The only limit to the tours, events, or services we provide is your imagination.
The Family Story
Where it all began
The story begins right outside the city of Napa, on a small vineyard in the Oak Knoll Appellation. My grandfather Lloyd, bought the property in 1963. He was originally a dairy farmer from Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He joined the Navy to fight for his country and ended up narrowly surviving the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Shortly after he married my Grandmother, Phyllis, they moved up to Napa Valley from Alameda with dreams of having a family farm once again.
Seven cows, four horses and eleven children later, he was living the dream. For more than thirty years he farmed that property. A very distinctive red barn stood in the center of the fields, it was among a house and garage that he had hand built. He never saw a challenge too tough and he never made excuses when it came to his children. My mother, Robin, was the youngest of his six daughters, she never strayed too far from home. She graduated from Justin Siena High, went to college at UC Davis and eventually went on to get a Doctorate Degree in Business. She met my father Glenn, after a small fender bender in the Payless parking lot. He just happened to own an auto body and paint business in Fairfield.
Together they moved to Napa and bought the property from my grandparents. They raised three children of their own in the same house my mother had been raised in. By 1999 the farm had become a giant playground for us kids, but my parents began to have bigger plans for our humble farm. With my Grandfather's love of farming and Cabernet, and my parents' entrepreneurial spirit, Jackson Family Vineyards was born.
Later that year, we planted Cabernet Sauvignon to the entire property and began selling our fruit to the Laird Family in the years following. After our third vintage, John Anthony approached our family and asked to purchase the fruit moving forward. He has since been using it in his Oak Knoll Cabernet. In 2013 Tyler had just finished the winemaking program at the local college and after much persuasion, began making wine from the vineyard, starting with one ton. 2013 is also the year Tyler started Napa Native. In the years to follow, we would acquire a small fleet of vehicles for the tourism business, and cultivate a team of passionate locals to aid in the growing of the business. The wine production began to grow every year, and eventually we started purchasing grapes from other small growers in the valley. Along the way we have met so many amazing people from all over the world, and feel nothing but blessed to be able to share our slice of heaven with them.
Thank you for supporting small, local businesses by hiring Napa Native!
The Founder
Tyler's STory
Being exposed to vineyard life at such a young age, I never truly knew how lucky I was until the spring of 2009 when I took my first viticulture class at the Napa Valley College with Dr. Krebs. I grew so passionate about wine over the next semester that I quit my restaurant job and began working at a local winery. As I continued my education of viticulture, enology and eventually wine marketing and sales. My professional career was growing by leaps and bounds. By the age of 21 I was managing the tasting room at that small winery, educating groups as large as 40 on the estate crafted wines, and the artisan skill of wine making.
As my tours & tastings became more detailed and educational, my interest peaked and I began making my own wine. 2013 was my first vintage, and I started with a small batch of Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from my family's vineyard. But Even that wasn't enough for me and I sought out other opportunities to truly express the lifestyle of Napa Valley. I wanted to provide a true cultural experience to visitors of the Napa Valley. I felt so much went unseen or heard. So I started Napa Native, with the vision of bringing unprecedented experiences curated by passionate locals to visitors of the valley. My knowledge of wine and the industry grows every day as I inch closer to my ultimate goal of owning my own winery. Join me on my journey in the valley of grapes.