Weekender Encore: Car Club Cruises Napa's Wine Country
By John Dunbar
Welcome to Weekender Encore
Most every Friday at 10 a.m., after you've enjoyed the Napa Valley Features Weekender, dive into our Encore edition. Each week, we'll spotlight a single theme, from local food and arts to cultural philanthropy. This allows us to delve into topics traditionally found in newspaper features sections.
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NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Residents and visitors have many options for how to enjoy the sites in and around Napa Valley. One can lift off for a sunrise hot-air balloon ride, ride a bicycle or stroll along the Vine Trail, climb aboard the Wine Train or book a car service to tour Wine Country.
In 2023, four local longtime friends launched Napa Valley Car Club to provide a sightseeing option that offers style and high performance from the driver’s seat of exotic cars. Car enthusiasts and co-owners Mason Garrity, Benjamin Martinez, Andrew Mazotti and Charlie Wagner share a goal of building the car culture throughout the Napa Valley.
In a region famous for its world-class wines, Michelin-star dining and breathtaking natural beauty, the foursome agreed that a missing piece in the ultimate Napa Valley experience was access to some of the world's finest cars. Seeing an opportunity, they initially started with vehicles in their own personal collections, but since then they have developed a fleet for driving enthusiasts to enjoy while they’re here.
“Before the Car Club was even a thought, Andrew and I were talking about buying one of these cars and splitting the cost of it and just driving on the weekends and having fun,” Martinez said. “Right before we pulled the trigger to buy a car, we would back out and ask ourselves, ‘What about this other car? What about this car?’ and we would keep talking ourselves out of it. Then one day we were just like ‘What if we just buy all of them and start a business and do it that way?’”
“I kept talking about starting this exotic car rental business, and Ben said, ‘Let’s do it!’” Mazotti said. “Then, I called Charlie and Mason because they are big car guys and friends, and they each said ‘Yeah, I'm in. Let’s do this!’ and we launched it.”
The high-performance fleet includes Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Bentleys and McLarens. Additional luxury rides are a possibility, according to the partners.
Napa Valley Car Club offers a portfolio of exotic cars to rent for a unique, luxury Wine Country experience — John Dunbar Video
Mazotti said one of his favorite moments since launching the business was the arrival of their first exotic car.
“The day we got our first car was pretty memorable,” he said. “We were all there. It was the Ferrari. It was exciting because we actually bought a car. Then our first renter was also a big day, when someone was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to pay you for this car,’ and the business started going. Since then we’ve had a lot of great moments, but that will always stand out. The day the Ferrari was delivered, it started to rain. I remember thinking ‘Our first day with the car was a rainy day.’ But that was the most memorable moment. That was when it was real.”
The partners have been pleased with the response from clients who rent their cars for daylong road trips.
“We were kind of surprised that nobody had done this before — to our knowledge anyway,” Wagner said. “It seemed like a great place to do this and have fun for a day or a weekend.”
Martinez agreed.
“Everybody says ‘Wow, I need one of these!’ It’s awesome,” he said. “These cars are not normal cars you see on the road every day. We’ve got a wide range of ages that are experiencing these cars. It’s been nothing but positive. Plus, it’s great if you’re looking to purchase one of these vehicles. You can’t go down to the dealership and say, ‘Hey, I want to drive this car.’ You can test drive these for a day or two days or a week and see if it fits your lifestyle, see if it fits the look and the power that you’re looking for.”
“It has gone a lot better I think than all of us anticipated — and it’s just fun when we’re able to cruise them and get exposed to this whole car culture in Napa,” he said.
Initially, some clients who had never driven an exotic car felt a bit of intimidation to slide behind the wheel. Martinez tells them not to worry, and every driver receives instructions specific to the vehicle being booked.
“They’re easy to drive, but they are just a little difficult when you start,” he said. “Some of these cars don’t have a first gear shifter, or they won’t have a park button. It’s a little leery to shut off a Ferrari when it’s still in gear. It’s definitely a learning experience, but after you do it once, it’s not that intimidating to operate. Now the horsepower is another thing to get used to. These cars are very sensitive, and the average person doesn’t have a reference point for this kind of power.”
Safety also is a top priority, Mazotti pointed out.
“We talk to people, and they have to sign a contract,” he said. “We do have trackers on the cars that let us know where they are going. They also let us know if people are driving recklessly or anything like that. If we do get those alerts, we let them know we can see that and will cancel their reservation if they don’t drive responsibly.”
In addition to marketing through their website, the partners engage in philanthropy, donating Napa Valley Car Club experiences to help raise money for local charitable organizations.
“The nonprofits are a great opportunity for us because we are a new company,” Martinez said. “We donate to charities to help the cause, and we get publicity and our name out there. I think this is such a cool concept that once people know that we exist and rent these fun cars and go on these amazing tours, why wouldn’t you?”
Napa Valley is an ideal landscape for this driving experience, according to Garrity.
“I realized it’s kind of the missing link for tourists here,” he said. “It’s beautiful, incredible roads, great weather. Typically, getting to the hospitality destination has no excitement about it, and this way it connects the hospitality of the valley where the trips in between can be some of the best parts of the experience.”
The four men have all lived in Napa Valley for many years and have been involved in other commercial enterprises. While none had a childhood dream to be in the luxury car business, they share an excitement as entrepreneurs bringing this experience to Wine Country.
“When I was a kid, it was all about 4-by-4s and driving in the dirt,” Wagner said. “About 15 years ago I did belong to a club out of San Francisco that rented cars like these, but you had to go to the city (San Francisco), pick them up and drive them on the freeway to get here, so it was a little different from arriving here in Napa and having the cars at your disposal.”
Martinez was more familiar with construction vehicles than premium sports cars.
“I definitely never thought I’d be involved in a company like this,” he said. “It’s like a dream, right? You get to cruise around in these fancy cars and then see the excitement on everyone’s face when they get to. I’m used to the F-150 work truck, being in the construction industry. This is a world of difference, but it’s kind of cool to see your dreams come true. To have them at your disposal and to get to drive them when they’re not being rented is awesome. And you get to bring that joy to friends and family that are visiting when you take these out. Everyone gets to enjoy the experience.”
The club leases space in the City of Napa’s Oxbow District for its “car barn,” and the owners plan to launch a membership program and members’ lounge to give other car aficionados a platform to interact socially. They also plan to host car shows to further grow Napa Valley’s car culture.
Garrity said one thing the partners want people to know if they’re thinking about adding a Napa Valley Car Club adventure to their experience in Napa Valley is how special the opportunity is.
“If you’ve never driven one of these cars, it’s a must-do experience,” he said. “If you have driven these cars, you know how much it can elevate your trip to Napa.”
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John Dunbar is the former mayor of Yountville and served on the Yountville Town Council for 18 years.