O'Brien Estate Winery

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What Actually Happens When You Book a Napa Valley Wine Tasting

Almost every winery in Napa is reservation-only now. Walk-in tasting rooms still exist, but they're the exception, and the good ones aren't among them.

If you've never booked one, the process is opaque in a way nobody warns you about. Here's what you're actually signing up for.

First, you pick a format, not just a time

Most estates offer two or three tiers, and the names are unhelpful. "Standard," "estate," "reserve," "collector" they mean different things at every property.

What actually varies is group size, duration, and whether you're seated. A standard tasting usually runs 60 to 90 minutes. A reserve tasting runs closer to two hours, pours older or smaller-production wines, and caps the group tighter.

The prices are higher than you think

Napa is the most expensive place in the country to taste wine. The average standard tasting fee here is $79, against about $39 nationally. Reserve tastings average $125, versus around $70 nationally.

Roughly a third of Napa wineries lowered their fees in 2025 in response to softer visitation, so there's slightly more value around than there was two years ago. But budget $85 to $150 per person and you'll be in the right range. At O'Brien Estate, for instance, the 90-minute private tasting is $85 a guest and the two-hour reserve tasting is $150.

What happens on the day

You arrive a few minutes early. Someone meets you at a smaller estate this is often an owner or a dedicated host rather than whoever's on shift.

At the better places you walk the vineyard and the cellar before you sit down. Then you're at a table, and the wines come in sequence with someone talking you through them. At a one-party-at-a-time estate, that person stays with you the whole visit rather than rotating between groups.

Plan on two hours minimum, even for a 90-minute booking. Nobody who enjoys themselves leaves on schedule.

The details nobody mentions

Fees are per guest, including non-drinkers. Most wineries will accommodate designated drivers, pregnant guests and anyone with a medical reason, but ask when you book.

21+, almost universally. Same for pets service animals only at most estates.

You usually can't bring food. A lot of people picture a picnic among the vines. Most Napa wineries don't allow outside food or drink at all. Check before you plan a lunch around it.

Cancellation is typically 48 hours for a full refund. Some will move your fee to a future date instead.

Tipping is normal but awkward plenty of estates can't process tips on a card, so bring some cash if you want the option.

Groups of nine or more almost always need a phone call rather than an online booking.

How far ahead to book

Two to three weeks for peak season, which runs May through October. September and October weekends go faster than that. Winter is the only stretch where same-week availability is realistic, roughly November through April, and some estates cut back to Wednesday through Sunday in those months.

Also worth knowing: most tastings run between 10am and 4pm. There's no evening slot at the vast majority of wineries, which surprises people planning a full day.

One last thing. The single most useful question you can ask before booking is how many parties they seat at once. It predicts the afternoon better than the price does, and almost nobody thinks to ask it.

If you want to look at dates, you can check tasting reservations at O'Brien Estate in the Oak Knoll District.

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Where to Find the Quietest Vineyard Settings in Napa Valley

Napa has over 600 wineries. A surprising number of them are loud.

Not loud in an obvious way. Loud as in twelve people at a shared bar, a host pouring for three groups at once, a timer running because there's another reservation behind yours. You drove two hours for the vineyard and spent ninety minutes in a room.

The quiet places still exist. They're just harder to spot from a website, because every winery photographs its empty terrace at golden hour.

Here's what actually predicts a peaceful visit.

Look for one party at a time. This is the whole thing. A handful of Napa estates seat a single group per appointment instead of filling a room. It changes everything about how the afternoon feels, and it's usually stated plainly on the booking page if you look.

Seated beats standing. A table you keep for the afternoon is a different experience from a bar you rotate through. If the word "bar" appears anywhere in the description, adjust expectations.

Reservation-only is a signal. If a winery takes walk-ins whenever, it's built for volume. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn't quiet.

Get off Highway 29. The main valley route carries most of the traffic. Side roads and the hills above the valley floor are measurably calmer. Mount Veeder and the Mayacamas side are quiet largely because getting there takes effort.

A few places worth knowing about: Frog's Leap in Rutherford does a garden tasting that feels more like sitting in someone's yard than visiting a business. Long Meadow Ranch's mountain estate is remote enough that you'll often have it to yourself. And in the Oak Knoll District at the southern end of the valley, O'Brien Estate hosts one group at a time at a private table looking out over its own vines 33 planted acres on a 40-acre property, where everything in the glass was grown a few steps from where you're sitting.

That last one is the format in its purest version. No tasting bar, no group tour, no second booking waiting on your table. People routinely stay three hours.

Two practical things if quiet is the priority:

Take the first appointment of the day. Mornings are cooler and far emptier than afternoons, and in Oak Knoll the fog off San Pablo Bay is still burning off, which is worth seeing.

Go midweek. A Tuesday in October is a completely different valley from a Saturday in October.

And book ahead. The small estates are the quiet ones precisely because they don't take many people, which means peak season dates from May through October go two to three weeks out.

If that sounds like the right kind of afternoon, you can book a Napa Valley wine tasting directly with the estate.

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What Does a Private Napa Valley Tasting Cost for a Group of 6 in 2026?

Planning a group wine trip to Napa Valley is exciting — until you start pricing it out and realize "private tasting" can mean anything from $80 per person to nearly $800. If you're heading out with a group of six, knowing what to expect before you book saves a lot of confusion (and a lot of surprises on the credit card statement).

Here is a straightforward breakdown of what private Napa Valley tastings actually cost for a group of six in 2026, what factors drive that price up or down, and which wineries genuinely deliver value at their price point.

The Short Answer: Expect $480 to $2,400+ for a Group of 6

That is a wide range, but it reflects just how varied the experience can be. A hosted group tasting at a boutique estate and a multi-course cave experience with library pours at a prestige house are both technically "private tastings" — they just mean very different things.

Here is how the tiers break down:

Tier 1: Hosted Group or Semi-Private Tastings — $80 to $100 Per Person

Total for 6: $480 to $600

This is the most accessible entry point for groups in Napa. You book a dedicated time slot, you get a table or a private corner of the tasting room, and a host walks you through 4 to 6 wines. You are not sharing space with random visitors, but you are still in the winery's main tasting environment.

Darioush's Signature Tasting Outdoors, for example, sits at $80 per person — a genuinely good wine in a beautifully designed setting without crossing into premium territory. Many boutique wineries in this tier also waive the fee entirely with a two-bottle purchase per guest.

Best for: Groups where the priority is visiting multiple wineries in a day while keeping costs reasonable.

Tier 2: Private Reserve or Seated Estate Tastings — $100 to $150 Per Person

Total for 6: $600 to $900

At this level, you move into dedicated private time with the winery's reserve or estate-tier wines, often in your own separate space. The service is more attentive, the setting is more intimate, and the pours are noticeably more serious.

O'Brien Estate sits comfortably in and around this tier. Their standard estate tasting is $85 per person and includes five exclusive, award-winning estate-grown wines plus a guided tour of the working vineyard, gardens, and boutique winery. For private reserve experiences — which seat up to 6 guests for 120 minutes with small-batch reserve Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and their Unrestrained blend — pricing is by inquiry (call 707.252.8463 or email [email protected]).

What makes O'Brien Estate stand out for a group of six is the reservation-only, no-walk-in policy. Every visit is intentional, every pour gets context, and the winery's small-production ethos means the wines themselves are not available at a retail store. For a group celebrating something real, that kind of experience is difficult to replicate at a larger commercial winery.

Book your group slot at obrienestate.com.

Darioush's Mezze Experience and Fine Wines & Artisan Cheeses tastings also land in this range at $100 to $150 per person — elevated pairings in a Persian-inspired architectural setting that is consistently stunning.

Tier 3: Elevated Experiences with Full Food Pairing — $150 to $425 Per Person

Total for 6: $900 to $2,550

This is where the experience becomes an event. Multi-course pairings, private caves, barrel rooms, or exclusive outdoor settings paired with wines that are not on any public tasting menu.

Opus One starts at $150 per person for their Estate Tasting and rises to $250 per person for the Opus One Experience (90 minutes, personalized winery tour included). Darioush's By Invitation Only experience, which opens access to coveted releases including Darius II Cabernet, is $250 per person. Their Darius II Library Experience at $425 per person is one of the most serious wine tasting offerings in the valley.

Best for: Milestone anniversaries, bachelorette groups, corporate relationship events, or groups where wine is the primary reason for the trip.

Tier 4: Ultra-Premium Collector and Table Experiences — $600 and Up Per Person

Total for 6: $3,600+

Opus One's Art of the Table experience is $793 per person (22% service charge included), available Monday through Friday for groups of 4 to 8. Full payment is required at booking, with a 14-day cancellation window. For the right group on the right occasion, it is extraordinary. For most groups, it is a splurge reserved for once-in-a-lifetime milestones.

What Drives the Price Up (or Down)?

Winery scale and exclusivity. Boutique, family-owned wineries with limited production often charge more per person because the experience is genuinely scarce and personal. Larger commercial operations charge less because volume is built into their model — but the intimacy and personal attention drops accordingly.

Day and time. Weekend bookings, especially Saturday afternoons from May through October, carry a premium at most Napa wineries. Midweek slots — Tuesday through Thursday — are often less expensive and significantly more relaxed. O'Brien Estate notes that peak-season dates sell out 2 to 3 weeks ahead, so planning early matters regardless of day.

Wine tier. A tasting focused on estate-grown or reserve library wines costs more than a flight of entry-level labels. The gap in quality is usually proportional to the gap in price.

Food inclusion. A charcuterie accompaniment adds $20 to $40 per person. A full multi-course pairing can add $100 or more per person depending on the winery.

Group size. Six is an ideal group size for private Napa tastings. Most boutique wineries structure their private experiences around four to eight guests, so you are unlikely to pay an oversized-group premium. Above ten guests, most wineries require either a split booking or a dedicated group event package at a higher per-person rate.

Gratuity: The Number Most Visitors Forget

Wine tasting hosts in Napa work for tips. 20 percent is standard, and well-deserved when the host is knowledgeable and genuinely engaged. For a group of six spending $900 on tastings, that is an additional $180 to build into your budget. Some wineries add gratuity automatically for groups of six or more — check the booking confirmation before you arrive.

How to Get the Best Value for Your Group

Book directly with the winery. Third-party booking platforms charge fees. Going direct often means better communication, more flexibility on timing, and access to experiences that are not listed publicly.

Ask about wine purchase credits. Many Napa wineries apply part or all of the tasting fee as a credit toward bottle purchases. If your group of six each buys one or two bottles — which tends to happen naturally — the effective cost of the tasting drops considerably.

Consider a wine club membership. At wineries like O'Brien Estate, joining the wine club often unlocks member pricing, priority reservation access, and pre-release allocations. If even one person in your group joins, it can shift the economics of the visit noticeably.

Go mid-week. Wednesday afternoon at a reservation-only boutique winery is a different experience from Saturday at almost any price point. The staff is less stretched, the experience is more personal, and the conversation around the wine tends to go much deeper.

The Bottom Line

For a group of six in 2026, a quality private Napa Valley tasting experience realistically lands between $480 and $900 for a boutique estate experience, rising to $900 to $2,550 for prestige reserve and pairing-led experiences. The very top of the market (Opus One Art of the Table, Darioush Library) sits at $3,600+ for six before gratuity.

The sweet spot for most groups is a boutique or family-owned winery in the $85 to $150 per person range — like O'Brien Estate — where the intimate scale, estate-grown wine quality, and personal attention deliver the kind of afternoon that genuinely sticks with people long after the trip ends.

Reserve your private group tasting at obrienestate.com.

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Top 10 Luxury Napa Valley Wineries Perfect for a Wedding Anniversary Tasting

There are anniversary dinners. Then there are anniversary tastings in Napa Valley, where the vines stretch as far as the eye can see, the wine pours slowly, and time seems to stop just long enough to remind you why you chose each other.

If you and your partner are planning something truly special, forget the usual dinner reservation. Napa Valley's luxury wineries offer private, intimate tasting experiences that feel like they were designed for exactly this kind of moment. Here are ten that stand out.

1. O'Brien Estate — Where Privacy Meets Perfection

Tucked into the heart of Napa Valley, O'Brien Estate is a family-owned boutique winery that has become one of the most sought-after spots for couples looking for an intimate, unhurried wine tasting experience. What sets it apart is the personal attention — this is not a crowd-through-the-doors operation. Every visit feels curated.

Their estate-grown, limited-production wines are the kind you remember long after the anniversary trip ends. Think rich Cabernets and elegant blends made in small batches with care. For anniversary couples, the private reserve tasting is a standout: just the two of you, a knowledgeable host, and wines poured one at a time with the stories behind each bottle.

The vineyard setting itself does a lot of the work — rolling hills, quiet paths, and the kind of natural beauty that makes every photo look like it belongs in a magazine.

Why it's perfect for anniversaries: Intimate scale, reservation-only access, and a wine club membership option if you want to keep the magic going year after year.

Website: obrienestate.com

2. Castello di Amorosa — A Medieval Castle in Wine Country

Yes, there is a genuine 13th-century-inspired Tuscan castle in Calistoga, and yes, you can taste wine in its stone cellars. Castello di Amorosa is theatrical, romantic, and unlike anything else in Napa. The cave tastings in particular feel like stepping into another era.

3. Darioush — Persian Elegance Meets Napa Terroir

With its dramatic Persian-inspired architecture and impeccably designed tasting spaces, Darioush is Napa's most visually striking winery. Their private tastings are paired with artisanal accompaniments and deliver wines of serious complexity. Ideal for couples who appreciate refinement in every detail.

4. Davis Estates — Modern Luxury in Calistoga

A relative newcomer that quickly earned its place among Napa's elite, Davis Estates offers beautifully appointed private tasting suites overlooking their estate vineyard. Their small-lot Cabernet Sauvignons are exceptional, and the service is warm without being stiff.

5. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars — Where History Pours Into Every Glass

Known for the legendary 1973 Cabernet that put Napa on the world wine map, Stag's Leap is a must-visit for wine-loving couples. Their Fay Outlook & Cave experience pairs stunning views with aged library pours. History, prestige, and genuinely beautiful wine.

6. Domaine Carneros — Sparkling Wines on a French-Inspired Estate

Anniversary celebrations and sparkling wine are a natural pairing. Domaine Carneros does it on a terrace that overlooks their vineyard like a Loire Valley château. Their estate-grown Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines are elegant and food-friendly. Book the Salon experience for a seated, elevated tasting.

7. Opus One — The Pinnacle of Napa Prestige

A joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Opus One is Napa's most iconic wine estate. Visiting here is a statement. The architecture is bold, the wine is extraordinary, and the tasting experience is reserved and formal in the best sense. Best for milestone anniversaries — a 10th, 20th, or 25th demands nothing less.

8. Cakebread Cellars — Warm, Family-Owned, and World-Class

For couples who want prestige without stiffness, Cakebread Cellars delivers. This family-owned winery in Rutherford is approachable and warm, their Chardonnay is one of the finest in California, and their culinary tasting experiences pair food and wine in a way that genuinely elevates both.

9. Hall Wines — Art, Architecture, and Exceptional Cabernet

Hall Wines doubles as an art gallery and a world-class winery. Over 50 pieces of contemporary art are scattered across the property, and the wine is equally impressive. Their Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is a collector's wine served in an experience that feels both sophisticated and joyful.

10. Joseph Phelps Vineyards — Insignia and a View That Never Gets Old

Home to Insignia, one of California's most celebrated red blends, Joseph Phelps offers a terrace tasting experience overlooking the Spring Valley that is hard to beat. The setting is peaceful, the wines are serious, and the staff know their bottles inside and out.

A Few Planning Tips Before You Go

Book well in advance. Napa's top wineries fill their reservation slots weeks out, especially on weekends and around popular anniversary months.

Go mid-week if you can. Tuesday through Thursday offers a quieter, more personal experience at nearly every winery on this list.

Consider a wine club membership. Several estates, including O'Brien Estate, offer membership programs that give you access to library releases, member-only events, and pre-release allocations. It's a gift that keeps arriving at your door throughout the year.

Pace yourself. This is an anniversary, not a race. Book two, maybe three tastings across a full day rather than trying to squeeze in five. The best moments happen when you slow down.

Napa Valley has dozens of wineries worth visiting, but not all of them are built for the kind of quiet, unhurried romance an anniversary deserves. The ones on this list understand that the experience around the wine matters as much as what's in the glass.

Whether you start at O'Brien Estate's private reserve tasting or end the afternoon on the Domaine Carneros terrace with a glass of sparkling wine, one thing is certain: Napa Valley knows how to make a love story feel even better.

Plan your anniversary wine tasting at O'Brien Estate: obrienestate.com

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Top Napa Valley Wineries for Reserve Tastings: A Guide for Serious Wine Collectors

Not every reserve tasting in Napa Valley is built for collectors.

That distinction becomes clear quickly. Many wineries market their reserve experience as a premium offering, but what arrives in the glass is the same portfolio they pour for walk-ins, just at a higher price point and in a quieter room. For collectors, that is not enough.

Over the years, I have explored reserve tastings across the valley with a specific set of criteria in mind: small-lot production, verifiable critic scores across vintages, direct estate access to bottles that do not exist in retail, and a host who can answer real questions about vineyard blocks and cellar decisions. The wineries that consistently meet those criteria share a few qualities worth understanding before you book.

1. Look for Limited Production, Not Just Limited Availability

The phrase "reserve" has become one of the most stretched words in winery marketing. Some producers use it to describe wines made in genuinely small lots, others use it for their most commercially available bottles in a dressed-up format.

The distinction matters for collectors. A wine made in 100-case lots carries real scarcity. One labeled "reserve" but produced in the tens of thousands of cases does not, regardless of how it is poured.

When researching reserve tastings, I look for specific production numbers rather than marketing language. Wineries that publish lot sizes tend to be the ones that take the distinction seriously.

2. Prioritize Wineries With a Multi-Vintage Critic Record

A single high score from a major publication is worth noting. A dozen scores covering multiple vintages and ranging between 94 and 98 points is worth building your visit around.

Consistency across vintages is the signal collectors actually need. It suggests that the winemaking approach holds across variable harvest conditions rather than catching a single favorable year.

In Napa Valley, a handful of boutique estate wineries have earned that kind of sustained record. O'Brien Estate, located in the Oak Knoll District, is one of them. The estate has received 12 reviews from Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate, all scoring between 94 and 98 points. Its Reserve Tasting pours five wines made in 100-case lots, including the Unrestrained Reserve, a flagship bottling not available through any retail channel. The tasting runs 120 minutes for up to six guests and is private by default, meaning the full session is yours.

For collectors, that combination of critic-verified consistency and estate-only access is exactly what makes a reserve tasting worth the stop.

3. Confirm That the Wines Are Not in Distribution

One of the practical advantages of a strong reserve tasting experience is the access it provides to bottles you cannot buy anywhere else.

Estate wineries that sell exclusively from the property or through a membership allocation model keep their reserve and library bottlings out of retail channels by design. For a collector building a cellar, the tasting room becomes the primary point of entry for wines that do not appear at auction or in retail inventories.

I have found that wineries with direct-only distribution also tend to take the tasting experience more seriously. They are not managing a national account relationship. The person across the table is both the brand and the sale.

4. Ask About the Hosting Format Before You Arrive

A private tasting can mean very different things depending on the winery.

At some properties, private simply means a table reserved in a larger tasting room with other guests nearby. At others, it means a dedicated host, a seated format separated from general foot traffic, and a format where the conversation can go wherever the collector wants to take it.

Before booking any reserve tasting, I ask directly: Is the session fully private? Who will be hosting? Can I ask about specific vintages or barrel programs during the session?

The answers reveal a lot about what the experience will actually look like. Wineries that handle those questions easily tend to be the ones that genuinely prepare for collector visits rather than processing them.

5. Consider Whether the Winery Supports Ongoing Access

A strong reserve tasting should not close off when you leave the property.

The best estate wineries offer a membership or allocation structure that gives collectors standing access to future limited releases, library bottles, and pre-release purchasing windows. For a serious buyer, that ongoing access is often more valuable than anything poured on the day of the visit.

Ask about the membership model during the tasting. Understand what members receive, how often allocations are released, and whether library access is part of the structure. The wineries that have built thoughtful membership programs around collector needs tend to be the same ones that take their reserve tasting seriously.

Final Thoughts

Napa Valley has an enormous range of reserve tasting options, and most of them are polished. The ones worth prioritizing for collectors are narrower: estate-grown, limited-production, critic-verified, private by structure, and connected to an ongoing access model rather than a one-time visit.

The criteria are specific because the collector's purpose is specific. A standard tasting experience, however well-executed, does not answer the question that matters most: how do I secure more of this wine, across future vintages, at the source?

The wineries that can answer that question clearly are the ones worth booking.

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Top Family-Owned Napa Valley Wineries for Private Group Tastings

Group trips to Napa Valley tend to follow a predictable pattern.

A party of six or eight arrives with high expectations, gets split across a crowded tasting bar, and moves through a scripted pour designed for maximum throughput. By the time they reach the third winery, the experience starts to blur. The setting changes but the format does not.

I have taken group visits to both large-production Napa wineries and smaller family-owned estates. The difference in experience is not subtle. At a family estate, the people pouring the wine are often the people who grew it. That changes the entire tone of what happens at the table. Here are the qualities that set the best family-owned wineries apart for private group tastings.

1. Family Ownership Changes the Hosting Dynamic

At a corporate winery, group visits are typically handled by rotating staff working from a standardized presentation. The information is accurate, the pour is consistent, and the clock is visible.

At a family estate, the structure tends to be looser in the best sense. Conversations about a specific vintage or a particular vineyard block go somewhere because the person answering actually made the decisions being discussed.

I have noticed that the best private group tastings at family estates feel less like a product demonstration and more like a dinner party where the host happens to also be the winemaker. That shift in dynamic is difficult to replicate at scale, and it is the primary reason a family estate tends to outperform a larger property for group experiences.

2. Look for Estates Built Around Private Hosting, Not Added On

There is a meaningful difference between a winery that accommodates groups and one that is built around hosting them.

At estates where private group hosting is designed into the format, the tasting does not compete with walk-in foot traffic. The setting is physically separated. The host can adjust the pace, the wines, and the conversation based on what the group actually wants.

O'Brien Estate in Napa's Oak Knoll District is one example of an estate built around this format. Owners Bart and Barb O'Brien personally host group tastings with no shared tasting bar and no crowd. The group is seated together among the vines, and the session runs at a pace set by the guests rather than a script. For larger parties, the estate can host up to 70 guests with a full-estate buyout that converts every bottle poured during the event into a bottle the group takes home.

For group organizers, that structure removes the guesswork from the experience. What you book is what you get.

3. Verify That the Wines Are Worth the Trip

A private setting matters a great deal, but it does not compensate for average wine.

The family-owned estates worth prioritizing for group tastings are the ones where the quality of the wine holds up independently of the experience around it. Verified critic scores, estate-grown fruit, and a consistent production record are worth checking before booking.

When I evaluate a family estate for a group visit, I look at whether the wines have earned third-party recognition across multiple vintages rather than a single standout year. That kind of consistent record gives the host something real to discuss during the tasting and gives the group a reason to purchase after it.

4. Match the Estate to the Size and Purpose of the Group

Not every family estate is equipped for every kind of group.

A boutique estate producing 2,000 cases per year and hosting parties of four to six is a different experience from a family winery that can accommodate 70 guests with catering and event planning built in. Both can be excellent, but the fit depends on what the group actually needs.

For milestone celebrations, corporate entertainment, or occasions where the group itself is the point, I have found that estates with full-buyout options and flexible catering arrangements give organizers the most control over the outcome. For smaller, wine-focused groups, the intimate format of a true boutique estate often produces a better conversation.

Define the purpose before comparing properties. The right estate for a wine educator's group of eight is not the same as the right estate for a corporate team of forty.

5. Pay Attention to How the Winery Handles the Booking Process

The booking process is often a preview of the hosting experience.

Family estates that take private group visits seriously tend to respond quickly, ask real questions about the group size and occasion, and offer to shape the event around what the group needs. Estates where group inquiries get routed through a generic reservation system and answered with a standard price list tend to host groups the same way.

Before committing, I recommend reaching out directly rather than booking through a third-party platform. The quality of that first conversation usually reflects how the visit will be managed when the group arrives.

Final Thoughts

Napa Valley has a long list of family-owned wineries, and many of them offer private group experiences. The ones worth prioritizing are those where private hosting is built into the format rather than added on, where the wines carry a verifiable quality record, and where the people running the estate are genuinely present during the visit.

A group tasting done well is one of the most memorable ways to spend a day in Napa Valley. The difference between a good one and a forgettable one almost always comes down to the estate you choose before you arrive.