A significant part of an already significant project involves taking numerous trips (both cars and flights) – to any space or place that is very strongly connected to wineries within the Napa Valley – within California, domestically or … [Read more...]
2020 Napa Valley Wrap up and Review
Looking for our 2019 wrap-up? It is posted here. During a very bizarre year, the number of fortuitous events in 2020 was remarkable. It all started in the desert in March when I immediately headed out on what would be numerous domestic … [Read more...]
Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards
Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards. Karen Crouse (born in New Orleans but was raised in Los Angeles County) and her husband Greg moved up to the city of Napa in 1990 from Walnut Creek. Karen was working for American Express at the time; she moved … [Read more...]
Riverain
Riverain was founded by several friends who originally connected in Orange County through the world of wine, Steve Nordhoff (founding attorney of Nordhoff Bengfort, a Newport Beach based legal firm) and Dean Gray (worked in the field of … [Read more...]
Okapi Wines
Okapi Wines is owned by Dan and Kim Johnson. Dan was first introduced to wine through a connection to his legal work. One day in the early 1980s he drove up to Santa Rosa from Oakland to work on a case that involved early construction at … [Read more...]
TEXTBOOK Napa Valley
TEXTBOOK Napa Valley was founded by Jonathan and Susan (died in 2016) Pey in 2004. What ultimately became an important event and influence in Jonathan's life occurred when he was in his teens; his father announced that he had been … [Read more...]
Stringer Cellars
Stringer Cellars. Founded by winemaker Casey Stringer in 2016, the focus of his production is on small lot wines from both the Napa Valley and beyond - including Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties. Casey remembers visiting the Napa Valley … [Read more...]
Tench Vineyards
Tench Vineyards. This beautiful 61 acre property sits just west of the Silverado Trail in Oakville. The property is the same footprint in size from when John (1902-1990) and Joan (1908-2001) Tench purchased this site in 1965, the same year … [Read more...]
601 Cellars
601 Cellars. Enter a Napa Valley brand that does not produce a Cabernet Sauvignon. An anomaly, sure - but a refreshing one, nonetheless. Proprietors Brian Doody and Laura Larson were living in Washington DC and working in high tech (data … [Read more...]
Migration Wines
Migration Wines is owned by TSG Consumer Partners, a San Francisco based private equity firm. In addition to Migration, TSG Consumer Partners owns Duckhorn (their flagship brand), Calera Wine Company in the Mount Harlan appellation east of … [Read more...]