Spoto Wines

Spoto Wines was founded with the release of their 2004 vintage. Proprietor Stuart Spoto did not start making wine then – rather he has been helping his father Henry make home wine since the early 1990s from Napa Valley. In terms of wine in the U.S., the family story begins when Stuart’s grandfather Enrico Rodolfo Spoto, Sr., emigrated to the United States in 1913 from Catania, Sicily at the age of 15. An early entrepreneurial sort, he moved to California and started a family run fruit and nut tree nursery. His son, Henry Spoto, Jr., a first generation Italian-American, taught himself to make wine while living in Yuba City.

Stuart was raised in the town of Davis (about 40 minutes east of the city of Napa) and conveniently attended the University of California, Davis. His major was not Enology and Viticulture but rather was in Chemical/Civil Engineering – which he made a career of for 20+ years. Stuart has learned wine making by doing, initially from his father (a first generation Italian-American) and from other wine experts including several of the faculty over the years in the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program.

Henry worked for Cal Trans for many years, and after ‘retiring’ became a successful independent review appraiser. He also loved wine; he entered his wine in the Napa Home Winemakers Classic; this was a prominent area competition judged by those in the industry for home winemakers. Henry took home several top ribbons which culminated in a Best of Show in 2002 which was the top wine of all the entries. The Wine Spectator even covered his success with a two-page article in the June 2003 issue. Not to be outdone, Stuart followed this up a year later with his own Best of Show at the same competition.

Both Stuart and Henry were introduced to Napa fruit in the early 1990s by Dr. Christian Butzke who was an Enologist in the Department of Viticulture & Enology at the University of California, Davis. The vineyard which they have sourced from for both their home wine and now commercial wine is in the heart of Oakville – with prominent neighbors including Harlan Estate, Paradigm and Far Niente (west of Highway 29).

Henry passed on two important points to Stuart when it comes to wine making: 1. Get good grapes and 2. Be obsessive about cleanliness in the actual winery. Stuart has taken this to heart for his Spoto wines – sourcing from premium vines in Oakville (the same rows each year) and being extremely attentive to keeping his winery clean.

Spoto is a Napa winery located in a residential neighborhood in Sacramento. Prior to 2004 Sacramento had no “garagiste” wineries. Stuart recalls applying for a license for his winery and being turned away as there was never a precedent for this. Stuart persisted – and ultimately became Sacramento’s first bonded “garagiste” winery. The city now uses the template created when they approved his license to approve additional urban wineries.

When Stuart told his father he was going to make wine commercially Henry initially discouraged him to do so; now it is a different story. Recognizing his son’s talents and passion for producing excellent wine, not to mention the lifestyle Stuart has created around this label, his father is rightly proud of his son’s accomplishments. And Stuart also makes his father a barrel of home wine each year.

Stuart decided to focus his efforts on Spoto Wines full time in 2010. Around that time, he also reached out to several vintner organizations in the valley. In order to be a member of the prestigious Oakville Winegrower’s Association, the vineyard owner must be a member. This was not initially the case, but Stuart convinced the owner to join. In order to join the Napa Vintner’s Association, the 500+ member strong organization that relentlessly promotes Napa Valley, one must cellar and bottle at least one wine sourced and made from Napa grapes. Stuart located a winery in Oakville and is where he makes at least one wine and often bottles his other wines here.

His winery in Sacramento is one of the more carefully thought out and clean wineries of its size that we have seen. It is truly a winery in a garage conveniently located at Stuart’s home. Stuart is adamant about keeping the entire wine making process in house – his equipment was carefully selected to be able to handle higher production than what he actually needs. He even has a small very modern bottling line good for wineries in the 5,000 to 10,000 case production (he produces only about 500 cases each year). Contrary to popular belief there are small bottling lines that are relatively inexpensive.

One room contains barrels of older vintages. Stuart keeps each barrel separate from the other until 9-10 months into the aging and then he creates his barrel selections and blends. The wine then stays in barrel up to 30+ months depending on the wine in question. He uses a large majority of new French oak.

While Stuart is the primary winemaker his family certainly helps with the business including his wife, Christy. His daughter Arianne, has a degree in Viticulture and Enology and according to Stuart, is trying to make wine commercially on six of the seven continents – having worked in South America, Africa, Australia and is now back in the states making wine in Central California. His other daughter Alexi has a degree in biochemistry and also is involved in the business. Today three generations of the Spoto family contribute to making the wines.

Select Wines
The first wines Spoto produced were a Cabernet Sauvignon and red blend. Stuart decided it would be nice to have several lighter style wines to pour at events and make available to club members. He typically alternates between making a small production Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay each year.

Whites
The 2013 Spoto Family Wines Chardonnay Oakville is an intriguing and highly intentional expression of the variety, sourced from a neighboring producer within the Oakville AVA. This wine is crafted with a light touch in the cellar, seeing very little malolactic fermentation and a restrained oak program during its aging, which allows the natural character of the fruit to take center stage. The bouquet is delicate and subtle, gradually revealing layers of fragrant honeysuckle and ripe stone fruit. On the entry, the wine is notably soft, transitioning into a palate defined by succulent flavors of peach and melon, all underscored by a “wet rock” component that hints at the terroir. While the mouthfeel is rounded and presents a slight, pleasing viscosity, it remains refreshing rather than heavy. The finish is persistent and complex, showing mineralities and unique notes of pencil shavings lingering gracefully on the palate for some time.

Reds
The 2021 Spoto Family Wines, Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Station Vineyard, Napa Valley. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; sweetly fruited, it’s aromas include cherry liqueur, blackberry jam, boysenberry preserve, dark raspberry and cherry pie. Its barrel influences are also sweet, including caramel, molasses, Biscoff cookies, a scent that reminds us of enjoying these tasty snacks during numerous domestic flights on Alaska Air. Or perhaps, a frenzy of baking activity in the kitchen during Thanksgiving by our illustrious aunts. Brightly lit with a bounding acidity, its flavors include red cherry, dark raspberry, boysenberry and Santa Rosa plum. Some of the barrel influences we noticed on the nose are also represented here, including of cardamom and nutmeg. The tannins fully coat the palate from the entry through the finish and are in tandem with the fruit for quite some time before finally pulling ahead. Lingers with a dusty and chalky firm grip and a savory note including dried herbs (smoked sage). This wine generally sees at least 4 years of aging in French oak with the maximum having been 52 months; this vintage was 48 months. Between 2010 and 2025, Spoto Family Wines only produced 4 vintages of this limited production wine.

The 2018 Spoto Family Wines Cabernet Franc

The 2013 Spoto Family Wines Pinot Noir is a graceful expression of the celebrated Russian River Valley AVA in neighboring Sonoma County, a region known for its ability to produce Pinot Noir with both power and poise. The bouquet of this wine is notably layered, revealing a range of complexities that unfurl slowly as it breathes in the glass. Upon the first pour, it offers warm, inviting notes of baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which gradually yield to a core of vibrant raspberry and a nostalgic hint of cherry cola. It is a truly appealing aromatic profile that balances fruit and spice with charm. On the palate, the wine is silky and smooth, yet it possesses a high-toned energy thanks to its very bright acidity. This freshness leads into a long, clean finish characterized by a lingering tartness and just a subtle “kiss” of vanilla, likely the result of judicious oak aging that complements rather than masks the delicate fruit.

The 2012 Spoto Family Wines Oakville Cuvée, affectionately titled “Judy Ann,” is a sophisticated and emotionally resonant wine crafted as a Merlot-based blend of all five major Bordeaux varietals. This particular bottling is part of a tradition where Spoto names a specific wine after a family member each year. In 2012, the cuvée was dedicated to Stuart’s aunt, Judy Ann, who passed away from lymphoma. Beyond the quality in the glass, the wine serves a philanthropic purpose, as a portion of the proceeds from its sale is donated to Dr. Joseph Tuscano’s Research Laboratory at the UC Davis Medical Center. These funds support the critical search for a non-toxic cure for lymphoma, making every bottle a contribution toward a deeply personal and noble cause. This wine initially shows an earthiness on the bouquet along with ripe notes of raspberry and blackberry. Aromatically this wine is very highly showcasing rich mostly darker fruit aromas. And a touch of brown chocolate. It is rounded on the entry offering flavors of black cherry and hints of black licorice. Lively acidity. The tannins linger for some time but are delicate and well-integrated into the finish. This is a pleasing easy-to-drink wine that immediately begs for another sip.

The 2012 Spoto Family Wines Oakville Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful expression of one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious sub-appellations. The bouquet initially reveals a savory edge, characterized by a distinct sage component that provides an earthy, herbal counterpoint to the primary fruit. As the wine sits in the glass and begins to breathe, it opens up beautifully to show concentrated ripe fruit aromatics, typical of the warm and generous 2012 growing season. This barrel-select bottling represents the pinnacle of the estate’s production, emphasizing elegance and a refined sense of place. On the palate, the experience is seamless and lively, leading into a persistent finish that lingers for some time. The tannins are certainly noticeable and provide a sturdy structural backbone, yet they remain supple and do not distract from the overall enjoyment of the wine. A delicate touch of toasted oak appears on the late finish, adding a final layer of complexity to a wine that is built to age gracefully for a number of years.

Stuart introduced an Oakville Malbec to Premier Napa Valley (an annual wine auction held for trade – restaurants and wine retailers) held in February 2015. Oakville is certainly known for its premium and pricy Cabernet Sauvignons so when a different varietal is presented from this AVA it can strike up some interest. This is probably the most expensive bottle of Napa Malbec yet – a wine shop purchased this lot for their clients in Southern California for what was equivalent $250/bottle.

The Spoto wines will age; Stuart held a special vertical tasting of Magnums recently for ten of his vintages – the older wines were holding up very well.

NOTE: this profile has been identified as needing a *major* update including tasting notes for current release wines.

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Every year or two Spoto offers a very unique trip somewhere in the world. In 2015 a small group from the club went to Kenya and Tanzania to enjoy an African Safari. Future plans call for a trip to Sicily to enjoy a number of food and wine opportunities.

With Stuart’s background in engineering and his passion for wine – he and a friend came up with an idea as an ad-on to the Coravin (a device that allows one to extract wine from the bottle without having to pull the cork). This device requires the use of capsules containing argon gas – the capsule must be replaced once it has been used a select number of times. Enter the Vino Argo – a much bigger “capsule” if you will; think of a Scuba Tank but smaller.

The Vino Argo easily connects to the Coravin allowing one to keep pulling wine for many times without having to often replace the standard capsules. It is a useful addition to the Coravin, especially for those who have personal cellars and restaurant or retail outlets with a tasting presence who often need to go pull from bottles while alleviating the hassle and expense of constantly needing to replace the capsules.

Most of the Spoto wine is sold direct to consumer, but the wine is available at a limited number of locations in Napa Valley including on the wine list at Auberge du Soleil and Lucy’s at Bardessono in Yountville. Tastings are held either at the winery in Sacramento or in Rutherford with Stuart and are for serious wine enthusiasts. And the wines are poured during several tastings within Napa Valley each year including Premiere Napa Valley, Auction Napa Valley and the Taste of Oakville, a gathering of wineries and producers in Oakville pouring their wines for the wine trade. The Spoto Wines have also been poured at the Taste of Oakville at Carnegie Hall.

For more information, to schedule a tasting and to join their wine club, please visit: www.spotowines.com