Elleary Wine was founded by Palo Alto residents, Shawn Karimi and his wife Vivien Wang Karimi with their first vintage produced in 2016. Shawn immigrated to the U.S. at age 16 from his hometown of Abadan, Iran located next to the Iraqi border. His career began as a chiropractor; he has long since been retired from that field and since 2002 operates, Sunnyvale Imaging Center, a medical imaging company, located in downtown Sunnyvale. Vivien is originally from Shanghai, China. Both met in 2006 at a Persian New Year’s party hosted by Shawn, a brief story of their journey is written on the back of every wine label, although some bottles incorrectly attribute their first meeting was in 2007.
An artist with the last name Jimenez spent about 10 days painting the interior mural. Shawn provided him with several images of barrel chais, cellars, and wine caves in Napa Valley, including the barrel chai at Chimney Rock. The mural on the outside of the building was inspired by the bucolic vineyard scenery of Napa Valley. The word “Elleary” is painted on the mural in Chinese.
For Shawn, his interest in wine was first piqued in the 1990s while listening to chef, author, and radio host Narsai David on KCBS AM 740. Narsai would suggest wines to buy, making wine education approachable and easy to understand with his distinctive radio voice and way of speaking. Editor’s note: our mother often had the program on in the car, and as a result we also have fond memories of also listening to his radio show. Inspired by Narsai’s recommendations, Shawn began following his advice, purchasing wines primarily from wineries in Napa and Sonoma. In fact, he still has some of those wines today.
Narsai David was a celebrated chef, restaurateur, and food writer who helped shape California cuisine. Like Shawn, Narsai’s heritage was Mesopotamian; he gained prominence in the Bay Area through his Berkeley restaurant, Narsai’s. Known for his refined yet approachable style, he emphasized fresh, seasonal ingredients and classical technique. Beyond the kitchen, he became a trusted voice through cookbooks and radio, sharing culinary knowledge with a broad audience. His influence extended across generations of chefs and home cooks, leaving a lasting legacy in American food culture and in the evolution of West Coast dining. And Narsai also owned a vineyard in Napa Valley and produced a Cabernet bottled under the brand, Narsai David Estates.
Shawn would travel up to Santa Rosa on the weekends and visit a number of wineries including Jordan in Alexander Valley. Then he would drive over to Napa Valley. He recalls meeting with winemakers and winery owners. Regardless of who he met with, they would always give him two pieces of advice: get good grapes and find the right winemaker.
While Elleary’s Santa Cruz wines are made at a winery in Santa Cruz, the Napa Valley wines are made at The Wine Foundry located in the heart of Napa’s Crusher Wine District about 12 minutes south of downtown Napa. This winery is a premier “custom crush” facility and luxury brand incubator that bridges the gap between wine consumption and creation. While it produces its own award-winning wines, its primary mission is to empower individuals, groups, and commercial entrepreneurs to craft their own professional and premium quality wines.
The Foundry provides clients with access to grapes from over 40 prestigious vineyards across Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara including in Napa Valley, Broken Rock Vineyard on Atlas Peak, Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, Moulds Family Vineyard in Oak Knoll and Game Theory Vineyard on Howell Mountain.
Clients can be as “hands-on” as they wish, participating in everything from sorting and crushing to blending trials and custom label design. With state-of-the-art technology like optical sorters and on-site lab analysis (saves significantly in terms of both time and money for outsourced lab results), the facility offers a sophisticated, “behind-the-curtain” experience that makes the complexities of winemaking accessible to everyone from novices to boutique vintners.
Tasting Room
He and Vivien took a trip to Tokyo and spent time wandering its famous fish market. They noticed the diminutive size of the stalls occupied by the vendors and were inspired by how much business could be packed into such small spaces. After returning to California, Shawn spotted a “for lease” sign on a tiny corner location in Palo Alto, a space that had previously been home to Judy’s Collection, a small jewelry business. It was less than 200 square feet and needed significant repair.
After four months of interior renovation including thoughtfully choosing the color scheme, the space opened as a tasting room for Elleary Wine in early April 2024. With no hospitality employees, visitors are always greeted by either Shawn or Vivien—or both. The space features several low-tops with seating for couples and a small bar for a total of 8 inside seats. And weather permitting, two seats outside next to the entrance. And a number of eye catching and or humorous signs relating to wine are on display. Instead of opening bottles, the tasting room utilizes Wine Stations by Napa Technology; these dispensers are calibrated to pour precise volumes. The soundtrack, lightly playing in the background, is thoughtfully chosen to complement the wines.
The name Elleary is an homage to family, combining the first names of their children: Elle, their daughter, and Ary, their son. Elle also designed the label.
It is refreshing to enjoy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that is not over extracted, heavy, ripe and a meal in an of itself. Rather these are food friendly wines, thoughtfully made, lighter styled and always ready to drink in their youth. And the texture is also integrated rather than being a dominating aspect of the wines, perhaps a characteristic that appeals to younger people just starting their wine journey. Their goal has always been to produce a bottle of wine that over delivers on its quality to price point. And in that regard, they have been very successful.
Select Wines
Rosé of Pinot Noir
The 2025 Elleary Wine Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains is pale pink in color; the bouquet smells vibrant and filled with life, less than a year post vintage. Its well-layered aromatics include watermelon jolly rancher, strawberry guava, raspberry, Rainier cherry, ruby grapefruit, orange blossom, rose petals, thyme and kaffir lime. The bouquet holds its aromatics consistently as the wine evolves. On the palate there are flavors of raspberry, white strawberries, watermelon, rhubarb, ruby grapefruit, lime and perhaps a light whisper of chalk on the finish. Intensely flavored with a long lasting presence, this wine finishes zesty and refreshing. Its mouth feel sports a rounded, creamy and velvety character, lifted high overhead by the vibrant acidity. Its listed ABV is a refreshing 12.8%. For reference, this is their second vintage of rosé. If this bottling is any indication, we hope there will a number of subsequent vintages produced. Released in the spring, this wine would pair well with a spring salad including radicchio, escarole, citrus and goat cheese with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Or stir fried fava beans and onions.
Sauvignon Blanc
The 2023 Elleary Wine Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley Sonoma County is pale to medium gold in color; at 2.5 years post vintage, the bouquet is starting to show some tangy aromatics including a union of underripe pineapple, bruised apples, baked apples, a honeyed characteristic, honeydew melon, preserved lemon, grapefruit, chamomile, lanolin or a waxy layer and a light but finishing note of hazelnut and vanilla. Bright with a vibrant acidity and plenty of citrus tones including of grapefruit, lime, lemon zest and lemon grass. We might call its scents a bit herbal but it never crosses into the territory of being overtly green or grassy. The typicity of the variety is well represented. Finishes with notes of fennel, green apples and a hint of tarragon. The mouth feel shows some phenolic grip with a texture that can be described as ‘liquid velvet’ – but it is never perceived as being heavy. This wine begs to be paired with something rare from the Pacific Ocean, perhaps abalone ceviche, sourced live from Monterey Abalone Company located at the end of the wharf in Monterey. Its listed ABV is 13.5%.
Chardonnay
The 2023 Elleary Wine Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains is medium gold in color; immediatley one can tell this is not an oaky expression of the variety. Its scents show golden delicious apples, pineapple, honeycomb, apricot, yellow nectarine, papaya and mango. If you are not looking for butter in the bouquet, you won’t smell it right away, but if you start looking for this particular aromatic, it will be quickly noticeable. Its always interesting to observe the connection between brain and olfactory nerves. Regardless, this bouquet smells bright and full of aromatic energy 2.5 years post vintage. Not a heavy expression but filled with layers of ripe fruited flavors, this wine tastes like honeycomb, baked apples, ripe pineapple, ripe papaya, Alphonso mango, butterscotch, vanilla and hints of creme Brule, this later flavor will probably become more pronounced as the wine ages. It finishes with a light note of hazelnut. The lightly rounded mouth feel is complemented nicely by the energetic acidity. We would like to try this again in the next few years. In terms of a pairing, how about a grilled halibut with a lemon and herb butter sauce?
Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2022 Elleary Wine Cabernet Sauvignon from Yountville, Napa Valley was sourced from a vineyard owned by the Bardessono family. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the bouquet is restrained, avoiding the overly ripe style more common in this particular vintage in Napa Valley. Its aromatics lean into spice and nuance, with notes of cinnamon stick, clove, cardamom, cocoa powder, and raspberry, along with a subtle earthy undertone. Very balanced and approachable, the palate centers on red fruit, offering flavors of raspberry, red cherry, and red mulberry, supported by baking spices that echo the bouquet and a touch of dried tobacco leaf. A small inclusion of Petit Verdot in the blend adds a hint of structure and depth. The tannins are smooth, with no sharp edges, and are seamlessly integrated into a supple, polished finish, making this an elegant and easy-drinking expression that still carries enough structure to develop further with short-term aging.
The 2021 Elleary Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville Napa Valley is medium to deep ruby in color; the bouquet is inviting, offering a compelling union between fruit and barrel. Initial aromas lean into dark cocoa powder, mocha, and vanilla, with underlying fruit notes of raspberry, red cherry, boysenberry, and red mulberry that become more expressive as the wine evolves in the glass. Showing in a particularly nice spot right now, the palate delivers flavors of cherry, red plum, raspberry, mulberry, and currant. The acidity is well-balanced, keeping the wine fresh and lively through the finish. Tannins are broadly dispersed, carrying a gravelly, lightly dusty texture that lingers and slightly outpaces the fruit on the finish. Crowd-friendly and approachable, this is a lighter, more elegant expression of the variety that emphasizes balance and drinkability.
The 2019 Elleary Wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley is 100% varietal and medium to deep ruby in color. Now several years post-vintage, this wine shows a compelling mix of fruit, freshness, and savory character. The bouquet offers aromatics of saddle leather, licorice, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, blood orange, and dried sage, with a subtle earthy undertone. The palate mirrors the nose with flavors of raspberry, red cherry, Santa Rosa plum, boysenberry, and red licorice, finishing with dried herbs including sage and bay leaf. The tannins are lightly gravelly, felt more prominently on the front of the palate, and linger with a gentle drying character. Sitting comfortably on its medium-structured frame, this wine remains balanced and approachable, making it a natural pairing for lighter cuts of steak such as filet mignon or flank steak.
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Total production is less than 850 cases a year. The wines are only sold direct to consumer at the tasting room or through the website. For more information, to purchase wine or to signup for Elleary Wine Club membership, visit: www.ellearywine.com
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