Kelleher Family Vineyard

Kelleher Family Vineyard. The Kelleher Family (Don and Donna) produce a limited number of wines each year, bottled under the brand Kelleher. They also own Brix Restaurant located on Highway 29 about 2 miles north of Yountville. Brix opened on March 28, 1996. Don would often visit Napa Valley in the 1980s and 1990s; he would try to get a reservation last minute at Mustard’s Grill but due to its popularity he wasn’t often able to secure a table. A friend mentioned a vacant nearby property and suggested Don open his own restaurant. So he did.

Today Don and Dona’s daughter Valerie and her sister Leigh oversee the operations of the restaurant and Kelleher wines. Don chose the name brix because of its association to wine; it is a unit of measurement of sugar in a soluble solution and is measured in grapes by squeezing the juice onto an instrument known as a refractometer.

Brix is located just north of Yountville on Highway 29; our first dining experience here was in the early 2000s for one of their Sunday brunches. They have one of the best and most extensive wine lists of any Napa Valley based restaurant. Tod Michael Kawachi, known for his seafood was the restaurant’s founding executive chef. In terms of restaurant ‘staying power’ in Napa Valley, where restaurant turnover is as high as wine brand turnover, Brix is now one of the valley’s longest continuously operating restaurants in addition to Mustard’s Grill (1983) and Don Giovanni’s in Napa (1993).

Guests who dine at Brix will notice a vineyard in the back of the restaurant. This 10-acre vineyard (part of their approximately 18-acre property) is appropriately named “Brix Vineyard”, is also owned by the Kelleher’s (acquired in 1993) and was planted to grapes in 1995. Grapes from this property are used for both the Kelleher wines and are also sold to local producers. And some of its premium vineyard neighbors include those owned by Paradigm Winery, Napa Wine Co and grower Andy Beckstoffer.

When Brix first opened, the Nick Webster Quartet used to perform Jazz music inside on certain evenings. The quartet was composed four Vintage High School students. Other local musicians would also perform. Later that same year, Brix strung what was called by the Napa Valley Register as, “perhaps the greatest megawatt concentration of illumination anywhere in the valley”. This was referring to an estimated 200,000 holiday lights strung throughout the property, perhaps taking inspiration from the S. Claus store which operated on the property prior to the Kelleher ownership.

The restaurant is one of the few restaurant or winery locations within Napa Valley to host public weddings. We know this because our cousin was married here. And they are permitted to host other events up to 250 guests. The restaurant underwent a major renovation in 2019.

In 1999 Brix Restaurant organized the Brix Restaurant Charity Golf Tournament held at the Yountville Golf Course. And that same year auctioned off a giant gingerbread house to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. In 2002 the annual Taste of Oakville (typically hosted at Robert Mondavi Winery) was held on the lawn behind the restaurant. They have hosted a number of special culinary offerings over the years including winemaker dinners. The restaurant has been written about in numerous outlets including American Airlines, Travel & Leisure and Luxury Travel Advisor.

This property housed The Grapevine Inn (often printed as Grape Vine Inn) from 1936 until permanently closing in 1986 after Napa County implemented an ordinance allowing a maximum of 100 seats in restaurants in unincorporated parts of the county. This ordinance effected Brix Restaurant in the late 1990s when they wanted to open their patio for additional seating. Fortunately, in 1999 after receiving approval of the local electorate, Brix was able to finally open this space.

The inn was originally founded by Augusta (Gussie) Garibaldi Menoggi (her husband was John, a rancher/farmer); she started with a boarding house, a small restaurant serving Italian cuisine and a bar. Eventually the inn stopped accepting guests but continued to use the name over the subsequent decades. The restaurant served both locals including veterans from the nearby Veterans Home of California, Yountville and visitors to the valley including celebrities – Clark Gabe, Carole Lombard, Patty Duke and Rock Hudson to name but a few. It was used by local officials at times to discuss community issues including water and health. In the early years, the kitchen was known for its home-made ravioli and steak and chicken dinners. It was also the monthly meeting place of The Patricians, a non denominational men’s group with members from Napa Valley and Vallejo. Numerous other local organizations would regularly have lunch or dinner here.

In May 1940 what was the St. Helena Cooperative Winery (current home of HALL Napa Valley) held their first annual banquet meeting at the inn. And what was called the Napa County Grape Growers Association, held their annual meeting at the Grapevine Inn on August 22, 1947. Attendees were prominent names in the valley then including Charles Forni, Martin Stelling and Jerome Draper. This organization is not to be confused with the contemporary Napa Valley Grape Growers, founded in 1975.

In 1947s Menoggi sold her business to her daughter and son-in-law, Florence and Lee Carbone. They continued to use her original recipes for decades. From the early 1970s until the late 1980s, the Carbone’s also owned Whistle Stop Tavern in Yountville at the site of the old Yountville Railroad Depot (now known as JCB Village).

In early 1968 Better and Ben Anderson moved their store called And Also Antiques from what was Vintage 1870 (now known as V Marketplace) in Yountville to the Grapevine Inn and changed the name of their business to Grapevine Inn, Arbor Shops. An advertisement in The Napa Valley Register dated Saturday December 27, 1969 mentions the interior of the restaurant as being cozy, with a crackling fire and the interior lined with a variety of antiques including pewter mugs and French and Venetian China lining the cabinets and showcases.

By 1977 the restaurant and bar significantly expanded and was upgraded from the original construction. A pianist performed on certain evenings. In 1986, the 50th anniversary of the inn, the Carbone’s sold the inn to Richard and Linda Greene. Due to its longevity the restaurant had served families spanning multiple generations and multiple generations of family ownership had worked here.

The Greene’s converted the operations into S. Claus, a year-round holiday boutique and cafe. The Greene’s moved the store from its previous location on site of what is now Brasswood Cellars north of St. Helena. They also operated the same type of store on Pier 39 in San Francisco. They operated their Yountville store until 1994 when ‘the grinch’ stole the holiday spirit and they closed their operations.

Grapevine Inn Memorabilia

Brix Restaurant

For a short while the inn was possibly going to be converted into another location for Salute, a restaurant located in downtown San Rafael at that time. Instead the Greene’s sold the property later that year to the Kellehers.

Don Kelleher founded Kelleher Lumber Sales in 1970 in San Rafael. The company is now known as Kelleher Corporation with headquarters still in San Rafael along with select distributor offices in parts of California and one location in Hawaii. They company has grown into one of the world’s largest businesses to business suppliers of lumber, wood doors and other wood molding products. In early 2025 the Kelleher’s sold the company to Woodgrain, a family owned business with locations throughout the U.S. and Chile. Their core business is moulding, millwork, doors and wood building products. For more information about Kelleher, visit: www.kelleher.com And in the 1980s Don was a partner in Oakville Ranch Vineyards, part of an ownership group prior to when Bob and Mary Miner purchased the property.

The inspiration to produce their own commercial wine in part came from the guests of the restaurant. Customers would see the pretty vineyards to the west of the restaurant and would often ask if Brix made their own wine. For a number of years, the Kelleher’s exclusively sold the fruit from the Brix Vineyard to other area wineries. However, acknowledging the quality of wines from wineries using their grapes, and realizing the potential of producing their own wines based on guest inquiries – they produced their first estate wine from the 2002 vintage.

This vineyard is located in prime Cabernet Sauvignon country (Oakville Appellation) and is entirely planted to this variety. In 2003 with the help of their founding winemaker Craig Becker, who made all wines until tragically passing away far too young in 2024, the vineyard began to be micro-managed. The farming techniques were updated in 2003 and 2004 to reduce vine size, crop load and introduce specific beneficial cover crops with minimal irrigation. All of these practices help produce lush, full-bodied wines. 2005 which was their first full year of farming under Craig’s direction.

Craig was raised in Long Beach, came north to attend Santa Rosa Junior College and then transferred to the University of California at Davis to study plant physiology and soil science. His first winery job in the Napa Valley was working for Robert Mondavi followed by time at Spring Mountain Vineyards. Later Craig operated his own wine consulting company and consulted for several boutique Napa wineries, including being a founding member of Somerston Vineyards. His specialty was working with small single vineyards that he had full control over. One of the most important aspects of wine making is vineyard management – and if the site is exceptional (as in the case of the Brix Vineyard) then great wine comes from well cared for vines.

Select Wines
The Kelleher wines see additional bottle age (as compared to most winery aging programs) and often spend a year or two in bottle before being released. As a result, the current vintages of their estate wines are often 4 or 5 years old. Kelleher also produces several non-estate white wines.

Rosé
The 2022 Kelleher Rosé of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Sonoma County is from grapes grown at the Foster Vineyard along River Road. This wine is deep salmon in color; generous, minerally, and showing layers of red fruits, its scents including raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, cranberry and cran-apple, blood orange, ruby grapefruit and rose petals. There is nothing shy about this compelling bouquet. The flavors mimic the aromatics including of raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, Rainier cherry, whitish pink pineapple guava flowers (yes they are quite edible and delicious, and make a nice garnish on a salad) and a light note of watermelon jolly rancher candy. Bone dry, we love its creamy, silky and supple mouth feel. While lifted by its bright but balanced acidity, its texture is a noticeable hallmark, especially on the finish. And merely a whisper, is a subtle note of French tarragon on the refreshing finish. This would pair with one of our favorite special personal recipes; spicy raw salmon dish, mixed with our secret Thai sauce, garden fresh fish mint, Vietnamese coriander (rau răm), sliced lemongrass and sawtooth leaves (ngò gai). The grapes for this wine were whole cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeast and aged sur-lie with battonage occurring twice a month for 5 months in 90% stainless steel vessels and 10% neutral oak.

Sauvignon Blanc
The 2023 Kelleher Sauvignon Blanc Block 21, Napa Valley is from grapes grown on the Somerston Estate, located in eastern hills of Napa Valley. This wine is medium straw in color; spirited, the fresh and lively bouquet smells both floral and tropical with a kiss of herbal and citrus in the background, reminding one of this variety. These scents include star jasmine, honeysuckle, orange blossom, pineapple guava, golden kiwi, lemon zest, passion fruit, pineapple, and lemongrass. Beautifully balanced between flavor, texture and acidity, this wine sings brightly. The tangy and refreshing palate reveals flavors of honeydew melon, honey crisp apples, pear, white nectarines, mandarin orange, and a lingering note of dill on the finish. Its texture is lightly creamy with a rounded character, a result of its sur-lie aging and twice monthly battonage. The acidity is invigorating without being bracing. This wine is saddled perfectly between California ripeness and restraint. It was aged for 6 months in 90% stainless steel and 10% neutral French oak barrels. We would love to pair this with Thai seafood, perhaps yum talay (seafood salad) or pla neung manao (steamed fish with lime and garlic).

The 2016 Kelleher “Block 21” Sauvignon Blanc was sourced from a dry farmed organic vineyard in St. Helena. This wine was aged in 90% stainless steel tanks and 10% neutral oak barrels. It did not go through malolactic fermentation and the lees were stirred at various times during its aging. This wine shows a lively and fresh bouquet with aromas of lemon and lime, citrus blossom and a touch of guava. The wine showcases a lovely texture – supple across the palate and almost oily in its feel. Very balanced with weight but also with acidity. It is a pleasure to drink; the palate features plenty of concentration and a seamless long-lasting finish. One used to drinking green or grassy wines of this variety may mistake this wine for a non-Sauvignon Blanc bottling.

Chardonnay
The 2021 Kelleher Chardonnay, Three Sister’s Russian River Don Miguel Vineyard Valley (unfiltered) is deep straw in color; the aromatics are distinctive, tangy and attractive including scents of bruised apple, a noticeable honeyed note including honeycomb and honeysuckle, butterscotch, apricot, glazed pineapple, peaches in light syrup and candied citrus peel and walnut skin. Loaded with layers both on the bouquet and the palate, this is a thoroughly enjoyable expression of this variety at 4 years post vintage. This wine tastes ripe and sweetly fruited with flavors of golden apples, apricot, lychee, Alphonso mango, papaya and yellow nectarine. Its vibrant and rich acidity keeps the palate alive and engaged. There is nothing buttery, oaky or flabby about this exceptional bottling. Its texture is like running ones hands over satin cloth. In terms of pairing, this wine would find good company with lightly seared scallops in olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, tarragon and sea salt. The Three Sisters bottling is a tribute to Valerie and her sisters; malolactic fermentation was inhibited and like the Sauvignon Blanc this wine also undergoes battonage during its aging. It was aged for 15 months in both stainless steel and one new French oak barrel.

Pinot Noir
The 2021 Kelleher Pinot Noir, Doña Margarita Vineyards Sonoma Coast is pale to medium ruby in color; its breath is bright, fresh and incudes some sweeter notes from its time in barrel. This wine smells like cherry cola, root beer, dark raspberries, red cherries, currants, cranberries, white pepper, red plums and some purple florals including lavender and lilacs. And as it opens further, a note of mocha and dark cocoa powder. Balanced, with a focus on higher toned fruits its flavors include red cherry, cranberry, pomegranate including a similar flavor to that of this fruit’s inner membranes, red currant and raspberry. This wine is aging quite well four years post vintage. And unlike a number of northern California Pinot Noirs where texture almost seems like an afterthought due to ripeness, this wine features an appreciable texture. The powdery textured tannins linger with a light drying character and are felt more on the front of the palate including the front of the lounge rather than the back. The finish persists with some darker spices including of dried sage, crushed pink peppercorn a light toasted/woodsy character. We would love to pair this with a smoked ham covered in a dry rub of assorted dried herbs and darker spices.

The vineyard source for their Pinot Noir changed to a vineyard in the Petaluma Gap of Sonoma County, starting in 2024.

Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Kelleher Family elected not to harvest the grapes from the Brix Vineyard in the 2017 vintage. No wine was made from the estate that year due to the smoke taint effects from the terrible fires in early October. And no wine from the estate was made in 2020, another challenging year in Napa Valley due to the brush fires.

The 2014 Kelleher Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is deep ruby and completely opaque. This wine smells like ripe and sweetly fruited. Blackberry jam, boysenberry pie, dark raspberries, baked plums, dark licorice and cherry compote. Also baker’s chocolate, sweet tobacco, lavender and assorted baking spices including cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Smells like the holidays in that regard. Not shy in the least 11 years post vintage, this wine is opulent and curvaceous. The palate is equally as ripe as the bouquet; perhaps its flavor profile would fall more on the jammy side of the fruit spectrum, except its bright acidity is keeping that character more restrained. Its flavors include dark plum, dark cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and Persian mulberry with a pronounced dusty and drying finish due to the broadly dispersed grainy, gravelly and gritty tannins. Juicy and a bit tart, the finish lingers for some time bound together in tandem with both texture and flavor. And a feel of warmth deep in the palate. We know its ripe, but in a blind tasting we possibly wouldn’t have guessed its alcohol to be quite as high as its listed 15.4%.

The 2014 Kelleher Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is deep ruby and very much opaque; for reference, we tasted this wine 11 years post vintage. Ripe but very much elegant, this wine smells like cherry pie, boysenberry spread and dark plums, with a floral contribution including lavender and lilacs. As the wine evolves in the glass, it opens to a whisper of dark cocoa powder. The oak is very much a complementary character here. On the palate there are flavors of dark cherry, ripe blackberry, Himalayan mulberry, boysenberry and Santa Rosa plum. This wine finishes with an appreciable intensity, of flavor, but not necessarily texture. Rather the tannins are lightly gravelly and fit seamlessly into the finish like a perfectly fitting piece in a puzzle. At this age, this wine is showing in a sweet spot. Best enjoyed in Oakville at Brix Restaurant, outdoors in the summer, relaxed and surrounded by lush gardens and vineyards.

The 2013 Kelleher Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley is dark crimson color in the glass; we first tasted this about 4 years post vintage; at the that time the bouquet immediately revealed bright, ripe and opulent fruit aromatics including blackberry and boysenberry. And 12 years post vintage, the fresh fruit has softened, with an accompanying minerally and ferrous character, suede as well as sweet baking spices. In terms of flavor this wine is still intense and loaded with flavor; we noted the tannins as being dense when this wine was in its youth; they still fully coat the palate with plenty of dusty presence, but now their still gravelly texture has been softened. But the acidity we noted early on is still very much present. Well layered, the palate offers flavors of blackberry and dark cherry accompanied by notes of brown chocolate and a lingering tobacco spice and dried sage. The 2013 growing season featured warm conditions with an ample sized crop; this was a vintage that tended to produce wines of opulence, fruit forward characteristics, and plenty of concentration, depth and tannic structure. But like 2011, this vintage also needed time in the bottle but for very different reasons.

The 2011 Kelleher Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley. One can immediately smell the vintage on the bouquet of this wine; the nose offers aromas of tobacco leaf and cigar smoke, red fruits, olive and herbal notes. Shows mostly red fruit on the palate including cherry. A fairly supple mouth feel from start to finish – featuring nicely woven slightly dusty tannins that linger softly along with fruit and hints of cedar. This wine is food friendly but also drinks very well by itself some 7 years after the vintage date at the time of our latest tasting. In general, the 2011 vintage was a challenging year for vintners in the valley; this included working with cool weather throughout the growing season and rain up until early June followed by early rains in September and October and generally moist conditions during harvest. Unfortunately, this vintage was generally poorly received by critics who discounted the valley as a whole. In reality, there were a number of decent wines from 2011 and in many cases, these were wines that needed more time to age.

Bari’s Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2014 Kelleher Bari’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and opaque; sweetly fruited and still very much aromatically fresh, this wine does not showing as much bottle bouquet as we would have expected from a bottle 11 years post vintage. Its aromatics include blackberry jam, dark cherry, boysenberry, dark plum and Persian mulberry with an additional layer of dark chocolate. The fruit is as layered on the palate as on the bouquet. This wine tastes like ripe blackberry, dark cherry, Satsuma plums, fully ripe boysenberry and dark mulberry. Texturally, 2014 bottlings from Napa Valley were comfortable straight out of the gate. The tannins on this bottling have certainly been further softened with time; they are highly polished spheres contributing to this wine’s gentle and supple mouth feel. They are harmoniously integrated into the finish.

The 2012 Kelleher Bari’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon shows a thread of sweetness throughout the bouquet with elegant aromas of cranberry and red currant. Superbly balanced across the palate offers grainy but not overly gritty tannins. A hint of mocha along with fruit persists on the mouthwatering finish. Energetic acidity. And proceeds from the sales of this wine are donated to fight Type 1 Diabetes including related research. A special block within their vineyard is named Bari’s Vineyard, in tribute to one of Valerie’s sisters who tragically died far to young (in her mid 40s) from a heart condition. Each year is only one or two barrels of this coveted bottling is produced; it is only sold in 3 or 6 packs house within a wooden box. 20% of proceeds from the sales of this wine are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Hospitality
And for those visiting the Napa Valley who want to taste the Kelleher Wines – tastings by reservation are hosted outdoors, weather permitting among their gorgeous gardens behind Brix Restaurant overlooking the vineyard. Guests will enjoy a vertical of their Cabernet Sauvignon, but depending on palate preference, several of their whites can also be enjoyed.

Guests are encouraged to visit the edges of the vineyard; there are plenty of quintessential Napa photographs just waiting to be captured. And even the wine train makes an appearance several times a day, leaving a few blasts of the horn as it passes slowly by.

Highly recommended is the food and wine pairing at lunchtime. Weather permitting this is hosted separate from the restaurant towards the back of their gardens in the shade. In case of inclement weather, this experience is hosted either inside their lounge (with the doors closed for privacy) or in the restaurants cellar room. Gluten free and vegetarian options are available; this experience is always hosted between 1130am and 3pm and reservations must be made within 48 hours at the latest. Groups up to 25 can be hosted outdoors.

Each of the wines showcased are paired with individual bites; the flight includes both current release bottlings as well as library vintages. One of their long time fan favorite dishes, the lightly fried beans tempura style served with a spicy mustard goes particularly well with their Chardonnay. And their hangar steak just goes well with any of their Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings.

Brix Restaurant provides a number of private dining options as well as garden space for outdoor weddings overlooking the vineyard. This is a special part of Napa that one cannot see driving by on Highway 29. Two gardeners oversee the culinary gardens; a diversity of produce is grown and is directly used by the restaurant.

With a current annual production of under 1,000 cases, the wine is limited but you can find it on the wine list at Brix Restaurant as well as a limited number of restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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For more information, to purchase wine, to schedule a tasting or to join one of three membership offerings, visit: www.kelleherwines.com and www.brix.com

Arnold Palmer Restaurant, La Quinta, CA
Open since 2004, but acquired by the Kelleher family in 2007, Arnold Palmer Restaurant in La Quinta is open seasonally for dinner from early October through the end of May. We will visit this popular steakhouse sometime in the late fall 2025 and will add our notes and photography here.