Accurso Wines was founded by Waverly and Michael Accurso with their first vintage in 2022. Both are Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduates; Michael majored in Ag Business. Before he graduated in 2010 he took a viticulture class which changed his perspective of the wine industry. A Napa native, he grew up surrounded by friends whose family worked in the business … [Read more...]

Dokdo Wine is operated by Emmanuel Lee; Dokdo made their first wine in 2007 but did not release it. The first commercial vintage of Dokdo was in 2008 produced by Lee and winemaker Robert Shawn Denkler (died 2020). This wine brand is an homage to the Dokdo Islands (in Korean meaning solitary island), two primary rocky islets with disputed ownership for more … [Read more...]

Angelo Owens Wines was founded by Jeff and Valerie Owens with their inaugural vintage produced in 2021; Jeff's father is also a partner in the brand. Jeff and Valerie met at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo; like many students enrolled here, are equally split between northern California and Southern. She was from Orange County and he from Sacramento. Jeff began … [Read more...]

Aspire Wine (not to be confused with The Spire Collection, also in Calistoga) was founded by Phil & Beth Rielly; this 230 acre ranch is perched on the divide between Napa and Sonoma County, with the county line running through their property and roughly dividing their land 50% in each county. The Napa Valley side of the ranch is in the Calistoga sub … [Read more...]

Kingsmark Wine was founded by Dallas based Whitney Skibell. In 1888, Whitney's great great grandfather started Colorado Cooperage Works; his first business was to deliver wood barrels to Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado. Her grandfather, Samuel Rudd, the eldest son worked for the family business. Rudd, a career entrepreneur (died 1986) moved to Wichita … [Read more...]

Stereograph Wines was launched in 2023 and is a partnership between winemaker Sally Johnson Blum and her husband Max; that same year, they founded SJB Winemaking, a full-service winemaking firm providing winemaking services for a number of small brands both in Napa Valley and and outside of the valley. This is a cohesive partnership; Sally makes the wines … [Read more...]

Southern Roots Wine. Wine is about bringing people together and building relationships and is often centered around food. And it is what cemented a long friendship resulting in the creation of Southern Roots Wines. Take Alabama native Frank O'Neill and Georgia born Rob Francis for example; both men met while working at Birmingham based ProAssurance, a … [Read more...]

Zeitgeist Cellars was founded by winemaker Mark Porembski; both he and his wife, Jennifer Williams, also a winemaker oversee the brand but also consult for several other small and local brands. Mark moved to Napa Valley in 2000 and began working as assistant winemaker at Anomaly Vineyards in 2002; he has been their head winemaker since 2005. Jennifer's first … [Read more...]