Trahan Winery

Trahan Winery specializes in premium food friendly wines available at decent prices. This wine brand is owned by Chuck Custodio, the winemaker and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alumni, his former wife Janna (an operating room nurse) and his mother Elizabeth. Its namesake comes from Chuck’s great, great grandmother, Amy Trahan. Representative of the three owners is their original logo, three purple intertwined rings.

Throughout our journey of profiling Napa Valley based wineries and producers, we have heard numerous stories of how individuals became winemakers. Chuck’s story starts with a visit to Napa Valley and a tour on the Napa Valley Wine Train in the mid 1990s. At the time, he was an engineer for a San Jose Bay Area based company and had no aspirations about becoming a winemaker. However, the last wine he enjoyed while on his train ride was a 1991 Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Sirah; Chuck was extremely impressed with this wine.

He began to research Petite Sirah and was eventually recommended to visit Vincent Arroyo Winery in Calistoga, renowned for Petite Sirah wines. Grossly misinformed about the exact location of the winery (this was well before Google Maps and touch screen cell phones), Chuck was told the winery was located on Tubbs Lane north of Calistoga. After driving back and forth on Tubbs Lane Chuck gave up and headed south. Fortunately, he saw a sign correctly identifying Arroyo’s location on Greenwood Ave and during his visit, met the founder and winemaker, Vincent Arroyo. Ultimately, Chuck began his first wine job at Vincent Arroyo while simultaneously taking wine classes at Napa Valley College and making the commute back and forth between San Francisco and Napa Valley. His commute each day was four hours of driving while both working at the winery and studying. This lasted for four years until he moved to the city of Napa. Later he worked at Storybook Mountain (north of Calistoga) and Pina Cellars in Rutherford.

Chuck’s story is quickly appealing; he is a down to earth guy, someone who truly loves people and who followed his passion after a previous career. Persistence and resilience are two very appropriate words to describe his career in the wine business.

Select Wines
Whites
Chardonnay
The 2007 Trahan Chardonnay, Carneros was barrel fermented, aged entirely in American oak sur lie, and did not undergo secondary malolactic fermentation. These winemaking choices preserved the wine’s natural freshness while adding texture and complexity. The result is a Chardonnay that remains true to the varietal, showcasing rich fruit flavors, a subtle creaminess, and excellent balance. Aromas of ripe orchard fruit, citrus, and a touch of vanilla lead into a palate that is generous yet focused. The sur lie aging contributes depth and a silky mouthfeel, while the restrained oak influence adds just a hint of toast and spice. The finish is crisp and refreshing, with lingering notes of fruit and lightly toasted oak. Above all, the palate is a pure expression of Chardonnay’s fruit characteristics, highlighting both the quality of the Carneros fruit and Chuck’s commitment to crafting wines that emphasize varietal character over winemaking intervention.

Reds
Charbono
Chuck began producing Charbono from the Cooke Ranch Vineyard owned by Terry Gard in 2017. This property has been under the same family ownership since 1879 and is located next to the intersection of Dunaweal Lane and Highway 128 in Calistoga. Inglenook used to be associated with this variety – having released the first Charbono grown and produced in the Napa Valley in the 1940s (they stopped producing in the 1990s). Inglenook used to purchase Charbono from the Cooke Ranch Vineyard beginning in the 1960s. The vines at Cooke Ranch Vineyard are head-trained and dry farmed.

The sweet spot for growing Charbono in the Napa Valley is in Calistoga. During the growing season, this variety thrives on warm days and cool nights – conditions that Calistoga is ideally suited for. Select parts of the northern Napa Valley are the warmest but also feature the greatest diurnal shift in temperature between day and night – often in the summer dropping between 30 and 40 degrees from that day’s high.

Well known former UC Davis professor, Carole Meredith conducted DNA testing on Charbono and discovered that it is actually a French variety called Corbeau. It’s genetic history dates to the French Alps of the Savoie region were translated into English it was known as the “Soft Black” grape. Charbono inherently stops producing sugar at some point during the end of summer – usually around 22 or 23 brix and the maturation of the skins comes later. As a result, the wines made from this variety are typically lower in alcohol than what is now the average in Napa Valley for red wine. And the tannin profile tends to be on the lighter side.

The 2017 Trahan Napa Valley Charbono is the inaugural release of this variety. Medium to deep ruby in color, the wine initially shows some savory aromatics on the bouquet but as it opens more fruit is revealed along with hints of a mocha sweetness. Shows notes of blackberry and blueberry. Briary. On the palate, the wine is juicy with good acidity and shows some of the savory characteristics and rustic notes that this variety is sometimes known for. Finishes brightly, with red cherry and berry fruits along with a medium grip of tannins. The alcohol is refreshingly kept in check at 13.6%. The label was painted by Chuck’s friend and artist, Shawn Griggs; it is certainly an eye-catching piece with a feel of Dia de los Muertos, a common theme in his work.

Pinot Noir
The 2018 Trahan Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir (Beckstoffer Las Amigas Vineyard) is pale ruby in color; we were hard pressed to pick this out as a Pinot Noir from the aromatics – shows notes of cherry, toasted oak, red licorice and as the wine breathes, mocha. Also, some mushroom notes and cedar box influence among the darker fruit aromatics. Both darker and red fruit flavors including red cherry and currant. Finishes with a brightness of acidity, some darker spices and a layered and noticeable tannin profile, yet well integrated into the finish.

Syrah
The 2016 Trahan Napa Valley Syrah is deep ruby in color; offers distinctive aromatics often inherent to this variety including smoked meat, iodine, a bloodiness. The accompanying fruit aromatics are dark in nature. Well layered, juicy and mouthwatering, this wine delivers plenty of flavor without any heavy-handed oak or tannin influence. Flavors of plum are complemented by some darker spicy notes – especially lingering on the finish (pepper corn). The tannins are dark and are fairly well integrated. Lingers with notes of toasted cedar. A savory showing. Like some of Trahan’s other labels, this one also features an artist, the work of Hawaii based Moses Hamilton who paints with his mouth (after a terrible car accident in 2002 left him paralyzed).

Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2010 Trahan Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Napa Valley is a 100% varietal. This “reserve” bottling is especially limited, with only 1,800 bottles produced from this vintage, each individually numbered. The bouquet is extremely elegant, showing floral notes, higher-toned red and dark fruits, and a refined aromatic lift. As the wine breathes, it opens in the glass, gradually revealing additional layers, including a hint of Rutherford dusty, mocha, and a subtle oak spice in the background. The entry on the palate is elegant, but the wine also shows its underlying power as the fruit intensity and tannin structure build quickly toward the finish. The texture is polished, with ripe Cabernet character supported by firm but integrated tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is persistent and layered, carrying notes of dark fruit, mocha, and a pleasing earthy nuance. Based on both the quality of the wine and the pedigree of Rutherford, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers very good value, especially given the small production and reserve-level attention to detail.

For reference, the 2002 Trahan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon was their inaugural vintage and the first wine ever produced by Chuck.

Dessert
Chuck produced his first port-style wine in 2010 using Syrah sourced from Carneros. This is the “sexy” wine in the Trahan portfolio, as Janna liked to call it. Unlike many California examples of the style, this wine is crafted with restraint, coming in at under 17% alcohol and containing only 5% residual sugar. The bouquet is immediately inviting, offering sweet aromas of ripe dark berries, plum, and baking spice. On the palate, however, the wine is noticeably less sweet than the nose suggests. The focus here is not on elevated alcohol or residual sugar, but rather on showcasing the varietal character of Syrah and its vibrant fruit expression. While the wine is lighter and more elegant in structure than many port-style wines, it delivers depth and balance. The finish is long and complex, revealing a pleasing interplay of fruit, subtle oak influence, grape tannins, and bright acidity. The result is a refined and food-friendly interpretation of a port-style wine that remains true to both the vineyard source and the character of the grape.

—

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

Trahan keeps their prices reasonable based on the fact they do not use distributors and most of the wines are sold direct through the website or mailing list. As Chuck says, “our customers become part of our family” – this is especially true for small boutique wineries in which the individual relationships with customers are extremely important and valued.

Since the tasting room closed, tastings are now by appointment only. Chuck currently produces his wines at Bougetz Cellars in St. Helena. Trahan Winery offers a three tiered wine club including the Trahan Little Tease, Trahan Big Tease, and Trahan Player (6, 12 and 24 bottles shipped annually). For more information, to purchase wine and to join the online mailing list visit: www.trahanwinery.com

ARCHIVED NOTES
Tasting Room, Napa
NOTE: as of mid 2022 Trahan wines vacated this space; we keep our notes and photographs here for historical reference. We do not yet have an update if they will continue producing wines; if production ceases, we will archive this review. Dan Dawson who used to operate the original Backroom Wines from this location took over this space and opened Outer Space Wines, a wine shop focusing on California wines from boutique brands as well as select international wines. Dan is the founder of Backroom Wines (currently located on Main Street), but this is the space where he founded Backroom Wines.

Come check out one of the coolest winemakers in the valley. For many years, Chuck operated this tasting room (in conjunction with Prime Cellars) in downtown Napa within a short walk of First Street Napa (a collection of shops, tasting rooms and restaurants). Old timers will remember three pieces of information about the Trahan tasting room space: this was the original home of Backroom Wines, Chuck’s first tasting room partner was Ted Osborne of Olabisi Cellars and Sadie, Chuck’s old dog (since deceased) used to greet visitors to the tasting room.

One of the older tasting rooms in the city of Napa, it underwent a significant exterior remodel in 2020 and 2021. Over the years since Chuck opened this tasting room, the city of Napa has changed dramatically and now there are numerous tasting rooms and restaurants easily within a short walking distance. The tasting room sported a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere and usually Chuck’s dog was hanging out inside.

Many of the approximately forty tasting rooms in downtown Napa are staffed by employees. However, at Trahan’s tasting room, it was common to meet and taste with Chuck as his office is also located here. This is a completely different tasting experience than one may have at larger Napa Valley wineries. A number of wine makers prefer to stay behind the scenes, and it is always a pleasure to meet winemakers who have a genuine interest in meeting their clients and don’t mind the customer interaction part of the wine business. And Chuck certainly appreciates and enjoys talking with guests.

For a number of years, Prime Cellars shared this tasting space with Trahan, but Prime Cellars moved out in early 2022 and are no longer producing wines. Guests had the option to choose desired wines to sample from a provided list of current releases.