Jacob Franklin Wines. The roots of Jacob Franklin date back to a bottling called Jake's Cuvee, produced by Elyse Winery. In 1998 eight-year-old Jake Coursen decided he liked having his name on the label (Elyse Winery was named after his sister Elyse) and asked his father winemaker Ray Coursen if he could have his own wine brand. Ray agreed and produced the … [Read more...]

Stony Hill Vineyard was one of the first Napa Valley wineries built after Prohibition. They were an anomaly in Napa Valley from their first vintage in 1952 through 2009 because they only produced white wine. In the early 2000s they began to make a red table wine for themselves, friends and family; starting in 2009 they began producing a Cabernet Sauvignon … [Read more...]

Flying Lady Winery was founded by Colorado based father and son David and Zachary Nassar (Lebanese heritage). David is the founder of Erie, Colorado based Nassar Development, known for their custom homes, resort properties, private ranches, and commercial spaces in communities along the 25-freeway including Fort Collins, Denver and and Colorado Springs. … [Read more...]

Evidence Wines. We have heard a number of stories behind the names of wine brands in Napa Valley, but this is one of the more unique narratives. One day early in his winemaking career, while working in the cellar at Cardinale Winery, founder and winemaker Jason Court noticed twenty cases of wine stacked on a palate was being stored; it had been recovered … [Read more...]

Patria Wines. Founder and winemaker for Patria Wines, Tony Biagi was introduced to wines from his father and stepfather; both men collected wines including from Ridge Winery whose bottlings formed a large part of his stepfather's wine collection. Tony could never envision himself as working a desk job; his parents always encouraged him to find something he … [Read more...]

Palisades Vineyard is located in the northern reaches of Napa Valley in the shadow of the rocky Palisades, a part of the Vaca mountain range. This property enjoys a rich history, relating to both prospecting and viticulture and was part of the original Rancho Carne Humana land grant. Immigrants from Scotland, James Horn and his wife Jeannie, purchased 160 … [Read more...]

Chris Hamilton Cellars. Chris's first visit to Napa Valley was in 2009 and the first Napa winery he visited was Far Niente. He was impressed by the picturesque grounds and the old caves. While walking inside the cave, he noticed an ethereal looking mist had risen to the cave's ceiling (presumably from some cellar work that was in progress). He remembers … [Read more...]

Almacerro. Owner, Frank Scherkenbach was raised in rural Wisconsin and has been attracted to agriculture since he was a child. He became a patent trial lawyer (now divides his time between Boston and Napa Valley) but never lost his interest in farming. Prior to starting Almacerro, he helped farm mint in Wisconsin for Scurek Farms; their largest client was … [Read more...]

Rahn Estate. Founders of Rahn Estate, Brian and Andrea Rahn met in high school in Fresno and later both attended Fresno State. After graduating with a degree in Agriculture, Brian realized he wanted to work with grapes in some capacity and the family moved several times including living in Sacramento while commuting to Napa Valley to work for Jack Neal & … [Read more...]