Grace Family Vineyards Explained

Winery Name:Grace Family Vineyards
Location City:Saint Helena
Location State:California
Location Country:United States
Wine Region:Napa Valley
Appellation:St Helena AVA
Other Labels:Cornelius Grove Vineyard, Reliquus
First Vines:1976
First Vintage:1978
Key People:
  • Kathryn Green,[1] owner
  • Helen Keplinger, winemaker
Cases Per Year:1000
Varietal1:Cabernet Sauvignon
Other Product1:Olive oil
Homepage:http://www.gracefamilyvineyards.com

The Grace Family Vineyards is a vineyard and winery in Napa, California. It is widely regarded as one of the original cult wineries [2] in the Napa Valley, and was the first American winery to use the word "family" in its name.[3] [4]

Today the winery manages two estate vineyards with distinct geologies in the St Helena AVA, separated by the West Napa Fault line. Grace estate was formed by a discrete volcanic event 5 million years ago, whereas Heath Canyon Ranch (home to the Cornelius Grove and Heath Canyon vineyards) was formed by a combination of volcanic and fluvial activity some 100 million years ago.[5]

Production has remained very limited.[6]

In 2014, Helen Keplinger took over as winemaker.[7] In 2019, Kathryn Green became the custodian of Grace Family Vineyards.[8]

Some forty years after the first release, the Grace Family Estate and the Cornelius Grove Vineyard wines were both awarded 100 points by Antonio Galloni[9] and James Suckling[10] respectively, with the former also choosing Helen Keplinger as his winemaker of the year.[11]

A third wine, Reliquus, has been produced since 2016, a blend of grapes from the winery's two estate vineyards, farmed to the same standard as the vineyard designate wines, it is aimed as an expression of the vintage as opposed to the distinct terrior, with the intent of being drunk earlier as such it is often found on wine lists of prominent restaurants.[12]

History

The winery began when Ann and Dick Grace planted 1spell=inNaNspell=in of vines in 1976. The first vintage was produced in 1978, at Chuck Wagner's winery, Caymus.[13] A second acre was added in 1985, but phylloxera took its toll, as the winery's vines were planted on non-resistant rootstock. Additional problems with oak root fungus in the original acre caused the need to replant the entirety in 1995.[14] The winery's yield dropped from 350 cases in the to a low of 48 cases in 1996, when the wine was allocated as one 1-liter bottle per customer on the winery's mailing list. Another acre of planting and re-planted vines in the old acreage brought production up to 150 cases in 1998.[15]

Charity

The winery's mission statement is "Wine as a catalyst towards healing our planet." The programs of the Grace Family Vineyards Foundation are primarily in India, Nepal, Mexico, Tibet, and America.

Grace Family wines has been involved with the Naples Winter Wine Festival since its first year in 2001. In 2006, a 12-liter Balthazar of 2003 Grace Family Cabernet drew $90,000 ($ in dollars) in bids at the festival's charity auction.[16] For the 2012 charity auction, a Balthazar of both Grace Family and their second label, Blank, drew a $160,000 ($ in dollars) bid.[17]

Vineyard and winemaking

The Grace Family properties are organic and biodynamically farmed.

Gary Galleron was head winemaker between 1988 and 1995, when Heidi Peterson Barrett took over winemaking duties. Barrett, in turn, turned over duties to Gary Brookman. Helen Keplinger became winemaker in 2014 and continues to manage winegrowing at the estate alongside vineyard manager, David Abreu. [18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Grace Family Vineyards Sold.
  2. Web site: Icons & Innovations: California Cult Wines: Anatomy of a Cult Wine.
  3. Web site: Grace Family Vineyards Sold.
  4. Web site: Grace Family Vineyards . https://archive.today/20130121081012/http://www.deandeluca.com/wine/california-wine-country/st-helena/grace-family-vineyards/ . dead . 21 January 2013 . . 16 July 2012 .
  5. Web site: Molesworth . James . August 10, 2022 . Tradition Informs the Future at Napa's Grace Family . April 2, 2024 . Wine Spectator.
  6. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Grace Family Vineyards redux JancisRobinson.com . 2024-04-02 . www.jancisrobinson.com . en.
  7. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Grace Family Vineyards redux JancisRobinson.com . 2024-04-02 . www.jancisrobinson.com . en.
  8. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Grace Family Vineyards redux JancisRobinson.com . 2024-04-02 . www.jancisrobinson.com . en.
  9. Web site: Vinous Explore All Things Wine . 2024-04-02 . vinous.com.
  10. Web site: Suckling . James . March 6, 2024 . GRACE FAMILY VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY ST. HELENA CORNELIUS GROVE 2021 . April 2, 2024 . James Suckling.
  11. Web site: Vinous Explore All Things Wine . 2024-04-02 . vinous.com.
  12. Web site: Vinous Explore All Things Wine . 2024-04-02 . vinous.com.
  13. Web site: History . Grace Family Vineyards . 16 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120520045158/http://www.gracefamilyvineyards.com/history.html . 20 May 2012 .
  14. Web site: Clark. Carolyn Stewart. Grace Family Vineyards. AtlasOfWineries.com. 16 July 2012.
  15. Web site: Morgan. Jeff. Grace Family Vineyards Confronts Wine Shortage with New Bottle. Wine Spectator. 16 July 2012. 12 Apr 1999.
  16. Web site: Winery News . Grace Family Vineyards . 16 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120519020738/http://gracefamilyvineyards.com/winery_news.html . 19 May 2012 .
  17. Web site: Albers. Naples Winter Wine Festival ends; $107 million overall, $12.2 million today. Katherine. Naples Daily News. 16 July 2012. Laura Layden. 28 January 2012. 2 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121002173527/http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/jan/28/winter-wine-festival-auction-100-million-total/. dead.
  18. Web site: Grace Family Vineyards Sold.