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vino@elated-themes.com

Brenda & Tom

A Blind Date

We met on a blind date – and it soon became evident that our shared passion for food, wine and adventure would become a lifelong journey together. We started this adventure while managing our careers in New York – Tom in his architectural practice and Brenda in commercial real estate. It’s been over 25 years since we purchased our ranch and planned our transition to Napa Valley.

A Pickup Truck

We got ourselves a pickup truck and got to work. Our mission to grow the best possible fruit our site could produce took diligence and hard work. We studied Winkler’s textbooks, drilled a new well, dug soil test pits and finally, replanted the vineyard. We continually strive to improve our farming practices. Our ambition to be grape growers evolved into a desire to make our own estate wine, and we crushed our inaugural vintage in 2004.

Tom & Brenda
Tom & Brenda

A Pickup Truck

We got ourselves a pickup truck and got to work. Our mission to grow the best possible fruit our site could produce took diligence and hard work. We studied Winkler’s textbooks, drilled a new well, dug soil test pits and finally, replanted the vineyard. We continually strive to improve our farming practices. Our ambition to be grape growers evolved into a desire to make our own estate wine, and we crushed our inaugural vintage in 2004.

A Quest Fulfilled

As our winery grew, we acquired a vintage Airstream for staging vineyard tastings and a 1967 Land Rover for shuttling customers around the ranch. Our experience has been rewarding in many ways, and we enjoy sharing the bounty with wine club members, friends and colleagues at our annual Summer Solstice event. Of course, none of this would be possible without our team of experts working with us in pursuit of making the grade.

OUR TEAM

Tom Thornton
Thomas Winfield Thornton AIA
Proprietor
Brenda Mixson
Brenda Joyce Mixson
Proprietor
Thomas Rivers Brown
Thomas Rivers Brown
Winemaker
Jason Ray “Napa Select”
Jason Ray
Vineyard Manager | Napa Select Vineyard Services, Inc.

HISTORY

Stevensons honemoon on the grade

1883

RLS and Fanny take stagecoach route up Mount Saint Helena and inhabit an abandoned mining camp in Silverado

stagecoach
finding our piece of Napa paradise

1997

From our offices in NYC we explore and close on the perfect Napa Valley property for us along the same stagecoach toll road

replanting and making it our own

2000

Working with a team of consultants we pull out the SB vines, prep the soil and plant new a new vineyard. Cabernet is King!

Vineyard Replant
new growers becoming winemakers

2004

We decide to enter the business of making and selling wine from our estate and our first vintage is barreled down

finding our first customers

2008

We bottle our 2004 and 2005 vintages and stage our first release event in New York City – our old stomping grounds

1st wine tasting event
big changes for our growing business

2012

We team up with Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker and open a tasting salon in downtown Calistoga

a meaningful accolade

2014

The release of our first vintage of “Kingly Project” with Thomas earns us 99 Pts from Robert Parker who calls it “brilliant”

grape harvesting
introducing new blends for club members

2015

We add “Serpent’s Back” Cabernet Sauvignon to our estate portfolio and plant new Cabernet clones in Blocks 6 and 7

celebrating our summer solstice

2018

Our tradition of celebrating the Summer Solstice with an alfresco vineyard feast under the stars is in its 15th year

enter the grade
adapting to changing weather

2023

We rejuvenated the vines through cane conversion, installed water tanks and introduced “Half Heaven” to our Cab portfolio

A VIDEO