Andretti Winery

Andretti Winery is a boutique winery in the Oak Knoll District portion of Napa, California.

Andretti Winery
LocationNapa, California, USA
AppellationNapa Valley AVA
Founded1996
First vintage1996
Key peopleMario Andretti, Founder; Joe E. Antonioni, Founder and CEO
Parent companyAndretti Wine Group
Cases/yr42,000 (2007)
Known forCabernet Sauvignon Andretti Reserve
VarietalsCabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Pinot grigio, Pinot noir
Other productsPort, Sparkling Wine, Memorabilia
Distributioninternational distribution, wine club, on-site sales
Tastingby appointment only open to public
Websitehttp://www.andrettiwinery.com/

History

Andretti Winery

Begun as a "hobby" in 1996, the winery grew steadily. Mario Andretti's interest in the wine business arose from a commemorative bottling of wine he marketed to celebrate his retirement from auto racing in 1994.[1] Two years later Andretti and longtime friend Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart (which had sponsored Andretti's racing team) purchased a 53-acre (210,000 m2) vineyard and winery in the far north part of Napa, California, where they built a Tuscan-themed winery, tasting room, and guesthouse.[1] The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.[2]

In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the 53 acres (21 ha) to a Napa farming group. The winery then leased back the tasting room and events center. The company has no ownership stake in the nearby vineyards.

The winery is operated by a public company, Andretti Wine Group, that the founders formed in a "reverse public shell merger" in 1995. It raised $3 million via a public offering in 1998, however it is no longer publicly traded.[3]

Wines

Winemaker Bob Pepi, co-founder with his father of Robert Pepi Winery (now Pepi Winery), and owner of the "Eponymous" winery,[4] has been winemaker since the winery opened in 1996.[5] The winery produces a wide variety of "super-premium" category wines from grapes grown on-site and sourced from various locations in California. It also resells a small quantity of wine imported from Italy.[1]

See also

References

  1. "The Hottest Small Brands of 2005". Wine Business Monthly. 2006-02-15.
  2. A.D. Amorosi (2002-05-09). "Mario Andretti". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on 2010-10-12.
  3. Ted Appel (1998-01-20). "Andretti Winery Looking to Stocks for Cash to Grow". Press Democrat.
  4. Fred Tasker (2006-01-23). "No-name Eponymous label has a big name behind it". Miami Herald.
  5. "Bob Pepi". Faces of Napa.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.