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At the
beginning of 2006, Sean Starr relocated his studio from
Tacoma to San Francisco. He began contacting wineries in
Napa Valley to realize his dream of one day painting on
location at the finest wineries in Northern California. What
resulted was a project that lasted through the Spring of
2006 at 11 of the finest wineries in Napa. Teaming with
Award Winning photographer
Ryan Notch, the two documented
the entire series with a collection of photos that have been
published all over the world.
We have
included slide shows of some of the photos taken on that
tour, as well as a description of the wineries involved.
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Frank Family Vineyards
March 18, 2006
It’s no
wonder that Rich Frank, one of Hollywood’s most creative,
vibrant and ingenious players co-owns one of Napa ’s most
unique wineries, Frank Family Vineyards. In the late 80s,
Rich, a long-time Disney executive couldn’t find the time to
get away for long vacations with his wife, Connie. Soon they
started coming to on the weekends, realizing it was only a
short plane flight away from and in 1990, they purchased
their home in the Eastern hills of Napa in .Rich’s passion
for Napa, Frank Family Vineyards and Napa Cellars underscore
a wildly successful long-term career in Hollywood. Rich was
Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications
and headed Disney’s syndication arm Buena Vista. He was the
President of Walt Disney Studios for nearly a decade and
also oversaw the development of The Disney Channel. Prior to
his tenure at Disney, Frank was President of the Paramount
Television Group and of Chris Craft Television and was also
one of the founders of the USA Network and served on their
board. Never one to rest on his laurels the former adman
turned Hollywood film and TV exec has stepped into his new
role pioneering the future of marketing in America with
ease, and in his “free time” runs two of Napa’s most notable
and profitable limited production wineries, Frank Family
Vineyards and Napa Cellars.
-Courtesy of frankfamilyvineyards.com
To learn more about Frank Family Vineyards:
http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Ehlers Estate
March 25, 2006
In 1886, Bernard Ehlers carved his name in stone above the
door of our historic winery building. We are proud to reveal
that over a century later Jean and Sylviane Leducq have
passed control of the Estate to the Leducq Foundation.
Created as a non-profit philanthropic entity, the
Foundation's sole purpose is to support international
cardiovascular research. We now celebrate the merging of
history; past, present and future.
The Ehlers Estate name is revived and embraces a heart. This
union symbolizes our commitment to the ongoing success of
the Estate and to the Leducq family's philanthropic efforts.
We will continue to focus on producing limited, classic,
Estate-grown wines for your enjoyment.
-Courtesy of ehlersestate.com
To learn more about Ehlers Estate:
http://www.ehlersestate.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Casa Nuestra
April 1, 2006
Casa
Nuestra, which means “our house” was established in the Napa
Valley in 1979 and continues to produce only about 1,500
cases annually from the estate’s vineyards located in both
St. Helena and Oakville. The Casa staff of six, proudly
produce rare wines of special interest that represent an
old- world, traditional wine list not effected by current
marketing trends. Visitors are invited to enjoy the
laid-back, homey, flavor of the place along with the wines.
Tastings and tours begin in the informal and charming
atmosphere of an authentic Napa Valley farmhouse adorned
with old rock and roll posters, peace signs and Elvis
Presley memorabilia.
-Courtesy of
casanuestra.com
To learn more about Casa Nuestra:
http://www.casanuestra.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Rocca Family Vineyards
April 8, 2006
Our
primary careers in medicine and dentistry have proved a
circuitous route to the wine industry. While Eric Grigsby
continues to practice in Napa, moonlighting as partner,
taster and farmer, Mary Rocca has shifted to full-time wine
operations. Our journey in the wine industry began in 1999
with the purchase of 21 acres on the corner of Yountville
Cross Road and Silverado Trail. Nestled next to the esteemed
Stags Leap District, an appellation prized for its history
of producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, our vineyard
lies at the Southeastern corner of the Yountville
appellation. Four children, and several wines later, our
lives are as rich as the soil we farm.
-Courtesy of
roccawines.com
To learn more about Rocca Family Vineyards:
http://www.roccawines.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Peju Province
April 15, 2006
Peju
Province Winery is recognized as one of Napa Valley's top
wineries. Wine & Spirits Magazine gave its highest honor to
Peju Province Winery, naming it the "Top Artisan Winery of
the Year." Wine Spectator selected the Peju Reserve as one
of "the top California Cabernets." Most of the highly sought
after wines are sold only from the winery, with a small
allocation available through distributors in a few states,
making them a special find.
-Courtesy of
peju.com
To learn more about Peju Province:
http://www.peju.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Zahtila Vineyards
April 22, 2006
Zahtila
Vineyards is devoted to making robust Cabernet Sauvignon and
Zinfandel that marry well with food. The winery also makes a
refreshingly fruit-forward Chardonnay, but its plans for the
future remain small. “We’ll never produce a thousand cases
of any one varietal,” says Laura. “We just want to continue
making great limited-production Cabernet and Zin for people
who share our passion for handcrafted California wine.”
-Courtesy of zahtilavineyards.com
To learn more about Zahtila Vineyards:
http://www.zahtilavineyards.com |
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Photos by Ryan Notch |
V. Sattui Winery
April 29, 2006
V. Sattui is a
family-owned winery established in 1885 and located in St.
Helena, the very heart of California's famous Napa Valley.
Our award-winning wines are sold exclusively at the Winery,
by mail order, and from this website direct to our
customers. We have no outside distribution.
The St. Helena location includes our stone Winery building
and a large gourmet Cheese Shop and Deli surrounded by two
and a half acres of tree-shaded picnic grounds.-Courtesy
of vsattui.com
To learn more about V.
Sattui Winery:
http://www.vsattui.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Markham Vineyards
May 6, 2006
Bruce Markham arrived in the Napa
Valley almost 100 years after Laurent, also looking to start
a winery. Markham bought the Yountville vineyard in 1975,
the Calistoga vineyard in 1976, the old Laurent Winery in
1977 and the Oak Knoll vineyard in 1978. With almost 225
planted acres and a winery, Bruce Markham founded Markham
Vineyards in 1978 and the old Laurent Winery was reborn. In
1978 he hired Bryan Del Bondio, Markham's current president
to oversee the winery's direction and carry out Laurent's
Legacy. Bryan, a Napa Valley native from a hardworking
family with over half a century of winemaking experience,
embraced Laurent's down to earth ideals. He immediately
launched an ongoing program of purchasing and replanting
outstanding Napa valley Properties.
-Courtesy of
markhamvineyards.com
To learn more about Markham Vineyards:
http://www.markhamvineyards.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Pine Ridge Winery
May 13, 2006
Situated in the heart of
Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, Pine Ridge specializes in
producing wines that embody the unique characteristics of
the appellations in which their estate vineyards are
located. Since the winery was founded in 1978, old world
traditions have been fused with innovative viticultural and
winemaking practices to yield powerful, yet balanced,
Bordeaux-style red wines and Chardonnays with classic
aromas, rich textures and lingering flavors of French oak.
With over 220 acres of densely spaced vineyards located
throughout five of Napa Valley's most renowned appellations,
Pine Ridge estate-bottled wines have consistently received
critical acclaim, with the Stags Leap District Cabernet
Sauvignon ranking among the top ten wines in the world.*
*Wine Spectator,
December 31, 2002-Courtesy
of pineridgewinery.com
To learn more about Pine
Ridge Winery:
http://www.pineridgewinery.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Corison Winery
May 20, 2006
Cathy
Corison produces two limited-production Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignons, hand-crafted without compromise from some of the
finest vineyards in the Napa Valley. The fruit for the
Corison Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the western benchland
near Rutherford, where deep, stony alluvial soils promote
ideal growing conditions for the Cabernet vine.
Formerly noted as one of the great "virtual" Napa Valley
wineries, Corison has now built a new barn/winery on route
29 between Rutherford and St. Helena. The winery is situated
amidst the vines of Kronos Vineyard, which is the
source of Corison's distinctive Kronos Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon.-Courtesy
of corison.com
To learn more about
Corison Winery:
http://www.corison.com |
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Photos by Ryan
Notch |
Grgich Hills
May 27, 2006
Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained
international recognition at the celebrated “Paris Tasting”
of 1976. There, in a now-historic blind tasting, a panel of
eminent French judges swirled, sniffed, and sipped an array
of the fabled white Burgundies of France and a small
sampling of upstart Chardonnays from the Napa Valley. When
their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked:
they had chosen Mike’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay as
the finest white wine in the world. Mon Dieu! The results
stunned the international wine establishment and immediately
earned Mike Grgich a reputation as one of the greatest
winemakers in the world.
The
Paris Tasting served notice to the world that the California
wine industry was on the move, and it laid the groundwork
for the creation of Grgich Hills Cellar. After his victory
in Paris, Mike sat down with Austin Hills and his sister,
Mary Lee Strebl, from the Hills Bros. Coffee family, and on
Independence Day 1977, they gave birth to Grgich Hills. It
was an ideal partnership. Austin owned premium vineyards in
Rutherford, in the heart of the Napa Valley, and with his
extensive background in business, he put the winery on its
financial feet. Mike, with his fierce commitment to making
wines of the highest quality, began producing what
immediately became our signature wines: the exquisite,
richly complex Chardonnays that win awards and delight wine
lovers across America and throughout the world.
-Courtesy of
grgich.com |
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