In Pursuit of Resilience
A Year in the Spottswoode Estate Vineyard
Resilience is at the very heart of Spottswoode. It is written into our 144-year-old vineyard’s DNA, carried forward through our family’s stewardship, and reflected in every season of farming and winemaking. Resilience is about the determination to carry on with purpose, no matter the challenge.
Celebrating Four Decades of Environmental Leadership
Rooted in the Land, Protecting our Planet
In 1985, our founding winemaker, the highly respected and now-legendary Tony Soter, approached our mom, Mary Novak, with a unique proposition. Serving in the dual role of vineyard manager and winemaker, just as Aron Weinkauf does today, Tony believed that our historic estate vineyard would be healthier and produce more expressive, terroir-driven grapes if we switched from conventional (i.e., chemical) farming to organic farming.
Gathering at the Family Table
Celebrating 40 Vintages
Our dining room table was among the furniture that our parents brought to Spottswoode when we moved here in 1972. We always had dinner as a family, and this beautiful antique from Mexico (an old door) was the gathering place for all seven of us once a day. While this seemed tedious when we were young, the memories are meaningful (and sometimes humorous…). This table is now in Beth’s home, so it has happily found ongoing use for gatherings of friends and family. Meanwhile, there is a handsome table in the Estate home which continues to accommodate family meals and special dinners.
Rooted in Family Stewardship
Today Spottswoode is among just a small number of historic Napa Valley wineries that remain owned and operated by their found families. Our family – the Novaks – became the stewards of Spottswoode in 1972, selling our grapes to other early winemaking families, including the Duckhorns and Shafers. A decade later, and five years after the unexpected death of our father, our mother courageously founded Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, making our first vintage of Estate Cabernet Sauvignon with winemaker Tony Soter at the helm.