|
Click here to learn about a new book
on the
Pelissa Family History.
The move from generic jug wines to varietally-specific, artisanal wines. Organic farming. And the preservation of Napa Valley itself as an agricultural region.
Many of Napa Valley's 20th Century milestones can be told through the story of the Pelissa family and Napa Wine Co.
 Custom Crush Facility
The building that now houses Napa Wine Company is actually a culmination of two historic winery properties. The oldest building originated in 1877, home to the Noveau Medoc Winery. The newer of the two dates back to 1892. Eventually the properties were expanded to support large-scale production of generic wines, starting with the Betsy Ross wine brand in the 1940s. In 1977 the two buildings were united, and later in the 1980s, production was expanded further still to support the growing Inglenook brand.
But America's taste for wine took a dramatic shift from generic jug wines to varietally-specific wines. The former owner of the winery, Heublein, used the facility for production of Inglenook Chardonnay, so the facility was designed for large-volume production of a single variety.
In 1993, the winery was purchased by the Pelissa family
who converted the former Inglenook facility from a mass
production winery into a state-of-the-art custom crush
facility. With an incredible team of craftsmen under the
guidance of original winemaker Randy Mason, the Pelissas
completely renovated the facility to accommodate small-lot,
high quality production. The smaller-production focus
allowed for artisan winemaking of over 20 varieties, for
over 60 wineries.
Napa Wine Co. has been home to some of appellation's
leading artisan winemakers, many of whom have
achieved "cult" status.
In 1997, three of the top ten wines of the year
in Wine Spectator were produced at Napa Wine Co.
 The Pelissa Family History
Guiseppe & Mary Pelissa immigrated to the United States in the late 1800's from Italy. "Joe," as
he was called, lived off of several crops, grapes
among them, farming the area north of present day St. Helena called Flynnville.
His son, Andrew, was only 13 years old when Joe
died. Andrew married Veola Hale in 1933, and
they had nothing more than two cows between them. They leased the original
farmland where they grew their dairy, tomatoes & beans, but eventually built their land holding to roughly 1,000 acres in Yountville and Oakville. The down payment for the ranch was provided by a $10,000 savings that Veola had managed to squirrel away from her "allowance" for
feeding the ranch hands during the Depression.
After years of dairy farming and raising cattle,
they planted nearly 500 acres of wine grapes
in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The plan for the vineyard planting
was done by then Napa Valley wine expert, Brother Timothy of the Christian
Brothers. Popular grape varieties at the time were Sylvaner, Gray Riesling
and Gewurztraminer. Andrew Pelissa's farming philosophy, which still
guides the company, was: "No one owns the land. We are all merely stewards
of the soil."
Pelissa farmed all of the vineyards organically, which
is still the case, making the vineyards the largest certified
organic vineyard in Napa County.
Andrew served on the Napa Valley Planning Commission
for 18 years and was the commissioner during
the development of the Napa Valley's landmark "agricultural preserve."
 Current managing director, Andrew Hoxsey, grandson of Andrew Pelissa, became formally involved in the family business after graduating from the University of California at Davis. The two worked together to acquire the Napa Wine Company, a project that began in 1989 and culminated in 1993, but not before Pelissa died in 1991.
With the purchase of the Napa Wine Company, one
of the most historic winemaking facilities in
the Napa Valley, the Pelissa Family now had a "home" for its grapes.
Partners in Napa Wine Company and Yount Mill Vineyards include Andrew Hoxsey, his mother, Dawne Pelissa Dickenson; her sister, Marilyn Pelissa Harris; Hoxsey's brother, David Hoxsey, and cousin, Jennifer Harris.
The Napa Wine Co. Brand
The same talented team that transformed a jug wine facility into the leading custom crush facility also launched a new brand in 1999, aptly named Napa Wine Company.
The brand name was resurrected from one of the
original names associated with the property in
the 1930s and 1940s. It features the best varieties from the partners'
Yount Mill Vineyards: Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Blanc from
Yountville, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel from
Oakville. The wine brand also connects with its past by
incorporating "Bonded Winery #9," signifying the status
of the original building that produced Noveau Medoc wines
in 1877. |
