The court decided that the wineries were named after the area, so both were allowed to use the name. The two wineries were founded in the same year, and both claimed first use of the name 'Stag's Leap'. Ī lawsuit initiated by Winiarski and a counter-suit filed by Carl Doumani, owner of Stags' Leap Winery, was decided in 1986 by the California Supreme Court. Grgich was the winemaker at Chateau Montelena in the early 1970s and he produced the counterpart winning Californian Chardonnay at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. įollowing this achievement, the winery began to expand its land holdings, purchasing the neighboring 'Fay' Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in 1986, which nearly doubled the vineyard size owned by the estate, and a Chardonnay vineyard named 'Arcadia' from Mike Grgich in 1996. This '73 vintage was entered into and subsequently rated the top red wine at the now historic Judgment of Paris in 1976, launching the winery into the international spotlight. The second vintage-the first that was produced at the estate and in commercial quantities- was from 1973. Winiarski was in charge of making the wine, with assistance from Andre Tchelistcheff. The first vintage produced from the new vineyard was in 1972 and was produced in a rented facility. The purchased plot was planted to prune trees, cherries and walnuts as well as a small amount of Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet, these were replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines and the vineyard was renamed to 'Stag's Leap Vineyard' or 'S.L.V'.

It had not only regional character but also elements of classic or universal character.' This wine satisfied what I hoped was possible in the Napa Valley. Winiarski decided on purchasing land in the region after tasting a homemade wine from Nathan Fay's vineyard, after tasting the wine Winarski stated 'I said to myself, Eureka! That’s it. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 after Winiarski purchased a 44-acre (18 ha) block of land for under $200,000 that was situated next to the vineyard owned by modern Napa Valley Cabernet winegrowing pioneer Nathan Fay.

Following this, he moved to work at the newly started Robert Mondavi Winery. He moved to the Napa Valley with his wife and children in 1968, and took up a job with Chateau Souverain. After returning to Chicago, he found an interest in wine and in the early 1960s began to experiment with making his own wine at home. Warren Winiarski was introduced to wine while on a year-long trip to Italy studying the work of Niccolò Machiavelli. Stainless steel fermenting containers that are part of the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

The result of the tasting has been described by Decanter as 'a victory that put California on the winemaking map, and established Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars as a global superstar'. The French wines tasted were prestigious first and second growths wines from the 19 vintage from Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Haut-Brion, Château Leoville Las Cases and Château Montrose. The winery achieved significant international recognition in 1976, four years after its establishment, at the Judgment of Paris where its 1973 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon won first place among ten top French and California red wines in a blind taste test by leading French wine experts.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. Not to be confused with Stags' Leap Winery.

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