Andretti Winery
Encyclopedia
Andretti Winery is a boutique winery
in the Oak Knoll District
portion of Napa, California
.
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. Two years later Andretti and longtime friend Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart
(which had sponsored Andretti's racing team) purchased a 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) vineyard and winery in the far north part of Napa, California
, where they built a Tuscan
-themed winery, tasting room
, and guesthouse. The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.
In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) 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, and remains publicly traded.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the Oak Knoll District
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA
The Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within Napa Valley AVA at the southern end of valley floor. The appellation's close proximity to San Pablo Bay results in a climate that is cooler and more moderate than any region in Napa Valley other than the Los...
portion of Napa, California
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
.
History
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
's interest in the wine business arose from a commemorative bottling of wine he marketed to celebrate his retirement from auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
in 1994. Two years later Andretti and longtime friend Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
(which had sponsored Andretti's racing team) purchased a 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) vineyard and winery in the far north part of Napa, California
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
, where they built a Tuscan
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
-themed winery, tasting room
Tasting room
A tasting room is a part of a winery, typically located on the premises of the winery's production facilities, at which guests may sample the winery's products...
, and guesthouse. The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.
In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) 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, and remains publicly traded.
Wines
Winemaker Bob Pepi, co-founder with his father of Robert Pepi Winery (now Pepi Winery), and owner of the "Eponymous" winery, has been winemaker since the winery opened in 1996. 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.External links
- - andrettiwinery.com - official website