In Memoriam. . .
To Our Napa Valley Pioneers
By David And Monica Stevens
Most great chefs can tell you the “aha” meal that led them to the decision to learn to cook. Musicians can tell you which artists and songs moved them in ways that no others did. Ask any winemaker and they will likely talk your ear off about a specific person, wine or vintage that lifted the veil and sent them on their journey into the wonderful world of wine.
In any business there are pioneers, those who came before and laid the foundation upon which others built. In this issue we pay tribute to some of the pioneers of the winemaking world of the Napa Valley who are no longer with us. A couple of them are household names, and after reading about the many contributions of the others we know you will understand why they deserve to be, as well.
JIM BARRETT, vintner, Chateau Montelena | 1926–2013
Jim Barrett, a Los Angeles lawyer turned vintner, is certainly best known for his 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, which, along with the 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, won the “1976 Judgment of Paris,” helping to propel the … Read More