Premium family winery Stewart Cellars

New to our range are the excellent premium wines of the family-run Stewart Cellars winery. The winery was founded by Michael Stewart and his wife Anne from Texas. His path to wine was not a straightforward one. He originally founded and owned a company that manufactured personal computers and servers for the telecommunications industry. He subsequently sold his company in 2002, two years after he founded Stewart Cellars winery. He was also a founding member of the now prominent Santa Rosa-based Vintage Wine Estates.

How did it all start?

Michael was determined several years before that his next stage in life would somehow be linked to fine premium wine. After several trips to Napa Valley, he decided to settle down and build a family business. His dream became a reality at the turn of the millennium when he bought a majority stake in Juliana Vineyard (Pope Valley, eastern Napa County). A number of varieties are grown here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and even Grenache. This vineyard provided some of the fruit for the production of Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon and supplies fruit to a number of Napa wineries. Then, in 2000, he launched the initial small releases of handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir varietals sourced from a selection of the best vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Soon other family members joined Michael and Anne and a new era of the Stewart clan began. Son James joined the family business in 2006 when he left the hectic life of an artist in Los Angeles and settled in Napa Valley. Initially in charge of sales, distribution and marketing, he eventually took over as general manager and now plays a central role in the winery alongside his sister Caroline. Like many of his peers, James focuses on issues related to sustainability, conservation, labor practices, and maintaining family-owned businesses in Napa Valley. He enjoys charity work and fundraising, but also tries to spread the message that Napa Valley is for everyone and that Stewart Cellars and other family businesses here make wines primarily for the enjoyment of the people.

Caroline and her husband Blair Gurthie have a wealth of experience with wine. After graduating from college, Caroline began working as a sales representative for a wine company, then as a support staff at several wineries in Argentina and the U.S., where she met her future husband Blair. Today, Claire has also become co-owner of Stewart Cellars and is responsible for the smooth running of the business and building the family brand.

As we mentioned, Blair also has a wealth of wine making experience. This native New Zealander, who holds a post-graduate degree in enology and viticulture among other degrees, has worked as an intern at wineries since 2009. It was during this work that he met his current wife Caroline, together they went to Australia to gain experience and on his return Blair worked as assistant winemaker at the world famous Kunde winery. Since 2015, he has helped build the family winery as winemaker and general manager of Stewart Cellars.

What are Stewart Cellars vineyards actually like?

Stewart Cellars is part of a select group of wineries that have been granted special access to all of Andy Beckstoffer's Heritage Vineyards: Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, Beckstoffer Las Piedras and Beckstoffer Bourn in St. Helena; Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford, Beckstoffer To Kalon and Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper in Oakville.

New for 2022 is the Montecillo Vineyard, located in the Moon Mountain AVA in Sonoma's Mayacamas Mountains. The 51-acre vineyard is located adjacent to Sugarloaf State Park in the Moon Mountain appellation (west of the Mt. The red volcanic soil is iron-rich, completely dry and organically farmed, and the varieties have plenty of breeze due to their elevation (around 1,800 feet above sea level). The vineyard is planted primarily with Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvingnon, with one block of Cabernet planted as early as 1964, making it one of the oldest vineyards in the area. So in the years to come, you can look forward to beautiful, elegant wines that are great with food.

Selected wines

Stewart Cellars focuses on two selections each year - Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and Pinot Noir from the Russian River region in neighboring Sonoma County. In addition, they produce reserve wines, mentioning the 2005 Nomad Cabernet Sauvignon, which was their first reserve wine under the Stewart label. This wine is made from hand-selected barrels in which only the best fruit is aged. This is a 100% varietal wine that is very dark in the glass, the striking aromas are deep and intense, inviting and elegant. There are layers of spice, dried herbs, cedar, blackcurrant, blackberry and a hint of white pepper on the nose. The palate is surprisingly soft on entry. The body quickly gains complexity from the middle to the finish. The palate continues to be juicy, ripe and shows red and dark fruits. The finish is intensely fruity and leaves a pleasant lingering taste of vanilla, roasted oak and dark fruit.

Last but not least, the Slingshot brand is new. This is a collection of wines available to the general public. They are very reasonably priced wines indeed. In the collection you will find Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, which really stand out for their price/quality ratio. They come from Julian's own vineyard. You can drink these everyday wines while you wait for the Stewart Cellar wines to age. The main motto of the Slingshot collection could be James Stewart's phrase: "Even with great pizza, you can have great wine."

Last but not least, the Slingshot brand is new. It is a collection of wines available to the general public. The prices are really very affordable. In the collection you will find Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, which really stand out for their price/quality ratio. They come from Julian's own vineyard. You can drink these everyday wines while you wait for the Stewart Cellar wines to age. The main motto of the Slingshot collection could be James Stewart's phrase: "Even with great pizza, you can have great wine."

Try a new addition to our portfolio - the wines of Stewart Cellars, a small winery whose founders and associates are all about family and whose main vision in winemaking is exploration. The search for the ideal site, consistently fresh fruit, like-minded growers who strive for the perfect expression of their vineyard. Stewart Cellars main goal is to produce wines that exceed expectations.

14.1.2024