About Us
Built on 20 acres of undeveloped land on Howell Mountain, our Bravante Estate Stone Ridge Vineyard was planted in early 1998 by our viticulture team to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Another small vineyard, just down the road, was acquired in 2000 and planted to the same three varietals, with the addition of small amounts of a Sauvignon Blanc Musque clone, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
After a few years of making wine off-site and proving the quality of our vines, the Bravantes took the next step toward building an estate winery in 2005. By harvest of 2009, construction and permitting were complete, and we gained the coveted status of being 100% estate grown, produced and bottled!
Our vision for quality starts in the vineyard, extends to the cellar and culminates with hospitality in our estate tasting room & cave. This passion for “quality over quantity” helps us maintain the best vineyard practices, growing wine grapes with minimal intervention, allowing them to express the best qualities of the unique terroir of Howell Mountain. Minimal intervention extends to the cellar, where our winemaking team allows the wines to express themselves over two years of barrel aging and additional time in bottle.
Close friendships and family have always been a part of our winery experience. We invite you to become a part of the extended family and help us celebrate the beauty of this special place with a tour & tasting in our cave, and over a shared bottle of Bravante Vineyards wine.
– George & Nancy Bravante
George & Nancy Bravante
Proprietors
George and Nancy have owned and operated Bravante Vineyards for 30 years. They started the business after they married in Napa Valley and decided that they would like to start a family there. They view the company as an extension of their family and have watched their three boys grow up alongside the business. Their boys are grown up and now help manage the winery, vineyard and Lido Tasting Room.
Taylor Shoptaw
Winemaker
Taylor is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He studied viticulture and enology in New Zealand and has spent the past nine years traveling between hemispheres working for outstanding winemakers. He was most recently an assistant winemaker in the Finger Lakes AVA, and production supervisor in the Alexander Valley. When not working he enjoys reading, writing, sailing and watching the Tennessee Vols.
Phillip Corallo-Titus
Consulting Winemaker
As the winemaker for Pritchard Hill’s iconic Chappellet Vineyard for over 30 years, Phillip has earned renown as a master at crafting mountain wines. His accolades abound, and he is known as one of Napa’s best winemakers. Drawn to the Bravante Vineyard’s unique Howell Mountain terroir, he started consulting for Bravante in 2017. Phillip’s guidance helps us get the most out of our estate vineyard and winery.
Jeff Hayman
Winery Tasting Room Manager
Having worked at iconic wineries like Domaine Carnaros, Benziger, Beaulieu Vineyards, Jeff is a proven wine industry professional with a focus on customer-centered experiences. As our Director of Hospitality, Jeff leads tastings and manages our customer experiences at our estate winery. Jeff leverages his passion for wine and his intimate knowledge of Bravante Vineyards to ensure your time with Bravante is one-of-a-kind.
McCade Gatley
Lido Tasting Room Manager
McCade Gatley is the manager of the Lido Tasting Room in Newport Beach. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing Management from Cal Poly Pomona. With five years of experience in the wine industry, McCade has cultivated a strong knowledge of wine and a passion for exceptional customer service. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and playing golf with family and friends.
Our Vineyards
Stone Ridge Vineyard
Meticulously farmed, our Stone Ridge Vineyard is a 20-acre parcel, on which sits our winery and caves. With 7 acres planted, it consists of four blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, two blocks of Cabernet Franc and one block of Merlot. Stone Ridge Vineyard lies roughly 1,680 feet above sea level on a volcanic bench cut by nature. The deep and rocky soils produce clusters of small berries and wines that are deeply intense with complex flavors.
Black Oak Vineyard
Black Oak Vineyard is just up the mountain from our winery. It sits on a rocky hillside which creates intense minerality. This unique parcel of land is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Sauvignon Blanc. The unique character of this site, less than a mile from our home vineyard, adds complexity to our wines.
The best wine starts with the best fruit
Our vineyard sits on Howell Mountain, one of Napa’s oldest and most prestigious growing regions. Located from 1,400 – 2300 ft above the town of St. Helena, the mountain has incredibly unique geographic characteristics that make its wineries so famous. Some of its key characteristics:
- Above the fog: Beginning at 1,400 feet in elevation and rising to 2,300 feet above sea level, Howell Mountain vineyards sit above the fog line. Abundant sunshine with warm days and cool nights in the summer allow for the slow maturation of fruit in the vineyard. As harvest approaches, our fruit develops complex flavors and structured tannins for which Howell Mountain is famous.
- Volcanic soil conditions: Well-draining soils of volcanic ash and gravelly loam work in conjunction with the unique climate of Howell Mountain to produce structured wines with incredible aging potential.
Winemaking
Our farming and winemaking practices are rooted in a passionate pursuit of quality with attention to every detail. The vineyard’s combination of high elevation, western facing slopes, volcanic ash and gravelly loam creates sun-drenched canopies and well-drained soils that permits us to nurture intensely concentrated fruit. Additionally, the unique climate of Howell Mountain ensures a more moderate growing season that allows the fruit to achieve the full physiological ripeness needed to create complex, luscious wines.
At harvest, we hand-pick the grapes from individual vineyard blocks and ferment these small lots separately. We closely monitor the fermentations to extract color, tannin and flavor. After fermentation, the wines are pressed and barreled down to French oak barrels where they mature in our barrel cave for 22 months before bottling.
Our wines are thoughtfully blended from these individual components to reflect the vintage and our vineyards. Diligent farming, careful harvesting and gentle winemaking all combine to create consistently elegant wines that are true expressions of our unique site within Howell Mountain.
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