Our History

A Premier Producer of Napa Valley Wines

1976 19781979198119821989199920012003200620122014201520172022

Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent nearly fifty years establishing itself as one of North America’s premier producers of Napa Valley wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

1976

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards, which becomes one of the first 40 Napa Valley wineries. They also purchased our original 10-acre property in beautiful St. Helena. Named Marlee’s Vineyard, after Margaret, this idyllic property will later become home to the beautiful Duckhorn Vineyards Estate House.

1978

Guided by Dan, Margaret and our renowned founding winemaker Tom Rinaldi, Duckhorn Vineyards celebrates our inaugural harvest of Merlot from the now-legendary Three Palms Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap District and Howell Mountain. Our first harvest yields 800 cases of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Three Palms Vineyard Merlot.

 

1979

Building on our role as the first American winery to pioneer luxury Merlot, we make our debut vintage of Napa Valley Merlot. This iconic wine plays a key role in establishing Merlot as one of North America’s great varietals.

1981

Alex Ryan begins working at Duckhorn Vineyards during summer vacations from high school. After university, Alex joins the winery fulltime and comes up through the ranks in the vineyards and production before ultimately serving as CEO and president from 2005 until 2023.

1982

Building on Dan and Margaret’s early passion for Bordeaux-varietal wines, and their desire to make an elegant and enticing white wine, Duckhorn Vineyards produces our first vintage of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc using grapes from Marlee’s Vineyard, and a handful of other top winegrowing sites.

1989

Recognizing that the great emerging Napa Valley mountain vineyards are producing wines of exceptional character and quality, we produce our first Howell Mountain appellation-designated wine.

1999

After 20 years of only being open for by-appointment tastings, we break ground on our Duckhorn Vineyards Estate House and Tasting Room adjacent to Marlee’s Vineyard in St. Helena.

2000

We unveil our stunning new Duckhorn Vineyards Estate House. With a beautiful setting of vineyard and garden views, the site is ideal for pioneering an intimate and sophisticated sit-down wine tasting experience that quickly sets the standard for wine country hospitality.

 

2003

Renée Ary joins the Duckhorn Vineyards team under then winemaker, Mark Beringer. Throughout her first decade at Duckhorn Vineyards, Renée learns every detail of production moving from lab manager to enologist to assistant winemaker to associate winemaker in charge of Duckhorn’s Sauvignon Blanc and Monitor Ledge Vineyard wines.

 

2006

Duckhorn Vineyards crafts its debut vintage of The Discussion. Embodying the depth and complexity of our world-renowned Estate program, The Discussion represents the pinnacle of the Duckhorn Vineyards portfolio and our belief in the timeless union of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

 

2012

Building on our rich history working with the finest Napa Valley vineyards, we produce our debut vintage of Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay. In the cellar, we apply classic techniques of French oak barrel fermentation with lees stirring, resulting in a Chardonnay that balances the complexity and richness of Napa Valley.

 

2014

After more than a decade of mastering the Duckhorn Vineyards style, Renée Ary is named the fourth winemaker in the four-decade history of Duckhorn Vineyards. In the years to follow, Renée is recognized for making some of the finest wines in the history of Duckhorn Vineyards.

 

2015

After four decades of working with its sought-after fruit, we acquire Three Palms Vineyard. Widely recognized as the finest Merlot vineyard in North America, Three Palms becomes the crown jewel of our Estate program.

2017

Duckhorn Vineyards celebrates the milestone of our 40th harvest in Napa Valley with an array of events, and a special 40th Anniversary Harvest logo adorning all 2017 vintage Duckhorn Vineyards wines.

2017

From the first vintage in 1978, Duckhorn Vineyards has been committed to crafting wines of distinction. In the fall of this year, our 2014 Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard is named Wine Spectator's 2017 #1 Wine of the Year. This honor serves as a testament to producing wines of the highest quality, under the stewardship of winemaker Renée Ary.

2022

The Duckhorn Portfolio acquires two parcels of land in Napa Valley. These include 40 acres of the renowned vineyard, El Veredicto located in Los Carneros and a 10-acre vineyard called Red Wing in the St. Helena appellation. With these additions, our Estate vineyard program now encompasses 298 acres in Napa Valley, throughout five premier winegrowing sub-appellations.