Our Story

To make exceptional wine, you need exceptional grapes. And for Stanton Vineyards owner Doug Stanton and the Stanton family, growing exceptional grapes is in their blood.

The Stanton family has been growing and selling grapes in the Napa Valley since 1947, when Jesse Stanton purchased his first parcel, a 100 acre vineyard in Yountville. Now, more than 50 years later, his grandson, Doug Stanton, along with Doug’s father, John, continue to personally cultivate and tend their three Napa Valley vineyards: one in Oakville and two in St. Helena – all in renowned viticulture centers. They currently grow seven different red-wine varieties which include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.

"We farm the land ourselves. And because we don't outsource to vineyard management companies, we are able to react to situations quickly like no other farming entity could."

The exceptional fruit they cultivate is sought by some of the most prominent wineries in the region including Stags Leap, Merryvale, Del Dotto, Orin Swift, and Groth.

“We’d been hearing great things about our fruit and it just made sense to make our own wine,” explains Doug regarding the decision to launch their own vineyard label in 1999. They set aside a couple of rows of their best producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines from their Oakville property and crafted their first small production vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2002, acclaimed winemaker Dave Phinney, joined the Stanton team, lending his talented hands to the ’02 vintage, creating a wine that quickly captured the attention of critics and wine afficianados. A fan of Petite Sirahs, Doug decided to dedicate some of their Petite Sirah production to introduce their first vintage in 2004.

Stanton Vineyards remains, and will remain, a boutique winery, producing about 800 cases total (625 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 180 cases Petite Sirah) under their Stanton Vineyard label. This small production, which accounts for less than 7% of the grapes grown on their properties, allows them to focus on producing both grapes and wine of great character. Because, as Doug, his father John, and grandfather Jesse all agree, the grapes and the soil come first.

Our Story

To make exceptional wine, you need exceptional grapes. And for Stanton Vineyards owner Doug Stanton and the Stanton family, growing exceptional grapes is in their blood.

"We farm the land ourselves. And because we don't outsource to vineyard management companies, we are able to react to situations quickly like no other farming entity could."

"Producing wines has made us better farmers," explains Doug. "We see the connection. If you don't have good grapes, you don't have good wines."