Out of all the family-owned wineries in Napa Valley, more than half have been held by the founding families for multiple generations.The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

While 95% of Napa wineries are currently family-owned, most of them are currently run by their founders. The reality of the wine business involves immense financial pressures, including complex estate taxes and succession challenges when younger generations choose different career paths. A significant portion of older, legacy estates have been sold to corporate entities or private equity over the decades. Only about 1/3 of Napa’s historic estates have successfully passed the winery down through generations.