About Us

About the Owners and the Winery The Bader family has been in the wine grape growing business since the family bought eight acres in the Western Napa Valley Together the family works to produce Phoenix Vineyards' small output of 2,500 cases annually. Now three generations are involved in the wine-making business, producing estate wines crafted from some of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley. This winery is all about attention to their grapes and to their clientele. The first vintage was a 1991 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and in the following years the varietals expanded to include an Estate Merlot in 1995 ("Little Blackbird," an award winner, with a raspberry cassis and a sandalwood finish), and in 1999 with an Estate Pinotage "Song of Africa," a "symphony of cranberries," according to the Baders. Phoenix continues to explore as it grows, including a spicy, peppery Pinot Noir Reserve, and the green apple and tropical fruity Chardonnay Reserve. Tours of Phoenix Vineyards are available, but reservations are necessary, as it is, literally, a family-run business, so phone or email first. There one can sample Phoenix's own Estate Olive Oil, made with the exact same care as their exquisite wines. Certainly the Bader family lives by the motto: "Wine is for the enjoying of life.

About the Vineyards and the Wines

We began planting our vineyards in 1984 and began commercial wine production with the 1991 harvest. The focus at Phoenix Vineyards is predominately on the red varietals but our goal is to strive for maximum quality in all of the grapes we harvest and the wines that we make, the majority of which are estate grown.

Recent Awards and Accolades

-Chosen as a "Winery To Watch in 1999" by WineToday.com (Jan 1999)

-1997 Napa Valley Sangiovese "Blood of Jupiter" 88 points - Wine Spectator (July 1999);
Silver Medal, 1999 San Francisco International Wine Competition

-1997 Napa Valley Merlot "Lirtle Blackbird" Silver Medal, 1999 Orange County Fair

-1998 Napa Valley Pinot Grigio
Bronze Medal, 1999 San Francisco International Wine Competition

-1997 Napa Valley Zinfandel
FOUR STARS- WineToday.com (Dcc, 1998)

-1997 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Bronze Medal, 1998 California State Fair

-1995 Cabernet Sauvignon
Gold Medal, Best 1995 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best of Region) 94 points, 1998 California State Fair
Gold Medal, 1998 Riverside International Wine Competition

About our "Rancho Napa" brand and the old Napa.

In the years before California became a state most of the Napa Valley was divided into Mexican land grants known as Ranchos. This wine is named after, and our winery lies in the middle of, what once was Rancho Napa. This grant, which stretched from the city of Napa north to the town of Yountville, was created in 1838. This was just a few years before a German immigrant named Jeremiah Bader gained his citizenship in this country in 1842.

We have resurrected this name from Napa's glorious history, and we look forward to using this mark on wines of distinction. Our goal is to add to this history in honor of the pioneers who carved this pastoral valley out of the early California frontier; those people who, like our family, followed their dreams to a place called Napa Valley.