Winegrowing in the Napa Valley
Napa Valley is known as the premier wine growing region of America. Before there were grapes, Napa Valley was home to fruit and nut orchards. By 1909, there were over 500,000 fruit and nut trees established in the Valley, predominantly pears, figs, and walnuts. Early pioneer George C. Yount is said to have planted the first wine grapes in Napa Valley in the late 1800’s. The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the Valley were found to be extremely conducive to growing high quality wine grapes. In 1919, with the enactment of Prohibition, vineyards were abandoned and many winemakers found other trades during the next 14 years, with a handful of wineries continuing to operate by producing sacramental wines. With the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Napa Valley’s wine industry began its renaissance.
Meet the Family
More than a century ago, Gaspare and Caterina Indelicato immigrated from Sicily to the United States. Twelve years after arriving in America, with little to draw on but a long family history of grape-growing and an entrepreneur’s gift for seizing opportunity, Gaspare entered the wine trade.
In 1924, he planted a vineyard in Manteca, California, where the climate reminded the couple of their homeland. With it, he planted the foundation of his eventual success in the California wine industry. Since that first vineyard flourished, Gaspare’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have honored his legacy through dedication to his steadfast values of family, hard work and integrity.
Site-Specific Winemaking
To make great wine, a winemaker must have a deep familiarity with each lot of freshly pressed juice. At Black Stallion, the search for greatness means boots in the vineyard, checking on vine growth and grape development all year long. It means tasting grapes rather than looking at lab reports to determine the perfect moment to pick. It means harvesting and sorting fruit by hand. Black Stallion Winery’s small scale means that each lot of grapes that arrives at harvest is treated individually, and receives a unique upbringing to bring out its full potential for excellence.
