Charles Krug Winery

Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant, established his eponymous winery in 1861, making it the oldest continuously operating commercial winery in Napa Valley. Krug acquired the original 540 acres through the dowry of Carolina Bale, and by 1874 had completed the iconic Redwood Cellar that still anchors the estate. The property changed hands over the decades before Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased it in 1943 for $75,000, beginning one of American wine's most consequential family stewardships. The winery holds National Historic Landmark status, and its tasting room, opened in 1882, was the first public wine tasting room in California.

• Founded 1861 by Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant, on land acquired through the Carolina Bale dowry (original 540 acres)
• Redwood Cellar completed 1874; renovated 2013 by architect Howard Backen; property designated a National Historic Landmark
• Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the estate in 1943 for $75,000
• California's first public tasting room opened at Charles Krug in 1882

The Peter Mondavi Sr. family branch has owned and operated Charles Krug without interruption since 1943, now entering its fifth generation of ownership. Peter Mondavi Sr., who lived to age 101 and passed away in 2016, was the driving force behind the winery's modern identity, pioneering cold fermentation techniques and early plantings in Carneros. His son Robert Mondavi departed in 1966 to found his own Napa Valley winery, leaving the Charles Krug operation firmly in Peter Sr.'s hands. In September 2025, Angelina Mondavi, a fourth-generation family member and consulting winemaker at the estate since 2022, assumed the full head winemaker role following the retirement of Stacy Clark after a 14-year tenure, becoming the first woman in the Mondavi family lineage to lead winemaking at Charles Krug.

• Peter Mondavi Sr. (1912,2016) stewarded the estate until his death at age 101, pioneering cold fermentation and French oak aging
• Robert Mondavi departed in 1966 to found his own winery; Charles Krug remained with the Peter Mondavi Sr. branch
• Stacy Clark served as winemaker from 2011 to 2025 (14 years) before retiring in September 2025
• Angelina Mondavi, fourth-generation, became head winemaker September 2025 , first female winemaker in the family's history at Charles Krug

Charles Krug farms 857 acres of Napa Valley vineyards, with primary estate holdings centered on St. Helena and more than 150 acres of directly farmed estate blocks. The portfolio extends across four distinct subregions, giving the winery access to dramatically different terroirs. Yountville provides warmer valley floor sites at Voltz and Slinsen vineyards, while Howell Mountain's Cold Springs vineyard delivers the altitude and volcanic soils suited to structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Carneros, Napa's coolest southern zone, supplies fruit for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This breadth of holdings underpins the winery's ability to produce single-vineyard and site-specific bottlings alongside its broader estate range.

• 857 total acres across St. Helena (primary estate), Yountville (Voltz and Slinsen), Howell Mountain (Cold Springs), and Carneros
• More than 150 acres of directly farmed estate vineyards within the 857-acre total holdings
• Cold Springs vineyard on Howell Mountain provides high-elevation, volcanic-soil fruit for Cabernet Sauvignon
• Carneros plantings dedicated to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, one of Peter Mondavi Sr.'s key viticultural initiatives

Charles Krug's winemaking philosophy centers on Bordeaux varietals, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and blends leading the portfolio. Peter Mondavi Sr. introduced cold fermentation to the winery, a technique that was innovative for its era and helped preserve freshness and aromatics in the wines. The house style emphasizes estate-grown fruit, small-lot production, and single-vineyard differentiation, allowing the distinct characters of Howell Mountain, Yountville, and St. Helena to express themselves separately. The flagship Generations bottling is a Bordeaux-style red blend positioned at the top of the Family Reserve tier, while Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon is produced only in exceptional vintages in limited quantities.

• Cold fermentation technique introduced by Peter Mondavi Sr.; a pioneering innovation in California winemaking
• Portfolio anchored by Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Bordeaux-style blends
• Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon produced in limited quantities only in exceptional vintages
• Generations (Bordeaux-style red blend) sits at the top Family Reserve tier; single-vineyard and small-lot production is a defining house approach

Charles Krug is not simply Napa Valley's oldest winery; it is a direct link to the region's foundational era and a living demonstration of how a family-owned estate can adapt across more than 160 years without losing its identity. The 1943 Mondavi acquisition transformed a historic property into a dynastic wine enterprise, and the winery's innovations, particularly cold fermentation, influenced California winemaking broadly. The estate's National Historic Landmark status, its role as the site of California's first public tasting room, and its cultivation of Bordeaux varietals across four Napa subregions make it essential context for understanding the valley's development. The 2025 transition to Angelina Mondavi as head winemaker signals a new chapter while reinforcing the continuity of family ownership that has defined Charles Krug for over eight decades.

• Oldest continuously operating commercial winery in Napa Valley, founded 1861; National Historic Landmark
• Peter Mondavi Sr.'s cold fermentation techniques were pioneering contributions to California winemaking in the mid-20th century
• Site of California's first public tasting room (1882), a significant milestone in the state's wine tourism history
• Continuous Mondavi family ownership since 1943 across four and now five generations; one of Napa's longest unbroken family stewardships