Sequoia Grove Winery

Sequoia Grove's Rutherford property was part of the Rancho Caymus land grant given to George Yount in 1836. Dennis Downey, the property's third owner, introduced winemaking on the site, with 40 acres of vineyard and a 25,000-gallon wine cellar. James and Barbara Allen purchased the property in 1978, and the following year, 1979, the couple opened Sequoia Grove Winery in a barn on the land, taking the winery's name from the grove of Sequoia trees shading the property. The barn, the Sequoia trees and a two-story house on the property date to 1908, under owner Louis Kuebeler; the winery's Our Story page instead calls the barn a "100-year-old barn" at the 1979 opening, while its tasting and history pages and the Napa Wine Project give 1908. In the early 1980s the winery drew international recognition: the 1982 Sequoia Grove Estate Cabernet Sauvignon won a gold medal at the International Wine Competition in London, and the 1981 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon won a platinum medal at the 1985 America Wine Competition. The winery's history page lists it as recognized as "Best American Cabernet Sauvignon" in 1985 and awarded "Winery of the Year" in 1988.

• Rutherford property was part of the Rancho Caymus land grant given to George Yount in 1836
• James and Barbara Allen purchased the property in 1978 and opened Sequoia Grove Winery in 1979 in a barn on the site
• The property's barn, its Sequoia trees and a two-story house date to 1908; the winery's Our Story page separately calls the barn "100-year-old" as of 1979
• 1982 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon won gold at the International Wine Competition in London; 1981 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon won platinum at the 1985 America Wine Competition
• Recognized as "Best American Cabernet Sauvignon" in 1985 and awarded "Winery of the Year" in 1988, by the winery's own account

The Kopf family, owners of Kobrand, a New York-based wine importer and distributor, became business partners with Sequoia Grove in 1985 and became its sole owners in 2002 when founder Jim Allen retired. Since 2016 Sequoia Grove has invested $25 million across the winery, hospitality spaces, vineyard acquisitions and the replanting of roughly 80 percent of the estate properties, including a new winemaking facility and buildings inspired by the historic tasting barn. Sequoia Grove's leadership includes Rick Bonitati, President since 2018, who brings more than three decades of experience in winery operations, viticulture, sales and marketing; Jesse Fox, Winemaker since 2022, who previously worked at Harlan Estate, The Napa Valley Reserve, Promontory, Ram's Gate Winery and Amici Cellars and holds a degree in Hospitality and Business Administration from Cornell University; Jake Terrell, the winery's Vineyard Manager, who oversees farming across the Rutherford, Yountville and Mount Veeder estates; Joshua Hoover, Assistant Winemaker; and Steve Bowden, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Executive Chef Bryce Palmer joined the winery in early 2026 to lead its wine-and-food program, having previously worked at Bistro Don Giovanni, as opening Executive Chef of Scala Osteria, and as Sous Chef at Silver Oak Winery.

• Kopf family (owners of the New York wine importer Kobrand): partners with Sequoia Grove since 1985, sole owners since 2002 when founder Jim Allen retired
• $25 million invested since 2016 in the winery, hospitality spaces, vineyard acquisitions and replanting roughly 80% of estate properties, including a new winemaking facility
• Rick Bonitati, President since 2018 (30-plus years in winery operations, viticulture, sales and marketing); Jesse Fox, Winemaker since 2022 (previously Harlan Estate/The Napa Valley Reserve, Promontory, Ram's Gate Winery, Amici Cellars; Cornell University graduate)
• Jake Terrell, Vineyard Manager, overseeing Rutherford, Yountville and Mount Veeder estates; Joshua Hoover, Assistant Winemaker; Steve Bowden, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
• Executive Chef Bryce Palmer joined in early 2026, previously at Bistro Don Giovanni, opening Executive Chef of Scala Osteria, and Sous Chef at Silver Oak Winery

Sequoia Grove farms estate vineyards across four properties in three Napa Valley AVAs, totaling around 120 acres. In Rutherford, the Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard sits adjacent to the winery on 24 acres, and the Tonella Estate Vineyard covers 50 acres on the eastern side of Rutherford; both grow in the appellation's gravelly-loam soils. Other sources give different acreage for the Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard: a 2026 Wine Industry Advisor release gives a 16.2-acre site planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec and Touriga Nacional, while the winery's importer, Kobrand, gives 18 acres. The State Lane Vineyard, a 21-acre site in the Yountville AVA, was purchased in 2021; five tons of its Sauvignon Blanc opened the winery's 2024 harvest. In 2023 Sequoia Grove purchased 104 acres on Mount Veeder, previously owned by Hess Collection founder Donald Hess, at elevations above 1,700 feet on the northeastern slopes of the Mayacamas Range; about 73 acres of the property remain forested, and the winery began a two-year replant of the rest to Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, taking an initial selection of fruit from the property in the 2023 vintage.

• Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard: 24 acres in Rutherford, adjacent to the winery (Wine Industry Advisor gives 16.2 acres and Kobrand 18 acres for this site)
• Tonella Estate Vineyard: 50 acres in Rutherford, on the appellation's eastern side
• State Lane Vineyard: 21 acres in the Yountville AVA, purchased 2021; five tons of its Sauvignon Blanc opened the 2024 harvest
• Mount Veeder property: 104 acres purchased in 2023, formerly owned by Donald Hess, at elevations over 1,700 feet; about 73 acres kept forested, remainder under a two-year replant to Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties
• Total estate holdings: around 120 acres across four properties in the Rutherford, Yountville and Mount Veeder AVAs

Beyond its estate vineyards, Sequoia Grove sources fruit from growers across Calistoga, St. Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Los Carneros, including the Morisoli, Hyde, Hudson, Beckstoffer, Frediani and Stagecoach vineyards; the Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Series has included wines from Tonella, Stagecoach, Morisoli, Henry Brothers, Christian and Lamoreaux vineyards. The Hudson Vineyard, in Carneros, supplies purchased Chardonnay fruit rather than estate-grown grapes; the winery began crafting a single-vineyard Hudson Chardonnay starting with the 2024 harvest. The current portfolio is organized into four tiers: the Napa Valley Series (a nationally distributed Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon), the Varietal Series (single-varietal bottlings such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot and a Russian River Valley Rosé of Grenache, plus the Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon), the Vineyard Series (site-designated Cabernet Sauvignons drawn at least 95% from a single named vineyard, from both estate and grower-partner sites) and the flagship Cambium. Cambium is a Bordeaux-style red blend typically built from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, assembled each vintage from the winery's best barrels and lots rather than to a fixed formula. Vintage blends have varied: the 2015 Cambium was 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot, sourced from Stagecoach, Morisoli, Healy and Frediani vineyard lots, aged 20 months in French oak (65% new), and scored 94+ points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; the 2018 Cambium was blended at 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 11% Merlot.

• Grower partnerships span Calistoga, St. Helena, Atlas Peak, Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Los Carneros, including Morisoli, Hyde, Hudson, Beckstoffer, Frediani and Stagecoach vineyards
• Four portfolio tiers: Napa Valley Series (national distribution), Varietal Series, Vineyard Series (95%+ single-vineyard), and the flagship Cambium
• Cambium is typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, assembled each vintage from the winery's best lots; blend proportions vary by year
• 2015 Cambium: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot; 94+ points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
• 2018 Cambium: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot

Sequoia Grove is certified as a Napa Green Vineyard and Winery and was among the first five wineries certified under Napa Green's newer, more stringent standard. Its vineyard practices include cover cropping and alternate-row tilling to build soil health, hand weeding and clove oil rather than glyphosate products, shredding vine waste for mulch instead of burning it, and integrated pest management. The winery has contributed vineyard land to the Rutherford Reach project restoring the flow and habitat of the Napa River. Sequoia Grove is powered by 100% renewable energy through MCE's Deep Green program, is a 1% for the Planet member, and supports Save the Redwoods League. The winery farms with minimal intervention in the vineyard and practices gentle winemaking in the cellar.

• Certified Napa Green Vineyard and Winery; one of the first five wineries certified under Napa Green's newer, stricter standard
• Practices include cover cropping, alternate-row tilling, hand weeding with clove oil instead of glyphosate, and vine-waste mulching instead of burning
• Vineyard land contributed to the Rutherford Reach project restoring the Napa River
• 100% renewable energy via MCE Deep Green; 1% for the Planet member; supports Save the Redwoods League
• Minimal intervention in the vineyard, gentle winemaking in the cellar

Napa Valley Life Magazine's Readers Choice Awards named Sequoia Grove the Best Estate Winery of 2025. The winery's tasting page lists its tasting room as "The Best Estate Winery Tasting Room" for six years running; earlier posts on its site tie a third win to the 2023 Napa Valley Life award and a fourth consecutive year to a February 2024 post. In 2026 Napa Valley Life Magazine also named Sequoia Grove's wine club the Best Wine Club. The winery's 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was named one of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2018. Since 2016 Sequoia Grove has invested $25 million, and with the 2021 State Lane and 2023 Mount Veeder purchases its estate now spans four properties across the Rutherford, Yountville and Mount Veeder AVAs, with the Bordeaux-style blend Cambium at the top of the range.

• Napa Valley Life Magazine Readers Choice: Best Estate Winery of 2025
• Tasting room listed as Best Estate Winery Tasting Room for six years running on the winery's tasting page; a third win was tied to the 2023 award and a fourth consecutive year was posted in February 2024
• Wine club named Best Wine Club by Napa Valley Life Magazine in 2026
• 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon named one of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2018
• Estate holdings expanded to four properties across three AVAs (Rutherford, Yountville, Mount Veeder) with the 2021 State Lane and 2023 Mount Veeder purchases

Primary sources (producer's own site, fetched as raw page text via curl and tag-stripping, not a summarizing tool): https://sequoiagrove.com, .../our-story/, .../sustainability/, .../wine-tasting/, .../wine-clubs/, .../contact/, .../getting-here/, .../a-vintage-in-the-making/, .../harvest-2024-report/, .../shop/cambium/, .../meet-jesse-fox-sequoia-groves-new-winemaker/, .../mt-veeder-acquisition/, .../cambium-the-essence-of-sequoia-grove/, .../cambium-tasting-notes/, .../24-hudson-vineyard-chardonnay-release/, .../green-team/, .../best-tasting-room/, .../best-tasting-room-for-the-fourth-time/, .../the-story-of-sequoia-grove/. Secondary sources (also fetched as raw page text): Atlas Peak Appellation Association (Feb. 2026), Napa Valley Life Magazine's 2025 Best of Napa Valley Awards, the Napa Wine Project, Wine Industry Advisor (July 9, 2026 press release, Jarvis Communications), and Kobrand Wine & Spirits' brand page for Sequoia Grove. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs; see conflicts.json for the founders' names, the barn/Sequoia-tree date, Sequoia Grove Estate Vineyard acreage, State Lane Vineyard acreage, Jesse Fox's education, and Jake Terrell's title.