Truchard Vineyards

Tony and Jo Ann Truchard purchased 20 acres of abandoned prune orchard in 1973 and made their first vine plantings that same year, a full decade before the Carneros AVA was formally established. At the time, regional experts widely believed the area was too cool for quality viticulture. The Truchards spent 15 years selling grapes to premium Napa producers before launching their own winemaking program in 1989. The winery operates out of a restored agricultural barn dating from the 1880s, and an 11,000-square-foot wine cave was completed in 1998.

• Tony Truchard was an early adopter of drip irrigation and developed clay reservoir systems for water management on the estate
• Michael Havens served as founding winemaker; Sal De Ianni has held the winemaker role since 1998
• Anthony Truchard II now serves as General Manager, keeping the operation fully family-run
• More than 100 goats manage 30 acres of the estate to control weeds without chemical intervention

The Truchard estate sits at the most northeastern point of the Carneros appellation, at the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains and at elevations ranging from 100 to 400 feet. The 414 contiguous acres feature rolling hills, steep ravines, and numerous small valleys. Soils include clay, shale, sandstone, volcanic rock, and volcanic ash, providing significant diversity across the estate. San Pablo Bay moderates temperatures through cooling fog, moderate daytime warmth, and strong afternoon winds, creating the cool-climate conditions essential to the Truchard style.

• Marine-moderated microclimate produces lighter, more restrained wines than most other Napa Valley appellations
• Diverse soil types across the estate allow 12 grape varieties to be grown on a single contiguous property
• Elevation variation from 100 to 400 feet adds further complexity to growing conditions
• Approximately 80% of the vineyard is sustainably farmed and 20% organically grown

Truchard produces hand-crafted wines using traditional winemaking techniques, emphasizing varietal character, crisp acidity, and balanced ripeness. The house style is deliberately lighter and more restrained than wines from warmer Napa Valley appellations. The estate grows 12 varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Roussanne, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, Riesling, and Malbec. Despite the estate's scale, only 20% of the fruit harvested each year goes into Truchard's own wines.

• Carneros position delivers natural acidity and freshness across both white and red varieties
• Multiple vintages featured in Wine Spectator's Top 100, including 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, and 2003
• Roussanne and Tempranillo demonstrate the estate's willingness to experiment beyond conventional Napa varieties
• Cool-climate conditions moderate ripeness, resulting in wines with greater finesse than warmer Napa benchmarks

Truchard achieved Napa Green certification in 2016, reflecting longstanding commitments to responsible farming that predate the formal certification. Tony Truchard pioneered drip irrigation in the region and constructed clay reservoir systems to manage water across the estate's varied terrain. Today, roughly 80% of the vineyard is sustainably farmed and 20% is organically farmed. A herd of more than 100 goats handles weed management across 30 acres, reducing the need for mechanical or chemical intervention.

• Napa Green certified since 2016
• Clay reservoir systems developed by Tony Truchard remain in use for water management
• Drip irrigation was adopted by Truchard as an early adapter in the region
• Goat grazing replaces herbicide use across 30 acres of the estate