Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is a Napa Valley winery and wine company based in the Stags Leap District AVA of Napa Valley, California. It is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and for its historic victory at the 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” which helped establish California as a world-class wine region.

Key facts

• Founded: 1970 by Warren Winiarski

• Location: Napa, California, United States

• Appellation: Stags Leap District AVA

• Ownership: Solely owned by Marchesi Antinori since 2023

• Signature wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, including the CASK 23 flagship blend

Background and history

The company began when Warren Winiarski purchased land adjacent to grower Nathan Fay and planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines, creating the S.L.V. (Stag’s Leap Vineyard). The first commercial vintage was 1973. In 1976, its 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon placed first among top French and Californian reds at the Judgment of Paris, dramatically raising the profile of American wine.

The winery expanded by acquiring the neighboring FAY vineyard in 1986 and later sourcing Chardonnay from the Arcadia vineyard. In 2007, Winiarski sold the winery to a joint venture between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori; in 2023 Antinori became sole owner.

Vineyards and wines

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ core estate vineyards are S.L.V. and FAY, both focused on Cabernet Sauvignon with small plantings of Merlot and Petit Verdot. The flagship CASK 23 Cabernet Sauvignon combines selected fruit from S.L.V. and FAY in exceptional vintages. Other estate and single-vineyard wines include S.L.V Cabernet, FAY Cabernet, and Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay, alongside a broader Napa Valley Collection featuring labels such as Artemis Cabernet and Karia Chardonnay.

Legacy and impact

The Judgment of Paris win has been described as a turning point that “put California on the winemaking map” and made Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars a global reference for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. A bottle of the 1973 Cabernet is in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, underscoring its cultural and historical significance.