Winery Name: | Andretti Winery |
Winery Logo: | Logo andretti.gif |
Location City: | Napa, California |
Location Country: | USA |
Appellation: | Napa Valley AVA |
Year Founded: | 1996 |
First Vintage: | 1996 |
Key People: | Mario Andretti, Founder; Joe Antonini Founder and CEO |
Parent Company: | Andretti Wine Group |
Cases Per Year: | 42,000 (2007) |
Signature Wine: | Cabernet Sauvignon Andretti Reserve |
Varietal1: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Varietal2: | Syrah |
Varietal3: | Sauvignon blanc |
Varietal4: | Merlot |
Varietal5: | Chardonnay |
Varietal6: | Sangiovese |
Varietal7: | Pinot grigio |
Varietal8: | Pinot noir |
Other Product1: | Port |
Other Product2: | Sparkling Wine |
Other Product3: | Memorabilia |
Homepage: | http://www.andrettiwinery.com/ |
Distribution: | international distribution, wine club, on-site sales |
Tasting: | by appointment only open to public |
Andretti Winery is a boutique winery in the Oak Knoll District portion of Napa, California.
Begun as a "hobby" in 1996, the winery grew steadily. Mario Andretti's interest in the wine business arose from a commemorative bottling of wine he marketed to celebrate his retirement from auto racing in 1994.[1] Two years later Andretti and longtime friend Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart (which had sponsored Andretti's racing team) purchased a vineyard and winery in the far north part of Napa, California, where they built a Tuscan-themed winery, tasting room, and guesthouse.[1] The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.[2]
In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the to a Napa farming group. The winery then leased back the tasting room and events center. The company has no ownership stake in the nearby vineyards.
The winery is operated by a public company, Andretti Wine Group, that the founders formed in a "reverse public shell merger" in 1995. It raised $3 million via a public offering in 1998, however it is no longer publicly traded.[3]
In 2021, the winery on Big Ranch Road closed and announced plans to open at a different location.[4]
Winemaker Bob Pepi, co-founder with his father of Robert Pepi Winery (now Pepi Winery), and owner of the "Eponymous" winery,[5] has been winemaker since the winery opened in 1996.[6] The winery produces a wide variety of "super-premium" category wines from grapes grown on-site and sourced from various locations in California. It also resells a small quantity of wine imported from Italy.[1]