Foley Household Wines & Spirits’ imaginative and prescient for the long-lasting wines of Silverado Vineyards

July 18, 2025

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Silverado Vineyards is considered a Stags Leap District pioneer: it was one of many first wineries to plant Cabernet Sauvignon there within the Sixties. The historical past of the property reaches again even additional – it was initially planted to vine between 1868 and 1882.

Because the vineyard’s many loyal followers know, Silverado Vineyards was based in 1981 by Walt Disney’s widow, Lillian, and her daughter and son-in-law, Diane Disney Miller and Ron Miller, a former CEO of Walt Disney Productions.

Like a storied sports activities franchise whose rare teaching modifications make main headlines, Silverado notably had solely two winemakers in its multi-decade historical past: Jack Stuart after which Jon Emmerich.

Now, underneath the possession of Foley Household Wines & Spirits (chosen by the subsequent technology of the Miller household in 2022), Silverado has handed the winemaking torch as soon as once more, to Alison Rodriguez.

Winemaker Alison Rodriguez within the property vineyards.

Sharpening a gemstone

Rodriguez was mentored by among the most inspiring skills within the winemaking world, together with Celia Welch, Laurie Hook, Paul Hobbs, Dave Guffy and Mark Beringer. ‘Previous to Silverado, I put that inspiration to work in each sub-AVA inside this valley, which gave me a stable thought of hit the bottom working,’ she recollects.

‘I’m targeted on sprucing a gemstone and permitting the vineyards to specific themselves to their fullest extent.’

Rodriguez’s level about not altering the vineyard’s core is apt: Silverado Vineyards’ legacy is one which warrants reverence. On the 1987 Worldwide Wine and Spirit Competitors, all of Silverado’s entries received gold medals, and Jack Stuart was named Winemaker of the Yr.

Later, in 1999, the College of California, Davis granted the Silverado Winery Cabernet Sauvignon clone Heritage standing – one in all simply three Cabernets to realize that distinction, and the one one from Stags Leap District. Wine & Spirits Journal named Silverado Vineyards amongst its Prime 100 Wineries of 2017, and Silverado’s releases have amassed greater than 150 scores of 90 factors or above from critics.

However Rodriguez isn’t standing nonetheless, both.

Silverado Vineyards’ acclaimed single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, SOLO.

Spreading the phrase

To mark the start of its new period, Silverado is present process a digital transformation, with a six-part YouTube video sequence that includes in-depth conversations with Rodriguez about her winemaking method.

There’s additionally an immersive, drone-based digital expertise within the works, exploring all 5 of Silverado’s vineyards throughout esteemed AVAs like Stags Leap District, Coombsville, Yountville and Carneros (a rarity in Napa Valley, Silverado’s wines stay totally estate-grown, -produced and -bottled).

A spotlight of Silverado’s new method is the single-vineyard Miller Ranch white, now the fastest-growing Napa appellated Sauvignon Blanc in retail — each by whole financial worth and by case quantity, in response to main American market analysis firm, Circana.

‘As a graduate of the Fachhochschule Geisenheim in Germany, I spent many early years working with vivid fragrant white wines,’ explains Rodriguez.

‘Our Sauvignon Blanc advantages from my time and expertise there and exemplifies my philosophy of white winemaking: creating wines with vitality and verve, like a breath of recent air.’

Miller Ranch Sauvignon Blanc.

The story continues

Rodriguez can be passionate about how Silverado’s reds have developed since she started her tenure: ‘We’re so excited to share the primary vintages rising from our new possession and new winemaking management: our 2022 Silverado Vineyards Property Cabernet Sauvignon is already accessible, and our flagship Stags Leap District 2022 SOLO single-vineyard Cabernet will likely be launched this September’ (the latter sourced from one of many first vineyards ever planted within the appellation).

The combination of steadfast legacy, new possession and a recent however skilled winemaking perspective has Silverado well-positioned for future success. ‘What’s and can at all times stay the identical at Silverado Vineyards,’ emphasises Rodriguez, ‘is our 325 acres [132ha] of property vineyards.

At its core, Silverado Vineyards will at all times stay true to the place and our property.’