In 2007, Brian Cunat decided to combine his love of wine and his dream of farming by purchasing a 50-acre property in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. Working with an expert team of vineyard managers and winemakers, the property was transformed with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Brian, his wife Miki and their daughter continue to be involved in the winery operations on a daily basis. The Cunat Family are involved in all facets of winemaking, from planting the vineyards, selecting final blends before bottling, to designing the labels, and packaging.
Their cutting-edge facility was built from the ground up in 2014 and has allowed them to integrate numerous elements of sustainability into every aspect of their business, including the vineyards, winemaking and operations. The winery became Napa Green certified in 2017.
The Napa Green program requires facilities and practices to meet over 100 criteria, all with an eye to achieve the following goals:
Save energy and increase energy efficiency
Conserve water and increase water use efficiency
Reduce waste through recycling, composting and environmentally preferable purchasing
Drawdown greenhouse gas emissions and the winery’s carbon footprint
Care for employees, build engagement around sustainability and be good neighbors
The winemaker, Chelsea Barrett, provides expertise and oversees the entire process, ensuring the wines are made to the Cunat Family’s exacting standards. Chelsea Barrett grew up in Calistoga and began working in vineyards and wineries from a young age. Chelsea grew up among winemakers. Her father, Bo Barrett, has been making wine at Chateau Montelena with his family since 1972 and was instrumental in the wine made for the Judgement of Paris in 1976 that put Napa Valley on the map. Her mother, Heidi Barrett, is considered one of the world’s best – she was the founding winemaker at Screaming Eagle. Chelsea and her mom also make wine together at their brands La Sirena and Amuse Bouche.
