Buoncristiani Family Winery, Biography

The tradition of winemaking in the Buoncristiani family can be traced back to the late 19th century to our great, great grandfather Nonno Angelo.

After 1980, our father began to grow his own fruit in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. The varieties that he planted were Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Franken Riesling. Many of his wines won county and state awards. (read article) Our mother, Mimi, was dubbed the official taster because wines were not bottled until she gave the final "ok."

Our father made sure that the four of us were involved with the entire winemaking process. His philosophy was simple; good wine is achieved through good viticultural practices. At a very young age we were taught the ways of the vineyard including how to prune the vines and pick grape. Riding the tractor on Dad's lap, stomping barefoot on the "starter batch" of grapes, and tasting wine diluted with water were all fond childhood memories.

We are four brothers, Matthew, Jason, Aaron, and Nathan. In 1995, we began to produce our own homemade wines under the guidance of our father. We wanted to carry on the tradition of making fine wine for our family and friends. After positive responses to our homemade wines, a string of blue ribbons, and several upgrades in equipment, we decided to take the winemaking experience to the commercial level. In 1999 we established our winery bond. Our premier release includes a 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1999 Napa Valley Claret style red table wine.