Young Duo Opens Fontanella Family Winery in Napa

Napa Valley's young winemaking team, Jeff and Karen Fontanella, launches a new brand and a new winery on Mt. Veeder.

Napa, CA (PRWEB) June 18, 2009 -- Fontanella Family Winery has opened the doors to a new winery in the western hills of Napa. Notably young by Napa Valley standards, award-winning winemaker Jeff Fontanella, 32, and his wife Karen, 33, developed the winery in the traditional manner. They transformed raw land into a family wine business through perseverance, hard work, and diverse but complementary experience. The 8000-case winery houses the family brand as well as wines for several custom crush clients for whom Fontanella also crafts wine.

Before founding his own brand at the age of 28, Jeff Fontanella purposely gained exposure to a broad range of styles. Stints with ZD, Opus One and Saddleback Cellars provided background in traditional Chateau methods, hi-tech applications, and instinctive winemaking practices.

Now with eleven years of diverse winemaking experience under his belt, Fontanella has developed a distinctive personal style. "Participating on these great winemaking teams not only provided an opportunity to gain practical knowledge, it also taught me which techniques fit my personal winemaking style," explains Jeff. "I've developed what I call the 'Spice Rack' approach. By blending the right mix of vineyard sites, oak, yeast strains and fermentation practices, we craft our wine's unique style."

His wife Karen turned out to be the ideal partner, not only in life but also in business. In 2005, the couple decided to pursue their dream of founding a winery and purchased twenty-six acres on the slopes of Napa Valley's Mt. Veeder. An attorney with expertise in commercial real estate and land use, Karen Fontanella undertook the project of securing financing for the venture and the daunting task of obtaining a winery building permit in Napa County. She recently switched careers and has now fully immersed herself in the family business, handling the sales and general business affairs of the winery.

Tucked into the rolling hills of Mt. Veeder, the Fontanella winery is the first to be built on Partrick Road in the southern belt of the appellation. The area features a micro-climate that is warmer and drier than the appellation's surrounding terrain. Recognizing the terroir was well-suited to the Bordeaux varietals, the Fontanellas have ten acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the planning stages.

A visit to the Fontanellas' elegantly rustic winery includes samples of their gold medal-winning first releases, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. For an insider's look at artisan winemaking, guests participate in a comparative barrel tasting in the cellar to explore differences in cooperage, terroir, varietal clones, and traditional vs. wild yeasts.

"With this new winery, we've embarked on a sometimes crazy, always exciting journey," notes Karen with a grin. "Our guests want to experience the personal side of starting a winery, so we bring them up close in the cellar, share our joys and challenges, and invite them to come along for the ride."

Fontanella Family Winery is now open by appointment for wine tasting and barrel exploration. The wines are available at select shops in California and from the winery in Napa. Visit http://www.FontanellaWinery.com for more information.

About Fontanella Family Winery:
Fontanella Family Winery, located in Napa Valley's Mt. Veeder Appellation, produces award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel in small quantities. Among the youngest to develop a Napa Valley wine estate, owners Jeff and Karen Fontanella produce 1000 cases a year. Handcrafted by winemaker Jeff Fontanella, the wines are noted for their depth of fruit and classic balance. More information may be found at www.FontanellaWinery.com

Contact:
Karen Fontanella
Fontanella Family Winery
707-738-8677
http://www.FontanellaWinery.com

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