NAPA’S NEXT GENERATION · family’s journey in pursuing the American dream, eventually to become an iconic and influential name, synonymous with the history of Napa Valley and

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NAPA’S NEXTGENERATION

Young, Vibrant, Movers & Shakers –Shaping and Influencing Napa Valley

A fresh group of winemakers has been emerging in NapaValley – creating excitement in the direction they areheaded. They are the “next generation,” having learnedfrom those who came before them while looking andplanning toward the future. Some of this next generationof leaders grew up in the Valley, others found their way toNapa. They are taking over the reins of leadership, andshaping the future in terms of wine, farming practices, andenvironmental concerns, while focusing on quality andmaking wine exciting and fun. Having deep respect fortradition and heritage, they are adding their own personaltouch and new dimensions.

In 1976, the Judgement of Paris put Napa on the map asa serious wine region. Today, this group, with new visionand energy, is carrying on the past while re-inventing some of the direction Napa Valley is headed. There is agenerational handoff taking place, and the nextgeneration is taking up the mantle of responsibility withgrace and enthusiasm. This is their time.

BY DON SONDERLING

01-61_VNV0919.qxp_Layout 1 9/19/19 10:46 AM Page 44

45FALL/WINTER 2019 VERY NAPA VALLEY

Lia, Lucio, Gigi, Alycia, Angelina and Riana –

fourth generation Mondavis; PHOTO BY ERIN MILLER


46 VERY NAPA VALLEY FALL/WINTER 2019

The story of the Mondavi family began about 100 yearsago, in a basement in Minnesota, where Rosa Mondaviran a boarding house. As part of her duties, she guided

the men living there in how to make homemade wine forhousehold consumption. These humble beginnings led to onefamily’s journey in pursuing the American dream, eventually tobecome an iconic and influential name, synonymous with thehistory of Napa Valley and its wine culture.

A Napa OriginalAs I sipped wine with Peter Mondavi Jr. a few days before

meeting three of the six Mondavi “G4,” he gave me a glimpseinto his family history. Cesare Mondavi had started a winegrape shipping business, transporting grapes from California toMinnesota. Realizing he would have better control living in

California, he moved his family to the central California townof Lodi in 1922, the heart of the grape shipping industry.Twenty one years later, as a consequence of hard work andsuccess, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the iconicCharles Krug estate. Established in 1861, Charles Krug is NapaValley’s oldest winery, and it has remained in the family now formore than 75 years.

A New Legacy Melds Old and NewAlmost one hundred years after the first Mondavi grapes

were pressed in that Minnesota basement, there is a fourthgeneration carrying on the traditions and legacy started byCesare Mondavi. Four are the daughters of Marc Mondavi andtwo are the children of Peter Mondavi Jr., they are referred to as“G4.” I had the pleasure meeting three of this generation:

‘G4’ – THE MONDAVI FOURTH GENERATIONThe Family Legacy Continues at

Napa Valley’s Oldest Wine Estate: Charles Krug

Riana, Alycia, Marc, Janice, Gigi and Angelina | Photo courtesy of Charles Krug


47 FALL/WINTER 2019 VERY NAPA VALLEY

Angelina, Alycia and Riana (Marc’s daughters) and talkingabout their vision for the future.

The first thing that hit me sitting down with these threeeffusive millennials, was the warm feeling of family. I felt as if Iwas sitting around the kitchen table, having a meal with anItalian “famiglia.” The teasing, laughter, and jesting taking placewas infectious, and they all had the same genial smile as theiruncle, Peter Jr.

It’s no small obligation to carry on a name as reputable andmeaningful as Mondavi. It’s even harder to identify newopportunities, open up new frontiers, and create a new legacythat carries on the old traditions. The “G4” take this in strideand are already setting new goals while preserving their historyas they write their own personal stories as part of the largernarrative.

There is an informal family understanding, that if you wantto be part of the family business, following your formaleducation, it is expected you work a minimum of two yearsoutside of the business, making your own way. Generally, the“G4” put in a far longer time period, as they firmly establishedthemselves in areas that will be beneficial later on. Once joiningthe family business, there is an unspoken commitment tocontinue their heritage, while having the freedom to pursuetheir own path, growing new, exciting shoots and branchesfrom the main Mondavi family tree.

Lucio Mondavi (Peter Jr.’s son), is currently gaining valuableexperience as an R&D engineer with Lamborghini in Italy. Theknowledge he is acquiring overseas, with such a prestigiouscompany, he hopes to one day apply on a larger scale withCharles Krug. Although that is in the future, Lucio also serveson the C. Mondavi & Family Board while also acting as aCharles Krug Brand Ambassador in Italy.

Lia, (Peter Jr.’s daughter), also serves as a BrandAmbassador, recently earning a degree in applied math-design.She is seeking opportunities to leverage her education and loveof the culinary field by combining the two, hopefully alsooverseas, as her brother has. This global outlook is the sort ofexperience that is so necessary to the on-going success of thisiconic family business.

For Marc Mondavi’s daughters and “G4” members, their pastexperience has allowed them to gain insights, experience andbusiness acumen that is helping to shape the future of thecompany.

Angelina worked for several years at different wineries inAustralia, followed by holding various positions at numerousNapa Valley wineries as assistant and consulting winemaker.Today, Angelina is winemaker and consulting winemaker forfamily and individual projects, a certified Sommelier, andrepresents Marc’s children as a member of the Board ofDirectors.

Riana worked as a sales rep in Miami for Southern Glazer’sWine and Spirits, a highly successful (family-owned) wine andspirits distributorship. Riana brings that experience to thebusiness and sales side of the C. Mondavi & Family enterprise.

Alycia was a paralegal for five years, then joined a marketingconsulting firm, specializing in launching boutique winebrands. Her expertise has been paramount in helping to launchtheir family labels, Dark Matter and Aloft.

Giovanna (or Gigi), is the youngest sister, and has beenworking in the financial services field, in Boston. Gigi is also aBrand Ambassador. All of the “G4’s” plates are full.

The Mondavi sisters bring special skill-sets to the Mondavioperations, fitting perfectly together as pieces of a jigsawpuzzle. When I asked if Gigi would eventually join the familybusiness fulltime, all three seemed to say in unison, with a slygrin and laughter: “Oh yeah … she’ll be back.” The love,respect, humor and importance of family was constantly inevidence.

Pursuing Their Own Paths The “G4” have become involved in several new, exciting

projects.Aloft is a luxury Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

This family project is composed of Marc Mondavi and his fourdaughters. This brand is an homage to Marc’s family.

Dark Matter is a project exclusively run by Marc’s fourdaughters focusing on producing a high-end Zinfandel thatreflects the sisters’ individual philosophy and expression inwinemaking. As Giovanna says, “The story of Dark Matter is tohave no boundaries that restrict us and to fear nothing; it issimply about being limitless and pursuing our dreams.”

Flat Top Hills: Now launching, this is a new collection ofpremium wines with bold style. Flat Top Hills combinesmodern sensibility with deep winemaking tradition to elevateeveryday occasions for a new generation of wine drinkers.Angelina is the consulting winemaker.

Growing up, the “G4’s” parents kept them firmly grounded,making certain they had “normal” childhoods. From the timethey were 10, the girls worked – in the vineyards, at the winery,in a laboratory, helping out at dinner parties. They grew upwith the Napa River as their backyard, and in the vineyards-


VERY NAPA VALLEY FALL/WINTER 201948

that was their playground. They hung out with otheremployees’ kids; they even broke into the (deserted) ChristianBrothers winery, to go roller blading.

The sisters always felt a responsibility to continue theirfamily’s commitments to quality winemaking, but didn’t rely ontheir famous family name. There is a deeply rooted work ethicpresent in all the descendants. Riana didn’t realize theimportance of the Mondavi name until she went to college.And, Angelina didn’t understand the meaning, or impact of thename until she left for Australia when she was 23!

As we chatted, there was a continuous, playful banter goingon. These effervescent women kept jumping from one subjectto another, commenting, asking questions, telling about theirvision, stories of their growing up, while continually playing offeach other, and teasing. Their individuality was obvious, butthe sum of their parts is what makes up an incredible whole,and a very smart, focused whole they are.

One of the sisters mentioned one of the most importantthings she learned working after college, was the importance ofsurrounding yourself with people smarter than you, and tolearn from them. That was followed up by Riana commenting,“The way I view it is, I’m training my future boss.” They all

strive to be the very best they can be.In terms of today’s younger generation, Alycia is very

enthusiastic about the leadership roles women are taking,commenting with unabated laughter, “We all bust our butts, wedon’t listen to politics, we just go out and do our best. And welove the influx of bad ass women coming into the industry.”

These four women learned much from their grandfather,who told them, “Just keep on doing what you are doing, solong as you love it and are passionate about it.” They weretaught a work ethic, the importance of the environment, andtaking care of the land by their grandfather, who was avisionary.

As to their parents, Riana commented, “Dad’s the one voiceof real importance for us, he gives us that extra motivation.”And Alycia added in, “but Mom’s the best kept secret on theroad. She is so hands on.”

Family, drive, education, love, respect, work ethic, dreams,laughter, fun and always doing your best is what the “G4” is allabout. A multi-generation iconic family – siblings andcousins – working together to honor and preserve the past,while exploring new opportunities, paths and visions, to createtheir own legacy.

Lia, Lucio, Katie, Peter and Mondavi | Photo courtesy of Charles Krug


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One of Jennifer Brown’s most cherished andindelible childhood memories, is playing inthe Zinfandel vineyards, owned by her

grandparents. Those were carefree days, while growingup in Napa Valley with her parents, Kathryn and CraigHall of HALL Wines. Those early memories led Jenniferto return to her roots decades later, and introduce herown brand, BACA Wines, focusing on Zinfandel, as atribute to her grandparents.

Jennifer has a friendly, welcoming demeanor, with ahuge smile, sparkling eyes, and an outgoing personality,which conveys a feeling of fun; she is someone you’djust like to hang out with and have a good time.Perhaps that’s how she came up with a vision to makethe wine experience FUN, without compromisingquality. Jennifer is one of an exciting group of a next(and new) generation in Napa, having a clear-cut visioncombined with the confidence to help lead Napa Valleyin new, exciting directions.

Being the third generation of a prominent winefamily, Jennifer has a deep personal commitment togrow the current brand, while being a leader andtrendsetter for the future. Coming from a family winerythat has earned multiple 100 point scores, (plushundreds of 90+ point scores), a family committed tobeing responsible caretakers of the environment (HALLwinery being the first LEED Gold Certified winery inCalifornia), a family with a deep sense of communityand social conscience (Kathryn Hall, Jennifer’s mother,was Ambassador to Austria under Presidents BillClinton and George W Bush and has served on orfounded several socially responsible organizations),Jennifer knows the bar has been set high – very high,which suits her well; she loves and relishes thechallenge to meet and exceed goals.

Today, in terms of the family business, Jennifer isfocused on adding a new brand and dimension to theHALL/WALT family of wines. BACA (which in Latinmeans berry), is a premium Zinfandel brand (releasedin 2018). The focus is to bring a FUN premium varietallabel to a new, younger generation of wine drinkers.

But, to understand BACA, you need to understand thepassion that created this vision for the future.

Initially, Jennifer wanted to be an actress, andmentioned that not pursuing that early childhooddream was somewhat of a disappointment. However,she did appear on several episodes of Walker-TexasRanger. As we talked, Jennifer mentioned that one verypositive thing acting taught her, was how to acceptrejection, and move on in a positive manner.

It was during that time when her mother wasappointed Ambassador to Austria that may well havebeen a pivotal point in Jennifer’s life. At 13, living inAustria, attending an American school, Jennifer wantedto learn German. She felt the best way to learn to speakfluently, was to totally immerse herself, and shetransferred from her American school to an Austrianschool, where only German was spoken. Despite thefact she was told all the classes would be in German,that she would receive no special assistance, Jenniferwas determined. Not knowing a word of German,sitting in that first class must have been overwhelming.However, two years later, speaking fluent German,Jennifer graduated, with honors. As she told me, “I lovechallenges, and I loved school and learning.” A decadelater, after receiving her bachelor’s degree fromNorthwestern, she went on to further challenge herselfby enrolling in a joint JD/MBA program at StanfordUniversity, completing that in four years, subsequentlypassing the California State Bar.

Knowing she would eventually enter the Hall familywine business, as her vison of what that next chapterwould look like started to take shape, Jennifer spentseveral years involved in community, and giving back.She mentored college students, and formed a non-profitorganization, omghow/Girl Karma Inc. This non-profitsocial media platform focused on helping andencouraging “tweens and teens” to build self-confidence, self-awareness and assume leadership roles.Additionally, Jennifer volunteered with Girls for aChange, Friends of the Elderly, and continues today toserve on the Northwestern Library Board of Governors.

JENNIFER BROWNTHIRD GENERATION

BACA Wines – Honoring a Legacy & Making Wine Fun


Jennifer Brown, BACA Wines



Having grown up with parents as positive role models whowere very community and humanity focused, giving back,volunteering and helping others is a cornerstone of whoJennifer Brown is.

Developing a crystal clear vision of what she wanted “herplace” in the Hall family of wines to be, Jennifer’s project,BACA Wines, came to fruition, and today is part of HALL andWALT Wines. Being part of a younger, forward-thinkinggeneration, Jennifer’s goals for this brand were multi-faceted:The brand would represent, the “young at heart” consumer. Itwould be fun. It would be adventurous. And, it wouldsymbolize Jennifer’s personal beginning, as an homage to hergrandparents, and a return to those childhood days in theZinfandel vineyards.

The challenge of creating a meaningful part of an overallwine culture, especially in Napa Valley, was enticing. As shehas in every phase of her life, Jennifer threw herself into thisproject completely. She wants to create her own individuallegacy to stand side by side with Hall and Walt wines. Jenniferdescribes BACA as being “a special occasion, millennial luxurywine,” (but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t thoroughlyenjoy it). She realizes she is fortunate to have the success andreputation of HALL Wines behind her. The initial releasehelped to establish BACA as a trendsetter. She and winemakerAlison Frichtl Hollister were honored to receive a WineEnthusiast 92 rating on the initial release of BACA’s Tug of Warand a 93 rating on Double Dutch.

Returning to the theme of her childhood, playing in theZinfandel vineyards, the names of BACA wines conjure up funchildhood recollections, as each wine is a play on words fromgames we all played as children.

Ring Around the Rosé: This is an especially fun wine, as itcomes in a four-pack of 12-oz. cans. Of this specific productand packaging Jennifer says: “There’s an emerging niche forwell-made, small-batch canned wine. This is truly new for theindustry and we’re excited to be a part of it.” Take it on a

picnic, on a hike, to a concert in the park…it’s fun, it’s cool andit’s GOOD!

The other wines have equally fun, memory-provokingnames: Cat’s Cradle, I Spy, Tug O’ War, Double Dutch andMarbles. In order to produce distinctive styles, grapes aresourced from elite vineyards stretching from Calistoga and theRussian River, to Napa and Paso Robles.

Jennifer Brown has learned from her parents’ example – acode of ethics, respect, dedication, and how to dream big. Sheespecially has learned the importance of environmentalresponsibility. As we chatted about sustainability, clean energy,and the future, Jennifer said quite simply: “It’s up to mygeneration to save the planet.” She, and so many other of thisyounger generation are dedicated to this goal, and lead byexample in their personal and business lives.

Jennifer Brown may be described in many ways: She isfocused, determined, bright, funny, fun, passionate,adventurous, community oriented, loves learning and beingchallenged. During our discussion, she often referred to herparents. The admiration and love she has for them, as parents,role models and mentors, is evident and came through in manydifferent ways.

With all of her visions, goals, and community involvement,Jennifer has a well-focused balance in her life. At one point Iasked her “is there anything else you would like to add.” Herreply, which perhaps simply sums up “who” Jennifer is, was,with the biggest grin: “I recently became a mother….and Iabsolutely love it.” Jennifer Brown is part of a new generationwith a focus and passion, determined to make this world abetter place, and helping to add new excitement to NapaValley’s future


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Delia Viader, mother of Alan Viader, describesherself in this way: “I call myself the ‘WineMother.’ I’m the mother of the vines; and the

mother of the wines; and the mother of the winemaker.”Delia arrived from Argentina over 30 years ago, with 3children, determination, and a vision that has created ahighly respected Napa Valley cult wine. But, moreimportantly, this quote describes how she nurtured notonly the land and the vines, but her son as well. At theage of 25, Alan assumed the mantle of winemaker andtoday is one of those next generation leaders, carving apath into the future of Napa Valley winemaking.

Alan is soft spoken, with an innate intelligence, plusenergy that seems to be constantly bubbling just belowthe surface, ready to spill out at any moment. He has adefined vision for the future, displaying a passion forlife, wine, and family. Unsurprisingly, when you sipViader wines, you will experience the same complexityand subtleties. They (whomever “they” are) say thatwine is grown in the vineyard, but I have found thatgreat wines also reflect the winemaker’s personality andvision as well.

Alan is humble, respectful, introspective andunassuming. His formal education (spanning differentcontinents) became laser focused on the complexity ofsoil, plus the need for sustainability and protecting theenvironment. He is a perpetual hands-on student, andsays, “There is always something new, somebodypushing the status quo, and I’m happy to experimentuntil I find what works on our particular site.”However, his most influential teacher, unsurprisingly,was and continues to be, his mother. Alan naturally fellin love with dirt, vines, grapes and wine while growingup, working the vineyards, and learning to drive atractor at the age of 12. He says his mother“positioned” him well … never pushing, but alwaysencouraging him to keep going. He remembers hismother saying, as people would visit the winery: “HereI am, here are my wines, now meet my son.” Alan isaware of the responsibility to carry on the family legacy,and easily accepts the challenge, mentioning that heand his mother blend well together. Delia always

challenged Alan by having him take on more and moreresponsibility. At 21, Alan became vineyard manager,four years later, in 2006, he became head winemaker.Always eager to learn, and always encouraged by hismother to look beyond the horizon, Alan plans for thefuture of Viader, and Napa Valley winemaking.

Sipping with Alan, he talks about the “changing ofthe guard” that is taking place in Napa Valley. This is ageneration that is not afraid to “push the envelope” andexperiment with the non-traditional, whether it be intrying different blends, the style of winemaking, ortaking the leap to recognize soil types and micro-climates that are better suited for planting different andmore unique varietals than may have traditionally beenplanted in the past. However, there is one thing, aboveall, that Alan is focused on in his farming, winemakingand leading the way for this Next Gen: Protecting theplanet, reducing the carbon footprint, organic farming,and striving toward sustainability. Alan feelspassionately that new, fresh perspectives are needed,such as the Porto Protocol, “a sustainable initiativewhich motivates companies and individuals to do moreto help than they are doing at the moment,” (refer towww.portoprotocol.com). This next generation bringsnew viewpoints to farming, winemaking, business, andlife in general. They are a “voice for the small guy.”

As dedicated, passionate and in love with the earthand vines as he is, Alan leads a well-balanced family life.He and his wife Mariela have three children: Two sonsages 10, 8 and a 4-year-old daughter. As Alan playedand worked in the vineyards when he was a child, histwo sons, who he describes as very outgoing, enjoyworking, bottling, tasting, and following Alan around.Who knows, they may well be the third generation ofViader winemakers in another decade or so!

Personally, a goal of Alan’s is to be an industry leaderin the move toward sustainability and protecting theenvironment. He feels strongly about “doing what isright.” This theme carries through to his volunteeringwith the local search and rescue team, which gives himan immense amount of joy. But in the end, everythingis about respect…..for family and for the planet. To

ALAN VIADER – SECOND GENERATIONFarmer-Winemaker-Son-Father


Alan Viader - Viader Vineyards



work hard: do what you love, to do what you can for theenvironment and future generations, and taking ample time to enjoyyour family.

There are many components to Alan Viader – the farmer, theexplorer, the scientist, the winemaker, the community leader, andthe family man that meld into the whole person – just as there aremany elements that come together, maybe magically, to make a wineso expressive that its aroma and taste describe the man who oversawits creation. Maybe one day Alan will call himself the “wine father,”father of the vines, father of the wines and father of the (nextViader) winemaker. One thing is certain: Alan Viader and hisgeneration are leading Napa Valley and the culture of Napa Valley,on a road to the future: This is their time, and they embrace itwholeheartedly.

As we spoke on that idyllic June morning, overlooking the valley,Alan mentioned something he was told long ago by one of hisprofessors, which seems more than anything, to sum up Alan’sphilosophy and vision. “Dr. Boulton at UC Davis once told me thatsuccess isn’t about doing just one thing 1000% better, but finding1000 things and doing each of them 1% better.” On a daily basis,Alan continues to look for and uncover that “one more thing” tomake 1% better.

At the end of our conversation, Alan made a comment that,perhaps, describes himself, and his personal outlook on life the best.Preparing to leave on a business trip to Chicago, Alan mentionedthis was to be a quick turnaround trip, because: “I have to be homeon Friday in time for my daughter’s first recital.” And, when hesaid that, the smile on his face said it all!


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The first hint of what was to come on our visit toCalmére Estate Winery, where I was meeting Lisaand Ariana Peju, was when we got out of the car,

being greeted by Katie, (the winery’s EstateCoordinator). With a huge smile on her face sheshouted out, “Hi there, welcome to Calmére, I hopeyou’re having a wonderful day.” Well, it was awonderful day, and it was about to get a whole lotbetter!

Katie accompanied us to the tasting room, andwithin minutes Lisa Peju arrived. “Hi, I’m Lisa.” No“businesslike” handshake, just a big, friendlywelcoming hug. Taking in Lisa’s smile, laughter andeffusiveness, it was as if a bottle of Champagne had justbeen uncorked and bubbled over. We wandered downto the deck, overlooking San Pablo Bay, with SanFrancisco in the background, and then Ariana arrived,slightly out of breath, “apologizing” for being “late” (allof six minutes because of St. Helena traffic). There wassome friendly bantering between the two sisters aboutthis, as the first sip of wine was poured, and a 100point afternoon began.

The tale of how parents, Tony and Herta (HB) Pejumet, eventually purchasing land to grow grapes andproduce award-winning wines, is a separate andfascinating story. Suffice it to say, they had a dream, andthrough a long and arduous journey of hard work, riskand passion, moved to Napa Valley in 1983 with theirtwo daughters, Lisa, age 6 and Ariana, age 3.

Growing up in the vineyards, working the vines,driving tractors, welcoming those first guests to the“tasting room” (which in the beginning was the garage),seeing their parents hard work coupled with absolutelove for what they did, became ingrained in the sisters.Lisa and Ariana were destined to join the familybusiness. After college, in 2002, Lisa became full timewith Peju. Perhaps, it was those very early dayswelcoming and escorting guests to taste her parent’swine that gave her that special gift of interacting with

people, to become the face of Peju, representing thebrand domestically and internationally.

Ariana, after finishing her formal education, joinedthe Peju family in 2006. With a profound dedication tothe environment, sustainable farming practices, andreducing the carbon footprint, she has led the way forPeju, (and Calmére) to utilize sustainable and organicfarming practices. Additionally, incorporating the useof renewable energy, Ariana focuses on reducing thecarbon footprint wherever possible. She oversees theday to day business operations as well.

The sisters’ goal was to grow their parent’s businessand, as the second generation, carry on the familylegacy. Lisa and Ariana developed a natural separationof responsibilities, emphasizing their individualstrengths, which makes for a perfect pairing of siblingsworking together towards a common goal.

Much like the roots of the vine will branch out anddig deep to seek water, in addition to continuing thelegacy of Tony and HB, Lisa and Ariana wanted tobranch out. They had a vision of their own winery,producing quality wine that was fun and different from“the norm,” with a focus on their generation as ademographic, but appealing to the general winedrinking population. As Lisa (or maybe it was Ariana)said: “We want to do something fun and different, witha quality product.” With that goal in mind, propertywas researched and purchased, plans were drawn up,and finally in March 2019, Calmére Estate Wineryopened their doors.

As we sat sipping together, Lisa and Ariana kept alively dialogue going … playing on each other’s wordsand finishing each other’s sentences. They said howthis dream of theirs, now becoming reality, wouldcontinue the family legacy in “the right way.” As theirparents did with Peju, they would put their own rootsdown, doing something different from their parents,while concentrating on making Calmére Estate Winerya destination to visit. It was Lisa who said, with kind of

LISA AND ARIANA PEJUSECOND GENERATION

Calmére Estate Winery – Exploring New Directions


Lisa and Ariana Peju, Calmére Estate Winery



a wily smile and laugh: “We’re doing something different fromour parents … it’s (our) Burgundy vs (our parents) Bordeaux.”Calmére, being located in Carneros, where the soil and micro-climate is conducive to Burgundy, the Peju sisters areconcentrating on producing several Pinot Noirs andChardonnays, creating a brand and style of wine uniquely theirown.

As we visited throughout the afternoon, being mesmerizedby the incomparable view, Lisa and Ariana talked more andmore about the influence their parents had, and how they wererole models. It was the work ethic of their parents, plus theirpassion and love for what they did and dreamt of, that becameingrained in the sisters. Lisa and Ariana were involved in theentirety of the business from their earliest age. They were never“pushed” to go into the family business, but always encouragedto pursue their goals, whatever they may be. Their parents’examples made the daughters who they are today, and helpedthem develop a satisfying lifestyle.

These two young women (a millennial and a xennial) aredown to earth, and passionate about what they are building forthe future. When I asked if there were any specificdisappointments or future goals, Lisa said she had no regrets, asregrets are not a good thing nor productive. However, Lisa doesdream of having a vineyard in another country one day. As forAriana, she said that she is most proud of “making it this farwith my sister and not killing each other.” They both laughed atthat, showing the respect they have for one another, plus theirfriendship. They love to laugh and kid each other, which gave

us all a laugh when Ariana teased Lisa about her chicken coop,and said “Do you believe, all her chickens have names?!”

As we finished the last glass of wine, I asked, lookingforward, if they had any thoughts on what they would wanttheir legacy to be. Ariana said she would like to do adocumentary of the family, and their culture. And Lisa said: “Ijust want to be known as having been a good person.”

Lisa and Ariana are smart, fun, funny, and following theirdream of adding a “new dimension” to the Peju family story. Indoing so, they are incorporating the admiration they have fortheir parents, while facing the challenge themselves of taking anew direction by working with Burgundian grapes, somethingnew for them and their winemaker, Sara Fowler. Whileproducing the best wine they can, they are totally andpassionately committed to pursue this undertaking in anenvironmentally responsible fashion.

Sipping out on the deck at Calmére, gazing out at the City bythe Bay, talking with the Peju sisters, approached magic. Wineis experiential, and reflects individual personalities. The winesof Calmére Estate Winery are filled with Lisa and Ariana’spassion, fun, and humorous personalities. They are followingtheir own vision, but learning from their parents. Lisa andAriana Peju are part of an exciting group of “next generation”vintners and winemakers expanding the story of Napa Valley.

These two sisters continue to honor their legacy “the rightway,” by bringing pleasure to others, which gives them a senseof fulfillment and contentment. They have already become role-models for those who follow.


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NAPA’S NEXT GENERATION · family’s journey in pursuing the American dream, eventually to become an iconic and influential name, synonymous with the history of Napa Valley and