Gargiulo Vineyards

Gargiulo Vineyards welcome guests by appointment to the winery for a private and seated tasting experiences. With a glass in hand, guests tour our property and taste our single vineyard, estate wines in the tasting room or on a sunny day, on the terrace overlooking all of Oakville. The tasting room echoes our commitment to authentic expression and features reclaimed wood flooring from a 1950s Napa gymnasium; chandeliers crafted from wine barrel staves and walls built from the property's hallmark red rock. Not to be missed is the vintage and handmade guitar gallery located in the tasting room. Jeff Gargiulo is an avid collector and proudly displays his carefully curated collection even encouraging guests to play. Additionally, guests are able to purchase library, large format and winery-only wines. Reservations are held in advance by credit card, and we prefer to speak directly with the guest to ensure consistent quality of service. Please phone 707.944.2770 or email our Estate Director, Sharon Sidhu, to schedule a tasting appointment.

As a lifetime farmer, Jeff Gargiulo has always been passionate about the land and agricultural, and today that passion is focused on the joys of grape growing and fine wine making. 30 years ago though, he and his wife Valerie only dreamed of one day building a premier wine estate. That dream took shape in the early 1980s when Jeff and Valerie and their young family traveled to Napa Valley to visit Valerie's cousins, Barney and Belle Rhodes. Napa Valley icons, Barney and Belle Rhodes had been in the Napa Valley since the late 1960s growing grapes in Rutherford at Bella Oaks Vineyard. Jeff and Valerie were inspired by their cousin’s Napa Valley lifestyle and confident that with their help and Jeff’s agricultural knowledge they would make some of the finest wines in the world. Twelve years later and with countless hours of coaching from Barney and Belle, Jeff and Valerie purchased their first vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley, Money Road Ranch in 1992. Seven years later they purchased their second Oakville property, 575 ovx.

From the beginning, the Gargiulo’s committed themselves to creating a world class Cabernet Sauvignon wine estate. From his years spent farming, Jeff Gargiulo, knew that if he didn't start with the very best land, he could never expect to grow the best grapes. For this reason, the Gargiulo's chose Oakville to establish their namesake winery. Then, like today, Oakville was considered to be amongst the preeminent places to grow Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. The very first vintage of Gargiulo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was 2000, and since then Gargiulo Vineyards has quietly taken its place among the most highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Napa Valley. Not ones to rest on their laurels, Jeff, Valerie, daughter, April and the entire Gargiulo Vineyards’ team continue to strive to make Gargiulo wines the most pure and breathtaking expressions of their two esteemed Oakville vineyards.

We consider ourselves to be stewards of our two Oakville properties, Money Road Ranch and 575 ovx. Our approach to farming these magnificent vineyards is one of strict responsibility to maintain and restore their true nature. Both estate vineyards are nestled within a diverse environment and as such, benefit from the life cycle of a natural and varied landscape. Throughout the annual seasons this symbiotic relationship is recognized and nurtured.

Our two vineyards, Money Road Ranch and 575 ovx, are located in the Oakville appellation, a two-mile-wide swath of Napa Valley that extends to 600 feet in elevation up the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. Once a steam train stop in the late 1800s, Oakville owes its name to the dense groves of native oak trees which once blanketed the area. One hundred years later, the Oakville name is synonymous with the finest winemaking in the world. Within this small district you will find the greatest concentration of Napa Valley's preeminent producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Oakville's diverse, well-drained soils, sun-drenched summers and cool, dry falls make it a superior place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines from our two Oakville vineyards are unique, but resolutely embody the essential Oakville qualities of depth and complexity with the structural integrity to age for decades.

Money Road Ranch is a 40-acre vineyard located in the heart of Oakville amongst the vines that produced Napa Valley’s very first 100 pt Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil is deep but very stratified with layers of sandy loam clay and gravelly alluvium, which is well drained and porous. The typical daily temperature range is thirty degrees, with average nighttime lows in the mid 50s and daytime highs in the mid 80s. This daily oscillation in temperature is the largest in the valley and creates an ideal balance of fruit acids and sugar ripeness in our grapes, which translates into a balanced and well structured wine. Bright, succulent cherry and blackberry flavors are signatures of Money Road Ranch wines. The aromatics develop into rich plum, cassis and even dark cocoa notes.

The 575 ovx vineyard is situated in eastern Oakville's hallmark, red and rocky hills. This unique terroir is shared with only a handful of vineyards including Oakville’s most heralded Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. It is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot and is one of the only south-facing hillsides in Oakville. 575 ovx is just a few minutes from Money Road, but the change in elevation and soil type creates a different essence in the wines. The mineral rich andesite rock is fractured just enough for iron enriched clay loam to have silted into the cracks. The south western facing slope opens 575 ovx up to a cool afternoon bay breeze. A minerality and earthiness found in the wines speaks to the complex nature of the soil and ideal growing conditions. The classic aromatics from 575 ovx are rose petal, lavender and ripe blueberry.

Kristof Anderson, winemaker, has been with Gargiulo since 2004 and shares our winemaking philosophy. He favors a gentle and patient winemaking approach, 90 percent of which happens before the grapes ever leave the vine. This includes hand harvesting at dawn to ensure pristine cluster condition upon arrival at the winery; hand sorting at three different stages and taking advantage of the state of the art gravity flow winery. Incredibly, Kristof separately ferments as many as 40 individual vineyard blocks each vintage in small French oak barrels. This extensive array of fermentations offers him more components to compose the final blend, which will always be the one that most vividly expresses our distinct vineyards during a single harvest season. Our winemaking team also includes an incredible supporting cast with winemaking consultant Andy Erickson and viticulture consultant Dr. Paul Skinner.

We are thankful to be able to support charities around the world with our time, wine donations and financial contributions. To date, we have raised over $6.7 million.

These are some of the charities we lovingly support:

The Naples Children & Education Foundation supports programs that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at risk children in Collier County. The Naples Winter Wine Festival, where Jeff and Valerie are Founding Trustees, has raised over $123 million for this Foundation.

The V Foundation was started by Jim Valvano to assist researchers who will eventually find cures for cancer. Jim, a former NC State basketball coach and award-winning broadcaster, wanted to see his battle with cancer through to victory. He recruited friends and family to lead The V Foundation in his quest to eradicate the disease that ultimately claimed his life.

Since 1981, Auction Napa Valley has given nearly $137 million to healthcare, youth development and affordable housing non-profits in Napa County - what's raised in Napa, stays in Napa. "Auction Napa Valley makes a difference to the people in our community."

Charity: Water is a non-profit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Napa Valley Vine Trail is a multi-use hiking and biking trail running the entire length of Napa Valley. When completed it will provide a safe and beautiful recreation area for both residents and visitors alike.