Accendo Cellars

We have always said our best wine has yet to be made.

This was our philosophy as the proprietors of Araujo Estate and stewards of the historic Eisele Vineyard, and it is our guiding principle today with Accendo Cellars, the Napa Valley winegrowing venture we founded in 2013. Inspired by the revolutionary Napa Valley wines of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, Accendo pays homage to an earlier era and marks a beginning of a promising new paradigm: to source grapes from some of the finest vineyard sites and terroir in Napa Valley; to make a wine of balance and restraint in the style of Napa Valley’s past wines; and to produce this wine with the commitment, energy and meticulous attention to detail that have characterized our past efforts.

It is gratifying to be working together as two generations of the Araujo family, and the team of professionals we have worked with for many years, people who share our passion and, more importantly, our values. Applying what we know collectively about grape growing and winemaking, our aim is to create a world-class wine that expresses ecological diversity and focused stewardship.

For years Napa Valley has nurtured and humbled us in ways we could never have imagined. It is our hope that Accendo will shine a new light on this magical place we call home.

When you live and farm in Napa Valley, you gain a respect for forces that are more powerful than you.

The weather and climate, geology and soils, slope and aspect, the way the sun traverses a vineyard through the course of a day, a season, a year. All of these influences comprise what we know as terroir. Working with the Eisele Vineyard for over twenty years showed us the power of terroir. We are deeply grateful for these lessons in how a vineyard can express itself through its wines.

With Accendo, we apply this experience to our own vineyards in Oakville and St. Helena, and to properties throughout Napa Valley which we have long held in high esteem. We work with friends and growers who share our viticultural philosophy and passion, who care as much about the vitality of the land as the quality of the grapes they grow. And whose interest, like ours, is in producing wines expressive of terroir.

The diversity and intricacy of Napa Valley continue to amaze us, as does the unparalleled quality of its wines. With Accendo, our aim is to capture that diversity, that intriguing, layered complexity that represents this valley and its terroirs at their very finest.

People are fundamental to what we are creating.

At Accendo, we are privileged and grateful to be working with many of the same small team members that helped us build Araujo Estate. The collective knowledge and experience of our collaborators Nigel Kinsman and Françoise Peschon, winemakers; Michel Rolland, consulting enologist; Steve Matthiasson, viticulturist - are integral to our winegrowing success. The talent and commitment of each and every one of these people will ensure excellence in our endeavors.

And it is energizing to collaborate together as a family, every member bringing experience and perspective to the group with vitality and passion.