Throughout the tenure of a number of talented individuals, including current winemaker and vineyard manager Aron Weinkauf, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery has maintained an elegant style that has subtly evolved over the years. Today, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery has earned recognition as one of the few wineries with the terroir, tradition, and track record of excellence to merit comparisons to the great first-growths of Bordeaux. Beyond the iconic quality of its Estate Vineyard, what defines Spottswoode most is owners the Novak family, their kind, down-to-earth character, and their belief in integrity, authenticity, quality and environmentally progressive practices. 

Like most of the world’s legendary wineries, the story of Spottswoode is the tale of a remarkable piece of land and its decades-long evolution into an estate of first-growth quality. It is also a story about the vision and perseverance of Mary Novak and her daughters, Beth and Lindy, and the way the Novak family has embraced an environmentally conscious, generational approach to winegrowing. From pioneering organic viticulture in Napa Valley and championing the role of women in wine, to staying true to an elegant, age-worthy style, Spottswoode  looks beyond convention with a belief in tradition and integrity.

In 1882, on the site of today’s Spottswoode Estate Vineyard, the first wine grapes were planted by George Schonewald. Over the next few years, the property grew to include a stately Victorian home, and in 1910, after changing hands several times, the vineyard and its buildings were christened Spottswoode. Like many of Napa’s most historic vineyards and wineries, Spottswoode survived Prohibition by selling grapes for use in making the suddenly very popular sacramental wine.

Spottswoode winemaker and vineyard manager Aron Weinkauf

In 1972, a new chapter in Spottswoode’s history began when Mary and Jack Novak purchased the 31-acre Spottswoode Estate. They immediately acquired an additional 15 acres of bordering farmland and began replanting the post-Prohibition vineyards predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. The exceptional quality of Spottswoode’s grapes was quickly apparent, and Mary and Jack began selling their fruit to those such as Robert Mondavi, Frog’s Leap, and Charlie Wagner (of Caymus). Later, Mary sold to others, including Joe Heitz, Dan and Margaret Duckhorn and John and Doug Shafer. 

After Jack passed away in 1977, Mary faced the challenges of running a vineyard while raising five children. Against the odds, she decided to stay at Spottswoode and pursue the vision she and Jack had shared for growing grapes, and ultimately for making their own wine. Exactly 100 years after the establishment of the Spottswoode Estate Vineyard, ten years after moving to St. Helena and five years after Jack’s unexpected death, Mary founded Spottswoode Winery in 1982 and made her first vintage of Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Spottswoode’s founding winemaker was Tony Soter, a rising star in Napa Valley who had worked for iconic wineries such as Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Chappellet. 

In addition to making the wines, Tony took over management of the Spottswoode Estate Vineyard, and in 1985, he and Mary introduced organic farming to the estate—a bold, almost uncharted idea for the time. Two years later, Mary and Tony were joined in their efforts by Mary’s youngest daughter, Beth, who dedicated herself to stewarding the family business. Beth’s first major decision was to acquire the historic Kraft property adjacent to Spottswoode, which included a pre-Prohibition Victorian home that was turned into the Spottswoode offices, and a stone winery (the 19th pre-Prohibition winery in Napa County) that became the Spottswoode barrel room. When phylloxera hit the valley, Beth also oversaw the replanting of the Spottswoode Estate Vineyard in stages, thereby ensuring an unbroken line of Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignons to this day. 

Spottswoode Barrel Room

Throughout its history, Spottswoode has established itself as a Napa Valley pioneer and innovator, quietly leading by example. In 1992, long before words like sustainable and green became commonplace in wine marketing, Spottswoode became one of the earliest wineries to earn CCOF organic certification. This certification was one of the first of many important steps taken by the Novaks and Spottswoode as they emerged as one of the industry’s most stalwart advocates for the environment. Other milestones have included becoming a member of 1% for the Planet in 2007, which ensures that the winery donates a minimum of 1% of its gross revenue annually to organizations championing a healthier natural environment. Spottswoode is also solar powered, Demeter Biodynamic Certified, Napa Green Vineyard and Winery Certified, a member of International Wineries for Climate Action, and a signatory of the Porto Protocol.

Most recently, Spottswoode earned the coveted B Corp certification, meaning the winery has achieved the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. In tandem with its commitment to the environment, Spottswoode has also built on its status as one of Napa Valley’s first female-run wineries to become an incubator for great women winemakers. Beth and Lindy continue to chart a visionary, forward-looking course for Spottswoode that resulted in the winery being honored with the 2017 California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Green Medal Environment Award, and Beth being named one of Wine Industry Advisor’s “Most Inspiring People of 2020.”

Spottswoode Estate Vineyards

“I had the honor of working alongside my Mom for 29 years and helping her to build Spottswoode into the incredible Estate Vineyard and Winery that it is today,” says Beth. “She had immense inner strength, a love of life, and a dream that Spottswoode would continue through generations. This multigenerational commitment has become a part of me and of my family, and together we embrace carrying my mother and father’s legacy forward by continuing to nurture this wonderful estate property, and the work they began here in 1972.”

Spottswoode welcomes guests by appointment only Monday through Friday. Reserve here. 

Photos courtesy of Spottswoode