Andretti Winery is a boutique
winery in the
Oak Knoll District portion of
Napa, California.
History
Begun as a "hobby" in 1996, the winery grew steadily.
Mario Andretti's interest in the wine business arose from a commemorative bottling of wine he marketed to celebrate his retirement from
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
in 1994.
Two years later Andretti and longtime friend
Joe Antonini, former
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of
Kmart (which had sponsored Andretti's racing team) purchased a vineyard and winery in the far north part of
Napa, California, where they built a
Tuscan-themed winery,
tasting room
Dégustation is the careful, appreciative tasting of various food, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company. Dégustation is more likely to involve sampling small portions of all of a chef's signature dishe ...
, and guesthouse.
[ The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.
In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the to a Napa farming group. The winery then leased back the tasting room and events center. The company has no ownership stake in the nearby vineyards.
The winery is operated by a public company, Andretti Wine Group, that the founders formed in a "reverse public shell merger" in 1995. It raised $3 million via a public offering in 1998, however it is no longer publicly traded.
In 2021, the winery on Big Ranch Road closed and announced plans to open at a different location.
]
Wines
Winemaker Bob Pepi, co-founder with his father of Robert Pepi Winery (now Pepi Winery), and owner of the "Eponymous" winery, has been winemaker since the winery opened in 1996.[
]
See also
* List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
References
External links
Official website
{{Andretti family
Wineries in Napa Valley
Companies based in Napa County, California