Patrick Elliott-Smith, owner and winemaker at Elan Vineyards, was born in the United States to a French mother and an American father. His appreciation for fine wines began early, influenced by his grandfather René's extensive wine cellar filled with pre-World War II Bordeaux wines. As children, Patrick and his siblings were allowed just a few drops of red wine in their water—a practice that led Grandmother Madeleine to exclaim, "René, you will make them drunk!" This early exposure cultivated Patrick's taste for fine wines.

After completing high school in France, Patrick returned to the United States and earned a B.A. in philosophy. He found that his philosophical studies provided an excellent foundation for addressing the climatic challenges of agriculture. Following college, Patrick was drawn to Napa Valley by its resemblance to southern France, with its familiar topography and climate evoking fond memories. Deciding to make it his home, Patrick and his brother Dennis, an artist, acquired a parcel of land. Over the next four years, they raised horses, sheep, and goats; produced goat cheese; and grew gourmet herbs and vegetables for upscale Napa Valley restaurants. They also explored French intensive gardening techniques and bio-dynamic farming, which takes organic farming to an advanced level, sharing the 1960s ideal of living off the land.

In 1979, Patrick discovered his ideal property at the top of Atlas Peak Road. Situated about 2,100 feet above sea level—roughly 1,900 feet higher than the average Napa Valley vineyard—the site was perfect for viticulture. Patrick entered the wine industry by developing vineyards for prominent wineries such as The Hess Collection, Liparita, Dominus, and Beaulieu Vineyards, along with various private hillside estate vineyards. In 1980, he constructed a small stone house on the property and lived in a teepee on the future winery site while clearing manzanita brush from five acres. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon on 110R rootstock using a French-style trellis, which was uncommon in California at the time. For the first seven years, Patrick sold the fruit to Caymus Vineyards.

Parallel Wines was founded by a close knit group of friends, all extremely passionate in their love of life. The label represents a facet of that passion: this group of friends love of skiing inspired them to create a label which captures the first tracks of the day cut into fresh powder. These friends and their love of fine wine inspired them to collaborate with Philippe Melka to create Parallel Napa Valley. Parallel Wines is the pride and joy of eight friends from Park City, Utah, who tapped into their combined passion of skiing and fine wine and their 30+ years of friendship to create this unique brand.

Mahogany Mountain Vineyard and Winery is a small, family-owned and operated winery specializing in limited production of handcrafted fine wines from our estate-grown Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Muscat Canelli, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Zinfandel. Our vineyards are located on 43 acres in a picturesque and sunny high valley (1,500 ft. elevation) in Ramona, California surrounded by mountains. The microclimate is perfect for growing red wine grapes and dry-farming: hot long summer days and cool nights produce beautifully ripe fruits with deep intense flavors.

Meander is the personal project of winemaker Amy Aiken, who has been crafting wines in Napa Valley since 1989. Starting in 2000, her exclusive focus has been limited production, ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Established 2003 Cases/year: 400 Winemaker: Amy Aiken