The Chappell Winery actually arose from the ashes of the 1990 Yosemite wildfire. Doug and Kathy Chappell (both Ventura County teachers) spent 3 summers building their dream home on the family homestead in Foresta (6 miles east of Yosemite Valley). In June they moved into their new house, and it burned in August. Unsure about what to do next, they moved to Mariposa (the closest town) and bought 45 acres of raw land. In 1992 Doug built another house for his family and decided to become a farmer by planting nine acres of the varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Zinfandel. Originally the plan was to focus only on the growing process and all of the grapes were sold to Silver Fox, another Mariposa winery. Of course, Doug couldn't resist trying something new, so he started dabbling in winemaking. After many years of practicing and trying different blends on family and friends, it was time for the Chappell Vineyard to become Chappell Winery. Following an amicable split with Silver Fox, they were bonded in 2004.