The building that now houses Napa Wine Company is actually a culmination of two historic winery properties. In 1877 the first Brun & Chaix Nouveau Médoc Winery was built in Oakville, it was the 9th bonded winery in California. The oldest building was a tiny cellar; 20 by 34 feet. In 1880 the building was expanded to 160 by 34 feet and another building 40 by 45 feet was built nearby. The property passed through various hands in the 20th century. Eventually the properties were expanded to support large-scale production of generic wines, starting with the Betsy Ross wine brand in the 1940s. In 1977 the two buildings were united, and later in the 1980s, production was expanded further still to support the growing Inglenook brand. In 1993, the winery was purchased by the Pelissa family who converted the former Inglenook facility from a mass production winery into a state-of-the-art custom crush facility. In 1997, three of the top ten Wine Spectator best wines of the year were produced at Napa Wine Company. The following year, The tasting room on the property was opened to the public.