OUR STORY
At Stewart Cellars, it's the quest that drives us. The quest for the ideal site, for consistently lush fruit, for the like-minded grower who labors toward the perfect expression of a given vintage. We build lasting relationships with vineyard owners and together we test the limits of what an exceptional patch of soil can yield. Our requirement for the resulting wine is simple: it must deliver beyond expectation every time.
Our quest takes us to some of the most respected vineyards drawing our focus to the taste profile of every block and a blend that fulfills its promise a thousand times over. Only the best of the best bears the Stewart family name.
Stewart Cellars begins and ends with family. We are dedicated to making something tangible and enduring, something expressive of each person's gifts. Michael Stewart is very much the entrepreneur. Anne is the food and wine connoisseur who loves to introduce people to our wines. James thrives on the complexity of running all aspects of the business, from managing grower relationships to shaping the Stewart Cellars brand. Caroline is honing her skills as she follows the world's harvest seasons preparing herself to take the Stewart family into the future as winemaker.
For these two generations and for the Stewart clan of tomorrow, the ambition remains the same: respect the dirt, start with the best fruit, drive hard for perfection, embrace the elegance of the human touch.
OUR PEOPLE
MICHAEL STEWART
FOUNDER
When Michael Stewart sold the technology company he founded and ran for 25 years in Texas, he knew that his next venture would in some way allow him to capitalize on a longtime interest in wine. He and his wife Anne had made several trips to the Napa Valley over the years and were charmed by the idea of settling here and building a family business.
Opportunity soon came knocking. In 2000, the Stewarts purchased a majority interest in Juliana Vineyards in the Pope Valley. That same year, Michael launched Stewart Cellars with small inaugural releases of hand-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley.
With both son James and daughter Caroline now on board at Stewart Cellars in different capacities, Michael hopes to build a family partnership he can ultimately leave in their hands. His goal is for the Stewart clan to set down permanent roots in Napa Valley soil, with Stewart Cellars growing its own fruit in estate vineyards.
JAMES STEWART
GENERAL MANAGER
James Stewart is one in a group of Napa Valley next-generation winemakers assuming central roles in legacy wine businesses. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he came to the Valley in 2006 to partner with his father, Michael, in running Stewart Cellars. Following a product from the dirt to the shelf greatly appeals to him; moving his family's wines through the marketplace without having to compromise their standards or beliefs is what he finds most rewarding about his work.
Like many of his peers, James is focused on issues surrounding sustainability, preservation, labor practices and maintaining family-owned businesses in Napa Valley. He enjoys charity work and fundraising, but is most intent on spreading the message that Napa Valley is for everyone-that Stewart Cellars and the other family-owned businesses here make wines first and foremost for people's enjoyment.
PAUL HOBBS
CONSULTING WINEMAKER
Paul Hobbs was one of the first contemporary California winemakers to focus on wines made from single-vineyard sources. An early experimenter in crafting unfiltered and unfined wines fermented with native yeasts, he uses classic techniques to create wines of distinctly Californian character.
Upon receiving his Master's degree in Enology from UC-Davis, Paul went to work for Robert Mondavi, where he rose to the position of Head Enologist and was appointed to the Opus One team. Several years at Simi Winery followed, where he developed a new, signature Cabernet Sauvignon style. A burgeoning interest in emerging wine regions led to an offer to make Argentina's first world-class Chardonnay for Nicolas Catena.
He founded the Paul Hobbs Winery in 1991 while continuing to consult for several premium California wineries. Today he is a consultant to wineries in the U.S., Chile, Argentina and Hungary.