Grape Expectations

My husband, Bob, and I were recently in Napa, Calif., for a celebration to mark the 50th birthday and 10th wedding anniversary of a dear friend in the wine business. The weekend festivities were fantastic, as were the wines. Many vineyards in Napa and Sonoma are owned and operated by families, and most put the family name on the label. How have they managed to sustain their enterprises through multiple generations in this capital- and time-intensive industry?

Rick Walker, CEO and founder of Festival Napa Valley, says the wine industry has a special way of “keeping it in the family.” Some of his festival board members and partners are in the fifth and sixth generation. “The love of winemaking and the industry, combined with their passion for creating poetry in a bottle, is so apparent that the younger generations couldn’t imagine not being involved,” he says.

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About the Author(s)

Caro U Rock

Caro U. Rock is the publisher of Family Business Magazine.


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