When Napa Became King THE JUDGMENT OF PAR I S
WHO I S THE KELLY FAMI LY ? Learn a Little About Our Family and Our Wine
Gene; his wife, Paula; and their son, Jacob are the proprietors of Kelly Family Vineyards, an award-winning vineyard and winery in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley. Gene and Paula have lived in Napa for over 45 years, growing up there and attending local schools.
In addition to operating the vineyard and winery, Gene is a serial entrepreneur, educator, published author, certified gunsmith, direct marketing expert, business coach, and board-certified protection professional (CPP). He has also served on several nonprofit boards. Gene is passionate about business and helping others succeed.
When asked about the Kelly family history and the vineyard, Gene states:
Today, the Napa Valley’s status as one of the world’s best wine-growing regions is a given, but that wasn’t always the case. Less than 50 years ago, California winemakers were considered scrappy upstarts whose bottlings paled in comparison to those made in Europe. One event, the Judgment of Paris, changed that reputation forever. In 1976, a British wine merchant organized a tasting competition unlike any other. He put chardonnays and cabernets from California alongside their exalted counterparts from Burgundy and Bordeaux, respectively. The event’s judges comprised some of the most respected names in the French wine world alongside only a single American. Though the wines were to be tasted blind, nobody expected the American bottles to show well. However, the American wines ended up with the highest scores in both the white and red categories. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and the 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet, both hailing from Napa, took home the highest honors. In a single tasting, the wine world was turned upside down. The Judgment of Paris laid the groundwork for the Napa Valley to become what it is today. It alerted everyone to the potential of the land to produce wines of the very first order. Though the French media refused to cover the event at the time, the results also benefited France’s wines. It made people question their preconceived notions and reinvigorated their competitive spirit. It’s a lot harder to evolve, after all, when you don’t have any competition pushing you to do so. As somebody who makes wine in Napa today, I can’t help but feel a responsibility to the land and the wine producers who’ve come before me. We work on hallowed ground and seek to impart the California sun in every bottle. That’s a big responsibility, but it’s one we’re honored to take on. If you want to experience Napa in a glass, email us at sales@KellyFamilyVineyards.com.
“Our Kelly family branch decided to expand westward, finally putting down deep roots in the world-famous Napa Valley in 1968. During the past 40-plus years, we have established ourselves as advocates for agricultural land preservation of what has been described as California’s Garden of Eden — the Napa Valley. “The Napa Valley is one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions. Just 2% of all the wine produced in California comes from the Napa Valley, and of that, an even smaller percentage comes from the prestigious Oak Knoll District appellation. Our ultrapremium 10-acre cabernet sauvignon vineyard is part of this special district. It’s located on the valley floor, right at the base of the western hills running along Dry Creek Road. We only produce very minimal quantities each year, which is why it is available only by allocation. “The making of ultrapremium wine begins in the vineyard. The vineyard workers lovingly tend the vines to ensure that the grapes will achieve full flavor in late October or early November. At harvest, they go through the vineyard early in the morning, picking our grapes by hand, rather than using the massive machines favored by bulk producers. “After the grapes have been harvested and “crushed” (de- stemmed and pressed), they go through the fermentation process, which involves special strains of yeast. During the next year, the new wine will be placed first in tanks and then moved to small oak barrels to age. Once fermentation is complete, the wine spends more than 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. After all these steps, the wine is finally ready for bottling. After we bottle, we continue to age our Estate Wines for another year. Our process requires a four- year investment, but it results in our award-winning Kelly Family Vineyards wines.”
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