Stags Leap Wine Cellars
A Napa Valley winery internationally recognized for Cabernet Sauvignon and its victory at the 1976 Judgment of Paris.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Stags Leap Wine Cellars is a Napa Valley winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of California's Napa Valley. It is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly the 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon that won the red-wine competition at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting, commonly called the Judgment of Paris. That blind tasting placed the California wine ahead of highly regarded French and Californian competitors and helped change international perceptions of the quality and age-worthiness of wines made in the United States. Winiarski's path to winemaking began with an interest in wine developed during and after a period of study in Italy. After experimenting with wine at home in Chicago, he moved with his family to Napa Valley in 1968. He worked first at Chateau Souverain and later at the newly established Robert Mondavi Winery. In 1970, he bought a 44-acre parcel beside Nathan Fay's vineyard. A wine made from Fay's grapes had convinced Winiarski that the area could produce Cabernet Sauvignon with both local character and broader classical appeal. The property, initially containing prunes, cherries, walnuts and limited plantings of Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet, was replanted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and became known as Stag's Leap Vineyard, or S.L.V. The first vintage was made in 1972 at a rented facility, with Winiarski receiving assistance from the influential winemaker André Tchelistcheff. The 1973 vintage was the first made at the estate in commercial quantities. Its success in Paris in 1976 gave the young winery an extraordinary international profile. Subsequent tastings reinforced the result: the wine again ranked first at a 1978 San Francisco retasting, placed in later anniversary and comparative tastings, and became a symbol of the rise of premium California wine. A bottle of the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon entered the Smithsonian National Museum of American History collection in 1996. The estate expanded through the acquisition of the neighboring Fay vineyard in 1986 and the Arcadia vineyard from Mike Grgich in 1996. Its portfolio developed around estate and single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, including S.L.V., FAY and the selectively produced CASK 23, alongside Napa Valley wines such as ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon, KARIA Chardonnay and AVETA Sauvignon Blanc. Arcadia also supports Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay production. The winery's name became the subject of litigation with the separately owned Stags' Leap Winery. A 1986 California Supreme Court decision allowed both businesses to retain names derived from the locality, while distinguishing their apostrophe conventions. The two owners later collaborated on a wine called Accord. The Stags Leap American Viticultural Area was ultimately approved in 1989. In 2007, Winiarski sold the winery, its facilities and the S.L.V. and Fay vineyards to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori. The reported transaction value was approximately $185 million, although that figure is not treated here as a current financial metric. Winiarski remained a part-time adviser for three years. In May 2023, Marchesi Antinori acquired Ste. Michelle's 85 percent interest and became the sole owner. Stags Leap Wine Cellars remains an active premium wine brand associated with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, single-vineyard expression and the historical international breakthrough of California wine.
History
Stags Leap Wine Cellars was established in 1970 by Warren Winiarski in Napa Valley. Winiarski developed his interest in wine after studying in Italy and experimenting with winemaking in Chicago. He moved to Napa Valley in 1968, working at Chateau Souverain and then Robert Mondavi Winery. A tasting of Nathan Fay's homemade Cabernet Sauvignon persuaded him that the Stags Leap area could produce wines combining regional identity with the structure and complexity associated with classic European wines. Winiarski purchased a 44-acre parcel near Fay's vineyard for less than $200,000. The land included orchards and small plantings of less prominent grape varieties, which were replaced largely with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The resulting vineyard became S.L.V., short for Stag's Leap Vineyard. The first vintage, in 1972, was made in a rented facility. André Tchelistcheff assisted Winiarski, and the 1973 vintage became the first commercial-scale wine made at the estate. In 1976, the 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon was entered in the Paris Wine Tasting. In a blind judging, it placed first among ten French and California red wines, including prestigious Bordeaux estates. The result was a major turning point for both the winery and American wine. A 1978 San Francisco retasting again ranked the wine first. Later tastings produced less uniform but still notable results, including sixth place at the 1986 French Culinary Institute tasting, fourth place at the 1986 Wine Spectator tasting and second place at the 30th-anniversary Judgment of Paris tasting. The 1973 bottle's inclusion in the Smithsonian collection further reflected its cultural importance. The estate expanded in 1986 by purchasing Fay, the neighboring Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard whose fruit had originally inspired Winiarski. In 1996 it acquired the 128-acre Arcadia vineyard near Mount George from Mike Grgich. The portfolio increasingly emphasized distinctive vineyard sources, with S.L.V. and Fay Cabernet Sauvignon joined by CASK 23, a wine first made from the standout 1974 vintage and released only when the winemaking team considers the fruit exceptional. The Napa Valley Collection broadened the range with ARTEMIS, KARIA and AVETA. The winery also became involved in a naming dispute with the separately owned Stags' Leap Winery, founded in the same year. The dispute reached the California Supreme Court in 1986. The court concluded that both names referred to the geographical area and allowed both wineries to continue using them, with different apostrophe placements. The relationship later became cooperative: Winiarski and Carl Doumani released the jointly sourced 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon named Accord. Both also opposed creation of a separate Stags Leap American Viticultural Area, but the AVA was approved in 1989. Winiarski sold the winery in 2007 to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori. The sale included the winery, its facilities and the S.L.V. and Fay vineyards. Arcadia remained with the Winiarski family and was placed into the Land Trust of Napa County in perpetuity before later being acquired by the Antinori family in February 2025. Winiarski served as a part-time adviser for three years after the sale. Marchesi Antinori acquired Ste. Michelle's 85 percent interest in May 2023, making it the sole owner. The brand continues to operate as a premium Napa Valley winery focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and other estate-associated wines.
- 2025
Arcadia acquired by the Antinori family
[1]The Antinori family acquired Arcadia from the Winiarski estate while continuing to supply fruit to Stags Leap Wine Cellars.
- 2023
Antinori becomes sole owner
[1]Marchesi Antinori purchased Chateau Ste. Michelle's 85 percent stake.
- 2007
Ownership transferred
[1]Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori acquired the winery and its S.L.V. and Fay vineyards.
- 1996
1973 bottle enters Smithsonian collection
[1]A bottle of the Judgment of Paris-winning Cabernet Sauvignon was added to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History collection.
- 1996
Arcadia vineyard acquired
[1]The winery acquired the Arcadia vineyard near Mount George from Mike Grgich.
- 1989
Stags Leap AVA approved
[1]The Stags Leap American Viticultural Area was ratified as a subregion within Napa Valley.
- 1986
Fay vineyard acquired
[1]The winery purchased the neighboring Fay Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, substantially expanding its estate holdings.
- 1986
Naming dispute adjudicated
[1]The California Supreme Court permitted both wineries using the Stags Leap name to continue operating with distinct apostrophe conventions.
- 1976
Judgment of Paris victory
[1]The 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon placed first among the competing red wines in the Paris blind tasting.
- 1974
CASK 23 begins
[1]Winiarski identified an exceptional barrel numbered 23, leading to the creation of the selectively released CASK 23 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Products and positioning
Premium and luxury Napa Valley wine brand centered on Cabernet Sauvignon, estate vineyards and historic international recognition.
Estate single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon · 1973
S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon
S.L.V., or Stag's Leap Vineyard, is the original estate vineyard and the source of the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon that won the red-wine competition at the Judgment of Paris. The vineyard is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, with a smaller Cabernet Franc component. The wine represents the winery's historic estate identity and its emphasis on expressing the character of the Stags Leap District.
Estate single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon · 1986
FAY Cabernet Sauvignon
FAY is made from the neighboring vineyard that originally convinced Warren Winiarski of the area's potential. Acquired by the winery in 1986, the property is an important source of estate Cabernet Sauvignon and is presented as a distinct vineyard expression alongside S.L.V. Its history links the brand's founding inspiration with its mature premium portfolio.
Luxury Cabernet Sauvignon · 1974
CASK 23 Cabernet Sauvignon
CASK 23 began after Winiarski noticed that barrel number 23 from the 1974 vintage showed unusual quality. It is a selective rather than annual release, produced only in vintages judged by the winemaking team to provide exceptional fruit. The wine occupies the top end of the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon range and is associated with concentration, cellar potential and careful selection.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon
ARTEMIS is part of the Napa Valley Collection, a broader tier that combines fruit from estate vineyards with grapes sourced from other Napa Valley vineyards. It extends the brand's Cabernet Sauvignon focus beyond the strictly single-vineyard estate bottlings while retaining a premium Napa Valley positioning.
Napa Valley Chardonnay
KARIA Chardonnay
KARIA is the winery's Napa Valley Collection Chardonnay. It broadens the portfolio beyond red wine and reflects the estate's connection to Chardonnay production, including fruit associated with the Arcadia vineyard.
Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
AVETA Sauvignon Blanc
AVETA is the Napa Valley Collection Sauvignon Blanc. It provides a white-wine counterpart to the winery's Cabernet-led range and sits within the more broadly sourced Napa Valley tier.
Marketing campaigns
- 1978San Francisco retasting
United States
A later tasting revisited the same wines from the Paris event with a different panel. Stags Leap's 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon again ranked first, reinforcing the significance of the original result.
Outcome. First place in the retasting.
- 1976Judgment of Paris participation
France · United States · International wine market
The winery entered its 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the Paris blind tasting, where it defeated a field that included prestigious French and California wines. The result became the central historical story in the brand's international positioning and helped promote California as a source of fine wine.
Outcome. First place among the red wines; major international recognition for the winery and California wine.
Brand decisions
2023
Marchesi Antinori acquires sole controlM&ABackground
The winery had been jointly owned by Marchesi Antinori and Chateau Ste. Michelle since 2007.
Action taken
Marchesi Antinori acquired Chateau Ste. Michelle's 85 percent interest.
Aftermath
Marchesi Antinori became the sole owner of Stags Leap Wine Cellars.
2007
Sell the winery to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi AntinoriM&ABackground
Warren Winiarski was preparing to retire, and his family was not positioned to continue operating the business.
Action taken
Winiarski transferred the winery, facilities and S.L.V. and Fay vineyards to Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori. Arcadia remained with the Winiarski family at the time.
Aftermath
Winiarski served as a part-time adviser for three years, while ownership shifted to an international wine partnership.
Reported transaction value. (2007)
1986
Resolve the competing Stags Leap namesOtherBackground
Stags Leap Wine Cellars and Stags' Leap Winery had both been established in the same year and claimed rights to a name associated with the locality.
Action taken
The California Supreme Court allowed both wineries to use their respective names and required the apostrophe placement to distinguish them.
Aftermath
The owners later developed a cooperative relationship, including a joint Cabernet Sauvignon called Accord.
Sources2 sources
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