Vineyard land in Napa’s top areas now sells for $300,000 to $500,000 per acre, according to Jordan Bentley, a Realtor and partner in St. The expense of getting into the game has never been greater. Much has been written about the valley’s so-called “lifestyle vintners,” who are perceived as happy to throw money at a winery without caring much about whether it will ever deliver a return. Owning land and making wine in Napa Valley is a singular kind of status symbol, pursued by the richest people in the world from video-game moguls to former NFL team owners. Wine and money have always been inextricable, but America’s most famous wine region has a unique relationship to its own wealth. Brittany Hosea-Small/Special to The Chronicle 2021 More Napa vineyards are becoming dominated by one grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s led many observers to wonder: Is that making all of Napa’s wines taste the same? This economic reality has driven a situation where more of Napa’s wines are becoming concentrated in the hands of fewer winemakers. “It’s like, ‘we just put $100 million into this, we have to hire me or Philippe.’” “These investments are now so expensive that they’re nervous to hand it over to just anyone,” says Brown of new winery owners. That demand has grown in tandem with the cost of doing business in Napa, Brown suggests.
But now, it feels as if having one of these star consultants on board is more than an advantage for a new luxury Napa winery - it’s a de facto requirement. These professionals have been in demand for years. He’s part of an elite order of Napa winemaking consultants that includes Philippe Melka, Mike Smith, Andy Erickson, Aaron Pott, Celia Welch, Julien Fayard, Jean Hoeflinger, Sam Kaplan, Tony Biagi and Heidi Barrett. His star may be burning brightest at the moment, but Brown, 50, is not entirely without peers. Here are 4 more stories that explain how the wine destination is changing.
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