Our Story
Pursuing a dream and carrying on a legacy together as a family
After three decades of farming grapes for some of Napa Valley’s finest wineries, the Tognetti family knew it was time to turn their dream into something more personal. On a rainy afternoon in 2010, Robert Tognetti, alongside his sons Michael and Matthew, walked the rows of their family vineyard and harvested a second picking of Chardonnay—grapes that became the very first Tognetti Family wine, a humble 20-case vintage made not for sale, but simply to be shared with family and friends around the table. It was a small beginning, but a meaningful one. With the collective effort of Robert, his wife Wendy, and their four children—Michael, Matthew, Christina, and Jenny—Tognetti Family Winery was officially founded, built on a shared love of farming, winemaking, and celebrating life's moments, big and small. What began with a single varietal from the family’s Aloise Francisco Vineyard has grown thoughtfully over the years, and today the Tognetti family continues to handcraft limited-production wines, each bottle a reflection of their roots, their traditions, and their belief that nothing is more important than being together—and raising a glass to it.
Legacy
58 years of farming and 104 years of living life to the fullest
Our story begins with Jack Tognetti. After studying agriculture at UC Davis, Jack served as a Navy finance officer during World War II before building a long career with American President Lines, traveling the world but always staying connected to the land. In 1964, he found the place he would one day call home: a stretch of farmland in Napa Valley’s Los Carneros region, then cooler, windier, and overlooked by most. The property, dotted with prune and pear trees, wasn’t a vineyard yet—but Jack saw its potential.
For years, he lived between two worlds, farming in Napa and working abroad, nurturing the land with quiet determination. In 1980, he cleared the orchards and planted grapevines, setting a bold new future in motion. By the late 1980s, Swanson Vineyards began crafting Chardonnay from Jack’s fruit—wines that would be served at the White House. In 1998, Schramsberg Vineyards began sourcing his grapes for their celebrated sparkling wines, a partnership that continues today.
Jack passed away in 2022 at the age of 104, surrounded by the land and family he spent a lifetime nurturing. Today, the Tognetti family tends the vineyard with the same quiet dedication and care that Jack embodied, growing grapes that carry the spirit of his legacy—and the promise of generations still to come.
Cheers to Jack, and to the life, love, and land that brought us here.
“People sit down and have a nice glass of wine but they don’t realize just how much hard work goes into making it.”
— Jack Tognetti