Our Story
Who We Are
The Tognetti family has been farming top quality Chardonnay grapes in Carneros since the 1980's, selling much of our fruit to prestigious wineries in the Napa Valley. In 2012, we achieved our dream of starting a winery in the family name and reserved our highest quality grapes to make our own wines. Tognetti Wines was founded with a vision of continuing our family farming legacy and sharing the warmth and authenticity of our Napa Valley ranch and vineyard with our family and good friends.
Our Vineyard
Our vineyard sits on our beautiful 20 acre property. World-renowned winemakers from some of Napa's most notable wineries have worked with our vineyard over the years and hand-selected the four Chardonnay clones which can be found in the vineyard today. During the growing season, leaf-pulling, hedging, and canopy management are all done by hand to promote airflow and sun exposure for each grape cluster. The combination of the cooler climate and fertile soils that result from the Carneros Creek feeding into nearby San Pablo Bay makes this the ideal place to grow Chardonnay grapes. They say that great wines are made in the vineyard, and each season we diligently manage our vineyard to provide the highest quality fruit possible.
Our Vineyard Supervisor
Francisco Cortez started working with the Tognetti family in 1988 at the young age of 18 and has now been apart of our family for over 30 years. He oversees day-to-day vineyard operations and ensures our vineyard is well taken care of throughout every season. You can find Francisco out in Aloise Francisco Vineyard winding through the rows, pruning, watering, leafing and giving each vine the attention it needs.Winemaking
Singe Vineyard, Small-Lot Wines
Single vineyard wines allow us to showcase the unique characteristics of the vineyard and region. Producing only small amounts of each vintage allows us to ensure every single bottle we produce is held, sampled, and approved by our winemaker to ensure it reaches its full potential. These wines truly display dedication and attention to detail throughout the winemaking process. We take a minimal intervention approach on our winemaking, allowing the fruit to do most of the talking. We hand-pick all of our grapes at the peak of ripeness and immediately go to crush. We gently press the grapes to ensure we only get the highest quality juice. From there our winemaker carefully crafts the wine to ensure the character of the fruit truly shines.Our Winemaker
Originally from Louisiana, Don LaBorde never guessed he'd one day become a winemaker crafting world-class wines in Napa and Sonoma. Since his first harvest in 2001 he has done just that - working for such notable brands as Trefethen Family Vineyards, Francis Ford Coppola, and the Duckhorn Portfolio. Don met Christina Tognetti and was enamored with tales of her family's vineyard and boutique wines. In 2019, Don joined Tognetti Family Winery as consulting winemaker to be a part of the family's commitment to making top tier wines from their Carneros property which ranks among some of the area's finest vineyards.Our Story
The Tognetti Family
After 30 years of helping his father farm grapes for some of Napa Valley finest wineries, Robert Tognetti and his family decided to make wine of their own. On a rainy day in 2010, Robert did a second picking in the family vineyard with his two sons, Michael and Matthew. The grapes they harvested produced the first Tognetti Family wine. This first vintage was only 20 cases and was made for use by family and friends. Although this wine was not made for sale, it proved to be a vital step in Robert achieving his dream of opening a winery in his family name.Robert Tognetti achieved his dream of founding Tognetti Family Winery with the help of his wife, Wendy Tognetti and their four children: Michael, Matthew, Christina, and Jenny. Starting with one varietal, Robert used grapes picked from his father's vineyard, Aloise Francisco Vineyard, to make the first wine that would be sold under his family name. Staying true to his vision, Chardonnay from the family's property is produced on a limited basis each year. Over the years, the Tognetti family has continued to offer exceptional Chardonnay while simultaneously expanding our portfolio of meticulously crafted small batch varietals.
Our Legacy
John F. Tognetti (Jack)
Jack was the proprietor of Aloise Francisco Vineyards. Born in 1917, he grew up in San Francisco and spent summers on his grandfathers farm in Watsonville. After studying agriculture at UC Davis, he spent the next few years at sea serving as the finance officer on the President Cleveland during WWII. After returning home, Jack began working for American President Lines. In 1964 he purchased his property in the Los Carneros region of Napa Valley. Success at work led to a promotion to Director of Marketing and Traffic from Korea to Karachi - a promotion which would relocate him and his family to Hong Kong. Although his career in the freight industry allowed him to see the world, his passion was always agriculture. Jack knew he would eventually settle back on his land in Napa with his wife and four kids.When Jack purchased his farm, the Los Carneros region was not the desirable location it is today. In the 1960's many bypassed this region of the Napa Valley due to the colder weather and strong winds. Like much of Napa at the time, his property was an orchard with 600 prune and 400 pear trees. Jack spent many years traveling between Hong Kong and Napa, spending time working on his farm whenever he was home. In 1980, Jack felt the property was ready for a big change. He made the decision to remove the orchards and began planting grapes.
With his passion for farming and meticulous attention to detail, Jack's vineyard always yields an exceptional crop. Over the years this has attracted the attention of notable wineries who have purchased his Chardonnay grapes for uses in their premium wines. The first winery to do so was Swanson Vineyards and for many years his grapes were used in their Chardonnay - the same Chardonnay that was served to presidents and dignitaries in the White House. Jack and Marco Cappelli, Swanson's winemaker at the time, worked closely together and quickly developed a strong friendship. In 1998 it was time for a change that would cause Jack's grapes to develop a bubbly personality. The quality of his fruit, combined with the unique characteristics of the Carneros region, made his grapes the perfect fit for Schramsberg Vineyard's renowned sparkling wines.
Wines that have been served in the White House, presented as gifts to foreign governments, and awarded for their superior quality around the world. A stong relationship would quickly developed and to this day the majority of the grapes from Aloise Francisco Vineyard are sold to Schramsberg to be made into their remarkable sparkling wines. In February 2022, Jack Tognetti passed away at the grand age of 104 leaving the vineyard to his four kids. He touched hearts and souls up until his very last days and his quick wit and humor were present up until his last hours. He will continue to inspire us to strive for a greater purpose in our work. Cheers to the life, love, and memory of this incredible man - a husband, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend to many.
Napa to Tuscany
The Tognettis of Montaione, Italy
Tracing our family history is something we feel is important and during our search we were delighted to discover that the Tognetti family in Montaione, Italy are also growers and producers of wine. Over the past few years we've had the pleasure of spending time together both in Tuscany and here in Napa. Although we are separated by generations we knew from the moment we met that we are family. The Tognetti family will welcome you to the most beautiful corners of Tuscany with five organic wine properties where they produce a number of incredible wines. Their vineyards are located on carefully selected growing sites in the most important winemaking areas of Tuscany.They carefully craft their premium grapes into both traditional and modern wines. Their portfolio includes; Chianti, Chianti Classico, Morellino di Scansanso, Super Tuscan Blends, and many more. They are not only purveyors of fine italian wines but also produce high quality grains, olive oil, and cured meats. The Tognetti family owns one of the most important La Cinta Senese (Ancient pig breed) DOP farm breeding operations in Tuscany. Utilizing old family recipes and only animals they raise on their large forested property, the Tognetti's make Salami the traditional Tuscan way. The two branches of the family have recently started a collaboration in order to promote their high quality products. To learn more visit www.tognetti.eu/en