One Saturday, soon after buying the vineyard, there was a knock, knock on the door, and we first met Kevin Corley. Kevin and his family are the owners of Monticello Vineyards in Napa. Monticello was established in the late ’70’s by Kevin’s dad Jay. You can read their story here:
It was an eventful meeting. We weren’t sure what we would be doing with the grapes. Kevin told us, “well they are already sold, if you want to sell them to us.” They had had a written three year automatically renewing contract with Mr. Manker, the previous property owner, and Kevin was hoping we would sign up, which we did.
Since then, the relationship with the family has developed into a great partnership. They love our grapes, we are the most northerly vineyard in Napa Valley from whom they purchase grapes, and in fact there is only one other non-Corley owned vineyard where they buy grapes – from Pat and Hugh Tietjen.
In 2006 the Corley family honored the vineyard by introducing a single vineyard designation wine. “Yewell Vineyard”. I guess the careful care of Sam Turner and Mark Obershulte as vineyard managers has paid off.
Visit the winery and taste winemaker Chris Corley’s great results.