Elaine Chukan Brown honors the founder of Stag’s Leap, a pioneer from California who significantly contributed to the state’s esteemed wine legacy.
Warren Winiarski had a deep appreciation for Syrah. Our first encounter was over dinner, where I poured him a glass of Kusuda Syrah from New Zealand. This wine was delectable, showcasing a cooler vintage with notes of dried herbs, flowers, white pepper, blue fruits, savory meats, and a hint of ginger.
The unique allure of the Kusuda sparked a lengthy discussion between us about the style and quality of Syrah, or Shiraz, from various regions in Australia and New Zealand. In 1986, he had the honor of serving as an international judge for the Sydney Wine Show alongside Len Evans and had spent time exploring different wine regions. Throughout our conversation, Winiarski wore a smile, and the dialogue naturally progressed towards the broader subject of wine quality.
Winiarski views a remarkable wine not merely through the lens of its variety, but as a reflection of its exceptional suitability to its growing environment; the essence of the wine tells the story of its origin. For this to occur, the wine must embody a balance of richness, ripeness, and restraint. He referred to these wines as classic. According to Winiarski, the Kusuda exemplifies this perfect harmony. This philosophy inspired him to cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon on the eastern slopes of Napa Valley.
Winiarski gained acclaim for his achievements with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, particularly for its landmark 1973 Cabernet, which triumphed at the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. A bottle from this vintage now resides in the Smithsonian Museum, recognized as one of “the 101 objects that made America.” This accomplishment also earned him the prestigious James Smithson Bicentennial Medal. Additionally, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and received the Trustee Medal of Honor from the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. In gratitude, he contributed financial support to the Smithsonian to launch its American Food & Wine History Project.
Nevertheless, Winiarski noted that the key takeaway from the Paris tasting was not solely which wines came out on top. The inability of expert tasters to differentiate between French and California wines signified that the finest California wines had attained the same harmony as the classic wines of old.
Before Winiarski embarked on his winemaking journey, he and his dear wife Barbara acquired a property perched atop the Vaca Range. In 1965, they also established a vineyard there, marking the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon vines on Howell Mountain after Prohibition, near the site where Dunn continues to thrive today. At that time, it was among the very few instances of Cabernet planting within Napa Valley.
The following year, Robert Mondavi inaugurated his renowned winery, with Winiarski taking the lead as winemaker for the first two years. This winery was notable for being the first significant establishment to open after Prohibition lifted in 1933, highlighting the scarcity of wineries during that era. During his tenure there, Winiarski immersed himself in learning about the region—its air currents, frost zones, and temperature variations. He carried along the Winkler Index, devised by UC Davis scholars AJ Winkler and Maynard Amerine, as a resource. His aim was to comprehend the subtleties of the area while also identifying a location that would naturally yield richness, ripeness, and restraint.
It was then that he crossed paths with Nathan Fay. In 1961, Fay ventured into a previously undeveloped region of Napa Valley, where he began the first Cabernet vineyard in what we now recognize as the Stags Leap District. This area had been deemed too cool for grape ripening. However, after a tasting session with Fay, Winiarski decided to alter his plans. In 1969, he and Barbara sold their Howell Mountain property and, alongside investors, acquired land near Fay Vineyard to cultivate Cabernet and Merlot, leading to the establishment of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Winiarski had discovered his ideal location for crafting classic wines, and by 1986, he had also acquired Fay itself.
Winiarski grew up in a close-knit Polish community in Chicago, where neighbors exchanged resources and expertise. His father crafted wine at home using dandelion and honey, and Warren reminisced that his earliest memories involved listening to the sounds of fermentation coming from his father’s barrels. However, at home, wine was reserved for special occasions only.
After completing his undergraduate studies at St John’s College in Maryland, Winiarski pursued graduate education. He focused on Machiavelli, immersing himself in studies in Italy while obtaining his master’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago. In Italy, he encountered wine as a source of everyday enjoyment, alongside a yearning for a rural lifestyle.
Upon returning to Chicago as a teacher, Warren and Barbara would invite friends over for lunch. Their guests would bring a selection of wine to share, featuring a blend of non-vinifera hybrids cultivated in Maryland’s vineyards. This moment marked Winiarski’s revelation.* He became passionately engrossed in reading, tasting, and discussing wine, eventually beginning to correspond with winemakers in California.
In the early 1960s, Winiarski dedicated an unproductive week to assisting Martin Ray in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ray regarded Winiarski as “too independent.” Nevertheless, this experience affirmed the feasibility of an agrarian lifestyle. As a result, Winiarski reached out to more professionals, ultimately spending two years collaborating with Lee Stewart on Howell Mountain at Souverain, before moving on to Mondavi.
Following his time at Mondavi, Winiarski provided consultancy across Sonoma and Mendocino counties and even ventured to make wine in Colorado. When he founded Stag’s Leap, the winery became an influential training ground for the next wave of transformative winemakers: Françoise Peschon, who was instrumental in launching Araujo; John Williams from Frog’s Leap; Michael Silacci of Opus One; Bob Sessions, recognized for his contributions at Hanzell; Dick Ward, who established Saintsbury; Paul Hobbs; Steve Matthiasson; Tegan Passalacqua; among many others, all regard Winiarski as a mentor.
Winiarski reflected on how the multi-generational fabric of his upbringing instilled in him a commitment to honor his ancestors while paving the way for future generations. After the sale of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, he retained the section of the vineyard that included his residence and established the Arcadia winery.
In Napa Valley, Winiarski played a pivotal role in initiating the Agricultural Preservation Act of 1968 to safeguard the region against excessive development and was instrumental in creating the first agricultural preserve in the country. Alongside his wife Barbara, he founded the Winiarski Family Foundation, which actively supports conservation and educational initiatives. In 2018, the foundation contributed funds to St. John’s College to help reduce tuition for all its students. In 2021, they awarded a grant to bolster the viticulture and enology program at Colorado Mesa University. Over the years, they have financed the UC Davis Wine Writer Collections, an archive dedicated to assembling the most extensive collection of papers, recordings, and materials from wine writers worldwide, along with establishing the Spurrier-Winiarski UC Davis Library Wine Writer-in-Residence Program in 2023.
In 2021, Winiarski also decided to honor his mentors in the wine industry, Maynard Amerine and AJ Winkler, by funding research to further the Winkler Index. He expressed that this initiative aimed to support upcoming winemakers in their journey to shape the future.
* Warren Winiarski, Creating Classic Wines in the Napa Valley, an oral history conducted in 1991, 1993 by Ruth Teiser, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1994.