After majoring in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis, Jeff completed his first harvest at Opus One in 1998 – and he’s been making wine in the Napa Valley ever since. When the Fontanellas opened their own winery in 2008, Jeff brought the experience he’d accumulated over his years spent at Opus One, ZD, and Saddleback to bring his own dream to fruition. Today, he shepherds the grapes from bud-break to bottle, crafting wines in his own signature style: wines that are approachable, balanced, and premium – without pretense.
Our Story
Jeff Fontanella’s winemaking story begins years ago in the halls of UC Davis. Jeff originally had aspirations of going to medical school while in college but discovered a love for the science and art of winemaking in the enology and viticulture department at Davis. It was a course in winemaking taken early on that ignited in him a new passion. This singular event led him to abandon thoughts of medical school to pursue a different calling, a career in winemaking. Jeff went on to cut his winemaking teeth in the cellars of Opus One and ZD.
In the Spring of 2000, Jeff met his future wife at a Jimmy Buffett concert. Armed with a magnum of ZD Chardonnay, Jeff charmed his way into the heart of an aspiring young attorney who eventually would be his partner in life and business. In 2003, Jeff and Karen married and started their journey toward what would become Fontanella Family Winery.
In the Fall of 2005, a beautiful property on Mt. Veeder caught their eyes and captured their hearts. On November 2, 2005, they purchased the 26-acre property on Partrick Road and began to build their winery, brand, and the Fontanella Family. This journey was not without some major setbacks, including a 6.0 earthquake and the Partrick/Nuns fire. However, despite the setbacks, The Fontanella Family Winery emerged “Unbreakable.”
In 2016, the opportunity to purchase the neighboring 55 acres of property, including a hillside cave and vineyard planting potential, was too great to pass up. In 2017 the Fontanellas planted an additional 7 acres of estate Cabernet Sauvignon on their new property with 7 additional acres planted on the estate in 2023.
2022 commemorated the 15th harvest for the Fontanella Family Winery and there’s no slowing down. Fontanella Estate Reserve Cabernet, now on the fourth release, proudly features as the winery’s flag ship wine, while the debut of long anticipated projects like the Per Sempre-a multi-vintage, solera style Cabernet Sauvignon-are a testament to the family’s fortitude and dedication to their craft and the pursuit of producing great wine. We could not be more excited for what the future holds, and we invite you to be part of it.
