A new tempo for wine.
NEOTEMPO is a family-owned Napa Valley winery where Nature, Art, and Science come together. Through organic farming, precision viticulture, artisanal winemaking, and industry-first innovation, we craft small-production wines that express a clear sense of place and come to life through immersive Studio experiences, visual art, music, and sustainable design.
Nature. Art. Science. In the glass.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris — the seminal moment when California wine earned its place on the world stage.
No art label.
No brand story.
Just what was in the glass.
The Context
On May 24, 1976, in a blind tasting that placed California wines against some of the most respected wines of France, the upstart California producers prevailed. When Time magazine covered the results, the world took notice — and Napa Valley’s reputation was forever changed.
Fifty years later, the Judgment of Davis, jointly hosted by University of California, Davis Viticulture & Enology and Harvard Data Science, offered a modern reflection on that legacy: a blind tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from around the world, evaluated with the same spirit of discovery, rigor, and open-minded judgment.
The Format
Out of 144 Cabernet Sauvignon-based submissions, only 12 wines were selected as finalists. The final tasting brought together 18 esteemed judges and 70 audience members, including professors, faculty, first-round judges, and wine enthusiasts.
NEOTEMPO’s Performance
For NEOTEMPO, it was an extraordinary honor to be part of that conversation. Our 2021 KIATRA Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was submitted to the competition, making it especially meaningful to stand among the final 12 wines as the youngest brand in the field.
The UC Davis connection runs deep for NEOTEMPO: both winemaker Tony Biagi and proprietor Kia Behnia attended UC Davis and first met there in 1991.
The recognition was especially meaningful because there was no hexagonal bottle, no art label, no sustainability story, and no immersive brand experience in the room — just what was in the glass.
For a young Napa Valley wine brand, this was a moment of gratitude, validation, and inspiration — a reminder that while NEOTEMPO is shaped by Nature, Art, and Science, it must ultimately be judged by the wine itself.
We want to thank everyone who has been part of the NEOTEMPO journey — our team, partners, clients, collectors, friends, and supporters — for believing in what we are building.
