Story
Our JourneY
NEOTEMPO is the culmination of a decades held vision and drive to bring to life a modern, family owned and operated winery in classically beautiful Napa Valley wine country.
Serendipity Guides DISCOVERY
Summer of 1996 and serendipity led to the discovery of the property that would become our estate vineyard, Kiatra. A flat bicycle tire slowed us down long enough for the heritage oaks, story book 1950s cottage and surrounding vineyards to enchant us to the core. We were building our careers, undertaking extensive work travel, saving as much as we could while never forgetting our dream of living in the wine country, but we still had to keep biking down The Trail.
15 years later, Spring of 2011, while traveling back from an Oakville tasting, we saw that the property we have long loved was on the market. We took a flyer and had to ask ourselves if we were ready. A few days later we returned to the property for an open house and we knew it would be our place as soon as we saw the back views. Serendipity struck again! We Add to that our patience, perseverance and hard work paid off.
The house was falling apart, the vineyard was not doing well but the bones were good. We had to re-establish the site in our own way.
Establishing the Kiatra Vineyard
“Kiatra Vineyard” was born and our vision for a modern family owned and operated winery would finally come to life. The vineyard site needed a lot of tender love. The heritage oaks on the knoll were our first concern. Having witnessed nearly two centuries of Napa Valley history, we wanted them to witness ours. With the guidance of an experienced arborist and careful stewardship over time, the oaks are healthier today—and better prepared to watch over the property for generations to come.
We approached the vineyard with the same long-term perspective. Our goal was to establish healthy vines capable of producing exceptional fruit for decades. Before planting, we allowed the soil to rest for a year, replenishing it naturally and protecting it with nutrient-rich cover crops. We selected rootstocks suited to the site’s distinctive soils and conditions, then planted less-conventional, FPS-certified Cabernet Sauvignon clones chosen for their potential to shape the wine’s texture and flavor in a distinctive and beautiful way.
The vineyard was planted at high density, creating greater competition between the vines. This naturally moderates vigor and encourages smaller, more concentrated clusters. We farmed organically from the beginning, continually refining our practices as the vineyard matured.
Within a few years, the fruit attracted the attention of respected wineries and winemakers. Their experience helped us further understand the site and fine-tune our farming. More importantly, it confirmed what we had hoped from the start: we had created a strong foundation for the wines—and the story—still to come.
Neotempo - Setting a new tempo for new timeS
Fire came on October 8th, 2017. It was frightening. It was a very unsettling time, overwhelming at points and the air hurt our lungs. It drove us off our vineyard and away from our home. We left the property fearing the worst for us and our neighbors. People within our community were lost, structures were erased and the fires kept burning. We were spared, as was the property, thanks to our vineyard which acted as a fire break. The Napa community rallied, the hearts of people were revealed and very few stood on the sidelines. Committed friendships and relationships were forged during that time.
September 2020 and the Glass Fire erupted, not too close to us this time but it was destructive and sadly in such a scenic area of the valley. So close in time to 2017, this massive fire was an even louder wake up call. Temperatures continue to rise and we have extreme weather events more frequently.
We are acutely aware that all industries need to revisit their processes and take active measures to reduce their impact and that the wine industry should lead by example since we are on the frontlines of climate chaos.
Many people in the industry wondered if the future of wine is in danger with the changing climate. How can you produce high quality wine while battling droughts, fires, smoke, flooding, and extreme temperatures?
We started partnering with like minded vintners, wine growers and organizations across the wine industry to move faster and together protect the future of the industry. We support innovative companies who are modernizing farming.
There is a big movement that is working on what we can do and we are sharing our experiences and challenges. We need more leadership and innovation and we need it at a faster pace to create new solutions.
We knew if we wanted to fulfill our dream of establishing a wine brand for the twenty-first century we needed to make sustainability and climate resilience at the core of how we farm, produce and package world class wines. We leverage technology enabled innovation on all aspects of our brand to enhance and elevate our product and experience.
We named our wine brand NEOTEMPO, to honor the urgency of this ‘new era’, and also symbolize a new chapter for us.
We wanted to create a mission and values based wine brand and build a team of talented creators, experts and pioneers who would help us achieve our vision.
OUR MISSION & CORE VALUES
Our mission is to sustainably farm and craft unique, world class wines paired with curated multi-sensory experiences that excite the senses and inspire the soul. Our learnings and success will be a model for how a wine brand can balance responsibility to the planet and people in line with a strong growth oriented business model.
- Produce wines, products and experiences with substance, meaning and intention.
- Honor the past, celebrate and live in the present and act now to protect the future.
- Put sustainability at the core of our strategy and offerings.
- Be kind to the planet and all living on it.
- Strive for greatness fueled by intuition, knowledge and innovation.
- Small details make a big difference.
- Use the platform for doing good.
- Hire the best and trust them.
- Stay authentic and grounded.
- Have fun – it’s a privilege to work on your passion.
TEAM
Our team brings together decades of experience in organic and biodynamic farming, award-winning winemaking, and technology-enabled innovation. Guided by nature, art, and science, we combine precision with artisanal craftsmanship to create wines of distinction that express the character of each vineyard and vintage.
We are a small team of creators united by a shared passion for wine—and for the music, food, art, and cultures that bring people together around the world.
