Shafer Vineyards

Shafer Vineyards is a cornerstone of Napa Valley and a story of family efforts, making the most of what nature and the landscape give. The Shafer family’s legacy begins in the 1970s, but their property’s grape-growing roots run all the way back to the 1880s.

History
The land Shafer calls home was planted with grapes as far back as 1880, making it one of Napa Valley’s earliest wine properties. When John Shafer, a publishing executive from Chicago, bought the estate in 1972, it was overgrown and hadn’t been updated in years. John moved the family west and, with a lot of manual labor, replanted the hillside to Cabernet Sauvignon. By 1978, they had made their first wine. John’s son Doug Shafer joined in 1983, and winemaker Elias Fernandez came on board in 1984. Today, Doug and Elias still work side by side and keep the original Shafer spirit alive, even as the winery has grown. Family is central, both in ownership and mentality, right up until the sale of Shafer to a large group in early 2022. But the hands-on, teamwork approach remains unchanged.​

The Vineyards
Shafer has about 250 acres of vineyards, mainly in the Stags Leap District, a spot famous for big reds and rolling, rocky hillsides. The most renowned is their estate vineyard, which forms an amphitheater-like bowl around the winery and brings together multiple blocks of rocky hillside. Beyond Stags Leap, they own land in Carneros (Red Shoulder Ranch), which is cooler and perfect for Chardonnay, and Oak Knoll.

Every vineyard has been chosen for how the site’s climate and soils match the grapes they grow, with sustainable farming and care from planting to harvest.​

The Terroir
Shafer’s vineyards are defined by dry, rocky volcanic soils and steep slopes. This forces the vines to dig deep for water and nutrients, helping the grapes develop structure and concentration. Cool morning fog gives way to sunny afternoons, and the hillsides drain well, keeping vines healthy and yields manageable.

These conditions lean heavily into the plush, ripe-yet-structured style Stags Leap District is known for, softer tannins, bold fruit, but balance too.

In Carneros, it’s all about the wind, fog, and cooler temperatures, which bring freshness to their Chardonnay.​

Way of Winemaking
At Shafer, the process is all about hands-on work and attention to detail. Grapes are picked by hand, with a focus on keeping everything as healthy as possible.

In the cellar, Shafer runs its own bottling line and uses an optical sorter to make sure only the best fruit gets into each wine. Fermentation is gentle, with both traditional and modern equipment.

All red wines see plenty of time in new French oak barrels, giving a mix of structure and richness. Whites, like the Chardonnay, are made with careful aging on the lees for texture and flavor, but without heavy oak to mask the fruit.​

3 Fun Facts
Shafer’s Relentless Syrah/Petite Sirah blend is named for longtime winemaker Elias Fernandez’s never-quit attitude, a quality the winery says keeps their standards high every vintage.​

The Hillside Select block is replanted only when necessary and is a real patchwork of tiny, rocky parcels, each one picked and fermented separately.

When a wildfire threatened the vineyards and house in the early 1980s, John Shafer planted the "Firebreak" vineyard at the edge of the property. Today it still marks the line between wild land and vines, and the fruit occasionally makes a tiny-lot dessert wine.​