Crane Family Vineyards was founded by Peter and Frances Chiarella when they came to the Napa Valley in 1990. The seven acres of undeveloped hillside was adjacent to two idyllic vineyards growing grapes for two highly respected Napa Valley wineries. Today the estate is managed by Peter’s son, Tom Chiarella, who carries on the family tradition of producing great wines.

They named their vineyard Don Raffaele, a translation from Italian meaning Sir Ralph, in honor of Peter’s father, who was knighted by Italy for heroism in World War I. The Crane Family brand was named for Frances, whose maiden name was Crane.

At 300 feet of elevation, the vineyard is on the instep of Mount Veeder facing in three directions (east, south and west), and protected from the harsh north. The soils vary from gravelly loam to alluvial clay, with shale below the hilltop. The high hillside, diverse soils and sweeping exposure to sun provide a wonderful combination - good drainage, a lot of warm sunlight and soil complexity.

For Crane Family Cabernet Reserve, the vineyard crew carefully prunes and grooms each vine to yield the best fruit possible. Clusters are hand-picked and sorted. Following a four day cold-soak, and after the initial fermentation, the wine is kept in contact with the skins and pulp for malolactic fermentation. The new wine is placed in an assortment of the best quality French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. The blend includes a little bit of Malbec and Merlot.