Andretti Winery


Andretti Winery is a boutique winery in the Oak Knoll District portion of Napa, California.

History

Begun as a "hobby" in 1996, the winery grew steadily. Mario Andretti's interest in the wine business arose from a commemorative bottling of wine he marketed to celebrate his retirement from auto racing in 1994. Two years later Andretti and longtime friend Joe Antonini, former CEO of Kmart purchased a vineyard and winery in the far north part of Napa, California, where they built a Tuscan-themed winery, tasting room, and guesthouse. The property was under development as a winery at the time, with wine under production by the former owners.
In 2001 the company conducted a financial transaction in which it sold the to a Napa farming group. The winery then leased back the tasting room and events center. The company has no ownership stake in the nearby vineyards.
The winery is operated by a public company, Andretti Wine Group, that the founders formed in a "reverse public shell merger" in 1995. It raised $3 million via a public offering in 1998, however it is no longer publicly traded.

Wines

Winemaker Bob Pepi, co-founder with his father of Robert Pepi Winery, and owner of the "Eponymous" winery, has been winemaker since the winery opened in 1996. The winery produces a wide variety of "super-premium" category wines from grapes grown on-site and sourced from various locations in California. It also resells a small quantity of wine imported from Italy.