History Seven Stones Winery
Seven Stones Winery is a 45-acre winery estate in St. Helena, nestled in the hills just above the Meadowood Resort. Over the span of 1996 to 2010, 2.75 acres of certified organic vineyards have been planted.
Surrounded by some of Napa’s most prized vineyards, the property possesses the well-drained, rocky, volcanic soils that produce world-class wine. In 2007, Aaron Pott was hired as winemaker, while Pinã Vineyard Management was hired to tend the vines. Our 6 small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 small block of Cabernet Franc yield a single bottling of wine each year of only 250- 500 cases. We are proud to share the results with you.
Aaron Pott Winemaker
Aaron's first encounter with wine occurred at the tender age of 9 while on a family vacation to Paris. Requesting milk from a Parisian waiter, the server sneered, "Meelk ees for babies" and promptly returned with a glass of wine instead.
As a teenager, Aaron began conducting fermentation experiments in his parents' garage. This led to him to earn a Fermentation Science Degree at the University of California, Davis, and then a degree in Viticulture from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France. In 1990, he became assistant winemaker for John Kongsgaard at Newton in Napa Valley. Influenced by internationally-acclaimed wine consultant Michel Rolland, Aaron moved to Bordeaux in 1993, where he was winemaker at both Château Troplong Mondot and Château La Tour Figeac in St. Emilion until 1998. Upon returning back to the States, Aaron worked at Quintessa and St. Clement before striking out on his own.
While Aaron currently consults for several high-end wineries around the world, he is the exclusive day-to-day winemaker at Seven Stones. Aaron, along with his wife, Claire, also makes wines under his own Pott label. In 2012, Food and Wine Magazine named Aaron one of their “Winemakers of the Year."
Piña Vineyard Management
The Piña’s namesake company was founded in 1960 by John Piña Jr., who ran the business from one pickup truck and a telephone in his kitchen. Over the ensuing half century, Piña Vineyard Management has developed and cared for some of the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley, including Kapcsandy, Blankiet, Pahlmeyer and Gemstone. John’s son, Davie, now manages the family business, which has grown to over 200 employees.