Joseph Phelps

Joseph Phelps

 Joseph Phelps

Founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, his namesake winery soon became synonymous with Napa Valley winemaking excellence with the creation of Insignia. Today we are honoring our past while building on our future as a preeminent wine grower of the Napa Valley and western Sonoma Coast.

Creation date: 1973
General Manager: Jeanne Adler
Head office: 200 Taplin Road St Helena CA 94574 - USA
Website:

Identity

The story of Joseph Phelps Vineyards began fifty years ago when Joe Phelps, a construction magnate and home winemaker, founded his eponymous winery in the then undiscovered wilds of Napa Valley in 1973. A pioneering spirit and continued quest for excellence guided the winery’s path to purchase vineyard land in key areas of Napa Valley, and later the western Sonoma Coast. Today, Joseph Phelps Vineyards and its flagship wine Insignia uphold a legacy of extraordinary quality.
The Joseph Phelps winery in Napa Valley designed by architect John Marsh Davis
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  • © Matt Morris - 1
  • © Briana Marie Photography - 2
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  • © Matt Morris - 5
  • © Briana Marie Photography - 6
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It began with a vision. In the early 1970s, Napa Valley was a sleepy agricultural town on the brink of a fine-wine awakening. Drawing on his construction experience, Joseph Phelps set about establishing the building blocks of winemaking excellence. Joseph Phelps was a builder of buildings, a builder of people, and a builder of dreams.

Image of Joseph Phelps © Archive of Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insights

Ashley Hepworth, Napa Valley Winemaker © Matt Morris
“At Joseph Phelps Vineyards our winemaking philosophy is to create the very best wine from the vintage we’ve been given, making sure that the wine is complex, balanced, and that it expresses the soul of the vineyard.”
Ashley Hepworth, Napa Valley Winemaker

Savoir-faire

It began with a vision. A belief in the possibility of something bigger and better – something that didn’t quite exist yet. In the early 1970s, Napa Valley was a sleepy agricultural town on the brink of a fine-wine awakening. Drawing on his construction experience, Joe set about establishing the building blocks of winemaking excellence. In 1974, he had the idea to make a unique blend each year, one that would represent the finest wine he could make from each vintage. His only thought was to make one wine that represented the best of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Today, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking that has earned Joseph Phelps its longstanding reputation for excellence.
The iconic Joseph Phelps Insignia © Briana Marie Photography

Outlook

Beginning in 1973, Joseph Phelps built an incredible legacy of estate vineyards over time in some of Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast’s finest appellations with the vision of making the best from each vintage. This vision of crafting the highest quality wines is preserved, enhanced and protected for future generations in each bottle, ensuring Joseph Phelps a place as one of the preeminent wine estates in the world.

Style & range

Joe Phelps built the winery’s early reputation on Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhône-style bottles, but his winemaking ambitions did not rest there. Today, the portfolio includes both Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast vineyards allowing our winemakers to explore the finest of each region.

Key figures

  • 2023 First Fifty Years
  • 525 Planted Acres
  • 1974 First Insignia