Winemaker

Celia Welch

Celia Welch is one of Napa Valley’s top winemakers. An early introduction to grapes came as she and her siblings pulled berry from stem at the family’s home in Southern Oregon for her father - an avid collector and home winemaker. The family regularly visited Napa and Sonoma where Celia became entranced with the beauty of rolling vineyards.

In 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis, she set out to a few wine regions in the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and New Zealand. She worked harvest in the Barossa Valley of Australia, and then settled in Napa Valley to refine her craft.

In the early nineties she chose to focus on independent wine consulting. The wines she has made create a microcosm of Napa Valley, from vineyards on Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain to those in Carneros, and from benchland vineyards from St. Helena to Napa.

Celia was named one of Forbes.com Top Ten Tastemakers of 2006 and inducted into the Winemakers Hall of Fame by the national educational organization, Women for Winesense.

Yount Ridge Vineyards

Yount Ridge Cellars fruit is from our Oakville estate vineyard (next to Cardinale and across Hwy 29 from Far Niente and a stone's throw away from Opus One). The vineyard is over 20 acres and is organically farmed to Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec for blending. The vineyard also includes Sauvignon Blanc and the Sauvignon Musque clone, which is rare in Oakville.

While EPIC is elevated through the winemaker’s selection of the best barrel of each vintage, our Red Blends and Cabernets are the basis for that choice, and equally intense. Bright cherry, dark fruit, cool mint, chocolate, gorgeous, full and lush are some of the magnificent characteristics of our vineyard fruit.