Schramsberg Vineyards has a long and distinguished history, serving the most notable people in the world in illustrious settings. In fact, Schramsberg was the first American “champagne” ever served by the U.S. Department of State when in 1972, President Richard Nixon asked the Air Force to pick up 15 cases for a dinner in honor of Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Most recently, and for the 87th time at the White House, Schramsberg sparkling wine was served to another head of state, French President Emmanuel Macron.
It takes an outstanding wine to rise to those standards, but without a business culture to match, it’s fair to say the wine would never have graced the lips of world leaders. Hugh Davies, the youngest son of founders Jack and Jamie Davies, has spent his entire life at Schramsberg Vineyards, now serving as vintner and chief executive officer. For him, the vision of the winery and its place in the Napa Valley—and on the world stage—is grounded by its history.
The most recent iteration of the winery’s story began in 1965, just before Hugh was born, when his parents bought property with a big Victorian house and run-down winery that would eventually become a producer of world-class sparkling wine.
With a little help from their friends, the Davies proceeded to fulfill their dream of making the first fabulous Napa Valley sparkling wine. The collaborative spirit of Robert Mondavi facilitated their vision. Davies explains that the wine business is a complex industry in which success for one facilitates success for all. “As my dad loved to tell it,” he says, “he and my mother wanted to make sparkling wine. My dad went to Mondavi as the guy who would help them find Chardonnay to make Blanc de Blanc. There was very little Chardonnay around. But Mondavi got them the Chardonnay, and he said, ‘Well, Jack, if you succeed, we’ll all succeed.”
The same principle applies within the whole business “There are a range of vineyards that we work with,” Davies says. “And there are people that represent all those vineyards. There are owners, managers, workers.” For his business to work, the relationships with all those people are important.
“On the other side of the spectrum, you have the restaurants and the stores and ultimately you have the consumers. All those relationships are also important,” Davies says. “Its important to do well by all those people.”
A vital part of the equation, making the wine business culturally unique, is time, according to Davies. “It’s a long-term business. If you plant a vineyard, it takes five years to get fruit. And then the vineyards can produce for 30 years. Decisions made years ago still impact us today. As we look at our community, we have these family ties that go back generations. Many of us have been working together in tandem to create our brands, to craft delicious wine. At the end of the day we’re getting better and better. And that was the idea.”
That spirit led to a seat at the White House for Schramsberg Vineyards, and it continues to work in the Winery’s favor, as it does for the entire North Bay.
