PEJU Winery: Family Winemaking At Its Best

Driving along California’s Highway 29 or rolling through Napa Valley on the Wine Train, PEJU’s graceful, 50-foot copper-roofed stone tower rising out of the vineyards is not to be missed. Inside the tower is PEJU’s tasting room with its soaring ceiling, mezzanine, and antique stained-glass window. But this architecturally magnificent building and surrounding sculpture gardens came from humble beginnings.

As a young man, Anthony Peju emigrated to Los Angeles, California with dreams of working in the movie industry. To financially support his dream, he found work as a florist and landscaper and eventually owned his own floral shop. He continued using his landscaping talents to profitably flip residential properties. In keeping with his love of growing things, Peju’s first thought was to use his increasing wealth to buy a farm. But upon seeing the 1900-era farmhouse with its 30 acres of rambling vineyards, some 60 or more years old, in Napa Valley’s Rutherford area, he knew he had found the home where he and his wife, Herta Behensky, belonged.

Before Peju purchased the property in 1983, the vineyard supplied grapes to other wineries in the area and this arrangement continued while Peju studied enology at UC Davis and began making wine. Grapes from a prized 5.5-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon were a favorite among his customers, so he used this root stock for grafting and replanting disease-resistant vines, now known as the HB clone, named for his wife.

Peju’s initial wine-making efforts were well-received, and he converted a garage into a tasting room while he planned and prepared to build his classic French Provincial style winery. A legal controversy ensued with Napa County arguing that tastings and wine sales could not be conducted until the winery building was complete. However, when the case went to court the judge ruled that in accordance with California law the grower may sell his product at the location where it is grown. The Peju case along with others became instrumental in creating a legal “winery definition” for tasting rooms and retail sales in Napa County wineries.

The winery complex has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a converted garage. The tasting room, completed in 2003, is prominently featured on PEJU wine labels. The winery is surrounded by two acres of gardens, pathways, and fountains that reflect the Peju family’s passion for horticulture, art, and landscape design. An antique Art Nouveau stained-glass window, circa 1906, is the centerpiece of the winery’s entry. The winery continues as a family business with the addition of Anthony and Herta Peju’s two daughters Lisa and Ariana.

From the original 30-acre property known as Stephanie Vineyard, Peju has expanded to include six distinct properties across Napa Valley, from the cool, southern Carneros region to the warm, northern Calistoga area, encompassing a total of 515 acres. Estate vineyards are strategically located in Oak Knoll District, Carneros, Rutherford, Calistoga, and Pope Valley. The winery is mainly focused on Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in their Carneros and Pope Valley estate vineyards.

We had the Classic Tasting which includes five Napa Valley wines. The Fifty/Fifty is from their Reserve wines. The 2021 Cabernet Franc was notably young, so the 2018 vintage was provided to show its aging potential.

Tasting Notes:

• 2023 PEJU Chardonnay. Pale golden hue. Aromas of honeysuckle, apple, pear and citrus. On the palate, light to medium body with apple, pear, lemon rind, and butterscotch notes and some minerality. Aging sur lie in French oak provides a creamy mouthfeel. Refreshing finish of medium length ending with a toffee note.
• 2021 PEJU Merlot. Aromas of red and dark fruits, oak. Medium to full body, with flavors of blackberry, plum, cranberry, currant, and vanilla. Herb and spice notes. Smooth tannins with balanced acidity. Medium to long finish ending with a mocha note.
• 2021 PEJU Cabernet Franc. Deep-hued reddish purple in color. On the nose, floral, spices, and dark fruit. Full body, bright acidity, and firm tannins, with flavors of ripe blackberry, plum, licorice, and tart fruit. Long, dry finish with black pepper notes. A young wine for 2024 with good aging potential.
• 2021 PEJU Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% Petit Verdot. Dense in color. Dark fruit, cherry, and mint on the nose. On the palate, full bodied with a velvety texture, and flavors of blackberry, plum, cherry, licorice, chocolate and pencil lead. Long finish with lingering fruit flavors.
• 2021 Fifty/Fifty. The name refers to the compositional blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot as well as aging in 50% French oak and 50% American oak with 50% of the barrels being new. Fifty/Fifty has a vibrant nose of fresh herbs, cherry, earth, cigar box, leather, and eucalyptus. Medium to full body, with flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum and a hint of spice. Medium to long silky finish. Age-worthy and structurally complex, yet easy to drink.
• 2018 PEJU Reserve Cabernet Franc with 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. An added tasting to compare with the 2021 vintage. Spice, berries, dark fruit, and floral notes on the nose. Full bodied with blackberry and spice notes. Silky mouthfeel with a long, smooth finish. The additional three years of aging in the bottle mellowed the tannins and produced a wine with wonderful structure and balance.

From the iconic winery building, beautifully curated grounds, friendly and informative staff, and high-quality wines, PEJU Winery is one stop in Napa Valley that should not be missed. Special thanks to Hospitality Manager Niccole Trzaska-Gould and Tasting Host John Kohler for an informative and thoroughly enjoyable tasting experience.