Napa Legend Doug Stanton Shares Petite Sirah Grapes

A Great Story To Tell

I’ve been in the wine business since early 1993, as a result I’ve seen many incarnations, including my own. All are fascinating stories to tell; in fact I’ve been sharing them on my blog since 2005. These stories have depth, due to their natural histories and the characters who have been participating. I didn’t foresee 20 plus years coming down the freeway, but here they are, and I’m still involved in their evolution. The good, the bad, and they ugly exist, to be sure; however, I’m going to be sticking with the good, and leave the rest to investigative writers and

I also subscribe to the saying of “pick your battles,” and now asking why I would even bother to go down an alley of negativity. I’ve met so many amazing people dedicated to the business of wine. Each one has a remarkable story, and the world is now my oyster to tell what I know.

Doug Stanton Shares Petite Sirah Grapes

Napa legend Doug Stanton shares Petite Sirah grapes, for the first time, in nearly eight decades. Since 1947, the Stanton family has farmed some of Napa Valley’s most coveted ground. Patriarch Jesse Stanton purchased his first parcel in Yountville, and the family has quietly grown world class fruit since then. Familiar names are Stags Leap, Merryvale Vineyards, Orin Swift, Groth, and Del Dotto, among others, so Doug has never needed to look for buyers, until now.

What’s Changed?

Doug Stanton, a third-generation owner of Stanton Vineyards, is now offering his entire 2025 Petite Sirah crop to the trade. “We source our fruit from three distinct Napa Valley appellations: the Oakville Valley floor, Mills Lane in St. Helena, and JB Ranch in St. Helena.” For decades, this fruit has supplied some of the most recognized labels in the region. Now Stanton wants to extend that same opportunity to others, so they can reap the benefits of his excellent fruit too.

“Our grapes speak for themselves, and we do our own farming of the land ourselves,” Doug Stanton is happy to say. They don’t outsource their vineyard to any management companies, which means we react to what the vineyard needs faster than anyone. That care shows up in the fruit.” Right now, across Napa Valley, established relationships between growers and wineries are being quietly renegotiated as the wine industry navigates a very difficult cycle. For the right buyer, this is a rare alignment of circumstances, and it has the potential to become a whole new generational growth spurt.

Prestige Grapes, Proven History

“Napa Valley Petite Sirah of our pedigree is rarely available on the open market. Napa Valley and Sonoma County producers, in particular, have a unique opportunity to access Napa grown fruit. This is from a family that has farmed the same land for three generations, and represents something that does not come around often.

 

An opportunity That Doesn’t Come Around Often

Shafer Vineyards had bought entire Petite crop, but it’s now available to trade for the first time in family history. Napa fruit of this pedigree, from three generations of hands-on farming, rarely reaches the open market. For wine producers, especially, it’s a chance to bring Napa-grown Petite Sirah into their own portfolios. This fruit has spent decades proving itself in one of the valley’s most respected brands. History is now that Doug Shafer has retired and new owner Shinsegae Property is passing on Petite as a future ingredient. It makes since to me, because Petite is a grape with immense flavors.

Doug Stanton didn’t lose this buyer because anything went wrong. He lost it because ownership changed hands an ocean away, and farming relationships built over a lifetime don’t always survive a transaction. The grapes are exactly as good as they’ve always been. Now the Stanton’s just need someone new with the same passion for those flavors, to also recognize their extreme value. And, hands shaking, begins a whole new generation…

Rare Relational Shifts

I believe the shift in one longstanding buyer relationship is presenting this fruit to a broader market. The available grapes are being presented to wine buyers for the first time. Doug Stanton’s Petite Sirah has become an amazing opportunity for any Petite Sirah producer.  When someone is looking for exceptional fruit to build a flagship wine around, this is it!

Adding even deeper significance to the moment is the next chapter already taking shape at Stanton Vineyards. Doug Stanton’s daughter Natalie Stanton is positioned to inherit and continue the family’s farming legacy, and she’s very excited about it. The vineyard that Jesse started, that John expanded, and that Doug has brought to national recognition is not going to fade away. It’s being passing to a new, fourth generation, as Napa Valley continues to evolve.

The Next Generation Steps Into Place

Natalie Stanton is a proud fourth generation member of this family winery, and she’s ready to rock! “I feel incredibly fortunate to carry on a legacy that began in 1947. I’m excited to bring fresh ideas that help grow our brand, reach new customers, and share our family’s story with more people.” She continues, “I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to work alongside my dad at these events, and I look forward to meeting new faces, reconnecting with familiar ones, and seeing everyone soon.”

I love this family story, they’re the ones that are golden and media love to write about. It’s not about a corporation wanting to hold stock in wine. They’re tales told by family voices I’ve met over the years, and the viticulture is like slowly opening up a lotus, to reveal more beauty. When people don’t have that fire in their bellies, they opt out. That is not Doug’s or Natalie’s dream, not the one they’ve been living in the Stanton family.

 

Interested Buyers Are Encouraged

Contact Doug Stanton Directly

Doug Stanton
Stanton Vineyards
PO Box 394, Oakville, CA 94562
Phone: (707) 967-0482
Email: mail@stantonvineyards.com
Website: www.stantonvineyards.com