Opus One Winery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Opus One Winery |
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| Location | Oakville, California, USA |
| Appellation | Oakville AVA |
| Founded | 1978 |
| First vintage | 1979 |
| Key people | Robert Mondavi co-founder; Philippine de Rothschild, co-owner; Michael Silacci, Winemaker |
| Parent company | BPhR, Constellation Brands |
| Cases/yr | 25,000 |
| Known for | Opus One |
| Varietals | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot |
| Tasting | by appointment |
Opus One Winery is a famous winery located in Oakville, California, in the United States. It was started as a special project between two very important people in the wine world. These were Robert Mondavi from California and Philippe de Rothschild from France.
Their goal was to create a unique wine that mixed the best of French and American winemaking styles. They wanted to make a Bordeaux-style blend using Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Napa Valley. The winery is right across the road from the Robert Mondavi Winery.
When this partnership was announced in 1980, it was a huge deal. Baron de Rothschild's involvement helped the growing Napa wine region gain a lot of respect. The first wine, from 1979, was released in 1984. For a while, it was the most expensive Californian wine. Even today, it is still one of the most costly red wines from Napa Valley.
Since 1993, Opus One has also made a second wine called Overture.
Contents
How Opus One Winery Began
A Meeting of Wine Minds
The idea for Opus One wine started in 1970. Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild met for the first time in Hawaii. They began talking about working together. Their dream was to combine old European winemaking traditions with new American ones. They wanted to create one "grand opus," which means a great work.
The official partnership between Mondavi and Baron Rothschild was announced in 1980. However, they had been planning this special winery since the early 1970s.
First Grapes and New Land
The very first Opus One wine was made in 1979. The grapes came from Mondavi's own To Kalon Vineyard in the Oakville AVA. In 1980, Mondavi sold 35 acres of this vineyard to the new company. These grapes would become the main part of the Opus One wine blend.
The first wine made from these specific vineyard blocks was released in 1985.
Building an Icon
From 1989 to 1991, the Opus One team built a large, beautiful winery. It was made of limestone and is located in Oakville. This building has now become a famous landmark in the Napa Valley.
In the 1990s, Opus One became one of the first "cult wines" from California. A cult wine is a very popular and sought-after wine. It was widely sold in places like Asia and Europe.
After Constellation Brands took over Robert Mondavi winery in 2004, Baron Rothschild's family made a deal. They negotiated to keep control over how Opus One wine was sold, how the vineyards were managed, and how the winery was run.
The Winery Building
Designing a Unique Space
Even though Opus One's first wine was made in 1979, the actual winery building started construction ten years later. It was built right in front of the Mondavi winery. The architect, Scott Johnson, designed the winery to fit in with the natural landscape. It looks like it rises from the valley floor, with a classic and elegant style.
Special Features of the Winery
The winery was built on top of an area with a high water table. This means there's a lot of water underground, which made digging the foundations tricky. The soil around the winery is also warmed by nearby natural hot springs.
The winery property includes 108 acres of grapevines. There are about 2,200 grapevines planted in each acre.
