About Us - History

Founded in 1980 by the Allen family on the site of an 1850 farmhouse, Sequoia
Grove is named for the circle of giant redwood trees that surround it, one of the last groves in the Napa Valley.

When Jim Allen first set eyes on the land that would become Sequoia Grove’s Estate Vineyard, Rutherford’s potential for Cabernet Sauvignon had yet to be realized. In 1979, the year Jim Allen bought the 24 acre plot, it was planted with a variety of grapes which he began pulling out and replanting with Cabernet Sauvignon. “In the early days, we were really pioneering with this variety, along with a few of our neighbors; we were just discovering the region as Cabernet land,” remembers Steve Allen, who has served as Sequoia Grove’s vineyard manager since its beginning.

Sequoia Grove released its first wine in 1981 and the winery quickly became known throughout the world for its traditional, Old World approach to winemaking and over the years yielded award winning wines of depth and elegance. The Estate Bottling was selected America’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon on its first release in 1985, and several years later Sequoia Grove was selected winery of the year.

In the 1990’s Sequoia Grove continued it’s tradition of producing award winning wines—especially its Cabernets. Among many accolades were gold at the Concours Mondial Bruxelles, 1999; and 94 points for our 1997 Reserve, Wine Enthusiast, November, 2000.