CHARDONNAY COMES TO NAPA

In 1946, as the country entered post-WWII recovery mode, Fred and Eleanor McCrea planted what is considered to be the first Chardonnay in Napa Valley at a converted goat ranch, known today as Stony Hill Vineyard. Other winemakers soon followed suit and evolutions in American Chardonnay commenced: Hanzell implemented controlled malolactic fermentations, and Robert Mondavi experimented with stainless steel ferments, both of which dramatically improved the quality of the wines.