Born from hardship in 2017 after the devastating Napa Valley wildfires, Kanpai Wines is now flying high. The project is the vision of Peter Chiang and his wife Azumi Kubo. Originally the family’s plan when they purchased the highly regarded Meadowbrook Farm Estate was to grow exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and continue the Farm’s tradition of selling the fruit to some of the most important wineries in The Valley. However, with the tragic wildfires came uncertain times and many wineries canceled their harvest contracts. Faced with this dilemma, Peter and Azumi made the brave decision to start their own winery and the Kanpai Wines story began.

To help them bring their vision to life they added renowned winemaker Steve Matthiasson to the team, who as fate would have it, was very familiar with Meadowbrook Farm as it was one of the first vineyards he worked on when he moved to The Valley. Matthiasson is known for making balanced wines that pair well with food, something that was important to Peter and Azumi both of whom have a great appreciation for food and hospitality. Steve is also known for making wines that represent the true character of the terroir they are grow in, an aspect that plays well for Kanpai as the Farm is located in the prestigious Oak Knoll District AVA. His commitment to excellence quickly shined through as their inaugural Meadowbrook Farm Estate 2017 Hi No Tori Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded 94 points from Wine Enthusiast and 90 points from James Suckling.

With fruit from the Meadowbrook Farm Estate, Kanpai is also making their single vineyard Tsuchi No Koe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon which received 93 points by Wine Enthusiast and 92 points by Wine Spectator for their 2019 vintage. A Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and a Napa Valley Chardonnay, both which pair nicely with sushi, are certainly must tries. Also, their ruby port-styled dessert wine and their Bordeaux blend have been well received. Let’s not forget about their Estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé which is the wine that started it all and which proceeds from sales go to the California firefighting community.  An Old Vine Zinfandel made from vines from the 1890’s is set to be released next January and we can’t wait to experience it.

Interesting enough, the Meadowbrook Farm story began when Robert Mondavi did a survey of the property and recommended the former owners to plant Cabernet Sauvignon vines on their terroir rich property. Convinced about the quality of the grapes grown on the Farm, he later proceeded to use some of the fruit for his Opus One wines. Only 17 acres of the 26 acre property is planted to vines with the oldest vines dating back to 1989. 

The story of Kanpai Wines might be a newer one but it is rooted on vines planted by visionaries and is being crafted by a team committed to making soulful wines. In the spirit of Kanpai, which means “Cheers” in Japanese, we suggest that you give the wines of Kanpai a try and raise a toast with the ones you love.