Silver Oak Cellars
Silver Oak Cellars is a family-owned, California winery dedicated to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak was established in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer. It is currently operated by Ray's sons David Duncan, who serves as the President and CEO, and his brother, Tim Duncan, who serves as Executive Vice President. Silver Oak has two wineries; one in Oakville in the Napa Valley and one in Healdsburg in the Alexander Valley. The Duncan Family also established Twomey Cellars in 1999, which has wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg. In 2007, the ColoradoBiz cited Silver Oak as one of a dozen California wineries which "have reached cult status" for its Cabernet Sauvignon production and occupies an "important niche in California's wine industry." In 2016, Silver Oak's Oakville winery became the first commercial winery in the world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certification for efficient energy use; their Alexander Valley winery was also granted the certification in the "new building" category in 2018. History Silver Oak was the vision of Justin Meyer. Entrepreneur and oil entrepreneur, Ray Duncan had purchased Franciscan Vineyards and approached Justin Meyer, whom he had met through mutual friends, and asked him to plant and manage his vineyards and winery. While working at Christian Brothers, Justin agreed, and started Silver Oak on the side. Ray invested in Meyer and Silver Oak was established in 1972. Named after its location between Oakville and the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, Justin and Ray's vision for Silver Oak was to devote all their resources to producing a single wine and Justin's favorite focus - Cabernet Sauvignon. Justin's vision was to perfect and make a wine that was 100% Cabernet, no blending. In 1972, Ray purchased a dairy farm in Oakville, in the Napa Valley, which is the site where the Silver Oak Napa Valley winery stands today. It was on this dairy farm in 1972 where Silver Oak's first vintage was produced using grapes from Silver Oak's Alexander Valley vineyards. That same year, Ray and Justin began planting Silver Oak's first Napa Valley vineyard. Seven years later, Silver Oak harvested the grapes for the company's first Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak produced 1,600 cases of 1972 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, Silver Oak's first wine. However, according to David Duncan, quoted in 2007, the company didn't sell wine for the first five years but then sold out for 28 years consecutively, and the company has continued to grow. In 1981, on the site of the old dairy farm in Oakville, Silver Oak broke ground on their Napa Valley winery which was completed in 1982. Growth of the company from 1977 onwards enabled Silver Oak to purchase further vineyards in the 1980s and early 1990s, becoming one of the most successful Cabernet Sauvignon brands of the 1980s. In 1994, Justin Meyer brought on Daniel Baron to become his successor. Daniel Baron has served as Silver Oak's Director of Winemaking since 2001.