In the 1870s – when Conn Valley Road was little more than a wagon trail – the land which Seavey Vineyards now farms was planted with grapes to make a “Claret of high repute.” This wine was judged by the St. Helena Star to be “as fine as one might find anywhere.” Commonly known as the Franco-Swiss Farming Company, this was the pioneering vineyard and winemaking operation of Conn Valley. After roughly thirty years of producing great wines, the company dissolved due to the impact of a phylloxera infestation and Prohibition. For more than a half-century, cattle roamed the land, and grain was farmed but no more grapes were cultivated until Bill and Mary Seavey acquired the land in 1979.
By 1990, they had remodeled an 1881 stone dairy barn into a small winery and began producing small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Small blocks of Merlot and Petit Verdot were also added along with a second winery building which includes an underground wine cave.
On a visit to the Seavey Vineyards property, you will sample hand-crafted wines made in the finest classical tradition and get a rare glimpse into a small, family-operated vineyard and winery whose practices and traditions honor the “Old Napa Valley.”