About
First constructed as the Larkmead Winery in 1884, the building was refinished with native sandstone from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands tall today. The massive stone edifice is considered an archetype of California’s wine country; it appears on the National Register of Historical Places and is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California. In 1990, he purchased a home in the eastern hills of Napa in Rutherford. Two years later, in 1992, Rich received a midnight phone call at his home in Los Angeles from a friend, telling him that the Kornell Champagne Cellars on the site of historic Larkmead Winery was for sale and, if there was ever a time to get into the wine business, it was now. Rich, unsure of entering the business full-swing wisely offered half the asking price, and less than 24 hours later he was an owner of the Calistoga winery. Rich’s passion for the Napa Valley and Frank Family Vineyards underscores a wildly successful, long-term career in Hollywood. He was Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications and headed Disney’s syndication arm Buena Vista. He was then President of Walt Disney Studios for nearly a decade and oversaw the development of The Disney Channel.
Winemaker
Todd Graff