WHETSTONE WINE CELLARS

California

Whetstone Wine Cellars is a small family-owned luxury wine brand located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Here’s our story, told in Jamey Whetstone’s words:

Born in Florence, SC, I grew up the son of a Baptist preacher and moved around quite a bit before settling in Wilmington, NC. I relocated to Napa in 1996 to manage Mustards Grill, figuring I’d gain restaurant experience before heading back home to the Carolinas to open a restaurant of my own. Napa had other plans for me. My winemaking education began in 1998 at Turley Wine Cellars, where learning how to change the clutch on a tractor was more valued than knowledge of Bordeaux First Growths. I had the opportunity to take a summer sabbatical working for the Seysses family at Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis, which cemented my love for Pinot Noir. After returning from France, I founded Whetstone Wine Cellars in 2002 while continuing my apprenticeship at Turley. In 2005, I left Turley in order to take the leap toward growing the Whetstone brand.

We purchased Whetstone Estate in February of 2011, and opened our doors in July of 2013. The centerpiece of the property is a 19th century French-style chateau, now our tasting salon, which sits on two acres located at the base of Atlas Peak Road in Napa. Other than gaining a physical location, the most significant change in the trajectory of Whetstone Wine Cellars was the full-time addition of my wife, Michelle. She’s behind the overall operations and aesthetic of our brand, and introduced our simple but effective sales motto: to be more in touch with the lost art of face-to-face communication. With the touch-screen ease of the digital sales world, we’ve made this grassroots approach a priority here at Whetstone.

The quality of our wines coupled with the gorgeous setting, relaxed atmosphere and Southern hospitality make for a truly unique Wine Country experience. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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