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Darioush,
a winery noted for its Bordeaux style estate wines,
implements old world labor-intensive, micro-vineyard
management and new world state of the art technology
to craft fine wines from its estates located in the
appellations of Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder and Oak Knoll.
Under the direction of Darioush Khaledi and winemaker
Steve Devitt, precision and quality are of the utmost
importance at the winery.
Our
small and dedicated Darioush team works passionately
to create some of the finest wines from the world
famous Napa Valley. We look forward to introducing
the beauty and passion of Darioush wines to you!
"The
opening of the new winery and visitor center is, without
a doubt, one of the most exciting moments in my life.
Ever since I was a young man, when I began my passion
for great wine, I dreamt of this day."
Darioush
Khaledi grew up in Shiraz, one of Iran's prominent
wine-growing regions. His father was a hobbyist winemaker
and as a young boy, Khaledi used to sneak sips from
the barrel; as a young adult he became a devoted collector
of fine wines.
Trained
as a civil engineer and with a career in construction,
Darioush left Iran in the late 1970's and emigrated
to Southern California where he was faced with the
challenge of rebuilding his life. Darioush and his
brother-in-law pooled their resources and purchased
a failing grocery store in the city of Los Angeles.
Now thirty years later, together they operate one
of the most successful independently owned grocery
businesses in the United States, which alone employs
over 1500 people.
As
the success of his grocery business grew, his passion
for fine wine transformed from collector to producer.
No longer was Darioush interested solely in collecting
the world's finest wines he was driven to create hand-crafted
wines with the highest quality standards.
Darioush
is the culmination of the worldwide search for the
ultimate vineyard estate. The Darioush Estate's ninety-five
acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot,
Malbec, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Viognier.
Darioush
Khaledi, a man passionate about fine wines founded Darioush
in 1997. Khaledi grew up in Iran's Shiraz region, a
wine-growing region until the Islamic revolution. His
father made wine as a hobby, and as young boy, Khaledi
used to sneak sips from the barrel. As an adult, he
became a devoted collector of fine wines.
Immigrating
to the United States in the late 1970's Khaledi's
passion for wine never waned. In the early 1990's
he embarked on a worldwide search for the ultimate
vineyard estate. Darioush is the culmination of this
search.
Steve
Devitt is Winemaker/Vineyard Manager of Darioush.
Steve
manages all winemaking and viticulture activities
at Darioush. His understanding of microclimates, the
local soils and the wines they produce enable him
to create Estate wines that best express the character
of each individual vineyard. As a winegrower, he believes
that the best winemaking begins in the vineyards.
Steve personally manages the Estate's extensive new
vineyard developments and all aspects of the Estate's
wine production.
Focused
to the limited production of red Bordeaux varietals
and small lots of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Shiraz,
Darioush employs minimal intervention or 'ancien'
winemaking techniques. The Darioush Estate is committed
to hand harvesting and handsorting each grape cluster
prior to crushing. This is a meticulous and labor-intensive
method, but it ensures that only the finest, fully
matured grapes are used in our Darioush wines. This
approach includes small lot whole cluster pressing,
destemming, cold soaking, extended maceration, barrel-to-barrel
racking and bottling without filtration.
This
minimalist approach preserves and expresses the true
varietal character of Darioush Signature wines. Our
main focus is to grow a classic red Bordeaux blend
that displays the finest qualities of the Estate's
unique soils and microclimate.
Our
small and dedicated team at Darioush, works passionately
to create some of the finest wines in the world from
the Napa Valley.
Darioush
welcomes guests to its new visitor center and winery
beginning August 16, 2004. The new architectural building
comes after five years in the making, and combines
materials, castings, and furnishings from distant
lands and exotic locations. The 22,000 square foot
winery, the first in America to combine architecture,
design and Persian culture, provides a unique and
exhilarating experience in California’s most
renowned wine destination. Reminiscent of the great
noble architecture that once existed, the imagery
of the Darioush building evokes Persepolis, the illustrious
capital of ancient Persia.
The
Khaledi's Persian heritage is the inspiration and
vision for the winery, designed by architects Ardeshir
and Roshan Nozari, incorporating clean, contemporary
lines with historical references to Persia’s
ancient capital city. One of the most important aspects
of the Persian culture is hospitality, and the winery
is designed to create a welcoming, enjoyable as well
as a rich and intriguing environment for guests. Visitors
will receive unparalleled service and a sensational
experience.
“The
juxtaposition of modern clean lines and historical
references represent the philosophy of our office,”
states Ardeshir Nozari, who incorporated many intriguing
architectural elements throughout the building. Among
the design features of interest are the 16 monumental
18’ freestanding columns with capital bulls,
which act as stone trees at the entrance of the winery,
elevating visitor expectations. Richly textured travertine-stone
cladding surrounds the entire building. This yellow
stone was quarried near the region of Persepolis and
exported to Turkey and Italy for cutting and tumbling
before it reached the Silverado Trail in Napa. Additional
design features include pre-cast moldings, furniture,
fireplaces, ironwork, lighting, cellars, and an amphitheatre
for performances and events.
The
Visitor Center boasts a state of the art facility
offering a unique one-on-one experience to taste the
complete line of signature wines with options for
indoor and outdoor seating. Six outdoor water features
with fountains and one indoor rolling wall of water
comprise some of the sights and sounds of the guest
experience. Lush and varied landscaping creates a
sequence of continuous gardens, which lead the visitors
to the winery.
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