Strata Vineyards


The People • The Vineyards & Winery • The History
	John Johnson and Dave Cofran are “old-timers” in the wine industry. John has been growing grapes for over 25 years. Dave, who retired as General Manager of Silver Oak Cellars after 20 years, has over 35 years in the wine industry. The joint experience comes together with a hands-on approach to grape growing and winemaking. With the focus on ‘Strata’, the goal is to make their Merlot only from grapes grown in their own vineyards. About John & Dave (Downloadable Microsoft Word Document)
Producing Strata Merlot from only their own vines, along with Dave’s and John’s attention to the details, makes Strata Vineyards a unique winery in this famous wine producing region. Strata Vineyards are located in the Oak Knoll District. The lyre trellis system provide the vines with uniform sun exposure which allows the grapes to maximize their color, flavor and sugar potential. The winery is located just north of the vineyard. All winemaking steps – crushing, pump overs, pressing, racking, barrel aging and bottling – are controlled and overseen by Dave and John.

The Beginning Layers The name Strata Vineyards describes the structure of the soil and the many layers that create the basis for growing Strata’s fine Merlot grapes. For the owners, it also conveys the respect they have for the ‘layers’ of the history of their land. John and Dave purchased the property in 1995 from the Bruno family. They had owned the land since the early 1900's. The majority of the land was planted to produce walnuts and prunes. When John and Dave approached Mrs. Bruno about purchasing the property it made sense since their 10 acres of Chardonnay grapes and Dave's property were right next door. She was pleased with their plan to maintain the beauty of the property. John and Dave worked diligently to preserve the beauty of the land and the original buildings on the property while planning the lay of the vineyard. The First Vintage The summer of 1999 in Napa Valley proved to be one of the best years for quality production of grapes in the last decade. Conditions couldn't be better for Strata’s first vintage. The fruits of John’s and Dave’s labor produced a modest yield of grapes that were rich with flavor and potential. In 2001, the Cofran and Johnson families came together to bottle their first vintage. The wine had barrel aged for 24 months in French Oak and American Oak. The blend of the two types of oak adds to the complexity of the wine. The French Oak produced a spice or “cigar box aroma”, while the American Oak infuses flavors more reminiscent of vanilla. From the grapes come the hint of blueberries. The wine has a slight to moderate tannic backbone assuring that the wine can benefit from additional aging. Another layer of Dave’s and John's philosophy is to limit production which reflects their ongoing practice of producing only quality wines of distinction. Now in their third vintage, this reflection is proving successful. The above photo is the Bruno property and two of the original buildings when John and Dave purchased the property and before the vineyard was planted. Return to the top of page The Strata Vineyards Story (Downloadable Microsoft Word Document)