Warren Winiarski

Warren Winiarski
Winiarski in 2015
Born(1928-10-22)October 22, 1928
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJune 7, 2024(2024-06-07) (aged 95)
Napa County, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Winemaker, grape grower
Known forAward-winning winemaker, preservationist
Websitewww.warrenwiniarski.com

Warren Winiarski (October 22, 1928 – June 7, 2024) was an American Napa Valley winemaker and the founder and proprietor of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.[1]

Winiarski owned and operated Arcadia Vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley, which produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In 1976, Winiarski won the Judgment of Paris blind tasting for his 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.[2] He oversaw the Winiarski Family Foundation, which supports educational and charitable causes, in addition to teaching courses at the St. John's College Summer Classics program in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 2017, Winiarski was inducted into the 11th class of the California Hall of Fame by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. for his global efforts to showcase and preserve the quality and history of California wine. The Smithsonian Institution, through its National Museum of American History, awarded Winiarski the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal on November 21, 2019.[3][4]

  1. ^ Eric Asimov: Warren Winiarski, Whose Fledgling Cabernet Bested the French, Dies at 95. In: NYT, June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Judgment Of Paris: The Blind Taste Test That Decanted The Wine World". NPR.org. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. ^ McIntyre, Dave. "A pioneering California winemaker gets his due from the Smithsonian" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  4. ^ "Napa vintner Warren Winiarski wins Smithsonian's prestigious James Smithson Bicentennial Medal". SFChronicle.com. November 20, 2019.