OUR STORY

As a small, family-owned winery in the vast Napa Valley, we appreciate you taking the time to get to know us. We look forward to sharing our story, property, and wines with you. Cheers!

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Producing a Most Personal Wine

The Spence family’s journey on Howell Mountain began in 1994 when Allen and Jacalyn Spence purchased a small slice of land sitting at 1900 feet. Initially, the property served one purpose; a respite from the fog and bustle of San Fransisco. Slowly but surely, Allen and Jacalyn realized this mountain paradise would be much more than the “weekend getaway” they imagined it as.

After becoming full-time Howell Mountain residents in 1996, Allen and Jacalyn would spend years bringing the property back from a neglected state; pruning back the overgrown, 40-year-old table grape vineyard and renovating the orchard. All in all, they would recover more than 50 fruit trees.

Relying on their new Howell Mountain neighbors for support, the Spences quickly found themselves immersed in a newfound community of winemakers, wine-drinkers, and most importantly, friends. All of this came to a point in 1998 at the “Taste of Howell Mountain” auction. Being new to the area, Allen and Jacalyn were eager to try their hand at making a small lot of home wine, so they placed a bid on a “Home winemakers kit.” Whether they were ready for it or not, their winning bid, which entitled them to an unexpected 2,000 lbs of Howell Mountain Cabernet, would be the beginning of their winemaking journey.

Luckily, one of their newfound friends was an experienced winemaker on Howell Mountain and was willing to carefully guide them through the winemaking process. This initial experience, paired with fond memories of standing in the cold, tasting their wines from barrel, then going inside to make dinner and critique their developing wines, is what sparked a love of winemaking for the Spences.

From their first vintage in 2003, Allen and Jacalyn would spend 20+ years stewarding the property, business, and legacy towards their ultimate goal; creating small lot wines that express the magic of their amazing property. In the interest of preserving the legacy within the family, Allen and Jacalyn decided to sell the business and property to Allen’s first cousin and his wife, Dave and Suzie Spence, from St. Louis, Missouri.

Dave and Suzie’s goal is simple – preserve one of the remaining small lot, limited production wineries in Napa Valley while continuing to produce intense and focused wines that express the beauty of Howell Mountain. To continue this legacy, the Spence’s daughter Keeley and her fiancé Charlie, recently began running the day-to-day operations of the business in 2024.

Don’t hesitate to reach out and get to know us better, we’d love to chat. We don’t exist without you; our wine club members, supporters, and wine drinkers everywhere. Thanks for stopping by – we hope to share a glass with you soon!

our vision

To preserve the rich history of the Napa Valley by continuing the tradition of boutique, family-made wines with the intensity and complexity that Howell Mountain offers us each year.

our Mission

To produce exceptional, limited production wine that is ours alone, with a character that reflects the specific conditions of our vineyard.

Get to know the Family

Get to know the passionate team behind our exceptional wines! Meet the faces of our vineyard by visiting our team page.

Meet the team