Hundred Acre

In arare in-depth interview granted to Decanter, we meet the dauntless Jayson Woodbridge. The founder of Hundred Acre is a controversial figure in the Napa Valley, yet the wine community can’t ignore the fact that his wines are celebrated by pundits the world over

Arriving in Napa Valley with no winemaking experience in 1999, Jayson Woodbridge quickly showed his A aptitude for learning from luminary winemakers - most notably St Helena-based Philippe Melka.

Woodbridge's ability to make fine wine and understand the importance of terroir - and the substantial fortune that he brought to the valley - enabled him to purchase vineyard land in good locations. He managed it very well and produced consistently high-quality grapes to make his Hundred Acre wines.

Woodbridge chose a slightly obscure name that no one understood at first. Writers have claimed, mistakenly, that 'Hundred Acre' is a reference to AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. 'Not so,' says Woodbridge; it's a Zen-like reminder of his youthful days as a long-distance runner speeding through the woods near his childhood home. "My own private forest of childhood memories.' Woodbridge has astutely caught the attention of the media and consumers in a way that has placed Hundred Acre among the best-known wines in California. Though he built his empire on high-priced cult wines, he also created under-$20 wine brands Layer Cake, Cherry Pie and If You See Kay (all sold to Vintage Wine Estates in 2018). In the last five years, he established two entirely new wineries: Fortunate Son and Summer Dreams (see p59).