checkerboard vineyards
Checkerboard Vineyards is a 300-acre wine estate located on the Southeast-facing slopes of Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley. The estate includes a winery, cave, and four vineyard sites, joined by a two-and-one-half mile drive spanning the valley floor to the top of the mountain’s ride.
Vintners Dennis O’Neil and Steph Martin began the development of Checkerboard Vineyards in 1999 and retained Martha McClellan to create a portfolio of wines reflecting the mountainside.
The estate includes four small vineyard sites planted at varying elevation and of different exposure and soil composition that are sustainably farmed to nourish soils, maintain water purity, and prevent soil erosion. The vineyards are the foundation for a portfolio that includes three single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wines, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Rose. Checkerboard Aurora Vineyard and Checkerboard Kings Row are distributed to fine dining restaurants and specialty retailers.
Both Checkerboard Aurora Vineyard and Checkerboard Kings Row are created from the Aurora Vineyard, located in a small valley midway up Diamond Mountain and on a large knoll at an elevation of 1,200 feet. The knoll bulges outward, giving the vineyard full Southern exposure and open light from the East and West and protection from Napa Valley’s summer fog. Six acres are planted in the knoll’s rich, volcanic soils that are riddled with basalt cobble in loamy red clay. The remaining six acres are planted in a deep gravely mix of volcanic ash and chips of decomposed Rhyolite that were washed down from the steep, rocky crags of Diamond Mountain above.
Farming is based on long-term sustainability and includes water conservation and monitoring, permanent cover crops planted in alternating rows, and the use of entomology for pest control, and the development of soils with good organic matter and microbiology.
www.checkerboardvineyards.com
Erik Bennett
National Sales Manager
Erik joined Checkerboard Vineyards after 8 years working as an Account Manager for two prominent wine distributors in Northern California. Previous to working in distribution, he spent 20 years in fine dining, and completed his on-premise career by running wine and spirits programs. His depth of experience and industry knowledge is key to Checkerboard’s continued growth and expanding relationships nationwide. Erik hails from Northern Virginia, and graduated with a degree in Political and Social Thought from the University of Virginia. He currently resides in Petaluma, California.