Opus One Winery

The genesis of Opus One wine can be traced back to 1970 at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii where Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild met for the very first time.

They shared a vision to merge the old world (Bordeaux) and the new world (California) and began their collaboration to combine the two styles into one grand opus. The joint venture was announced in 1980, though the plans for the winery had been developing between the two men since the early 1970s.

In 1980, Mondavi sold 35 acres from his Kalon Vineyard in Oakville to the joint venture that would serve as the backbone for the blend. The first vintage was released in 1985 and the estate soon built the large limestone winery in Oakville that has since become an icon of California's Napa Valley. 

Ever since its first production, the Opus One wines have been among the most celebrated Californian wines, and since 1993, the estate has produced a second wine, Overture.