We dreamed of having a wine country home but had no plan to own a vineyard until we acquired 621 acres in Knights Valley at the base of Mt. Saint Helena. While studying the land to determine its best use, we learned the property was ideal for grape growing and designed a 22-acre vineyard we named Helena Vista.

Devoid of traffic and populated by rolling vineyards and cattle, Knights Valley is pastoral and idyllic. Located in the northeast corner of Sonoma County, just above Napa Valley, the soils are fertile and well-drained. The area enjoys warm days followed by evenings cooled by maritime breezes, making it perfect for Bordeaux varietals. Our growing fondness for Knights Valley became the catalyst for more investment in the wine industry.

It was then that we acquired Brookshire Vineyard and subsequently several properties adjoining it to create a 565-acre parcel we named Brookshire Ranch, in honor of the land’s history. In addition to Brookshire Vineyard, the Ranch includes a grape growing business supplying local wineries, a cattle-raising operation, and 500 acres of pristine conservation land.

As grape growers and wine collectors, we have an interest in the connection between land and wine and agreed the natural evolution of our business would be to make wine. We hired winemaker Julien Fayard and produced our first vintage of Brandon Gregory Estate in 2019 from Brookshire Vineyard.

In 2020, we added a third Estate property to our portfolio and planted it to Cabernet Sauvignon. Dean York Vineyard is in the town of Saint Helena in Napa Valley, and we will debut our first wine (a 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon) from this vineyard in 2026.