VINIUM

On my first trip to Napa Valley as a young retailer of Fine Wines, I remember sipping a flute of Domaine Mumm, while looking out from the deck of Auberge du Soleil and thinking, "Napa Valley would be a nice place for me to retire to someday!"

After many wondrous years in the wine industry in Massachusetts, working with top winemakers and teaching an entire generation about the benefits of Napa Valley's magnificent wines - and the amazing people who would leave their mark for future generations to thrive here. Fate would have it: Twenty-five years later, I would migrate to California, a few years later, to the beautiful Napa Valley.

Since 2016, I have worked with growers and winemakers, as a Negociant*, making wines from single vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, Oak Knoll, and Chiles Valley, under several unique brands that were offered in small lots to individual retailers.

The Negociant model was always intriguing to me; *Negotiants buy excess fruit and/or juice, and blend them to make wines of their own; Think Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, and Louis Jadot in Burgundy.

VINIUM would become the brand that would represent the best wine available from each vineyard I would work with. I hope you enjoy our wines as much as I have enjoyed the journey to make them for you!

VINIUM'S ROOTS

Vinium from Latin Vinea (vine) and Optimum (best) represents our commitment to producing the highest quality wines, focusing on the excellence of the vines, and allowing the grape to express itself with minimum manipulation from the winemaking process..

A word from Richard Cardoza - Proprietor

Richard Cardoza - Proprietor

Chris Corley

Chris Corley has been the winemaker of Maroon Wines since our first vintage, and worked with Paul Maroon for 20 years. Chris and his brothers own Corley Family Napa Valley Wines, and he is the winemaker for the brands under this winery’s umbrella: Monticello Vineyards and Corley. Chris’s philosophy to winemaking is to introduce as little manipulation as possible from grape to bottle, and his wines have consistently scored dozens of 90+ ratings each year. He is also leading winemaking projects in both Mexico and Taiwan.