In 1967, Bruce Newlan - a physicist and engineer at Lockheed - bought a 13-acre, run down, old walnut orchard just south of Yountville, a prime site in the Napa Valley. The soil and location of the orchard was perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon so Bruce and his family set about creating a small farming enterprise which initially sold its ripe, luscious fruit to the likes of Mondavi, Inglenook and Clos du Val.

The Newlans soon saw the potential of the land and decided that they would turn their hands to making their own, individualistic, hand-crafted wines. Their debut wine was a 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was followed by an Estate-bottled Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay and a Late-Harvest Riesling.

Today Newlan Vineyards owns 30 acres of vineyards planted to Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Riesling.

Bruce, who recently retired, handed over the winemaking to his son Glen in 1994. They have teamed up with another winemaking family Kozo and Nieves Sato - and, with this further influx of cash and enthusiasm, aim to increase the limited production from 12,000 to 30,000 cases a year over the next few years.

The Cabernet is medium-bodied and finely crafted. Being in the cooler, southern part on the Napa, the Pinot Noir vines are caressed by the San Francisco Bay breezes. The grapes are fermented at a higher temperature than the other reds to ensure maxium colour extraction and produce juicy, strawberry-scented wines. The white wines benefit from a fresh balancing acidity which gives an edge to their honeyed fruit.