August Briggs Winery is the culmination of owner Joe Briggs’ dream, which began in 1995 with the production of the first wines under his own label. Joe had already been a winemaker for over ten years, graduating from Fresno State in the early 80s, and working as somewhat of a Pinot Noir specialist first at Alpine Vineyards in Oregon and then at La Crema in Sonoma County. His experience working in several viticultural areas had taught him where to find the greatest vineyard sites and how to work with vineyard owners in a partnership to produce great wines from all over California’s north coast.
Joe’s goal from the very beginning was to make small lot, artisanal wines that he loved to drink himself, and the first wines under the August Briggs label were two Pinot Noirs and a Zinfandel; both varietals remain specialties of the winery today. We often get asked, “What are you most known for?” and it’s a difficult question to answer. Great Pinot Noir is always a passion and constant quest for Joe, but there are also the big reds – Zinfandel, of course, but also Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and Charbono. The wide variety of great vineyards available has given us interesting grapes to work with, each reflecting its local origin – and Joe is proud to be able to bring this variety to our customers.
After Joe had been making August Briggs wines in other locations for a few years, production and sales had expanded enough that he began to consider a permanent home for his family winery. He and his wife Sally loved Calistoga and the surrounding area in the northern part of Napa Valley. In 2002 Joe located a small parcel of land on the southern edge of Calistoga, and built a simple but state-of-the-art winery there that is our home today.