Our Story
George Grodahl spent his entire career in the computer industry in sales, as an entrepreneur and as an investment banker. In 1991 when George took an early retirement from a fruitful investment banking career, he had no idea that ten years later he’d be releasing a world class Super Tuscan style wine from his small vineyard operation.
In 1994 he and his wife Caddy purchased 40 acres in the hills of Yountville, right in the heart of Napa Valley. The hillside location with well-drained, rocky soils, provide a natural birthplace for great wines.
The first Chanticleer vintage, the Super Tuscan style 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in May, 2003. The second Chanticleer vintage of 250 cases of the 2001 Chanticleer Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in August, 2004 and was sold out by mid-September.
Each successive vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Super Tuscan has sold out well before the next release became available. Now, they produce @ 200 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, @100 of Sangiovese and @200 Cases of Riserva. It has become necessary to allocate the wine to existing clients and to create a waiting list for the Sangiovese.
For George the process has been a labor of love and a dedication to excellence. In 2020 George turned 82 and decided it was time to slow down and live a quieter life. George was fortunate to find the ideal buyer for Chanticleer, Deepak Gulrajani, the winemaker and owner of Nicholson Ranch winery.
Nicholson Ranch is known for producing excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir so the Chanticleer varietals of Cabernet and Sangiovese are very complimentary. Deepak is a passionate and experienced winemaker who continues the tradition of producing excellent wines from the Chanticleer vineyard.
