Open:Â Year Round
The Chimney Rock estate began to take shape in 1980, when Hack and Stella Wilson purchased a 180 acre parcel - which included a golf course - situated on the east side of the Silverado Trail. They built their country house based on Cape Dutch-style architecture and started planting vineyards shortly afterwards.
The first 59 acres were planted with a combination of red and white grapes, and the premiere vintage of Chimney Rock estate wines was produced in 1989. In the early 1990s, the Cape Dutch-style winery building (with the massive allegorical frieze of Ganymede, cupbearer to the gods) and the tasting room were added to the estate.
In 2000, the Terlato family joined the Wilson family as partners in the winery with added resources and the goal of enhancing Chimney Rock's reputation for producing some of the world's great estate Cabernet Sauvignons. In 2001, the remaining land, covering 60 acres, was planted entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Â The Chimney Rock estate now comprises 119 acres of vineyards divided into 28 distinct blocks, allowing for highly specialized viticulture suited to each specific site.
