Where 50 years of heritage meets an inclusive, abundant spirit

1976

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards, which becomes one of the first 40 Napa Valley wineries. They also purchased the original 10-acre property in beautiful St. Helena. Named Marlee’s Vineyard, after Margaret, this idyllic property will later become home to the beautiful Duckhorn Vineyards Estate House.

1994

Paraduxx is founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn as the only Napa Valley winery devoted exclusively to making Napa Valley blends. Though taking inspiration from the great red blends of the world, Paraduxx is also committed to making wines that reflect the character and charm of Napa Valley. The debut vintage offers a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Petite Sirah. The visionary blends of the Paraduxx quickly establish a reputation for their bold, expressive character and their food-friendly sophistication.

1994

Duckhorn acquires the 39-acre Rector Creek Vineyard in Yountville. Located along the Silverado Trail, Rector Creek Vineyard will later become home to our Paraduxx Winery. Rector Creek’s unique climate, combined with its rocky alluvial soils, create ideal growing conditions for the first estate plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc.

1996

After six years of experimentation, and long before the Pinot Noir boom that reshaped the landscape of California winemaking, Goldeneye is founded in the Anderson Valley with the purchase of an 80-acre ranch that includes a small winery and vineyard. Located at the headwaters of the Navarro River, Goldeneye’s first estate property is named Confluence Vineyard. With ideal clay soils and a marine-influenced climate offering long, mild days and cooling fog and winds, the Anderson Valley appellation has all of the ingredients for producing world-class Pinot Noir.

1997

Goldeneye’s first vines are planted at Confluence Vineyard in the spring of 1997, providing a modest 12 acres of Pinot Noir. Committed to the careful growth of the estate program, Goldeneye begin a long-term search for other ideal vineyard sites. In the fall, seven tons of fruit are picked from Confluence Vineyard, resulting in 375 cases of handcrafted Goldeneye Pinot Noir.

1998

As Paraduxx evolves, the boldness and intensity of mountain fruit becomes more and more integral to the Paraduxx style. To ensure access to phenomenal mountain fruit each vintage, Stout Vineyard on Howell Mountain is acquired, one of the Napa Valley’s most sought-after, ultra-premium winegrowing regions. The 36 acres of vineyard are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, Grenache and Syrah.

2000

After a decade of planning, research, and experimentation, Goldeneye releases its debut Pinot Noir to an enthusiastic response from consumers, press, and trade. Building on our commitment to developing a world-class estate program, Gowan Creek is acquired—a 70-acre vineyard that will eventually become the home ranch for our Goldeneye Winery.

2001

Embodying the lush elegance of cool-climate California winegrowing, Migration’s exploration of the great Burgundian varietals begins in the Anderson Valley, with the debut 2001 vintage of Migration Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Shaped by the valley’s cool nights, fog-shrouded mornings and mild, sunny afternoons, this inaugural release establishes Migration’s stylistic identity—producing sophisticated wines with abundant fruit and bright acidity.

2003

In celebration of Parduxx’s 10th anniversary, they break ground on a winery dedicated exclusively to the brand and produce a special 10th anniversary limited-production Paraduxx wine.

2003

Goldeneye purchases The Narrows Vineyard. Situated on a narrow ridgetop at the northernmost tip of the valley, The Narrows is a historic mountain ranch planted with highly prized mature Pinot Noir vines. Just 10 miles from the Mendocino Coast, The Narrows is affected by strong cooling marine influences. These extreme conditions provide the perfect setting for growing grapes of great intensity, resulting in a complex Pinot Noir that embodies the vineyard’s wild beauty and natural intensity.

2005

Construction on the Paraduxx Winery and Vineyard House is completed. Surrounded by Rector Creek Vineyard, the dramatic centerpiece of the state-of-the art winery is a unique 10-sided fermentation facility inspired by the area’s traditional round barns.

2006

Goldeneye celebrates its 10th harvest in Anderson Valley with a limited-production anniversary bottling. Made from the ten finest barrels of Pinot Noir, Goldeneye names this special wine Ten Degrees—a name that pays homage to the fact that even though our estate vineyards span a modest eight miles, they often display a temperature variance of as much as 10 degrees from The Narrows Vineyard in the cool “deep end” to our Confluence Vineyard in the south.

2008

Goldeneye holds a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the commencement of construction on a new state-of-the-art Pinot Noir winery at our Gowan Creek Vineyard.

2008

Building on what Migration had already achieved with Pinot Noir, making Chardonnay in a similar style became a natural next step. In 2008, Migration produces its first Chardonnay using fruit from elite vineyard sources in the Russian River Valley. This wine is the first Chardonnay in the Duckhorn Portfolio's 30-year history.

2009

Goldeneye proudly unveils its sustainably constructed Gowan Creek Winery just in time for the 2009 harvest. The new facility incorporates cutting-edge, energy-efficient and environmentally conscious design.

2010

Gowan Creek Winery earned LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, with Goldeneye becoming the third winery in California to achieve this prestigious environmental distinction.

2012

Using grapes from some of Red Mountain’s most acclaimed vineyards, including Klipsun, La Coye, Shaw and Quintessence, Canvasback makes its debut vintage of Red Mountain Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon.

2014

Believing in the importance of estate vineyard sources, Migration acquires the Running Creek Vineyard. Located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, this spectacular vineyard features 70 acres of Pinot Noir vines and 20 acres of Chardonnay.

2014

Canvasback releases its debut vintage of Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The inaugural Canvasback Grand Passage Cabernet Sauvignon is also created from our finest blocks and barrels of wine from the exceptional 2014 growing season. The Longwinds Vineyard is also planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

2015

After four decades of working with its sought-after fruit, Duckhorn Vineyards acquires Three Palms Vineyard. Widely recognized as the finest Merlot vineyard in North America, Three Palms has become the crown jewel of the estate program.

2017

Duckhorn Vineyards celebrates the milestone of our 40th harvest in Napa Valley with an array of events, and a special 40th Anniversary Harvest logo adorning all 2017 vintage Duckhorn Vineyards wines.

2017

2017 - From the first vintage in 1978, Duckhorn Vineyards has been committed to crafting wines of distinction. In the fall of this year, our 2014 Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard is named Wine Spectator's 2017 #1 Wine of the Year. This honor serves as a testament to producing wines of the highest quality, under the stewardship of winemaker Renée Ary.

2019

Canvasback opens a dedicated tasting room in Walla Walla in 2019. Designed to embody the rustic elegance and frontier spirit of the region, the tasting room offers an idyllic setting for indoor and outdoor seated tastings.

2022

2022 - The Duckhorn Portfolio acquires two parcels of land in Napa Valley. These include 40 acres of the renowned vineyard, El Veredicto located in Los Carneros and a 10-acre vineyard called Red Wing in the St. Helena appellation. With these additions, the estate vineyard program now encompasses 298 acres throughout five premier winegrowing sub-appellations in Napa Valley.

2026

As we celebrate 50 years of Duckhorn Vineyards, discover the stories that have shaped who we are today. From 1976 to Forever.