Brief History / What Set Reynolds Family Winery Apart
Family owned and operated since 1999, Reynolds Family Winery has been producing world class cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux style varietals since their inception.
Steve Reynolds, owner and winemaker at Reynolds Family Winery, was not born into a winemaking family nor was winemaking something he would pursue until later in life. Steve was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma and lived there only for a short while before moving to Munich, Germany where he spent most of his childhood. Growing up in Germany Steve’s father, Tom Reynolds, had always had a passion for wine. Not only did he have a large wine collection, but he had a small vineyard planted on their little farmhouse in Munich. It was here in Germany where Steve’s passion for winemaking truly began. Steve and his father worked many harvests together, making small batches of wine out of their little farmhouse garage.
When Steve decided that he wanted to move back to the United States, he chose to attend the University of Washington where he would study Marine Biology with a minor in chemistry. Steve had always been fascinated with the ocean and life under the sea, so when he graduated university he moved to Alaska where he would spend the next year or two of his life on a boat deep sea diving for abalone. Living on a boat in Alaska seemed like a really good idea for a little while, but realizing that this lifestyle was not for him, Steve decided to go back to school.
Steve moved to Stockton, California where he attended the University of the Pacific to study dentistry. Post-graduation, Steve met his future wife Suzie Reynolds and started his own dental practice where he would spend the next few years of his life working as a dentist. After a few years went by, Suzie and Steve decided they wanted to start a family and were not sure if Stockton was the place they wanted to do so. In 1995, they decided to venture out to Napa to look at some properties because some of their friends at the time told them it was a beautiful and upcoming little town.
After visiting a couple properties in Napa, one stood out amongst all the others. A small 16-acre chicken farm located right on the Silverado Trail that was run down and had very little to offer (at the time). Steve and Suzie moved to Napa in 1995 after purchasing the small chicken farm where Reynolds Family Winery stands today.
After moving to Napa, it was not “in the cards” to start a winery or wine label right away. Steve actually started another dental practice in Napa where he would work for the next 3 to 4 years before starting a family and developing vineyards of his own. In 1998, Steve’s first child, Cameron, was born and it was at this time where Suzie and Steve decided to make a huge life decision. They decided to go all in on this “Napa winery thing” so Suzie and Steve dumped every penny they had into their new Napa property to develop vineyards, purchase some winemaking equipment, and begin building the facility where the winery stands today.