Rudy is a true legend in Napa’s Diamond Mountain AVA… and it’s not just because he helped found the region. He’s been harvesting treasures from Châteaux in France and Napa’s storied vines for years, but he’s discovered something even more golden in recent years. It seems Angels are the treasure Rudy was looking for all along.
For someone with such a legendary career, you’d think that wine was always his plan — but Rudy started out with a different kind of fermentation in mind. His goal was to be the “King of Hard Cider” (he even wrote his college thesis on it!). But wine and cider aren’t so far removed. Since there weren’t many internships at cideries, he made the jump to a cellar job at Robert Mondavi, hoping he could translate his newfound cellar knowledge to cider making.
By MaT-WiKi1 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119651365
Instead, he found a true passion for wine, shifting his studies to the legendary UC Davis enology program. From there, he dove in headfirst, even writing a letter to Eric de Rothschild and landing the first harvest internship for an American at Château Lafite-Rothschild in 1985. Rudy took all those lessons back to California, working at legendary wineries over the years and making deep connections, eventually leading to his crown jewel — or his diamond, to be more specific.
Rudy has made his mark in Napa’s history books in many ways, but maybe most notably by founding the Diamond Mountain District AVA. It’s most well known for producing absolutely unforgettable Cabernets, but Rudy has made it his mission to help Angels discover even more. He’s branched out to make rare Grüner Veltliner, a traditional Austrian grape that’s incredibly difficult to find in California, and he’s brought his Diamond touch to Cabernet harvested from lesser-known corners of wine country, like Paso Robles and the North Coast.
Diamond Mountain Vineyards ©Napa Valley Vintners
To Rudy, the most important part of winemaking isn’t having the most awards or bottling pretentious, untouchable wines; it’s making a connection directly with the people drinking the wine. If his wines have earned a spot at your table, whether celebrating a milestone or just enjoying a Tuesday dinner with friends, that makes it all worth it.
It’s one of the reasons he loves Naked’s Angel community so much. In fact, we couldn’t say it any better than Rudy, so we’ll leave the sign-off to him…
“Drinking wine isn’t a pretentious or solitary event, and I’ve found Angels to be so adventurous. If I’m lucky enough to learn that my wine is a part of any kind of celebration, that’s the greatest honor I could have – because a bottle of wine is only as good as the people you share it with.”
Rapid Fire with Rudy
Quick answers to our quick questions
If you could only drink wine made from one grape for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Sauvignon Blanc. It has so much variety and can be made so many different ways, I’d never get tired.”
What’s your go-to drink when you aren’t drinking wine?
“Homemade Austrian blackcurrant syrup and sparkling water”
What’s the most important tool in your winery?
“The grapes, the barrels, and at Naked it’s got to be Franc Dusak!”
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Angels
“Absolutely adventurous”
What’s your ultimate food and wine pairing?
“Grilled Salmon or BBQ and Pinot Noir”
What’s one wine myth that drives you absolutely nuts?
“That red wine should only be served with red meats and white wine only goes with fish. What a waste!”
Which Naked winemaker’s wines do you enjoy the most?
“Ana Diogo-Draper’s Tempranillo is wonderful. It’s a timeless, approachable red with a great label!”
If you weren’t a winemaker, what would you be doing instead?
“I’d love to be somewhere in the art world, discovering and collecting, or finding antique treasures out in the world. Really any kind of ‘treasure’ hunting!”
