Marketta Winery and Vineyards was established in 2008 by Marketta Fourmeaux, original founder/owner and winemaker for Chateau Potelle, as a city cellar winery (02 license, limited to approximately 200 cases) in historic downtown Napa. This is Marketta’s third winery creation and her first as a sole proprietor. The ‘Hand Made' wine series, produced in small quantities of 100-400 cases each, are hand-crafted Vins du Terroir—wines that express the nature of the vineyard. Each wine is constructed with a minimum of technical intervention and racked by gravity, avoiding the use of filtration to ensure that the wines retain their natural intensity and texture.

About the Vineyards

In addition to new vineyard development and winemaking, Marketta oversees the vineyard management of the grapes she procures from select vineyards that are sustainably farmed and hand-harvested, block by block. She then ferments the grapes with natural yeast to preserve the integrity of each individual block’s character.

Marketta’s Sauvignon Blanc comes from the estate single vineyard in the Pope Valley region of Napa Valley that she planted over 9 years ago. But it was in 1984 that she identified the area for its microclimate that best suited her vision of the style of Sauvignon Blanc she aspired to create—elegant and well balanced with delicate fruit in perfect harmony with the varietal character.

Marketta’s Mount Veeder blend comes from estate vineyards on Mount Veeder, an appellation she sought out in 1987 for its moderate climate and well-drained, stony soils that yield small berries of intense concentrations and great depth of color, tannin and flavor.

From the planting of the vineyards to the day the wines are released, Marketta strives to keep the wines’ original character and layers of complexity. The result is wines that are, as the French say, bien élevés—well brought up, and naturally refined and civilized in the very best sense.

Marketta’s wines are made to complement America’s diverse and innovative culinary scene, and to be enjoyed in good humor with self, friends and family.

Marketta Fourmeaux, Winemaker / Owner

A native of Finland, Marketta Fourmeaux moved to France at a young age where she lived in Paris, earned a M.B.A. in Marketing and Business Administration, and continued her involvement in wine and enological science studies. She worked as an official judge for the prestigious Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO), the highest authority in France for wine, and in the early 1980’s was sent to the United States to research California winemaking and viticulture. Six months and 2,000 wine tastings later, she sent a report back stating: “Looks good. We stay.”

By 1988, Marketta and her former husband had moved their family to a 273-acre estate on Mount Veeder, Napa Valley to start a new life as winery owners. That winery endeavor was the successful Chateau Potelle. It was here that Marketta made her indelible mark as a viticulturist and winemaker, developing vineyards and growing grapes of great distinction from various regions in California, and producing wines renowned for their balance, elegance and complexity.

Her respect for the individuality of each vine and her commitment to “hands-on” winemaking ultimately earned her the recognition of a top-ranking producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and elevated her beyond the label of one of the world’s first female wine producers to the ranks among the most respected winemakers in America. During this time, Marketta also created the wine style and winemaking techniques for her famed Mount Veeder ‘VGS’ wines, which earned her the friendly nickname of “Madame VGS.”

In 2007, Chateau Potelle was sold, and in 2008 Marketta founded Marketta Winery and Vineyards, a city cellar winery in historic downtown Napa—her third winery creation and her first as a sole proprietor. The ‘Hand Made' wines series, partly produced on site in small quantities of 100-400 cases each, are hand-crafted Vins du Terroir—wines that express the nature of the vineyard.

Marketta’s mantra, passion of life…life of passion, is reflected in her chosen field. “There is an intellectual challenge of winemaking and working with the variables of nature that thrills me,” she says. “I seek to understand what the wine wants to be and then employ methods based on my observation of the changes that occur as the vines grow, grapes ripen and the wine develops.”

She constructs each wine with a minimum of technical intervention and racks by gravity, avoiding the use of filtration to ensure that the wines retain their natural intensity and integrity, resulting in wines of extraordinary balance and finesse. “Each barrel is its own world,” says Marketta. “There’s no special trick, or any one thing that makes good wine. It’s like making a painting – you know you want green, but which green? It’s the simple work and details, the sum of every choice you make—big or small—that ultimately affects the wine.”

In addition to new vineyard development and winemaking, Marketta oversees vineyard management of the grapes she procures from select vineyards.

Marketta is a member of the Napa Valley Vintners, and has served as a Board member of The Wine Institute and as the president of the Mount Veeder Appellation Council. She is also a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship and wine for business executives, and is involved in several non-profit organizations, including Building Better Ethics (founding member), Keiretsu Forum, and aiding children with cancer through St. Jude Hospital and L’Chaim Napa Valley.

Of special note: In September of this year, the French Consulate in San Francisco will host a reception in Marketta’s honor to present her with the prestigious Medaille de L’Ordre du Merite Agricole (past recipients include Louis Pasteur), which she was awarded by the French President and Government in 2008 for outstanding achievement in her profession.