Discover
Rutherford Homesteaders Since 1890
Real People. True Grit.
If you had told our great-grandfather and great-grand-uncle that their name would figure in history books and grace street signs, they would have had a good laugh.
A.P. and Jean Chaix were tough as nails. They were hardworking, pioneering winegrowers who threw caution to the wind more than 150 years ago to pursue their dreams of making great wines in the New World.
They traveled by sea, train, and stagecoach until they found the place they were looking for, on the Napa Valley’s Rutherford Bench.
From our great-grandfather A.P. Chaix, we inherited a love of fine wine and a healthy sense of humor. And in honor of A.P. and Jean, we make Chaix Cabernet Sauvignons—just as they did, in St. Helena, California.
Meet the Team
Kathy Chaix
Partner
Kathy has carried on the family legacy, producing Chaix Wines with her brother John since 2008. Prior to becoming a vintner, Kathy enjoyed a variety of careers. She was an English major at UC Berkeley, reported in London for United Press International (UPI), worked in tech in the Silicon Valley, and founded the girls’ lacrosse program in the city and schools of Newport Beach.
John Chaix
Partner
John manages all aspects of operations at Chaix Family Vineyards and is proud to be the steward for the historic family estate on behalf of his family and ancestors. He is a practicing attorney and founder of Chaix Law, a firm representing homeowners and HOA’s in construction defect litigation. John and Michelle live in Newport Beach with their three teenagers.
Michelle Chaix
PARTNER
Michelle is our fulfillment and software guru, John’s better half, and the hostess with the mostest at Chaix Wines. Michelle has a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and spent years helping others before dedicating her time to the family wine business. On the weekends you’ll find her on the football and lacrosse fields, managing the teens, or walking Max, the family dog.
Sara Fowler
winemaker
A bright star in the Napa Valley winemaking community, Sara has been our winemaker since 2018. Raised on a 400-acre organic ranch where farm-to-table food was part of the everyday lifestyle, Sara shares the Chaix family’s passion and ethos for the creation of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to her work with Chaix Wines, Sara has been leading winemaking for PEJU for more than a decade.
Mark Neal
VINEYARD MANAGER
The farming of the Chaix family’s historic vineyard is entrusted to Mark Neal, an organic and biodynamic farmer and winemaking evangelist. Not unlike John and Kathy, Mark’s passion for farming and winemaking started when he began as a grower working alongside his parents on their Rutherford farm in 1966. Mark has been walking the vine rows almost daily for more than 54 years; his passion and expertise are evident in our certified organic vineyard.
We are these people. This is our place.
