Cain Vineyard & Winery

In 1980, Jerry and Joyce Cain purchased 550 acres, part of the historic McCormick Ranch, on Spring Mountain. Their vision was to develop a mountain vineyard dedicated to the classical blend of varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The fruit of this vineyard would inspire the creation of the Cain Five—its first vintage was 1985. As the project was coming into focus, the Cains were joined by Jim and Nancy Meadlock. The Meadlocks became partners at the beginning of 1986, and, since the retirement of the Cains in 1991, have carried on as sole owners, providing steadfast and active support for this very long-term project.

Varying in elevation from 1,400 to 2,100 feet (450-675 meters), the vineyard clings to the sides of a bowl, sited spectacularly, and improbably, along the crest of the Mayacamas Range. The vineyard overlooks the Napa Valley and Saint Helena from the most south-western corner of the Spring Mountain District. Here, the soils are almost exclusively of sedimentary (as opposed to volcanic) origin.

One other notable feature of the Cain Vineyard is that it consists of small areas surrounded by forest. There is a theory that the trees—oak, madrone, bay laurel, and Douglas-fir—contribute to the unique aromatic signature of the Cain Five. 

The Cain winemaking program is simple, and it follows the same path for all their wines: hand picking, gentle destemming, native-yeast fermentation, thoughtful maceration, and manual pressing. The wines usually complete malolactic fermentation in the barrel, are blended in the spring following harvest, and are repeatedly racked from barrels. They are usually egg-white fined, and they are often bottled without filtration. As can be seen, wherever possible, Cain eschews intervention. Their clear mantra is "less is more."