ALTWINES

Gandona is a story of return, heritage and land. Founded by Manuel and Cristina Pires on Pritchard Hill, high above Napa Valley and Lake Hennessey, the estate carries a deeply Portuguese soul. Manuel grew up spending summers on his grandfather’s Quinta in the Douro, where grapes, olives and the rhythms of farming shaped his first understanding of the land. The name Gandona is a tribute to that grandfather — known in the village as a humble and generous man.

In 2006, Manuel and Cristina found in the steep, rocky hillsides of Pritchard Hill the place to begin their own wine legacy. The vineyards, planted on red, iron-rich soils and divided into small blocks, are farmed with meticulous attention and a long-term respect for the estate. Gandona works only with its own grapes, vinified in small lots in a winery designed to bring together old-world practice and modern precision.

Although rooted in Napa, Gandona keeps Portugal close. A small block of Touriga Nacional was planted as a tribute to the Douro and to the tradition of Port, while the winery itself includes details inspired by Portuguese craftsmanship. The result is a producer where memory, place and ambition meet: wines from Pritchard Hill with the discipline of Napa and the emotional depth of a Portuguese family story.