People

The people behind the valley: vintners, builders, keepers of old rooms, and the second acts that define Napa.

Matthew Crafton in a Montelena vineyard. Crafton, the Calistoga estate's president and winemaker, was named VinePair's 2026 Wine Professional of the Year on Oct. 15.

People

Montelena's Matthew Crafton Is VinePair's Wine Professional of the Year

Chateau Montelena president and winemaker Matthew Crafton was named Wine Professional of the Year in VinePair's 2026 Next Wave Awards on Oct. 15, capping a year in which he became the first president in the winery's modern history from outside the Barrett family.

By Napa Chronicle · Oct 16, 2026 · 2 min read

People

Hollywood's Second Act in Napa

Rich Frank ran Hollywood studios, then bought a bankrupt champagne cellar in Rutherford and started over. With his wife Leslie, he built Frank Family Vineyards into one of Napa's most personal wineries, sold it to Treasury Wine Estates for $315 million, and stayed.

By Napa Chronicle · Sep 21, 2026