6 Questions with Alan Viader

  1. How did you get started in the wine business?

    I grew up in the wine industry and helped my mother, Delia Viader, with our first harvest in 1989 when I was 9 years old. I grabbed a shovel and jumped into a fermentation tank to dig out the grape skins. I would always help out during weekends and summer vacations. I took the responsibility seriously, helping in the cellar and vineyards with pruning, suckering, clearing rocks and using jackhammers to plant vines.

  2. Did your mom start the winery with the intent of handing it down through generations?

    Yeah, I think she started with the idea that she could create this business and maybe someday hand it down through generations, and seeing these other wineries do this sort of generational thing in Europe and a few families in Napa. It certainly made sense. She never straight-up told me I would be doing this. She just exposed me to all areas of the business and let me be involved in whatever I was interested in.

  3. What about working in Argentina made you serious about winemaking?

    I was always a farmer, and studied viticulture farming and was following that path. In Argentina, I saw that in order to be a better farmer, you need to know the final product, and to be a better winemaker, you need to know the farm and the raw materials. So I kind of closed the loop on the whole farm-to-glass concept. Kind of like how chefs talk about their gardens and how it makes their food better. It’s the same way with winemaking and that lightbulb went off working in Argentina.

  4. If you weren’t a Napa Valley vintner, what would you be doing?

    Maybe wrenching on super cars? I’m kind of a “gearhead” at heart. I’m always modifying or fabricating something on my own vehicles or the vineyard vehicles.

  5. What's one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

    I love backcountry camping and exploring. I’m an avid adventure seeker. I love to go off-roading in my Jeep or on motorcycles when I can sneak away from work. I’m a brown belt in traditional Japanese Karate and also a purple belt in Kenpo martial arts.

  6. Is it a coincidence that your career and your hobbies all require a huge amount of discipline?

    I love structure; I love things that require discipline. I get excited about whitewater rafting and rock climbing and stuff because it requires focus, and there’s no room for error. Whether it be motorcycling or outdoor activities, or winemaking, there’s a risk factor and a challenge to perfect whatever you’re doing. In winemaking, you can be as risk-taking as you want, but there’s no room to make 20,000 gallons of vinegar, you know? At the end of the day, you need to make excellent wine. It’s a lot of focus.