Napa Valley
Roberto Arador was born and raised in Michoacán, Mexico, and moved to Napa Valley at the age of seventeen. His journey in the wine business started in 1999 with work in the vineyards. After several seasons, he “became captivated by the entirety of the craft—the progression from vineyard beginnings to the subsequent winemaking processes in the winery.” His early years included a couple of seasons in the vineyard, followed by positions at Hess Collection, Caldwell Winery, and assistant winemaker at Arkenstone Winery for the past 18 years. He studied winemaking and viticulture at Napa Valley College.
Arador is truly a family affair, Roberto and his wife Carmen co-own Arador and are responsible for the day-to-day activities of making, bottling, and selling wine. Their two sons Omar and Andres help with bottling as well as packaging orders and shipping them when they are not attending school.
Arador does not yet own a vineyard and instead sources grapes from different sites, mainly in the Coombsville AVA for their Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes used for the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon recently sent to Club 672 members come from the Harmony School Vineyard, a storied site within the Coombsville AVA. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines, planted about two decades ago, are clone 6 which are known for their low yield and concentration of aromas and flavors. The vines are planted in volcanic soils, and the site has a cool microclimate which gives the wine more depth, brightness, and structure. Vineyard neighbors include Caldwell Vineyards and Ancien Vineyards. The grapes were harvested on October 7, 2022. The must was cold-soaked for four days at 50°F, inoculated with Saccharomyces yeast, and fermented in a stainless-steel tank with pump-overs and punch-downs at peak fermentation to maximize aromatic expression and balance. After fermentation the wine spent 22 months in 60 percent new oak 60-gallon barrels and then aged in the bottle for 6 to 8 months before release.
The first vintage of this delightful Cabernet Sauvignon debuted in 2021 and only 125 cases of the 2022 were produced. In addition to this wine Roberto produces a Syrah from Calistoga and Coombsville and a Sauvignon Blanc made from grapes grown in Yountville. A bit of a Napa secret, Arador wines are only available direct to consumers online and now to Club 672 members. Arador does not currently have a tasting room but is working to set up a tasting space so more people can discover their wines. Roberto tells Club 672 that “most people find Arador through word of mouth, social media, our website, and a few tasting events we participate in. Roberto likes to say, “If you love small-batch wines, you’ll likely hear about us from a fellow enthusiast first.”
