NEWS : Gene Trefethen Dies at 86

Wine lovers note with sadness the passing of Gene Trefethen, the industrialist and philanthropist who bought the property that became the award-winning Trefethen Vineyards. He died last week in Napa Valley at age 86.

Although it was his son John Vance Trefethen and daughter Janet Spooner Trefethen who established the winery in 1973, it was the elder Trefethen--a former president of Kaiser Industries--who, in 1968, purchased and restored the historic Eschol Ranch, built in 1886, that would become Trefethen Vineyards.

Six years after the winery was founded, its 1976 Chardonnay won the famous Gault-Millau-sponsored California vs. France wine tasting, besting many of the most famous white Burgundies from prestigious French houses. It was a milestone in the California wine industry. Last week, Robert Mondavi credited Gene Trefethen with helping the Napa Valley “develop world-class status.” The winery today produces more than 100,000 cases of wine, including its well-respected Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. Trefethen also supplies grapes for Domaine Chandon’s sparkling wines.