Brown Estate Celebrates 30 Years in Napa

As the first Black owned and operated estate winery in Napa, Brown Estate has grown to be one of the most recognizable brands in the wine industry.

Since launching its label in 1996, it has continuously captured the attention of wine lovers across the world with bottlings such as its award-winning Zinfandel and “sultry” Chaos Theory red blend.

But, for Black wine lovers, the brand, which in 2025 is celebrating its 45th anniversary of owning its property, holds an especially poignant place in their hearts.

In April 2017, the company opened Brown Downtown, the only tasting room in the area that offers a premium, “exclusively inclusive” wine experience.

“I remember my earlier experiences with wine were not engaging,” says Angela McCrae, founder of Uncorked & Cultured. She points out that Brown Downtown instead has a friendly staff and welcoming space that pumps familiar R&B from the speakers. “So, I really appreciate professionals of the craft that lead with intention to create inclusive and high-value service that becomes part of my wine journey.”

Christian Chubbs, Assistant Tasting Room Manager; Chris Gaither, Master Sommelier; and Farae Strickland, Director of Membership at BROWN Napa Valley HQ in downtown Napa. – Image Courtesy of Maggie Mai / Brown Estate

For many Black wine pros and drinkers, this sort of safe, approachable environment has long been far from the norm.

Just one year before Brown Downtown opened its doors, an $11 million racial discrimination case filed by a group of predominantly Black women against the Napa Valley Wine Train was closed for an undisclosed amount. The case rippled throughout the wine industry and beyond.

The women, who were celebrating a birthday and discussing a book as part of their regular club, got kicked off the train for “laughing too loud” during a tasting aboard the iconic rail line. They were escorted by staff through six train cars and greeted by St. Helena Police officers as they disembarked.

The event and subsequent news coverage raised much-needed discussion about inclusivity in America’s most celebrated wine region and the industry at large.

Interior of Brown Estate 2nd floor tasting Room — Interior of Brown Downtown – Image Courtesy of Maggie Mai / Brown Estate

Good for DEI, Good for Business

Though the Brown family didn’t open their tasting room because of the widely publicized event, they felt compelled to provide a safe space for Black wine lovers (and those of all shades) to enjoy themselves without any stress.

According to Wine Market Council research, 11% of United States wine drinkers are Black, 41% of whom have wine at least once a week. And the number of Black wine drinkers has been growing significantly more than other ethnic groups, with wine consumption up 32% over the past two years alone.

As wine consumption has been decreasing overall, wineries that foster inclusivity, like Brown Estate, are not just doing the right thing from a moral standpoint. It’s also smart business.

“With the tasting room, we were mobbed in a beautiful way from the very beginning,” says Stefanie Kelly, general manager of Brown Downtown. “There was a void that we stepped into, and ever since we have been committed to helping consumers find their way.”

Co-founder Deneen Brown agrees. “Our goal is to provide an extraordinary and memorable experience that includes the seasoned wine lover and the first-time taster. There’s no condescension,” she says. “No matter how anyone shows up, our job is to smile, welcome them and make them feel that they belong.”

While the Brown family’s latest expansion epitomizes their commitment to inclusive hospitality, their groundbreaking path of diversifying the wine industry began 40-plus years before it became a broader movement in wine and beyond.

Interior of Brown Downtown – Image Courtesy of Maggie Mai / Brown Estate

Decades in the Making

Parents Bassett and Marcela Brown purchased 450-acre farmstead property in 1980, less than a year prior to Napa Valley officially receiving its designation as an American Viticulture Area (AVA). The Browns planted the first 10 acre block of Zinfandel vines on the property in 1985. In 1988, Brown Estate had its first harvest. Those grapes were sold to local winemakers.

It would be another eight years before the family stepped into making wine themselves. In 1996, siblings Deneen, Coral and David—who felt a strong connection to the family homestead—harvested their first vintage of Napa Valley Zinfandel. As the family’s wine production expanded, they phased out fruit sales and within six years, they constructed a winery on the property.

Brown Estate has since grown into one of the most recognized brands in the esteemed region. Next year, the family will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the brand.

But the Brown’s ambitions go even further than celebrating their historic and recent accomplishments.

In April of this year, they announced veteran restaurateur and Master Sommelier Chris Gaither joined its leadership team.

Gaither, one of four Black Master Sommeliers in the world and a proud Morehouse College graduate, has been responsible for relaunching the brand’s sister label, House of Brown.

Initially launched in 2018, the second-generation label highlights regeneratively-farmed, certified-sustainable grapes sourced from Lodi, California. Bottlings include a Chardonnay, rosé and chillable red blend.

Pegged as “anytime-anywhere wines, always in season,” this relaunch allows consumers to enjoy the family’s wines without breaking the bank.

“I want to help continue to spread the love with Brown Estate and get the wines into very diverse arenas,” Gaither says. “But beyond that, I want to send a message to anyone enjoying and drinking those wines to embrace the inherent quality that is present in aspects of the production.”

While Gaither is helping to expand awareness and access of the family’s wines, he’s also working to elevate the hospitality experience at the flagship Napa tasting room—which is already offering top-notch service, according to many industry pros.

Brown Downtown already does a great job in “providing exceptional hospitality,” says McCrae. “It’s a safe space for not only Black Americans looking for comfort, but also any wine purveyor exploring bold Napa Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet with a touch of culture.”

It’s this already comforting, inclusive ethos and the brand’s endless pursuit of excellence that has long impressed hospitality experts, such as Leslie Jones, co-owner of 1010 Wine & Events, the first and only wine bar in Inglewood, California. “Whenever someone tells me they are going to Napa, I always say, ‘if you do nothing else, go to Brown Downtown,’” she says.