Krupp Brothers 'Black Bart' Syrah 2018

An oenophile with a green thumb, Jan Krupp was a hobby winemaker and suburban farmer in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. Though a full-time doctor, in his spare time, he grew everything from green beans to gooseberries and produced beautiful wines, using his driveway and basement as a makeshift winery.

While still a full-time doctor Jan moved to Napa in 1991, to start growing things on a larger scale - beginning with a 41-acre vineyard around his new home. With his brother Bart, he would develop two more vineyards, including the iconic Stagecoach Vineyard. In 1998, he sold his medical practice and the following year, Bart and Jan founded the winery.

Bart was in his early 20s when his older brother Jan would return to New Jersey to visit his family with magnificent California wines in tow. As Bart began to become more knowledgeable, he would seek out European wines – which were then much more prevalent than California wines on the east coast – for his brother to try.

Together, the two developed their palates, broadened their knowledge and strengthened their brotherly bond. Bart's wise counsel and support have been crucial to the success of the vineyards and Krupp Brothers. Bart divides his time between Montclair, New Jersey – not far from where the brothers grew up – and Napa.