Ren Harris’ roots are firmly planted in California. He is a sixth-generation Californio, a descendant of José Carrillo, who came to the not-yet state with the Portolá expedition in 1769. Another ancestor was the sister-in-law of Sonoma’s founder, General Vallejo. The family of Harris’s wife, Marilyn, adds Napa Valley heritage, as the Pelissa family has farmed there for four generations.
In 1967, the couple purchased 30 acres of prunes in Oakville, which they sold in 1975 and acquired the 55-acre estate across the highway that is now part of Harris’s Paradigm Winery’s vineyards. It is also the source of its classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines. “The Agricultural Preserve saved Napa Valley,” says Harris. “My father-in-law, Andy Pelissa, was the only farmer on the Planning Commission when a zoning proposal was put forth in 1968 to stop chopping up farms into home sites. It passed to become the first agricultural preserve in the United States.“
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Contact UsFor press inquiries regarding the Napa Valley Grapegrowers or the Napa Valley agricultural community, please contact Caroline Feuchuk, Marketing Director, via email or (707) 913-8212 Archives
January 2025
Categories |
Trade Resources: Speakers | Press | Sponsors
Copyright Napa Valley Grapegrowers. All Rights Reserved. 831 Latour Court, Suite A | Napa, CA 94558 Phone: (707) 944-8311 | [email protected] Privacy Policy | Sitemap | All header images © Sarah Anne Risk Napa Valley Grapegrowers is a 501(c)3 public charity. Our federal tax ID number is # 82-2012860 |
Sign-up for our community newsletter
Subscribe to Friends of the Grapegrowers (FOG) to receive exclusive updates, educational workshops, vineyard tours, special events, and a quarterly newsletter with insights into Napa Valley grape-growing, sustainability, climate initiatives, and the latest trends in viticulture.
|