Bart & Barb O'Brien
Winemakers, O'Brien Estate
Bart O'Brien grew up in Florida, then moved to San Francisco after graduating from the University of Florida and Carnegie Mellon business school. His passion was for starting companies; his chosen field was that of software companies. He was on the founding team of RSA Data Security and Calico Commerce, both of which become public companies, and involved in the startup of several other firms.
Barb O'Brien grew up in Southern California, then moved to San Francisco after attending UCLA and graduating from Montana State University. Her career was in marine container leasing where she managed the contracts department. Barb and Bart met one evening after a charity event in San Francisco. From the moment they met, they knew that they had a shared destiny. On their third date wine tasting in Napa Valley, Barb said that "she dreamed of owning a vineyard in Napa Valley someday".
That dream was the start of O'Brien Estate, which they purchased in 2000. Thirty three acres of vineyards, a bonded winery, as well as their home are co-located on forty acres. Because their winery was founded as a romantic dream, their wines reflect their passion for the intertwining of romance and wine.
O'Brien Estate produces exclusively estate bottled wines from its single, sustainably farmed vineyard. Only small French oak barrels are used to age the wines; no artificial methods are used to manipulate the wines to please any particular wine critic. Only classic, traditional Bordeaux and Burgundian techniques are used. Their wines have won multiple awards including the following:
- 2007 Chardonnay - 92 points Wine Spectator
- 2006 Merlot - Gold Medal American Fine Wine Competition
- 2007 Seduction - Double Gold Medal American Fine Wine Competition, Gold Medal Dallas Morning News Wine Competition