Wine Portfolio

Martha McClellan

Winemaker, Checkerboard Vineyards

Martha McClellan worked making the wines at Harlan Estate from 1995 through 2000. In 2001 she took over the winemaking and vineyard direction at Sloan Estate, a well-renowned Napa Valley winery and vineyards located in the hills of Rutherford, where she continues to make the wines today. In 2006 she came to Checkerboard Vineyards and, in working with the winery team, made the first vintage from the Aurora Vineyard site. Since then, three more vineyard sites have been planted, all at varying elevations and terroir, throughout this hillside valley. Those vines, in their fourth leaf now, are already showing the unique characteristics of their individual locations. The Premiere launch of the ’07 Checkerboard was both a tribute to the quality of the wine and a reflection of the incredible amount of effort and attention to detail that went into the development of this phenomenal estate and vineyards.

Country born: United States

Education: To be completed at a later date.

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
The exacting standards that have always guided and marked my work remain the foundation for my philosophy. As humble servant of Mother Nature and observant steward of the land, I am passionately committed to producing wines of uncompromising quality with the purest expression of their origin.