St. Helena Road Winery

About Us:

Saint Helena Road Winery is a tribute to the man whose labor, passion and ingenuity created music for millions around the world, as a musician and reedmaker, for nearly seventy years. Roy J. Maier, was a musician during the early jazz era of the Roaring Twenties, and a member of the world famous "Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra," featuring vocalists Bing Crosby and the "Rhythm Boys", Alton Rinker and Harry Barris.

This Band was stacked with the hottest musicians of the era. Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Chester Hazlett, Charlie Strickfaden, Charlie Margulus, Roy Bargy, Lenny Hayton, Kurt Dieterle, Irving Friedman; all spent time with Whiteman. Roy Maier played Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo,Oboe, English Horn and Bassoon, clearly the most versatile musician in the orchestra.

Roy can be seen in Universal Pictures 1930 film, "The King of Jazz", the first musical motion picture filmed in color, where Roy was featured in several comical cameos. Paul Whiteman commissioned young George Gershwin to compose "Rhapsody In Blue" which became the orchestra's signature music, as well as an "American Classic".