Whetstone Wine Cellars

Open: Year Round

Whetstone Wine Cellars is a small family-owned luxury wine brand located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Here's our story, told in Jamey Whetstone's words.

Born in Florence, SC, I grew up the son of a Baptist preacher and moved around quite a bit before settling in Wilmington, NC. I relocated to Napa in 1996 to manage Mustards Grill, figuring I'd gain restaurant experience before heading back home to the Carolinas to open a restaurant of my own. Napa had other plans for me. My winemaking education began in 1998 at Turley Wine Cellars, where learning how to change the clutch on a tractor was more valued than knowledge of Bordeaux First Growths. I had the opportunity to take a summer sabbatical working for the Seysses family at Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis, which cemented my love for Pinot Noir. After returning from France, I founded Whetstone Wine Cellars in 2002 while continuing my apprenticeship at Turley. In 2005, I left Turley in order to take the leap toward growing the Whetstone brand.