A brief history
Casa Piena is founded upon the Philosophy of old world development merged with new world team building. The roots of this wine adventure go back to Carmen Policy's childhood in Youngstown, Ohio's Smokey Hollow neighborhood. That is where the making and sharing of wine played a central part in the vibrant family life of his largely Italian-American community. "My grandfather and his neighbors," says Carmen,” made their own wines, using recipes handed down to them from their fathers. They were part of a whole community of basement winemakers who would go to the railroad yards to buy grapes right off the boxcars from California. The wines they made were rough, highly unsophisticated and robust. However, they were true labors of love that were served with pride at dinner time and social gatherings. They were also shared between families as a sign of generosity, and of course with a little bit of healthy competitive spirit.” Over the years, this early exposure to wine grew into a passion that found a deep connection with the beauty and abundance of California's Napa Valley. After a long search for the ideal vineyard property, Carmen and his wife Gail found what they were looking for in a beautiful valley floor site that was ready for upgrading and replanting.
Pairing the robust opulence of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with the graceful sophistication of a prized Bordeaux, Casa Piena is crafted to honor its Yountville roots while achieving a seamless balance between fruit and the earth. The stunning uniqueness of Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon is that though it is able to realize voluptuous ripeness, the resulting wines nonetheless reflect nuanced elements of cool climate elegance and soil-driven character. As a result, Casa Piena is receiving rave reviews for its powerful expressiveness. It evokes Bordelaise characteristics of ripe red and black fruit, spice and minerality, without compromising its Napa Valley heritage.
