HALL Wines is the project of Kathryn Hall, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, and her husband Craig Hall. The winery pairs an ambitious contemporary art collection with certified sustainable estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford benchland and St. Helena hillside sites, producing a flagship Kathryn Hall Cabernet that has become one of the valley’s most-sought single-vineyard bottles.

History of HALL Wines

Kathryn Hall and Craig Hall purchased their first Napa Valley vineyard property in 1995 in Rutherford, attracted by the quality of the benchland terroir and the potential for estate Cabernet Sauvignon. They subsequently acquired additional vineyard and winery properties in St. Helena, building the HALL brand through a combination of estate farming, sustainability investment, and the contemporary art program that now defines the visitor experience.

Kathryn Hall served as U.S. Ambassador to Austria from 1997 to 2001, bringing international perspective and relationships to the wine program during a formative period. The winery became certified sustainable under the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and Napa Green programs, and the Halls have continued expanding both the vineyard holdings and the art collection since the brand’s official launch.

Kathryn Hall served as U.S. Ambassador to Austria under President Clinton and brought the same diplomatic rigor to building a winery: high standards, no shortcuts, serious investment in both the vineyards and the experience. The art collection that greets visitors includes a 35-foot chrome rabbit sculpture and works that rotate throughout the property.

Vineyards and terroir

HALL Wines farms estate vineyards across Rutherford and St. Helena, with additional holdings in the broader Napa Valley. The Bergfeld Estate in St. Helena anchors the wine program, a benchland site with the classic Napa Valley combination of well-drained gravelly loam and alluvial soils. The Sacrashe Vineyard in Rutherford, a single-vineyard source for the top-tier Cabernets, produces fruit with the dusty mineral concentration that defines great Rutherford Cabernet.

Sustainable farming practices across the estate include water conservation systems, solar energy, LEED-certified building design, and cover cropping programs that build soil biology without synthetic inputs. The Napa Green certification represents a comprehensive program covering both winery operations and vineyard management.

The wines of HALL Wines

Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship: a single-vineyard wine named for the founder that draws from the Sacrashe Vineyard in Rutherford. It ages 24 months in French oak and is produced in limited quantities, allocated primarily through the wine club and mailing list. Parker and other critics have scored it consistently in the mid-to-high 90s.

The HALL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the entry point, blending estate fruit from multiple sites into an accessible wine that over-delivers for its price. HALL also produces Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and the Ellie’s Cuvee red blend, named for Kathryn Hall’s granddaughter. The Cabernet Franc is a small-production standout for variety collectors.

Food pairings with HALL wines

Kathryn Hall Cabernet, with its concentration and 24 months in oak, is a wine for the most formal food occasions: roasted rack of lamb with herb crust, filet mignon with truffle butter, or a slow-roasted prime rib with au jus. The Rutherford benchland character brings dusty mineral tannins that need fat and protein to fully reveal the wine’s elegance underneath the structure.

The HALL Napa Valley Cabernet is more approachable and works across a wider range of preparations: grilled rib-eye, braised short ribs, duck confit, or a mushroom-based pasta with aged hard cheese. The Sauvignon Blanc is excellent with goat cheese preparations, grilled asparagus, fresh oysters, or a simple green salad with herb vinaigrette.

HALL Wines: common questions