Girard Winery was founded in 1974 by Steve and Caroline Girard on a Rutherford property, producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay through the 1970s and 1980s before the estate changed hands and the brand evolved toward its current focus. Under the Parfet family, who acquired the label, Girard shifted its production to emphasize Petite Sirah alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, and opened a tasting room in the heart of Yountville’s Washington Street restaurant and wine district. The Petite Sirah has become the signature wine, a boldly structured variety that few Napa producers pursue with the same seriousness, and it has earned a following among collectors who appreciate power and longevity alongside the subtlety-focused Cabs that dominate most Napa portfolios.

Napa History and the Petite Sirah Identity

Steve and Caroline Girard established the original Girard Winery in Rutherford in 1974, producing estate Cabernet Sauvignon from what was then still a relatively underdeveloped stretch of the Napa benchlands. The winery went through ownership changes in the 1990s, and the current label is operated by the Parfet family, who brought a renewed focus on Petite Sirah as the defining expression of the Girard brand. Petite Sirah, sometimes called Durif, is a cross of Syrah and Peloursin developed in France in the 19th century. In California, it found a home in the warm valley regions where it could ripen fully, producing wines of enormous structure, deep color, and genuine cellaring potential. Girard’s decision to make Petite Sirah the flagship was unusual in Napa, where Cabernet dominates, and it has given the winery a distinctive identity.

Girard’s Petite Sirah is one of the most seriously produced examples of the variety in Napa Valley, built for aging and capable of developing for 15 or more years in the cellar.

Rutherford and Oakville Fruit Sources

Girard sources Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford and Oakville, two of the most respected Cabernet-growing districts in Napa Valley. Rutherford brings the benchland depth and what long-time tasters call “Rutherford dust,” a combination of soil texture and micro-climate that adds an earthy, rich complexity to structured Cabs. Oakville brings additional weight and concentration from the warmer, deeper alluvial soils of the central valley floor. The Petite Sirah is sourced from warmer valley sites where the variety can achieve full physiological ripeness without losing the structure and phenolic development that give it its signature longevity.

The Wine Portfolio: Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and Artisan Whites

The Petite Sirah is the wine that distinguishes Girard from the Napa pack. It is produced in small quantities from carefully selected valley-floor fruit and aged in French and American oak, showing inky color, dark plum and blackberry fruit, black pepper, and firm tannins that demand patience from the cellar. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the main production wine, built for approachable drinking within five to ten years of the vintage. The winery also produces an Artisan Red, a Zinfandel-based blend, and a Chardonnay from cooler Carneros and mountain sources.

Food Pairing at Girard

Girard Petite Sirah is one of the most structurally demanding wines in the Napa portfolio, requiring substantial food to show its best. The firm, gripping tannins and deep dark fruit character of a well-aged Girard Petite Sirah need fatty, protein-rich preparations to unfold. A slow-braised lamb shank with black olives, a hearty beef brisket with smoked salt crust, or an osso buco with gremolata give the wine the richness it needs. The Cabernet is more conventional in its pairing needs: grilled ribeye, roasted lamb, and hearty braised dishes. At the Yountville tasting room, the winery suggests pairings with artisan cheeses and charcuterie that showcase both the power of the Petite Sirah and the more approachable character of the Cab.

Girard Winery: Frequently Asked Questions