A 70-year Family Legacy in Vineyards and Winemaking, With a Few Rose Bowls Thrown In | David Ilsley

In this episode, we welcome our longtime friend David Ilsley, whose family has been part of Napa Valley's grape-growing and winemaking community for more than 70 years.David's grandfather purchased the family's first vineyard in 1954. Since then they have expanded their acreage and moved into vineyard management and winemaking along the way.David grew up in the heart of Napa Valley and attended local schools where he earned a reputation as a top football player. He went on to play at the University of Washington during one of the program's greatest eras, eventually competing in three Rose Bowls.When he returned to Napa, David followed two previous generations of the Ilsley family into vineyard work and in 1998 became director of vineyard operations at Shafer Vineyards, a position he's held ever since.We had a great time catching up with David and learning how vineyard work has evolved over his lifetime, becoming both more of an art and a science, and ultimately helping to capture Napa Valley's poetry in a bottle.To learn more, visit Ilsley Vineyards and Shafer Vineyards.Enjoy!