Thank you, Terry and Ruth Ann, for sharing your Bottle Story.

Picture it: California in the mid-80s. The air was thick with anticipation as my college buddies and I set out on a spring break adventure unlike any other. Traveling from the University of Kansas with Napa Valley as our destination, our mission was clear: to indulge in the finest wines and create memories that would last a lifetime. Little did I know, this escapade would lead me to a discovery that would shape my life forever—the beginning of what would soon become our lifelong love for Silver Oak.

Amidst the many wineries we visited, one stood head and shoulders above the rest—the venerable Silver Oak. From the moment our lips touched the glass, we knew we stumbled upon something extraordinary. It was silky, smooth and oak-infused perfection. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on as many bottles as we could. However, as college students, the reality of the price point meant this wine was reserved for special occasions and celebratory moments. Yet, this experience served as our initiation into the world of fine wine, leaving an indelible mark on our palates and hearts.

Fast forward through the years—marriage, children, and plenty of life changes—Silver Oak Cabernet remained a constant presence in my life, and it soon became a cherished part of my wife Ruth Ann’s life as well. We made it a tradition to gift Silver Oak Cabernet regularly, and every Christmas, those same college buddies received a bottle as their present.

“We often jokingly referred to ourselves as the unofficial Silver Oak brand ambassador of Kansas.”

Terry B.

In December 2017, we decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary and the holidays in Fiji. Little did we know, fate had woven a remarkable encounter into our vacation. The Duncan family of Silver Oak, hailing from Napa, California, was at the same resort. Meeting Sally, wife of founder Ray Duncan, plus David, Tim and the rest of the Duncans felt like a dream come true. 

Sally, with her knitting needles in hand, welcomed us into the fold, and our two families bonded on the same dive boat, sharing laughs and adventures. Excitedly, Ruth Ann and I shared our genuine love for Silver Oak. It was important to us that they understood our admiration was no mere lip service—we proudly display the “Life is a Cabernet” license plate holders, a testament to how deeply the wine has become intertwined with our lives. 

Throughout our time in Fiji, Ruth Ann and I found ourselves embraced by the warmth and generosity of the entire family. The night we celebrated our anniversary, Sally approached us at our dinner table with a bottle of Silver Oak, insisting on a toast to our special day. This gesture of kindness spoke volumes. 

Then, Sally presented us a parting gift—a hand-knitted scarf for Ruth Ann to keep warm back home in Kansas and asked if we were coming to Release Day. To our discovery, this was the biggest Silver Oak event of the year, and we had never been! We were stunned and thrilled to accept the invitation. 

We arrived at Sally’s house the night before Release Day and were greeted warmly yet again. Among friends—both old and new—Ruth Ann and I felt like honorary members the next morning at Release Day. From that moment on, attending this event has become a biannual tradition of ours. We realized that it’s not just about the wine but about the stories it inspires, the friendships it forges, and the moments it crystallizes.

The post How a Chance Encounter in Fiji Made a Kansas Couple Part of the Silver Oak Family appeared first on Silver Oak.

Thank you, Dennis, for sharing your Bottle Story.

As far back as 1978, my wife and I began our enchanting voyage into the realm of wine. Those early days, we affectionately refer to as our “rookie years,” marked by our initiation with sweet white wines. As the years unfolded, our palates matured, and alongside the passage of time, we amassed a treasure trove of memories and keepsakes that narrate the tale of our enduring love affair with wine.

Our roots in Napa run deep, intertwined with familial bonds and mutual devotion to the art of winemaking. Yet, it was a serendipitous detour to Oakville in 1982 that etched itself indelibly upon our hearts. Perhaps on our way to one of the Mondavi summer soirées, we stumbled upon a winery crowned by a distinctive Water Tower, dedicated solely to the crafting of Cabernet Sauvignon. I can still recall the generous pours and the inevitable purchase of their coveted Cabernets post-visit. It was there amidst the vineyards that we found ourselves enraptured, falling deeply enamored with Silver Oak. Despite residing beyond the boundaries of Napa, we made pilgrimages as frequently as possible, eager to savor each new vintage. Our good fortune allowed us to secure a selection of the highly sought-after 1985 vintage, a prized possession in our collection.

Even today, we savor Silver Oak on special occasions, share bottles with loved ones, and order it at fancy restaurants.

When we remodeled our kitchen back in 1991, we seized the chance to showcase our passion for wine. We had custom tiles made featuring the iconic Water Tower and a bottle of Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet. Every time we step into that kitchen, we’re instantly transported back to those cherished moments in Oakville.

The post The Silver Oak-Inspired Kitchen appeared first on Silver Oak.

Dad loved jazz music—almost as much as he loved to celebrate life—and would always have jazz radio playing in his car, usually a cassette tape made by my stepbrother. As we approached his 85th birthday in 2015, I decided to write him a song as his gift.

That summer in July, my friends and award-winning singer songwriters Monty Powell and Anna Wilson happened to be down the road with my Silverado Pickups bandmate and fellow vintner, Jeff Gargiulo. I told them that I wanted to honor my dad’s legacy and was playing around with the concept of timelessness. I’ll never forget Monty’s response: “I love it.”  

Three hours and two bottles of Pinot Grigio later, the four of us finished the entire song and titled it “Timeless.” From its verses to its hook, each line embodies Dad, his love of Sally and family. “Timeless—needs to be timeless,” Monty exclaimed. Each line of the song is purposeful and full of meaning. 

Listen to the original recording:

Unfortunately, Dad never heard any recording of “Timeless.” He passed two weeks before our birthday. But in his final days, he still wanted a celebration. “No matter what happens, you have that party,” he insisted. “I want that party to happen no matter what.”

We paid tribute to Dad that autumn, and now, five years later, our family is proud to share this dedication. The first wine brand from the Duncan family in over 20 years, Timeless Napa Valley is truly meaningful to me, my family and hopefully you, too.

David R. Duncan
Proprietor

The post Timeless Napa Valley: A Dedication appeared first on Silver Oak.

Thank you, Boomer, for sharing your family’s Bottle Story.

Although we live in my home country, Australia, my wife is originally from the States. There, in Southern California, her father (my father-in-law), Mike Mitchell, was a successful racehorse trainer. He had a tradition: After every big race won, he opened a bottle of Silver Oak. His owners caught on, and they have done the same after every win.

In 2015, we lost Mike to a brain tumor—but still continue his tradition. When in the States for work, I make sure to pick up a few bottles to bring back to Australia.

About four years ago, I purchased a racehorse, and we named him Epic Grey. He has been very successful. On the back of that purchase—and a couple of years after we lost Mike—we acquired Epic Grey’s sister. She’s a steel grey color, so we decided to name her after Mike’s favorite wine: Silver Oak. Although she doesn’t have her brother’s talent, she’s a fighter—and finally won her first race on February 21, 2020.

That night, my wife and I opened a bottle of Silver Oak to celebrate.

The post A Horse Named Silver Oak appeared first on Silver Oak.

Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing your Bottle Story.

When I met my husband, Patrick, I wasn’t a big fan of wine—but Silver Oak was Patrick’s favorite. Years prior, in 2012, Patrick was introduced to Silver Oak while working at Wynlakes Country Club in Montgomery, AL. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was served at one of his first board meetings, and he was hooked. He insisted that I try it.

What started out as something that I enjoyed because it brought us together turned into something that I honestly enjoyed. I love Silver Oak. It’s something that we’ve bonded over and something that we both love so much.

Since first falling in love, we’ve shared a bottle of Silver Oak at every special occasion. When Patrick landed his first career-changing job, when I received my Master’s Degree, when we were married—we always raised our glasses with Silver Oak. Of course we drink Silver Oak wines at other times as well, but it’s especially our celebration wine.

In fact, there’s one extra special bottle that we’re waiting to open—a magnum of 2012 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet. When Patrick and I were married, it was my gift to him. 2012 is significant to us because it was the vintage that we saw in barrels when we visited Silver Oak in Napa. The bottle is engraved with our names (my new last name!) and our wedding date, and we’re patiently saving it for a big anniversary. (It took some convincing, but Patrick has agreed to eventually drink the wine.)

I’m looking forward to it—and many more bottles of Silver Oak in the future.

The post This Couple Celebrates All of Their Special Moments with Silver Oak appeared first on Silver Oak.

Congratulations, Kelly and Andy, and thank you for sharing your Bottle Story.

The post How a Trip to Napa Changed This Silver Oak Fan’s Life appeared first on Silver Oak.

The post Proprietor David R. Duncan Shares His Personal Bottle Story appeared first on Silver Oak.

Thank you, Caroline, for sharing your Bottle Story.

It’s weird to say this about a wine since I haven’t been of drinking age that long, but Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon has been in my life since I was a little girl. Every holiday, birthday celebration or fancy night out, there was always Silver Oak.

I remember the first time I had Silver Oak. Appropriately, it was my 21st birthday and both my parents were visiting me in Oklahoma City, where I went to school. My parents treated six of my friends to a steakhouse dinner accompanied by several bottles of Silver Oak. We continued celebrating at a local bar, where we kept the Silver Oak party going. (I don’t think anyone had ever actually ordered Silver Oak at the college bar in Norman, Oklahoma, so of course they were thrilled!) Throughout the night, my dad would grab a random friend of mine and say, “Want to try the best wine of your life?” and my friend would come to me and say, “Your dad is so cool and that wine was so yummy!”

Even now, when I’m out with my friends, I love ordering Silver Oak and talking about my dad. My friends who never had the chance to meet my dad feel like they knew him after drinking his favorite wine and hearing stories about him. I’m creating new Silver Oak memories and I collect the corks and write the date on them so I can remember the occasions on which we drank the wine!

Every time I see a bottle of Silver Oak, I feel connected to my dad.

The post Unforgettable Memories of a Father and a Love of Silver Oak appeared first on Silver Oak.

Thank you, Eric and Sara, for sharing your Bottle Story.

Silver Oak is a very special wine for us. On our first date we toasted with Silver Oak Cabernet, and ever since it’s been the wine we enjoy on special occasions. We even celebrated our first anniversary with a surprise visit to the winery.

When it came time to propose, my now-husband Eric reached out to my family’s dear friend, Milton Krasner of Krasner Jewelers in La Jolla, CA. Milton’s specialty is custom design, so he and Eric immediately began talking about things that were unique to us as a couple. The first thing Eric thought of was, of course, Silver Oak!

Next came determining how to incorporate Silver Oak into the ring. What better symbol than the water tower? Milton created renderings of the ring that he shared with Eric, and over the next few weeks those renderings transformed into my ring.

Eric proposed two days before Christmas at Beacon’s Beach in my home town of Encinitas, CA. We celebrated with a bottle of Silver Oak!

Have a Bottle Story of your own? Tell us at bottlestories@silveroak.com.

The post We’re in Love with This Engagement Ring and You Will Be, Too appeared first on Silver Oak.

This beautiful Bottle Story came to us from Alpharetta, GA, where Aleah James pursues her passion for wine and ovarian cancer education in memory of her mom, Halle Holland. “Wine for me is family, passion, ritual, memory, relaxation, fun and celebration,” Aleah says. Thank you, Aleah, for sharing your Bottle Story.

Many years back, my parents took a trip out to Napa where they visited Silver Oak. (They traveled from our home state of Georgia, so it was quite a trek!) This was back when you could only buy one bottle from the winery at a time, so they purchased a bottle to commemorate the trip. “It became a special wine for us,” my dad has said. They saved it to toast one of their wedding anniversary and always held Silver Oak in high esteem based on that experience.

After my mom lost her battle against ovarian cancer in 2013, I dove into pursuing wine classes because I missed her. She had taken some classes, had a little plaque over her wine fridge that said “The Cellars of Halle Holland,” spoke dreamily of Silver Oak in particular, and always had a bottle of wine ready for any occasion. Unfortunately, she and I never got to share a glass of Silver Oak together.

I was searching for a continued connection to her—something we could “do together.” I wanted to learn things she may have learned and to have a hobby shared with her. Then, the more I learned, the more I really loved wine. It evolved into a passion.

My mom is the reason my daughter is named Halle. She is the reason why Silver Oak was my one must-visit winery when I went to Napa with some friends in July 2014. I bought a bottle to bring back to toast my mom’s one-year homegoing anniversary—and we still have the empty bottle on display in our kitchen.

Every year, on Mother’s Day, her homegoing day and her birthday, we light a candle and open up a special bottle of wine to celebrate and remember her.

The post The Significance of Wine in This Mother-Daughter Relationship Is Heartwarming appeared first on Silver Oak.