Alan Viader

Coming Up

At Howell Mountain, the work is shaped by elevation, site pressure, and the long discipline of farming to what the vineyard will actually give. Alan Viader trained at University of California, Davis, then returned to Viader Vineyards and Winery in Napa Valley, California, where the pace of the place calls for patience and close observation. From 2002–2006, he served as Vineyard Manager at Viader Vineyards and Winery, working directly in the vineyard through the seasonal cycle. Since 2006, he has been Head Winemaker of Viader Vineyards and Winery and Lead Winemaker of Viader Vineyards & Winery, carrying site knowledge from the vine rows into the cellar. The throughline in Viader’s work is continuity: the same land, the same family business, and a style built from steady repetition rather than noise.

Where They Are Now

Sustainable farming, in Viader’s terms, is a stewardship practice tied to the vineyard’s long-term health rather than a marketing category. “I'm farming sustainably because I need to be the best steward of the land I can be,” Alan Viader says, making the priority plain. That ethic shows up in the daily decisions that sit behind finished wine: how the vineyard is tended, when patience matters, and how balance is allowed to develop. “Creating something that other people enjoy is highly rewarding,” he says, and that line lands in the trade register where it belongs: the work is demanding, but the payoff is a bottle that carries place cleanly.

Signature

Alan's signature wines include Homenaje, VIADER Red Wine, and Viader Vineyards & Winery Proprietary Red Blend 2019. For Viader, these wines are tied to the same premise that governs the rest of the estate work: the vineyard leads, and the winemaking follows the site’s character with discipline. Each bottling sits within that framework, reflecting the style he has helped define over time.

In Their Words “Creating something that other people enjoy is highly rewarding.”