Arietta was founded in 1996 as a partnership between rare wine auctioneer Fritz Hatton, winemaker John Kongsgaard, and his wife Maggy, all devotees of classical music. The vinous inspiration for Arietta was an extraordinary 2.3 acre block of Cabernet Franc on the Hudson Ranch in Napa/Carneros. The fruit from this block of Cabernet Franc serves as the core of the Arietta Red Wine (renamed Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards in the 2000 vintage). The Arietta project grew with the selection of additional superb blocks of Merlot and Syrah on the Hudson Ranch. Arietta added two wines to its portfolio: Arietta Red Wine Variation One, a rare blend of Merlot and Syrah, and Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards, produced only in selected vintages.

Arietta酒莊成立於1996年，成員為拍賣產量稀少紅酒的商人Fritz Hatton、釀酒師John Kongsgaard以及他的太太Maggy，全部都是古典樂的愛好者。對於Arietta酒莊葡萄酒的靈感，是來自於納帕/ Carneros的Hudson葡萄園裡特別種植卡本內-弗朗的2-3英畝的地。來自此產區的卡本內-弗朗的葡萄品種提供Arietta酒莊最主要紅酒的來源(在2000年份重新命名為Arietta酒莊的Hudson葡萄園的H區塊)。Arietta酒莊的計畫是選擇在Hudson葡萄園比較郊區的地方種植梅洛、希哈。Arietta酒莊增加兩款酒在酒單上：Arietta Red Wine Variation One-珍貴的梅洛、希哈混釀；Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards-會精選年份生產。

Pursuing our principle of purchasing fruit only from the very finest vineyard blocks, Arietta in the 2003 vintage purchased a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain vineyards farmed by famed Napa grower David Abreu. This fruit afforded us the opportunity to release a small quantity of Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon 2003.

採購葡萄的準則為只選用最頂級葡萄園的葡萄品種，Arietta酒莊2003年份的酒就是購買來自納帕有名的釀酒師David Abreu 於Howell山的葡萄園所種植少量的卡本內-蘇維濃。此區葡萄提供我們有機會生產Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon 2003裝瓶上市。

Arietta’s exciting development continues with the 2004/5 vintage release. A small quantity of Arietta Claret 2004, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Arietta’s first white wine, Arietta On The White Keys 2005, a blend of hillside Sauvignon Blanc and old vine Semillon.

Arietta酒莊令人振奮的發展持續到2004-2005年份的裝瓶上市。產量稀少的Arietta Claret 2004為卡本內-蘇維濃和梅洛的混釀；Arietta酒莊的第ㄧ支白酒-Arietta On The White Keys 2005為山坡上白蘇維濃和榭密雍老藤混釀。

THE TEAM

Arietta is owned by Fritz and Caren Hatton. Fritz Hatton is the nation’s foremost wine auctioneer. After a career as an executive and auctioneer for Christie’s, Hatton turned his passion into a profession as director of Christie’s Wine Department in the beginning in 1995. Hatton returned to California in 1998, and with his wife Caren and in association with John and Maggy Kongsgaard launched Arietta. In addition to running Arietta, Hatton remains very active as a commercial and charity wine auctioneer. He serves as principal auctioneer for Zachys Wine Auctions, and as auctioneer for many charities in California and nationwide, including the Napa Valley Wine Auction, Make-A-Wish, and the Sonoma County Children’s Charities.

Arietta酒莊由Fritz和Caren Hatton所擁有。Fritz Hatton為美國當地最重要的葡萄酒拍賣商。原本Hatton是Christie公司的銷售經理，後來在1995年就成為美國的Christie公司葡萄酒部門的主管。Hatton於1998年回到加州，並與他太太Caren以及John和Maggy Kongsgaard夫婦共同創立Arietta酒莊。除了管理Arietta酒莊，Hatton仍然非常活耀於葡萄酒界的商業拍賣以及慈善義賣。他任職於Zachys葡萄酒拍賣最主要的拍賣商，以及擔任在加州和美國各地慈善義賣商，包含Napa Valley葡萄酒義賣、許願基金會以及索羅馬郡的兒福基金會。

John Kongsgaard, Arietta’s winemaker, founded Arietta with Fritz Hatton in 1996. Kongsgaard, a fifth-generation Napan, is one of the country’s most celebrated winemakers. Kongsgaard has grown grapes in Napa since 1975, and made wine since 1979, most notably at Newton Vineyards. Kongsgaard now devotes himself exclusively to his own brand, Kongsgaard, and to Arietta. Kongsgaard becomes Arietta’s consulting winemaker in July 2006.

John Kongsgaard-Arietta酒莊的釀酒師，與Fritz Hatton在1996年成立Arietta酒莊。John Kongsgaard-納帕第五代的接班人，為加州最著名的釀酒師之ㄧ。自從1975年Kongsgaard家族已經在納帕開始栽種葡萄，1979年已經開始釀製葡萄酒，其中最著名的為Newton葡萄園。現在，John Kongsgaard專心致力於自有品牌，至於Arietta酒莊，在2006年7月開始就變成專職顧問的釀酒師。

Andy Erickson, Arietta’s consulting winemaker, is one of the most accomplished winemakers of his generation. After working at wineries in Napa and South America, including an apprenticeship with John Kongsgaard at Newton Vineyards in 1994-5, Erickson brokered barrels to top California wineries, and enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California at Davis , from which he earned his Master’s Degree in 2000. Erickson has since worked as assistant winemaker for Harlan, and as winemaker for Staglin in the 2001 and 2002 vintages. Erickson now makes wine for Hartwell and Ovid, as well as Favia, which he co-owns with his wife Annie, a viticulturist. Erickson joined Arietta in July 2005 as consulting winemaker and developed Arietta’s first ever white wine, Arietta On The White Keys 2005. Erickson becomes Arietta’s winemaker in July 2006.

Andy Erickson-Arietta酒莊的專職顧問釀酒師，為他的家族最有成就的釀酒師之ㄧ。在與納帕和南美洲酒莊工作之後，其中包括於1994-1995年在Newton葡萄園當John Kongsgaard的學徒，Erickson以中間人的身分販賣橡木桶到頂級的加州釀酒廠，並且進入加州大學戴維斯分校，就讀葡萄栽培術與釀酒學課程，2000年即得到碩士學位。Erickson曾經在Harlan酒莊當過釀酒師的助理，也曾經在Staglin酒莊當過2001-2002年份的釀酒師。現在Erickson在Hartwell、Ovid以及Favia酒莊當釀酒師，尤其是Favia酒莊是和他的太太Annie-葡萄栽培者所共同擁有的。在2005年7月，Erickson成為Arietta酒莊的專職顧問釀酒師，並且釀造了Arietta酒莊第ㄧ支白酒- Arietta On The White Keys 2005。因此，在2006年7月Erickson就成為Arietta酒莊的釀酒師。

THE LABEL

Arietta’s label incorporates a fragment of the original manuscript of the great Arietta movement of Beethoven’s last piano sonata, Opus 111. This movement, one of the pinnacles of classical music, is comprised of an Arietta (song) followed by five variations of increasing complexity. Beginning with the serene “Arietta,” the movement grows organically into an earthy, classical “boogie-woogie,” dissolves into musical timelessness, and finally rises to a startlingly contemplative, and ethereal climax. Beethoven’s tempo indication, “Adagio molto semplice e cantabile” (very slowly, simply, and songlike) is handwritten above the first two bars of the music on all Arietta labels except Variation One, which features the opening measures of the first of the five variations.

Arietta酒標的靈感是來自於貝多芬第三十二號鋼琴奏鳴曲(Opus 111)- Arietta樂章的未完成作品原稿。此樂章為古典樂的巔峰代表作之ㄧ，是由小詠嘆調所組成，伴隨著增加複雜度的五個章節變奏曲。Arietta樂章開始是以寧靜曲調鋪陳，之後深入核心，呈現出一種類似爵士的黑人音樂，令人感受到音樂的永不止息，最後漸漸升起以令人驚奇的冥思、飄逸的高潮作結尾。貝多芬手寫的節拍表示在所有Arietta酒標開始的二個小節是呈現非常緩慢、簡單、似詩歌的，但是Variation One除外-在開始的小節有五個章節變奏曲。