Small but esteemed winery owned by Ric Forman, a long-time NAPA VALLEY winemaker. His career, which spans 25 years, began at STERLING VINEYARDS where, at age 24, he was the first winemaker. Forman started his winery in 1982 after helping establish NEWTON VINEYARDS with Sterling 's founder Peter Newton. Today, Forman Vineyard has about 47 acres on Howell Mountain , planted mainly with CABERNET SAUVIGNON and small amounts of CABERNET FRANC and MERLOT. Grapes for the CHARDONNAY wines come from a vineyard that Forman co-owns with Charles Shaw near Rutherford, California . Forman's highly praised Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines have a very limited annual production of about 2,000 cases each.

Forman Winery是一間小而精緻的酒莊，由Ric Forman所擁有，他在納帕是一位歷史悠久的釀酒師。擁有25年的經歷，最開始是於STERLING酒莊，年僅24歲，在幫助Peter Newton 建立牛頓酒莊後，於1982年建立自己的酒莊。現今，Forman酒莊位於Howell Mountain上大約47英畝地，主要生產卡本內-蘇維濃，以及少量的卡本內-弗朗和梅洛。至於夏多內的葡萄品種，是來自Ric Forman和Charles Shaw共同擁有的葡萄園-位於加州．盧瑟福。卡本內-蘇維濃和夏多內，年產量僅僅2000箱。

The soil is the essence of a wine's finesse. The exposure is multifaceted due to the rolling terraced layout. The vineyard radiates in the sun showing its unusually distinct pink color. It is a very austere soil made up of pink volcanic gravel, sand and a sparse bit of humus. When cultivated, it folds as though it was sugar displaying its remarkable friability and hence its propensity to drain well allowing vine roots to search for their existence. It is in these rare soils and in the sublime Napa Valley climate that the wines are made.

葡萄酒的關鍵就是土壤。由於圓形平台規劃，可以多方面的曝曬，經過陽光的照射，通常呈現明顯的桃紅色，由火山砂礫、砂和稀少的腐殖質組成的嚴峻土壤，在耕種時，糖份會明顯流失，因此葡萄藤的根會傾向排出水份，留住糖份。如此珍貴稀少的土壤，再加上納帕的天氣，是釀造葡萄酒的因素。

Forman had first made his name as the winemaker for Sterling Wines, and then Newton during an extraordinary run of outstanding Cabernets in the 1970’s. However, a change in ownership made him move out on his own. So with 500 sticks of dynamite (and 1200 pounds of blasting powder), and his own talent and hands, Forman carved out his house, his pool, and tunnels nearly 70 feet beneath his house, and his winery (which are one and the same). In cramped quarters this University of California at Davis trained winemaker creates wines that reflect their vineyard origins. When his is ready to barrel the wine, he enlists his son’s assistance, and by means of a 70 foot stainless steel tube transports the wine from his winery to his caves, filling each barrel carefully, and than rolling the barrel along hand placed rails to its year long resting point. It is labor intensive, difficult work. Ric Forman can imagine it being done no other way.

Forman是在Sterling酒莊首次展露頭角，1970年代之間，在牛頓酒莊釀造傑出、完美的卡本內。然而，經營權的轉換使得他決定回到故鄉。因此，他建造房子、水池和房子下面70英呎的地道，以及建立以自己命名的酒莊。在加州大學戴維斯分校所學的釀酒課程，深深的影響到釀酒的方式。在他準備裝瓶之前，他和他的兒子必須將70呎高的不鏽鋼桶運送到地窖去，仔細地裝瓶，然後用手滾動瓶子後，靜止放置在酒窖裡，所有的工作都是需要人工完成的。

He planted all the hillside vines, and by the mid-1980’s, his modest winery was ready to produce his own Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

Today, with limited fanfare, and limited marketing, Ric Forman has carved his name indelibly in the taste memories of those who seek the full-bodied, full-flavored wines, with age potential and food-friendly outlooks. The Howell Mountain region, home to the some of the most notable Cabernets in California , clearly influences the wines that grow in its soil, the potentially tannic monsters and wines with dark fruit flavor and excellent balance.

他將葡萄藤種在山腰上，1980年代中期，Forman酒莊生產了卡本內-蘇維濃、梅洛和夏多內。沒有誇耀，也沒有多餘的行銷手法，Ric Forman所釀的酒，酒體圓潤、層次感豐富以及擁有陳年的實力是無庸置疑的。Howell Mountain地區出產加州著名的卡本內，主要是因為當地的土壤條件的影響，富含單寧，果味濃郁，酒體均衡。

Forman has a second label, Chateau la Grande Roche , that allows him to source grapes from other locations in Napa , and to experiment with unique varietals, like Colombard, in his effort to find lighter and softer wines. He has only been working with Colombard for a short time, and feels that he has come to understand the need for the wine to reflect the old valley vineyard that is the home to this very small growth.

Forman副牌- Chateau la Grande Roche ，是從納帕的其他地區取得葡萄來源，像高倫巴一樣是獨特的葡萄品種，酒體柔軟、溫和。Ric Forman曾經在Colombard工作一段時間，逐漸了解老藤釀酒的需求，產量稀少。