Helen Keplinger

About Helen Keplinger

• Graduated from Smith College and first planned on medicine, working nearly two years with Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.
• Earned a master's in enology at UC Davis in 2000, after interning at Mumm Napa and Paradigm.
• Worked as assistant winemaker to Heidi Barrett at Paradigm and to Kathy Joseph at Fiddlehead Cellars, plus a harvest in Australia.
• Moved to Spain's Priorat region in 2004 to set up a winery for a group of partners.
• Came back to Napa in 2005 as winemaker at Kenzo Estate, working alongside Heidi Barrett and vineyard manager David Abreu.
• Started Keplinger Wines with husband DJ Warner in 2006 with about 250 cases of Grenache and Syrah.
• Spent about a year and a half as winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard, leaving in October 2012.
• Named Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine in 2012 and appeared on the cover of Wine Spectator in June 2014.
• Became winemaker at Grace Family Vineyards in 2014, working with vineyard manager David Abreu.
• In 2020 she and DJ Warner bought 75 acres in Paso Robles' Willow Creek district and planted mostly Rhône varieties.

Helen's own wines

• Keplinger Wines · since 2006

Where Helen makes wine today

• Grace Family Vineyards · winemaker
• Kerr Cellars · winemaker

Wineries Helen has made wine for

Consulting relationships change often; these are clients past and recent as reported over the years.

• Carte Blanche
• Bryant Family Vineyard
• Kenzo Estate
• Arrow & Branch
• Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery
• Scully Wines
• Paradigm Winery
• Force Majeure (Washington)

Notable wines and scores

• 2015 Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: 100 pts, Jeb Dunnuck
• 2018 Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon: 100 pts, James Suckling
• 2015 Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon: 98 pts, Antonio Galloni / Vinous
• 2018 Carte Blanche Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper: 97+ pts, Robert Parker / Wine Advocate
• 2016 Keplinger Caldera: 94+ pts, Jeb Dunnuck

Recognition

• Food & Wine Winemaker of the Year, 2012
• Wine Spectator cover feature, 2014

Taste Helen's wines in wine country

Many of these wineries are by appointment only, and some sell only to their mailing lists. Tell us which wines you would like to taste and your chauffeur will book what is possible and build the day around it. See our Napa Valley wine tours and Sonoma County wine tours, or plan a private tour.

Sources

napawineproject.com · winespectator.com · winesvinesanalytics.com · saqonline.smith.edu · wineaccess.com · vinfolio.com