The American Francis Ford Coppola (*1939) became famous as the director of classics such as "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now" and is one of the most important filmmakers in the USA. Due to the great financial success of "The Godfather", he bought part (and later the rest) of the historic Inglenook Winery (previously "Niebaum-Coppola" and "Rubicon Estate Winery") in Rutherford in Napa Valley in 1975 and thus entered the wine business. Château Souverain in Geyserville in Sonoma County was acquired in 2006. In 2008, the well-known French oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt (*1963) was hired as a consultant. In 2010, the newly renovated tasting room, a gallery with Francis' film memorabilia and the restaurant "RUSTIC" were opened. Later, the Virginia Dare Winery, also in Sonoma County, and the Domaine de Broglie in the Willamette Valley in the state of Oregon were purchased.
All vineyards are sustainably farmed using the latest precision viticulture techniques with water conservation practices, weather stations, soil monitoring probes and drip irrigation. Biodiversity is promoted with bird boxes, diverse plant species, beehives and soil conservation, and fish habitat is improved in the Russian River catchment. Pest control is carried out using beneficial insects and birds such as owls. Energy audits are conducted regularly to improve the process and reduce energy consumption. This includes energy generation from renewable sources and clean hydropower. In 2012, the farm was certified by the California Sustainable Wine-growing Alliance and was rated 100% sustainable in 2019. In 2012, the vineyards were certified by the California Sustainable Wine-growing Alliance. Francis Ford Coppola Winery's vineyards encompass 57 acres (23 hectares) of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Negroamaro, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Malbec (Cot) and Sauvignon Blanc.
Corey Beck is in charge as Chief Winemaker. An extremely extensive range of wines is produced under many labels. The grapes come from different wine-growing areas of California. Almost all important Californian grape varieties are cultivated and processed. These are produced and marketed under the labels Archimedes, Diamond Collection, Director's Cut, Eleanor, Francis Coppola Reserve, Rosso & Bianco and Sofia.
In 2021, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and the Virginia Dare Winery were taken over by the Californian wine multinational Delicato Family W ines. The sale price is not known. The Inglenook Winery and the Domaine de Broglie Winery remained in the possession of the Coppola family. In return, Francis Ford Coppola took a stake in Delicato Family Wines and joined its board of directors. See also other celebrity show wine producers under Celebrity Wineries & Wines.
Francis Ford Coppola (building and portrait): Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Niebaum Coppola Winery: by Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, link
