Frog's Leap have always been believers in the benefits of organic and dry farming (without irrigation) and John talks passionately about the essentials of soils studies, slow fertility and encouraging deep roots. In 1987 they purchased their first vineyard which the following year became the first organically certified vineyard in the Napa Valley, 10 years before anyone else. To begin with John and Larry purchased grapes from local growers.

Put those together, and Frog's Leap was born in 1981.įrog's Leap Winery is located in the AVA of Rutherford within the Napa Valley in California. The winery acquired its name after Larry's family farm - which was once a frog raising farm - and because Stag's Leap played such an important step in John's winemaking ladder. John got his first job in a winery, with the help of his friend Larry, bottling wine at Stag's Leap in 1975 and from here things were only onwards and upwards for John Williams. John grew up on a dairy farm near Buffalo, and it wasn't until a university transfer programme took him to Napa that John realised the wine business was his calling.

Before we get started on this mini history of Frog's Leap Winery, we urge you to visit their website - it perfectly captures the culture of this estate and their wines! John Williams and Larry Turley set up Frogs Leap Winery in 1981.The two first met in Napa in 1975 and it was at this moment, after a few glasses of wine (the first bottle they shared was a '72 Zinfandel!) that they vowed to one day set up their own winery.

Frog leap wine