We have some sad news to share out of the Napa Valley today as Margaret Duckhorn has sadly passed away this weekend at the age of 83. Duckhorn was an iconic and pioneering figure in the modern Napa Valley winemaking era, who played a pivotal role in establishing Merlot as one of North America’s most popular varietal wines. She and her then husband, Dan Duckhorn, founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976 and made their inaugural vintage of Napa Valley Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978. Though many Napa Valley wineries were using Merlot as a blending grape in the late seventies, Margaret and Dan believed that this elegant varietal was underappreciated in North America and championed its potential in California as a great standalone wine.
Born on Governor’s Island, New York, Margaret was raised in a military family and traveled widely in her youth. Studying at the University of Maryland campus in Munich, Germany, Margaret first became interested in wine after being exposed to the Mosel region’s distinctive wines. Returning to the United States, Margaret received her B.S., R.N., and P.H.N. degrees from the University of California at San Francisco in 1963. After graduation, she worked as a public health nurse for the city of Berkeley before starting a family in the mid 1960s.
Margaret took an extremely active role in the day-to-day operations of her winery, hand sorting the fruit and working alongside winemaker Tom Rinaldi during blending. Later, Margaret began specializing in marketing and international public relations, becoming a strong voice for Duckhorn Vineyards, and a champion for the Napa Valley winegrowing community. She played a key role in establishing Goldeneye, Paraduxx, Migration, an enhanced Decoy lineup, and Canvasback in Washington State. She was also highly involved on a philanthropic level in her community, and a strong advocate for Napa Valley on an industry-wide level, working both locally and globally to protect and promote the region. She was one of the original members of Women for WineSense, a past board member of the American Institute of Wine & Food, past president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, and past chairman of the board of California Wine Institute. Margaret was an incredible talent that has helped put the Napa Valley on the international scene. Cheers to Margaret and her beautiful legacy. 🍷