Fontanella Family Winery belongs to Jeff and Karen Fontanella. Jeff studied biochemistry at UC Davis before turning to winemaking, working his first harvest at Opus One in 1998 and then at Saddleback Cellars in Oakville. In 2005 the couple bought their original 26 acres in the southern part of the Mount Veeder appellation, and they released their first wine the same year. The property now totals 80 acres, with about 18 planted to vines on the mountain's slopes. Mount Veeder's steep hillsides and thin soils produce small, intense grapes, and the Fontanellas use them to make Cabernet Sauvignon along with Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Viognier and dessert wines. The winery is a true family operation, with visits by appointment that let guests meet the people who farm the vines and make the wine. For HeyVino readers, Fontanella is an approachable way into Mount Veeder, one of Napa Valley's most rugged and least crowded mountain appellations.