Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi, proprietors of Darioush in Napa Valley, are thrilled to celebrate the winery’s 25th anniversary. Bridging old world traditions with new world winemaking, Darioush’s portfolio of wines are known for their individualism, ambition, complexity, and gravitas.
Since the winery’s inception in 1998, Darioush has set the standard for modern luxury, fine wine, and exceptional hospitality in Napa Valley—now with 120 acres of estate vineyards spanning the Mt. Veeder, Oak Knoll, and Coombsville AVAs.
A visionary leader from the start, Darioush founded the winery to focus on Bordeaux and Rhone varietals grown in Napa Valley’s southern appellations, understanding early on that these diverse soils and cooler temperatures could bring complexity to the wines. Director of Winemaking, Hope Goldie, a Darioush veteran of nearly 20 years, carries out this vision with a soil-driven focus yielding varietally correct wines with great freshness and composure. Darioush brings these wines to members via elevated hospitality, with warmth, generosity, and service—all deeply ingrained in Darioush and Shahpar’s culture—and a legacy that will continue with the support of their daughter, Sally Khaledi. This commitment was put into practice through its hiring—the winery was early to employ a true in-house concierge to assist members with travel itineraries throughout the wine country and has always had an industry-leading commitment to both education and service Darioush now employs 30 hospitality hosts with WSET Level II and III certifications as well as multiple Diploma level sommeliers to complement their extensive culinary-tasting experiences. Over the last few years, the winery has added a commercial kitchen, an estate garden, and a robust culinary program to its list of on-site offerings and experiences.
“It has been an incredible journey and a dream come true to build this winery alongside my family,” says proprietor Darioush Khaledi. “We came to the United States in the late 70’s and we remain so grateful for the opportunities we have been given. As we look back at the last 25 years, we are proud to honor and celebrate our team, the legendary vintners who blazed the trail before us, and those who believed in us.”
As an important fabric of the community and true embodiment of the ‘American dream,’ Darioush Khaledi is a devoted advocate for education, healthcare, and performing arts, and has consistently supported the next generation of leaders in wine country. In 2022, Darioush pledged $100,000 to support the replanting of the Napa Valley College’s Teaching Vineyard. Over the last 25 years, he has played an instrumental role in fostering, building, and funding important community organizations and foundations like OLE Health and Festival Napa Valley, which supports a range of educational and social programs in the community.
For those who’d like to celebrate this milestone with Darioush, the winery will be hosting a dinner series with dates available from June through September. Prepared by Executive Chef Sean Massey, the menu will feature inventive, seasonal dishes paired with some of the winery’s earliest vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and the estate’s crown jewel, Darius II. To reserve a seat and for more information, please visit www.darioush.com/special-events/estate-dinner-series.
