Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 by Warren Winiarski, a former University of Chicago political philosophy lecturer, on a 44-acre site in the Stags Leap District that he planted to Cabernet Sauvignon after tasting a homemade wine from neighbor Nathan Fay's vineyard. In 1976 the winery's 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon took first place at the Judgment of Paris blind tasting, placing California wine on the world stage. The estate is now owned by Marchesi Antinori, who acquired full ownership in 2023, with winemaker Marcus Notaro overseeing production across three estate vineyards — S.L.V., FAY, and Danika Ranch — all Napa Green certified.